Reader question:

Coach tells a young player that he has to learn to “pick your spots and know when to shoot and when not to.” What does “pick your spots” mean?

My comments:

The coach asks the player to be patient, among other things, and learn to shoot the ball at the best moments, or when he's supposed to do so.

You may take “spots” literally as locations and positions on the basketball court. To pick is to choose. Therefore, the coach essentially asks the player to choose his shooting spots and moments better, in order to benefit the team most.

In other words, do the thing you're best at but do it at the right moment.

I think I can more or less safely infer that the young player can shoot and therefore he shoots a lot. Often times, though, he shoots at the wrong time – wrong time meaning, for instance, he shoots the ball without his teammates having put themselves in a good position to rebound the ball. In this case, if he misses the shot, his team loses possession. If, on the other hand, he shoots at the moment when his teammates are well positioned to rebound, then the chance of his team retaining possession of the ball increases.

Easy to say, but not easy for a young player to do, I must admit. It takes time for people to grow. It takes time for any young man to learn to pick their spot, or spots, in a play ground or in society at large.

Oh, erm, you've heard of the saying doing the right thing at the right time, haven't you? That's a perfect example of picking one's spot wisely, doing something at the right moment, under the right circumstances.

Otherwise, doing the right thing at the wrong time may lead to disaster, which would be a great waste of your energy and the time of everyone involved, to say the least.

Therefore, a young player should better learn to pick his or her spot, in order to be effective and efficient.

Or for that matter anyone who works with other people in society at large should learn the same skill, picking their spots and finding their moments to shine.

In other words, timing is everything. Be patient and bide your time. You'll mess things up if you're too eager and aggressive.

Still in other words, got to know when to assert yourself and when not to exert yourself.

And last but not least, picking one's spot is the very considerate thing to do. After all, there are always other people around. They too, need their spot and moment to shine.

All right? Alright, before I make it sound really complicated, let's read real examples of people doing, or learning to pick their spot:

1. Arriving at a busy shopping mall, do you drive around endlessly in search of a space? Do you meander, as though on a Sunday drive through the country, until luck strikes?

Or are you a different breed entirely, one who idles the car outside the mall doors? It's not stalking, really, is it? Let's call it “following with intent.”

Sure, this approach might get you labelled a creep, but that's not the only peril.

After all, you might follow your target all the way across the lot only to watch as they dodge through some bushes to the sidewalk, and wait for a bus. Back to square one.

The obvious solution is to first ask, “Hey, you leaving in a car?” before initiating the pursuit. If they nod, there will be that added charm of the fact you're not only following them at 4 km/h in your vehicle, but they know you are. You've made a friend.

Then there is the hybrid approach. You wander the lot until you spot someone with bags, or a shopping cart, and you make the contact there. It seems like serendipity, doesn't it? Like a surprisingly pleasant chat with an attractive server at a restaurant. You're both there for a purpose. You're not a vulture.

I must say, though, it's good to pick your spots.

If a woman is coming out of Superstore with two toddlers and a baby, and an obscene amount of groceries, “Hey, you leavin'?” might not get you a smile.

- Column: What kind of parker are you? by Chris Bryan, AbbyNews.com, October 28, 2011.

2. Now that Ashton Kutcher has replaced Charlie Sheen on Two And A Half Men, Charlie was left impressed by the events surrounding his successor's personal life.

Now that Ashton is on the show, his personal life is appearing to mimic Charlie's character. Charlie said, “Do you think that's intentional? Was it a plan of his? I was kind of impressed…I thought, ‘Hey, man, make it colorful!'”

Demi Moore filed for divorce after it was rumored that Ashton had an affair with Sara Leal on the sixth anniversary of their wedding. So does Charlie have any words of wisdom for Ashton?

He said, “No, that's personal stuff that he's got to deal with. I don't know the man well enough to offer advice. I just wish him well and hope it all ends peacefully.”

When speaking of his own media tirades, he added, “It is what it was. But I just try to pick my spots wisely and think a little longer before I speak.”

Do you think Charlie was in awe of the “goddess” that Ashton hooked up with for his fling? Ha.

- Charlie Sheen Impressed By Ashton Kutcher's Affair, EarSucker.com, January 9, 2012.

3. Two of the hardest punching little men in boxing will battle in the main event of UniMas' “Solo Boxeo Tecate” telecast on Saturday when Hernan “Tyson” Marquez takes on Giovani “Aztec Warrior” Segura in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight eliminator bout from the Multi Use Center (CUM) in Hermosillo, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.

Marquez (36-3, 26 KOs) of Empalme, Sonora, Mexico is a former WBO flyweight champion and Segura (30-3-1, 26 KOs) of Altamirano, Guerrero, Mexico is a former WBO miniflyweight champion. The winner will get a chance to face current WBO Flyweight champion Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada for the championship next year.

“This fight will be a war. We both like to brawl and take risks, because we know we have the power to knockout our opponents. I can't wait to get into the ring and give the fans a memorable night of boxing,” said Marquez.

Segura is coming off a very impressive knockout victory of young Puerto Rican prospect Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez in Puerto Rico on August 17 of this year.

“This fight with Marquez is about intelligence and power. I need to be smart and pick my spots and land some hard punches to keep him honest. But sooner or later the war will begin and my power will be the difference,” said Segura.

- Marquez vs. Segura elimination battle on ‘Solo Boxeo Tecate' Saturday, FightNews.com, October 28, 2013.

本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發布一切違反國家現行法律法規的內容。

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About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

（作者：張欣，編輯 Helen）