If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It...

As a general rule to live by, I think this is some pretty good advice. But I would also apply the same words to athletes.

I've been reading a lot lately about guys like Daisuke Matsuzaka and Adrian Peterson, who either have an unorthodox style (Dice-K, Guilty) or just one that could conceivably lead them to injuries (both, but more so AD, you know, All Day Peterson). And from what I can tell, there are mixed feelings on whether to correct a guy's bad tendencies or to leave him be.

My feeling is - Look, these guys are athletes and have been their entire lives. You can tinker with their styles, but if the guy himself doesn't want to change how he plays, he won't. It's up to them, by their own volition to consciously guide their development. So what if they don't want to? Well, who cares. Who's to say if Dice-K didn't throw 120 pitches a night consistently, or if Adrian Peterson didn't pound the ball right at defenders, they wouldn't be total duds. Of course, either way I think they'd be perennial all star/all pros but that's besides the point.

If a guy does something a certain way, and is as dominating as these two guys, let him do it. Maybe offer some council otherwise, but don't try and force anything on them, as some teams/managers/coaches/executives often want to do.

Just my two cents...any opinions?