Skill, ability and technique can have some clear differences and in some cases some close similarities.

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Discuss the differences between ability, skill and technique and explain how you would structure practise to enhance these components of fitness.        

Skill, ability and technique can have some clear differences and in some cases some close similarities.  All three have a relationship with each other when it comes to performing sports.  You can structure practises to enhance these components of fitness.  

Ability

People often talk about improving our own abilities, but we probably mean ‘skill’ rather than ‘abilities’.  We inherit our abilities from our parents.  Abilities can include things such as hand-eye coordination, strength, fine motor control, flexibility and speed.  You could be a natural sprinter if you are average height, strong, good coordination and have an abundance of fast twitch fibres in your legs then you have the natural ability to be a sprinter.

We often talk about an experienced sportsperson is ‘skilful’, but what do we actually mean by the word ‘skill’?

Skill

All of us have different skills for different tasks.  For sport there can be special skills requested to perform well and effectively.  Skill is a learned ability, which brings about pre-determined results with maximum certainty, for example to choose when to perform the right move at the right time, effectively, consistently and efficiently within a competitive game or activity.   It will also be done with minimum time and effort.  We often see a top sportsperson perform in a seemingly effortless way.  Its not until we try it ourselves we soon realise just how difficult it really is.  Even though we know these performers are extremely fit but they don’t seem to put in the sufficient amount of effort but the end product still looks good, even if it’s a gymnasts somersault or a perfectly timed rugby tackle.  A skilled performer knows exactly what they are trying to achieve and usually succeeds in their task, which can become practically frustrating for their opposition.

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Technique 

Technique is the way you perform a certain task.  It is how a person executes a skill using his own abilities, for example kicking a conversion in rugby; people have different ways of doing it, different techniques.  Jonny Wilkinson has a very unique kicking technique to others in rugby.  The way he sets the ball up.  The amount of steps he takes (3 backwards, 2 to the side), the way he bends his knees and leans back but also keeps his head over the ball, the way he holds his hands together with his arms out fully ...

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