5.2 Practice Structures

Question 1

What are the 4 types of practice?

Answer 1

Massed
Distributed
Fixed
Variable

Question 2

What is massed practice?

Answer 2

This means practising the skill continuously without a break.
Works well for basic skills
e.g. a serve in table tennis

Question 3

What is distributed practice?

Answer 3

This means practicing with breaks for rest or mental rehearsal
Works well to improve complex skills
E.g. handstand

Question 4

What is fixed practice?

Answer 4

This means repeating the same technique in one situation over and over again. This makes it useful for practicing closed skills
E.g. free throw in basketball
Good for beginners to master the basics of a skills

Question 5

What is variable practice?

Answer 5

This means repeating the technique in different situations that you might need to use it in. It’s useful for practicing open skills, and it can work really well for performers as they become more experienced with skills.
E.g. footballer shooting from different positions