Classwork
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Lesson 6 – Lesson objective
Practice Types and presentation of skills
Date
By the end of this lesson you should be able to:
Describe methods of practice.
Evaluate critically different types of practice
methods and their application to the performance of
movement skills.
Explain the appropriate use of practice methods to
maximise effectiveness.
Explain the role of mental practice and rehearsal
compared with physical practice.
Massed practice
 Learners
practice continuously without
breaks or rest intervals.
 Basketball players doing ten shots at
each of six points around the ‘D’.
Massed practice advantages
Good for the grooving-in of habitual skills.
 Good for experienced performers who are
highly motivated with good fitness levels.
 Most suited to simple discrete skills of short
duration.
 Can save on time as skills don’t have to be
reintroduced after breaks between sessions.
 Suitable when coach wants to simulate
performance conditions where there is a
fatigue element.
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Massed practice disadvantages
 Can
cause fatigue and de-motivation,
which can lead to poor performance and
learning.
 Can lead to boredom.
 Beginners can be affected by lack of
concentration and attention.
 Not suitable for dangerous tasks.
Distributive practice
 Practice
sessions have rest intervals
included.
 E.g. Learner swims a width and then
rests while they receive some feedback
from the teacher.
Distributive practice —
advantages
Good for most skill learning — particularly
beginners and learners with low levels of
motivation and fitness.
 Good for learning continuous skills.
 Rest intervals allow the learner time to
recover physically and mentally.
 Rest intervals allow opportunity to receive
extrinsic feedback.
 Research has shown this to be the most
effective form of practice.
 Helps maintain motivation.
 Good for complex and potentially dangerous
skills.
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Distributive practice —
disadvantages
 More
time-consuming than massed
practice.
 Skills may have to be re-introduced
after each break.
 May lead to frustration in discrete
skills when rest intervals delay practice
— de-motivation, e.g. pupils taking it in
turn with only one ball!
Varied practice
 The
environment in which the skills are
practised is constantly changing.
 This practice is the most suitable
method for OPEN skills.
 e.g. 2v1 practice for passing.
Varied practice advantages
The performer learns to adapt the technique
to the changing environment.
 Adaptations are stored and increase schema.
 Develops decision-making & perceptual skills.
 Improves selective attention.
 Improves detection of warning signals, making
info processing (reaction time) faster and
more efficient.
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Varied practice disadvantages
 Need
to have already learned a groovedin motor programme in a fixed
environment.
 Not suitable for closed skills.
Fixed practice
 The
environment in which the skill is
practised remains constant.
 The same movement is practised each
time — the practice is repetitive.
 Sometimes referred to as skill drills.
 e.g. Shot putt.
Fixed practice advantages
 The
skill becomes grooved-in or overlearned.
 Information processing demands are
low.
 Specific movement patterns can be
over-learned and become habitual.
 Allows learner’s attention to be
directed elsewhere.
Fixed practice disadvantages
 Not
suitable for open skills.
 Can be boring and de-motivating.
Mental rehearsal/practice
 Performer
goes through the movement
in their mind without any movement
occurring.
 Sometimes referred to as imagery.
 When mental practice takes place,
muscular neurones fire as if the muscle
is active.
Mental rehearsal
uses/advantages
Useful in the cognitive/early stages of
learning where learner builds up a mental
picture.
 Advanced performers use it to rehearse
complex skills and go over strategies and
tactics.
 Used to reinforce successful movements.
 Experienced performers use it for emotional
control & establishing optimum levels of
arousal.
 Can be used to focus attention.
 Can reduce anxiety and increase confidence.
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Mental rehearsal
uses/advantages
 Used
in conjunction with physical
practice it can improve the speed of
learning.
 Effective with skills that have a high
cognitive element e.g. team strategies.
Mental rehearsal —
disadvantages
 Used
by itself it is not as effective as
physical practice.
 Not effective with simple skills, e.g.
those that rely on strength.
Task
 Discuss
what type of practice is best
suited to learning a potentially
dangerous skill.
 What type of performer would benefit
from having massed practice?
 What are the most appropriate forms
of practice for open skills?
 What are the most appropriate forms
of practice for closed skills?