Skill, Ability & Technique - How To Structure Practices

AS and A Level Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

Mohamed Niyas L6-1

TASK 1 – Discuss the differences between SKILL, ABILITY and TECHNIQUE and explain how you would structure practices to enhance these components of fitness.

‘Skill’ may be defined as “the learned ability to bring about pre-determined results with maximum certainty and maximum efficiency” [PE TO 16]. Another way of putting it is “a coordinated act, involving complex movements brought together in a consistent and smooth manner.” It’s not too easy to agree upon a standard definition. However, most people would find this definition of the concept sufficient:

An organized coordinated activity in relation to an object or situation, which involves a whole chain of sensory, central and motor mechanisms.

Welford

(Advanced PE for EDEXCEL)

I will briefly touch on the different types of skills here: -

Cognitive Skills - also known as intellectual skills, these involve thought process. For example, adding up the judges’ scores at the end of a diving performance.
Perceptual Skills - these involve interpretation of stimuli. Different people interpret data in a different way. I.e. when shown given data, one may see what another doesn’t, and vice versa. Figures 1.1 and 1.2 below show how perceptions affect how we ‘see’ things sometimes. Or in sport, anticipating a pass and moving to receive it, for instance, in basketball.
Motor Skills - these involve muscular movement and muscular control, split into two main types: fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills are those that require minor muscle movements. For example, throwing a dart. Gross motor skills are those that require major muscle movements. For example, the breast stroke in swimming because it uses arms, legs and trunk muscles.
Perceptual Motor Skills – this, obviously, is a combination of both perceptive AND motor skills. This is important because a skilful performance requires, usually, both perceptive and motor skills, very often joined by cognitive skills. You see, interpret, think, and move. For example, in badminton, you first see the shuttle coming towards you, you interpret the speed and it’s position when it reaches you, then you think what sort of shot you will play in return, and then you move onto the actual action of the return.

In conclusion, the following key qualities are expected to be present in a skilful performance: consistency, accuracy, control, intention and fluidity.