Skills are made up of a combination of ability and technique. These components combine together to enhance performance as ability is inherited it provides a basis for learning technique which can be worked on, therefore improving the overall standard of skill. To develop these components drills and practices can be set up in different ways.
In order to perform skill in sport, an athlete must learn the required technique. To master the technique fully, the necessary abilities are required.
To build on a particular skill, classification continuums may be used. These are based on Knapp’s open-closed continuum, which categorises skills into either open or closed. This means that practices can be structured for the type of skill so that the drills are more beneficial to the athlete. An example of an open skill is a tackle in football. It is difficult to improve any open skill in sport because the situation in which it occurs is always different. Skill in these situations can be improved by practice but mostly by experience. Open skills are usually involved in team games. Drills can be structured to improve open skills by setting up game situations, for example different attacking strategies in terms of getting around a defender for hockey and how to respond to each of the possibilities that could occur in the game. (See fig.1)
Closed skills can easily be improved, as there are “no outside physical influences” on the athlete so can train easily for this type of skill. An example of a closed skill is a handspring vault in gymnastics. Practices can be structured to enhance performance for a technique in a particular skill by breaking the skill down into simpler movements. For example, in gymnastics a handspring vault can be broken down into a series of preparation movements. Once each phase is mastered they can be joined together to complete the skill. (See fig.2) The purpose of the preparations is to identify and develop the different components of the skill, this is the cognitive phase. Once the components of the skill are linked into a continuous action, the associative phase, the skill can then be developed into a learned skill so that it becomes automatic, this is the autonomous phase. Drill practices should be identified to improve specific aspects of technique or correct faults and produce a specific effect, for example, moving into the middle of the court before moving to return the next shot in badminton (See fig.3) Feedback from the athlete’s coach is very important when improving technique so that the correct technique is learnt and can be worked on.
Structuring practices to improve ability is difficult, as ability is an innate quality, although a sports psychologist in Australia found ways of improving hand-eye co-ordination by doing eye exercises. However this theory has not been proven but would benefit racket sports such as badminton. According to Fleishman there are nine psychomotor human abilities which are the innate qualities that an athlete may have. They are static strength, explosive strength, dynamic strength, trunk strength, extent flexibility, dynamic flexibility, gross body co-ordination, gross body equilibrium and stamina. These are all inherited components, which are difficult to learn.
Drills can improve all skill, ability and technique, as skill is a combination of technique and ability. Technique can be enhanced by specific practices and athletes usually choose their sport according to their natural abilities, for example someone with good flexibility and balance and a small body composition would take up gymnastics. This natural ability contributes to skill levels and technique can be worked on through practices. If ability levels are high for a particular sport, the performer has a distinct advantage as the technique will be more easily learned and therefore contribute to the overall skill level.
To improve any skill using drills, guidance methods must be used, these can be manual or mechanical, this builds on the athletes confidence, visual, this involves the use of coaching diagrams or verbal which involves the coach giving instructions, advice and technical detail. This is a form of feedback for the athlete so they can build upon strengths and identify weaknesses.
The correct type of practice must be used to enable beneficial learning. Massed practice involves repetition of a skill, this type of practice is used for closed skills such as floor tumbles in gymnastics, as the skill becomes learned and refined. Distributed practice improves technique as the session is devised to allow for recovery activities, feedback and skill development. Variable practice is a mixture of distributed and massed practice. This type of practice is used for open and interactive skills such as a smash in badminton. The skill is mastered in a closed environment and made more open through practice and then used in a game situation.
When devising a drill for skills the requirements of the skill must be considered, this involves breaking the skill into individual skills, if appropriate, to improve technique. Skills that are easily divided are known as low organised skills, for example, a flick in gymnastics can be divided into different phases. Highly organised skills are harder to divide, such as passing the ball in hockey.
To structure practices to improve these components of fitness the drills must be specific to the skill and correct in terms of the technique being used.
Skill involves technique and ability, together these components make for a high level of skill. Usually, if the technique is correct, the athlete’s performance is better. Technique requires innate ability but skills are learnt and involve pre-planned movements, which are directed towards sporting goals. However technique does not always have to be correct for an athlete to excel in their sport as some sports men and women have irregular techniques and still perform to a high standard. This means that skill is developed by having sporting ability and technique that suits the athlete. Well-structured practices enable ability to be improved therefore increasing the performance of skills.
Only abilities specific to a certain sport, such as flexibility in gymnastics, are needed for technique but adequate health related and sport related fitness are required.
The idea that ability cannot be improved is untrue as it can be enhanced through training and specific practices. For example, speed can be enhanced for a hockey player by working on muscular strength in the legs.
