Skill Classification and Information Processing.

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Skill Classification and Information Processing

Task 1

(http://media.g-win.com/betweekly/images/game16/STEPHEN%20HENDRY%20MBE.jpg)

Skill: Snooker shot.

(http://www.tennisforall.org/serves/chela_serve%201.htm)

Skill: Tennis serve.

( http://www.cnnsi.com/rugby/news/2001/02/03/wales_england_ap/t1_wilkinson_all-01.jpg)

Skill: Conversion kick.

(http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct01/img/cricket.jpg)

Skill: Cricket shot (sweep). 

(http://www.theposh.premiumtv.co.uk/content/pete/media/db/S25/156621.JPEG)

Skill: Football pass (side footed

ground pass).

(http://www.boxingpress.de/fotos/lewis-botha-ko-punch-01.jpg)

Skill: Boxing punch (Hook).

1.        The tennis serve is the most skilful out of all the 6 skills I have chosen because it matches these 7 points that recognise a skilled performance:

Learned

Goal Orientated

Aesthetic

Successful

Consistent

Economic (in terms of time/energy)

Cognitively Processed

The tennis serve requires a lot of practice to groove the skill into the long-term memory, to be able to produce a powerful, accurate and effective service it requires a huge amount of learning. The serve is so vital for that the game that professional players will dedicate a large amount of their practise to learning how to serve accurately with power.

The serve is definitely goal orientated because the service can easily win you the point/game and if your serve is strong enough it can dominate and control the whole match. The service can ace the opponent or it can be good enough that the opponent has to return with a poor shot giving you a chance to take the point.

When a tennis service is carried out with skill an finesse it can be very aesthetically pleasing, if the technique is perfect and the serve has a lot of power it looks smooth and well learned.

It is very difficult to make a service successful, it either needs to be out swinging toward the inner side of the service box or hit with a lot of power to the far corner of the service box. Although it’s very hard to hit these spots with the right power when the server does achieve in reaching these points it often results in a successful serve.

Possibly most difficult part of carrying out a skilful tennis serve is being able to do it consistently, the server has to follow the perceptual traces they have in there long-term memory perfectly. Any small error in technique can cause a foul service or a service, which is easily returned.

The service must be economic especially in terms of energy as tennis matches can last for very long periods of time. The server must use his or her momentum as much as possible instead of using their muscles extensively. If a tennis player uses as much as energy as they can muster from their shoulder muscles for each serve and not using much of a swinging motion to create momentum, then their serving shoulder will begin to ache quite rapidly and reduce the efficiency of their service.

The tennis serve has to be cognitively processed because there is so little margin for error, if the server does not cognitively process what they are doing and don’t concentrate on where they’re trying to serve the ball then it’s very likely they won’t succeed in carrying out a successful serve.

2.

Skill is “the learned ability to bring about predetermined results, with maximum certainty, with the minimum outlay of time energy or both” (Class notes, original source - Knapp, 1963).

This means to be able to carry out a skill knowing exactly how it is going to work with the least use of energy and time.

Technique is “the building blocks which allow athletes to achieve skilled performance” (Douthwaite, 2000). Techniques are “building blocks” because they need to be practised and mixed with abilities in order to make a skill happen. Techniques are specific to the activity but some people have different techniques within the same skill (i.e. different people sometimes use different stances to do the same skill)

Motor abilities are “relatively enduring traits which are generally stable qualities or factors that help a person carry out a particular act” (Class notes, original source - Fleishman). Meaning that abilities are usually traits you are born with but can be trained to become improved.

The types of abilities are: Speed, power, balance, co-ordination, agility, reaction time, flexibility and timing.

Skill, technique and abilities are all linked together in the equation:

Skill = Ability + Technique + Practice

Different skills require varying abilities and techniques; but they all necessitate training/practice in order to become perfected and ‘skilful’. All skills need some of the abilities in order to perform the skill; skills also need a technique but techniques in some sports vary from person to person, each different style can be just as effective as each other.

        A skill is combining technique and ability and turning into a skilful movement. Without technique you would struggle to carry out the skill successfully and without any of the abilities essential for the in particular skill it would be difficult to physically carry out the skill correctly. Yet these two combined are not usually very valid if you do not practice combining the technique and abilities needed to perform the skill.

Snooker shot: The snooker shot requires very fine and perfected abilities, because it is a fine motor skill. Yet the technique is the most important part of the snooker shot. The abilities that the snooker shot requires are:

Balance

Power

Timing

Co-ordination

Balance is needed in order to position your self in an adequate position in front of the ball you desire to pot; and then hold this situation until you’ve taken the shot and followed through.

Power isn’t needed in all snooker shots; yet it you’ll need explosive power in order to pot the ball you want to pot next for example bring the white ball back up to the other end of the table to be in a effective position to pot the next ball and so on. This power must be very well controlled otherwise you can leave yourself in an awkward position; i.e. you might want to use power but aim to get backspin but end up hitting it not hard enough and not getting the appropriate spin.

Timing is needed in order to know when you’re in the right state of mind and position to pot the ball you’re aiming for. For example have must have thought about the shot before you attempt to pot it, as a very slight mistake can be the difference between missing and potting.

Co-ordination is vital in the snooker shot, as you must be thinking about the position of your hands in proportion to the position of the white ball and the ball you’re aiming to pot. You must also be thinking about where you want to strike the white ball (i.e. at the bottom for backspin or on the top for top spin or on the sides for side spin). So you have to use your hands an eyes to be able to pot the ball and hit the white ball in the correct position.

Techniques vary through different shots and players; most players have a unique style to their play. For example some players prefer to hold the cue with their backhand very loosely yet others like to grip it tightly. This is the main variable within the snooker shot technique. The position in which the snooker cue lies in the hands can also vary; most players like the slide the cue between thumb and forefinger (as when the thumb and finger cross it leaves a groove for the cue to lye and slide smoothly), but even this technique can vary.

The technique can also vary depending on where the ball is and how close it is too the cushion and also the power they wish to exert. If the white ball was quite close to the cushion and the player wants to hit the ball quite powerfully they might slide the cue along the cushion with their hand lying over the top with the cue coming through the fingers. This gives the player a longer level to strike the white ball with maximum power.

Tennis Serve: The tennis serve is very gross motor skill and as with snooker it is self paced to a certain extent but can be effected by other factors, i.e. the player moving more to the centre of the court so you would aim to hit it to the far side of the court to try an make it as difficult as possible for him. The technique is also very important and it necessitates a lot of practice to perfect. The abilities required to carry out a tennis serve are:

Power

Balance

Co-ordination

Flexibility

Timing

Power is needed to hit the ball with the correct speed and direction (velocity); the higher the speed at which the ball is travelling, the less time the other player has to react to the direction of the ball, thus making it much more difficult to return when it’s travelling at very high speeds. The fastest serve ever recorded in competition is 149mph, which was set by Greg Rusedski.

Balance is vital in order to be able to control your racket and the ball. For example you might be able to hit the ball at very high speeds but if you keep loosing your footing as you swing the racket then it’s likely you will never get the ball into the designated service area. You body position must maintain the practised balanced position to replicate effective services every time; i.e. it must follow a practiced perceptual trace. Concurrent feedback is useful to perfect your balance because your body position will either feel right or not and during the service your muscles will tell you if it feels correct or not.

Co-ordination is necessary so that you can throw the ball up and see where it is going and then be able to bring your racket up while keeping your eyes on the ball and strike it at the correct position to produce a skilful serve. To do this you must use your proprioceptual senses; in particular your kinaesthetic sense which will tell your brain where your arm and hand holding the racket are in proportion to rest of your body and thus allowing you to watch the ball while you strike it with the racket.

Flexibility is needed to a certain extent so that you can fulfil the maximum power. I.e. to transfer the maximum power from racket to ball you must flex your knees, elbows and spine this flex can then be turned into extension working like a spring (the more you bend a spring back the harder it will spring forward when you let go).

Timing is critical for hitting the ball at the right height in the air, the player must time the start of his technique very well in order to strike the ball when it has reached it’s maximum height, when it’s not moving upwards and not moving downwards, this means that the player can control the ball completely without it being effected by it’s own upward or downwards motion.

Technique is greatly required in order to carry out the tennis serve successfully and consistently. The body position is vital and the way you flex and spring up to hit the ball is also very important. The position you hit the ball in the air is also important. The standard tennis serve technique is usually very similar, yet some vary slightly. The body must move from a low position with the racket behind your head, with the face of the racket facing the direction in which you wish to hit the ball and also you might hit the ball at an angle to curl it through the air and make it spin when it bounces in the service area. This all must be done while throwing the ball up in front of with the correct height and direction so that you can hit it accurately and with the correct grip on the racket to hit it effectively (Reference: http://www.tennisforall.org):

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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Conversion kick: The rugby conversion kick is a gross motor skill, which is also self-paced but can occasionally be externally paced depending on the conditions. For example the kicker would be still under the control of the shot but if there was a strong wind he would have to counter for that and change the direction of his kick, thus making it slightly externally paced as the kicker will have to change their normal approach to counter for external environmental conditions. The abilities needed to carry out the conversion kick are:

Power

Balance

Co-ordination

Power is ...

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