Sport Psychology Flashcards
Characteristics of Skilful Movement
Pre-determined– the outcome happening as it should eg shooting in netball , the ball goes in
Fluency– smooth, controlled movements eg smooth dribble in hockey
Aesthetic– the way movement looks eg a gymnastics routine looks good with the skills performed correctly
Co-ordinated– different limbs working together to provide movement eg throwing up the ball with one hand and hitting it with the other in a tennis serve
Efficiency-without wasting energy eg swimming with a good technique takes less effort than a bad one
Skill Classification - Difficulty Continuum
Simple A straight forward skill where the performer has to make few decisions. Eg a tuck jump, where they only have to decide to jump or not
Complex A complicated skill where the performer has to make a lot of decisions Eg moving to catch a ball in a game situation where they have to decide where to move, when to move, where to put their hands, when to close around the ball etc
Skill Classification - Environmental Continuum
Open A skill performed in a changing environment. Eg moving into position to receive a pass, the players, ball etc will never be in exactly the same position again
Closed A skill performed in an unchanging environment eg a handstand against a wall where you can repeat it over and over without any changes
Goal Setting Principles
SPECIFIC Knowing exactly what the goal is and it being correct for the performer eg I want to improve my PB over 1500m
MEASURABLE so that you can tell if it has been achieved. I will improve my PB to 5.30 in 1500m
ACHIEVABLE goal is realistic, not too difficult or too easy. My current PB is 5.41 so 5.30 is not too far off.
RECORDED you must be able to track your progress. I have written my new PB down as my new goal
TIMED The goal needs to have an end point so that you know that it has been achieved. I want to achieve my new PB within 6 weeks
Importance of Goal Setting (COME)
Using SMART goals can help a performer to:
Control anxiety
Optimise performance
Motivate an individual
Ensure exercise adherence
Reasons for Not Achieving your goals
Lack of effort
Poor technique
Unrealistic goal, too difficult for you
Mental Preparation Techniques
Used to control anxiety and deal with stress
Imagery Creating a perfect performance in your mind or a picture of
relaxation.
Mental rehearsal picture yourself doing a gym routine, hitting a shot, saving a goal etc Internal Imagery and External Imagery
Selective attention focussing on the key points of the technique/tactics/performance, blocking out distractions from the crowd or other players
Positive thinking - Confidence self talk, getting rid of negative thoughts.
Types of Feedback
Intrinsic– from you, experienced performers
can tell when they performed a skill well eg. Gymnast feels toes were pointed
Extrinsic, from outside source, eg. Coach tells athlete arm position was wrong/right novices (beginners) need this to help them improve
Knowledge of performance– information about the performance (technique) and how it can be improved, eg. Diver was in correct position when piked
Knowledge of results– information about the
outcome (goal scored, distance thrown etc) eg. The keeper saves the penalty
Positive- the information tells them about what they did well eg. The footballer made good decisions in the game
Negative the information tells them about what they need to improve eg. The gymnast needs to point their toes.
Types of Guidance
Verbal (listening)
Eg coach describes an action to the performer, useful combined with visual but can be limited on it’s own as performer can’t create a visual image.
Visual (watching)
Eg performer watches a demonstration and tries to copy it. Demo has to be accurate, good for beginners, can be very effective,
Mechanical (using equipment or support) eg using a rig to support a trampolinist in a somersault or floats in swimming
Manual (Physical support) eg a coach holding a golfers arms and taking them through the swing action
Advantages of Visual Guidance
Good for Beginners
Easy to remember
Technical model to be able to copy
Quick and effective
Disadvantages of Visual Guidance
Hard to get a feel for the skill if the demonstration is too complicated or overloads information
Advantages of Verbal Guidance
Immediate and quick
Fine tuning or developing skilled movement
Can be used alongside visual guidance
Disadvantages of Verbal Guidance
Hard to create a mental picture
Can be confusing or overload information
Advantages of Manual and Mechanical Guidance
Reduces fear in dangerous situations
Increases safety
Raises confidence
Gives a kinaesthetic feel of the skill
Disadvantages of Manual and Mechanical Guidance
Unrealistic feeling of the skill or kinaesthetic
Overreliance on the support
Dangerous if incorrect
