1. THE CONCEPT OF SKILL AND SKILLED PERFORMANCE
Skills and Techniques
KEY CONCEPT 1
THE CONCEPT OF SKILL AND SKILLED PERFORMANCE
In this KEY CONCEPT you examine in detail what a skill is,
what makes a skilled performance,how skills are performed
using an information processing model, classification of skills
And how a MODEL performer can be used to enhance and
Develop performance
Demonstrator Please!

2. What is a the difference between a SKILL and a TECHNIQUE?
A skill is a movement with a purpose, for example -
Shooting, passing,dribbling,tackling etc.
A technique is HOW you perform a skill, for example
Set shot, jump shot, lay-up, hook shot, slam dunk
Skills and techniques vary in difficulty according to their
Requirements, your level of ability and your previous
Experience

3. Classification of SKILLS
Skills are classified in 3 main ways these are -
Open < > Closed
Simple < > Complex
Discrete < > Continuous

4. OPEN ----------CLOSED
Skills are classed as OPEN if they are performed in
UNPREDICTABLE situations
For example dribbling past opponents in basketball
Skills are classed as CLOSED if they are performed in
CONTROLLED situations
For example performing a ‘Free throw’ in basketball
Most skills have both open and closed elements and occur
At different points along the CONTINUUM

5. SIMPLE --------COMPLEX
Skills can also be classified on the CONTINUUM as
Either simple
Or complex
Simple skills have
Complex skills have
* Little decision making
*Much decision making
* Little information to be processed
*Much information to
Be processed
* Few subroutines
* Many subroutines

6. DISCRETE CONTINUOUS
Skills can be placed along the CONTINUUM between
Discrete and continuous
Discrete skills have a clear beginning and end – for example
Throwing a javelin or a long jump
Continuous skills are ongoing in nature – do not have a clear
Beginning and end and are repetitive or cyclical movement
Patterns – for instance a long distance runner.

7. What makes a skilled performer?
A skilled performer can carry out linked movements with
The maximum efficiency
Movements are carried out in a fluent, controlled
and accurate way
Minimum time and effort are required
Correct options are selected
Skills and techniques are selected which reflect the performers
Ability and experience

8. Questions
1. Describe the difference between a simple skill/technique and a
Complex skill/technique
2. Describe the qualities that you would see in a skilled performance.
3. Provide an example and explanation of an activity which contains
Both open and closed skills

9. Information processing model
Understanding of how you learn and perform SKILLS can be
Increased by studying the information processing model
The information processing model contains 4 parts, (Page 59)
Input
Feedback
Decision making
Output

10. Input The first part of the loop is INPUT. This is the
Information which you receive from your senses
Sight – what you see – where the ball is, where the
Opposition is, where your team mates are, where the
Basket is etc.
Sound – team mates shouting for a pass,giving you
Information etc.
Feel – the strength of the wind, the underfoot
Conditions etc.

11. Decision Making
You then have to make decisions about your performance based
On the information you received from your senses – input.
You have to separate important information from the less
Important information
For instance - you see a defender approaching you but you know
That you have enough time to shoot the basketball before the
Defender arrives – therefore you can ignore the defender, concentrate
On the shot and perform it successfully
A less skilled performer may see the defender, rush the shot and
Be unsuccessful

12. Output The third part of the loop is OUTPUT
This is the way in which you move and how you perform the
Skill depending on the decisions you have made

13. Feedback
After you have performed your chosen skill or movement you then
Receive information about your performance
Information about your performance is called FEEDBACK
With this information you can evaluate your performance and
Adapt it to help you be more successful in the future.
For example – was the pass you made successful – if not why not?
This then leads you into the INPUT part of the loop again

14. Questions
Describe in detail the Information Processing Model and discuss
It’s relevance to performing and learning skills

15. KEY CONCEPT 2 Skill and Technique improvement by using
Mechanical analysis
Movement analysis
Consideration of Quality
In this KEY CONCEPT you examine in detail how you can collect
RELEVANT and DETAILED information about your performance
Of a skill or technique
You can then use the information gained to create a detailed plan to
Improve your performance
You can also use this process to review and monitor any
Improvement in your performance

16. Mechanical analysis
Mechanical analysis is looking at your performance of a skill or
Technique in a MECHANICAL way.
MECHANICS is about FORCE, FRICTION, LEVERAGE,
PLANES OF MOVEMENT, ETC.
Mechanical analysis is often used in activities where the SKILLS are
Highly Technical and are often CLOSED skills
In our course we rarely use MECHANICAL analysis,but you should
Know it exists and understand the basic principles of it

17. Movement analysis
The method of analysing a skill which we use most often is
Movement analysis
In Movement analysis we break the skill down into 3 parts
Action
Preparation
Recovery
Preparation is the movements you make BEFORE
you perform the SKILL
Action is the movements you make AS you perform the SKILL
Recovery is the movements you make AFTER you perform the SKILL

18. MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
This is a useful way to examine your performance of a skill or
Technique in many different activities
By analysing skills in this way it is possible to discover which parts
Of the skill/technique require improvement
It is then possible to design an improvement programme to
Improve the aspects of the skill/technique which have been
Identified as weak

19. Movement analysis The method of ANALYSING SKILLS which we use most
Often is MOVEMENT ANALYSIS.
See handout

20. Question Higher Past Paper 2004
Mechanical analysis, movement analysis and consideration of
Quality are regarded as being useful methods when analysing
Performance in the area of skills and techniques
Choose an activity. Describe , in detail, the method
Of analysis you used to gather information about your
Performance of ONE selected skill or technique (4)

21. Key Concept 3 The development of SKILL & The refinement of TECHNIQUE
In this KEY CONCEPT you examine in detail
The different STAGES of skill learning
Principles of EFFECTIVE practice
METHODS of practice
Motivation, concentration and feedback

22. Stages of Skill Learning
There are 3 important stages when learning and developing skills
These are
Preparation stage
Practice stage
Automatic stage

23. Preparation (Cognitive) stage
During the preparation stage you find out WHAT the skill involves
You find out what the parts of the skill are - SUBROUTINES
and
You make your first attempts at learning/performing each part
At this stage errors are likely to be common and so you will
Need advice, encouragement, and perhaps support to avoid
Injuries. Positive feedback will help you to improve and
Remain motivated

24. Practice(Associative) Stage
During the practice stage you link together all the required
SUB – ROUTINES of the skill
Your ability, experience and the difficulty of the skill you are
Learning will determine the amount of practice time required
Simple skills will require less practice and consolidation than
Complex skill
Gradually appropriate practice will reduce the number of mistakes
Made during performance
The METHOD of practice you will use will differ according to the
skill being practiced

25. Automatic (Autonomous) stage
By this stage most sub – routines have become automatic
As a result you do not need to think about them
You can now concentrate on other aspects of your performance
Other than the skill which you can now perform
AUTOMATICALLY
You can now think about other things like – where your team mates
Are, what the best option is etc.
At the AUTOMATIC stage errors are less likely and you can
Concentrate on more detailed aspects of your performance

26. Question Describe, in detail, the three stages of skill learning and
Explain how you went through this process in the learning of
ONE skill from an activity of your choice.

27. Methods of Practice
When developing SKILLS and TECHNIQUES you can use a number
Of different METHODS OF PRACTICE
The most regularly used METHODS of PRACTICE are
1.Solo/shadow/partner/group
2.Opposed/Unopposed
3. Gradual build up
4. Repetition/drills
5. Whole - Part - Whole
6. Conditioned/Small sided/Coached games
7. Massed(Continuous) / Distributed(Spaced)

28. Solo/shadow/partner/group
Practices can be done in different sized groupings
You can perform practices
On your own – SOLO eg. Movement practice in Badminton
Mirroring or copying another person – SHADOWING eg.
Copying the movement patterns of a MODEL performer
Work with another person – PARTNER
eg. One person feeds the other performs the skill
Work with more than one other person – GROUP
Eg. Group of 5 practicing passing in a circle
Increasing the number of people in the practice session may be
A useful way of increasing the difficulty of the practice
- PROGRESSION

29. Opposed/unopposed - PROGRESSION NO opposition PASSIVE opposition
Varying the degree of opposition in a practice is a useful way of
Making a practice meaningful and avoiding practice which is
inappropriate
It can also be used to increase the level of difficulty of a practice
- PROGRESSION
Practices can often be performed with
NO opposition
PASSIVE opposition
ACTIVE opposition
Performing a practice with NO opposition may be suited to the early
Stages of learning a SKILL – PREPARATION STAGE
Practicing with PASSIVE opposition may be suited to the middle
Stages of learning a SKILL – PRACTICE STAGE
Practicing with ACTIVE opposition may be suited to the final
Stage of learning a SKILL – AUTOMATIC STAGE
It is important that your partner knows which level of opposition
They are expected to provide

30. Gradual build up Gradual build up is a useful method for learning
COMPLEX skills
- amount of information to be processed
- number of decisions to be made
- number of subroutines to be learned
- amount of co-ordination required
- environment in which skill is to be performed
- accuracy and speed of decision making etc.
It is also a useful method of learning skills which have an element
Of RISK
By using GRADUAL BUILD UP you can learn a skill in stages
BIT BY BIT
By doing this you can make the practice more demanding in small
Stages. If these small stages are realistic and achievable then this
method of learning skills can produce a high level of
CONFIDENCE

31. Repetition / drills
During practice it can be productive to repeat an action many times
You may practice the whole skill or smaller parts
of the skill over and over
The intention is to GROOVE the technique so that all the parts of the
Skill ( sub routines) work well together
This type of practice works best with fairly CLOSED, COMPLEX
skills
Drills are routines or sequences of movements that are designed to give
You the opportunity to repeat a skill or technique
Eg. Set shot > rebound > pass.
Drills can also be made more game–like and therefore more demanding
And pressurised - PROGRESSION (See P. 71)

32. Whole / part / whole
This method of practicing skills is often used when you already have
Some experience of the activity
You need to be able to perform a version of the whole skill already
You can then use whole-part-whole to refine parts of the skill
Which need improved before attempting the whole skill again
After analysing the skill using
Movement analysis
You identify which PARTS OF THE SKILL are weak and you
Can then practice these parts in isolation before putting them
Back into the full skill
Skills which allow parts of the performance to be SEPERATED
Are most suited to this method of learning eg. Lay- up in
Basketball.
Whole-part-whole works less well with continuous skills as it is
Difficult to isolate parts of these skills eg. Handspring in gymnastics

33. Conditioned /small sided/coached games
When you are learning and developing OPEN skills using a
‘Games like ’situation can be a useful method to use
This can allow you to refine and develop skills in a more
Demanding and realistic situation

34. Conditioned games
Conditioned games can take many forms. Often Conditioned games
Are used to provide one side with an advantage
This makes achieving tasks or successfully performing skills easier
For example if you play 5v3 in Basketball the attacking side has a
Numerical advantage and will therefore have more attacking options,
More passes available, and more shooting opportunities.
5v3 could also be used to make defensive duties more difficult and
could be used to put extra pressure on defensive skills like closing
down attackers, blocking shots, and winning rebounds
You can also change the formal rules of the game to emphasise through
The game particular skills or techniques that you have been working on
For example if you had been practicing Drop shots in Badminton you
Could encourage the use of the Drop shot in the game by awarding
Extra points for any rally which is won by successfully performing
A Drop shot

35. Small sided games
Reducing the number of players in a team can be a useful way of
For improving performance
Reducing the number of players in a team gives each player MORE
Opportunities to practice skills and techniques in a realistic,
Games like situation
The MORE times you practice skills and techniques in a demanding
Games like situation the better your performance will be when you are
Required to perform these skills in a real game under real pressure to
Perform successfully

36. Coached games
While playing a real game the coach/teacher may wish to interrupt
The game to emphasise a particular point
Often this interruption or ‘Coaching’ will be to highlight something
In the game which the coach/teacher considers necessary to
Improve performance
For instance the coach may interrupt your game of Badminton
To emphasise improvements to your shot placement, performance
Of a technique etc.
This ‘Coaching’ can only be done in certain circumstances
Opportunities to coach in ‘Real’ games are limited by rules
Eg. Time outs in Basketball, Technical area in Football etc

37. Massed / Distributed
The demands of different skills and activities influence whether
Practice is best done on a Massed – continuous basis or
Distributed – spaced basis
Massed practice may be most suited to
Continuous skills
Where the performer has a high level of MOTIVATION
Where practicing until TIRED or FATIGUED would be beneficial
Continuous / massed practice can be useful as it can reproduce
The situation where it is necessary to perform skills when fatigued
such as may occur in the later stages of a physically demanding game

38. Massed / Distributed
Distributed or ‘spaced’ practice would be best suited to a complex,
Closed, discrete skill or technique
Eg. A Backflip in Gymnastics
In techniques such as this there is a danger of injury or failure
If you become too tired
Therefore few practice attempts interspersed with longer Rest or
Recovery periods would ensure the best progress

39. Questions
1. Give an example of a method of practice which would be suited
to the development of a complex skill. Give a detailed description
Of how you developed a complex skill in your course using this
method of practice
2. Discuss how the activities in your course could be adapted to
Improve certain skills within each activity

40. Principles of EFFECTIVE practice
There are 3 main principles of EFFECTIVE practice
1. Clear Objectives ( Targets)
2. Work to Rest Ratio
3. Progression

41. Clear Objectives
For your practice to be effective you should set clear objectives
(Targets)
This will take into consideration your present
STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES
What aspects of your performance you are trying to improve
Your present level of performance compared to a MODEL
performer
The targets should be
PROGRESSIVE
ACHIEVABLE
REALISTIC

42. Work To Rest Ratio
In all practices you need to calculate the RATIO of WORK to REST
Working out this RATIO is one of the KEY issues in making the skill
Training SPECIFIC to your NEEDS
The RATIO depends on
Your previous EXPERIENCE in the activity
Your level of ABILITY
The COMPLEXITY of the SKILL
The PHYSICAL DEMANDS of the ACTIVITY
Get the WORK to REST RATIO wrong then you could become either
TIRED or
BORED
When you are TIRED or BORED then your SKILL LEVEL will DROP
This is exactly the OPPOSITE to the desired outcome

43. Progression
To ensure that your practices are meaningful to your current level
Of performance you must make your practices
Harder
As your level of PERFORMANCE improves
This is known as - PROGRESSION
You must make sure your practices are suitably demanding at all times
Apply the PRINCPLE OF PROGRESSION to all your practices
HIGH QUALITY PRACTICE for a SHORT time is better than
Repetitive, low quality practice for a longer period of time

44. Question
When designing a training programme to improve your skill level
In an activity you must take into consideration principles of effective
Practice.
State what you understand to be principles of effective practice
And give details of how you used these principles when practicing a
Skill from an activity in your course.

45. Motivation Motivation is your level of DESIRE to SUCCEED
YOU need to be MOTIVATED in order to IMPROVE
Your PEFORMANCE
There are 2 types of MOTIVATION
INTERNAL MOTIVATION
EXTERNAL MOTIVATON

46. Internal Motivation This is your own level of desire to succeed.
If you are interested in the activity then you are far more likely
To improve and make progress in your performance
It would be impossible to achieve a high level of performance if
You did not have a high level of
INTERNAL MOTIVATION

47. External motivation
External motivation is when your desire to improve your
Level of performance is for reasons apart from your internal
Desire to succeed
Examples of external motivation are
MONEY
MEDALS/TROPHIES
FAME
It is rare to have only external motivation
More often it is a combination of INTERNAL and EXTERNAL
motivation

48. Optimum level of Motivation
Every one has an OPTIMUM level of MOTIVATION
Top performers are used to, and can DEVELOP their ability to
MOTIVATE themselves to the OPTIMUM level for a ‘SPECIAL’
performance
If your level of MOTIVATION is too LOW
Then your level of PERFORMANCE will also be LOW
If your level of MOTIVATION is too HIGH
Then your PERFORMANCE can also be AFFECTED

49. Concentration A high level of performer is able to pay full attention,
To CONCENTRATE fully on the most IMPORTANT
parts of the INPUT
A weak performer finds it difficult to decide between IMPORTANT
Parts of the INPUT and less important input
This is known as - SELECTIVE CONCENTRATION.

50. Feedback Feedback is INFORMATION you receive about your PERFORMANCE
There are two main types of feedback
INTERNAL
EXTERNAL
Internal feedback is concerned with awareness of MOVEMENT
This is the FEELING of different parts of the action
It is also known as KINAESTHETIC FEEDBACK
EXTERNAL feedback comes in a variety of forms
VISUAL
VERBAL
WRITTEN

51. Visual feedback Visual feedback is when you can SEE your performance
Video cameras make this possible

52. Verbal feedback
Verbal feedback is what you are TOLD about your performance
This VERBAL feedback could be given to you from your
Teacher/coach, team mate, classmate etc.

53. Written feedback
Written feedback can take many forms, observation schedules,
Checklists, match analysis sheets,statistics, match reports,
Scouting reports etc.

54. Feedback Positive feedback is more EFFECTIVE than negative feedback
POSITIVE feedback concentrates on what you did well and offers
Suggestions as to how you could IMPROVE your PERFORMANCE
Even further
NEGATIVE feedback is not so EFFECTIVE because it fails to
Explain HOW improvements can be made
For EXTERNAL feedback to be EFFECTIVE it needs to be
PRECISE, ACCURATE, POSITIVE and given as SOON as
Possible after the PERFORMANCE

55. Feedback and Motivation
Feedback and Motivation are linked.
You are likely to be MOTIVATED to do well in an activity if
You receive POSITIVE FEEDBACK about your performance

56. Question 7- 2001 sample answer (a)
(a) The steps which I took to identify the features of my skills and Techniques which need improving
were firstly I chose an opponent to play against who was about the same standard as myself. This made
Sure that I would be tested and that I would have to produce my best PERFORMANCE to beat.
Then during a ‘real’ game I had my performance Video taped. This meant that I could look back on my
Performance at any time in the future and I could use all of the facilities of the Video like Pause,Replay
and Slow motion to let me analyse any part of my performance in detail.
Then I watched the Video and completed a GENERAL observation Schedule which looked at all the
different strokes in the game. From this General Observation schedule I could tell what my strengths
and weaknesses were.
I then did a more FOCUSED observation schedule on my weakest skill. This allowed me to
Focus more closely on a skill which I was not performing well. I used a MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
sheet for this. The MOVEMENT ANALYSIS sheet breaks the skill down into 3 parts –
PREPARATION,ACTION and RECOVERY.
The sheet had ESSENTIAL FEATURES of performance that you would see from a
MODEL PERFORMER. From this sheet I was able to compare my performance in a skill against that
of a model performer
By doing all of the above things I was able to identify in detail which features of my performance needed
Improving.

57. 2001 q.7 sample answer (b)
(b) The first method of practice I used was GRADUAL BUILD UP. I started by watching
A model performer and trying to copy the movements/sub routines of the skill as he
performed them. I tried to learn the skill BIT by BIT.
First I attempted the footwork required to perform the skill on its own. I practiced moving from the
Centre of the court to the back of the court using small, quick steps and making sure that I was
Getting side on to the shuttle as I moved.
I then added in sighting the shuttle with my ‘Free’ hand and raising the racket above my head.
Once I could do this I added trying to hit the shuttle over the net and once I could do this I then
Added moving back to the ’base’ position on the court.
At this stage I was now performing the complete skill.
The next method of practice I used was REPETITION/DRILLS. Now that I could perform a
Version of the skill I set up a drill which allowed me to practice the skill over and over and in a
‘Games like’ setting. By practicing the skill repeatedly I was trying to ‘Groove’ the skill and by
Using a drill I could simulate some of the conditions of a ‘Real’ game.
My partner and I set up a DRILL where he served to me using a high serve and I had to return
using my overhead clear,he then played a drop shot which I returned using an
underarm clear and my partner retuned using an overhead clear. We tried to repeat this
Sequence over and over again which gave me lots of chances to play overhead clears . I had to play
my Clear to different parts of the court and my partner could vary where he played to on my court.
Because I didn’t know where the shuttle was going to arrive I had to watch the shuttle carefully and react
quickly to move to get into position to play the shot, similar to what happens in a game. Playing the shuttle to
different targets on the court also meant that I had to adapt my technique slightly for every shot

58. 2001 sample answer (c)
(c) GRADUAL BUILD UP was an appropriate method for me to use because it is suitable for
Learning the early stages of a complex skill. Because I had to identify and learn all the
sub – routines of the skill I could do this and learn to link them all together BIT by BIT.
I was able to learn the skill by setting small realistic targets. When I managed to achieve these
Targets I got a lot of confidence and this made me more motivated to continue to learn
REPETITION/DRILLS was suitable because it allowed me to repeat the skill over and over again
Which meant that I could GROOVE the skill. I could also adapt the DRILL to make it more
Demanding so that as my skill level improved I could make the drill harder and so I was constantly
Challenged. I could also make the DRILL more games like and this would put the skill under
More pressure

59. 2001 sample answer (d)
It is important to vary your practice routines so that you ENJOY practicing.
This will keep your INTEREST level high and your CONCENTRATION high.
If you vary your practice it will prevent you feeling BORED and therefore TIRED.
You can also vary your practice routines to make your training PROGRESSIVE in order to
Continually challenge you to improve your level of performance.