Classification of skills

Question 1

Difficulty continuum

Answer 1

Simple skills
- have few sub routines
- low level of attention
- low cognitive load
- e.g running

Complex skills
- have lots of sub routines
- high level of attention
- high cognitive load
- e.g tennis serve

Question 2

Environmental continuum

Answer 2

Open skills
- These skills take place in an environment that is constantly changing.
- Movements have to be continually adapted.
- Skills are predominantly perceptual and externally paced.
- e.g a pass in hockey

Closed skills
- The skills take place in a stable, predictable environment. The performer knows exactly what to do and when, so it is self paced.
- Movements follow set pattern, that is repeated each time the skill is performed. There is a clear beginning and end.
- e,g a free throw in basketball

Question 3

The pacing continuum

Answer 3

Internally/ self paced skills
- The performer controls the rate at which the skill is executed
- Usually closed skills
- E.g javelin throw

Externally paced skills
- The environment controls the rate of performing the skill.
- External events must be paid attention to in order to control the rate of movement.
- Usually open skills
- E.g skills within team games

Question 4

Organisation Continuum

Answer 4

Low organisational skills
- can be easily split into sub-routines that can be practiced separately

High organisational skills
- Difficult to split into sub-routines
and must be practiced as a whole

Question 5

The muscular involvement continuum

Answer 5

Gross skills
- Involves large muscle movement which are not very precise
- This includes many fundamental movement patterns such as walking, running and jumping.
- e.g shot putt

Fine skills
- Involves intricate precise movements using small groups
- This generally involves high levels of hand eye coording
- e.g dart throw

Question 6

The continuity continuum

Answer 6

Discrete skills
- Brief, well-defined actions with a clear beginning and end.
- Single, specific skills which make up the actions involved in a variety of sports such as hitting and throwing
- e.g a penalty flick in hockey

Serial skills
- A group of discrete skills sequenced together to make a new and complex movement
- E.g triple jump

Continuous skills
- No obvious beginning or end
- The end of one cycle of movements is the beginning of the next and the skill is repeated like a cycle.
- These skills could be stopped at any moment during the performance of the skill
- E.g swimming, running