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

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Amy Bowring                 Page  of

                

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

Ability is the natural aptitude that we are born with. Both ability and technique are necessary to perform skill, especially in sport. Ability is often considered as the building blocks in sport and generally seen as being innate, meaning you are born with them or develop them early on in life. Without these you will never be able to perform a skill fully. For example, without good basic balance, agility and hand eye co-ordination you would have difficulty hitting a hockey ball affectively and efficiently. Although these can in some cases be improved on, someone who is not naturally gifted with them will never find it instinctive.

Technique is the actually physical mechanical movement of a skill, i.e. how you hit the ball. It is often confused with skill; however it is natural ability and the development of a particular technique that allows for a skill to be performed. A dictionary defines it as the systematic procedure by which a complex or specific task is accomplished. Without knowing exactly how physically to push a hockey ball, for example, understanding how to hold the stick correctly or how far the ball should be from your body, then it is likely that you will be unable to perform that skill. Therefore we can conclude that a skill can not occur without ability or technique and that they are linked together closely. This can be shown in the formula below.

Skill = Ability + Technique

Skill is a ‘learned ability’ which brings about a pre-determined result. Performers who are skilled show consistency, technique, ability, co-ordination, balance and fluency. Skill is the ability to link movements and techniques and to make decisions at pace. You may have natural ability but without learning techniques, practicing them in many situations and at increasing speeds you will not become a player with 'skill'. If you have never seen a hockey stick and ball you will not be able to play the game straightaway.

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Skill engages the knowledge of when to apply a particular technique and involves judgment and decision making. The link between the three components is that without ability you will not be able to develop technique, and without technique you will not be able to generate skill. I believe that one of the most important factors to enhance these components of fitness is progressive practice.

As I mentioned early, to enhance and improve ability is generally considered unattainable because of it being innate. However although not necessary improving the ability, it can be endorsed by testing it to see if it ...

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