Types and Methods of Practice

Question 1

What are the factors that affect the method of practice?

Answer 1

• Age
• Classification of Skill
• Motivation
• Experience
• Personal Characteristics

Question 2

What is part practice?

Answer 2

• Skills are broken into sub routines
• Method suits low organisation skills
• Helps athletes to understand each separate stage of a skill

Question 3

What is an example for part practice

Answer 3

A tennis serve can be practiced in different sub-routines

Question 4

What is whole practice?

Answer 4

• The skill is taught in it’s entirety
• Method best suits high-organisation and externally paced skills
• The athlete develops a kinaesthetic sense

Question 5

Give an example for whole practice.

Answer 5

Dribbling in football can be practiced as a whole in its entirety

Question 6

What is whole-part-whole practice?

Answer 6

• The whole skill is taught first. The coach will identify an area of weakness which is practiced in part practice before returning the whole practice where an improvement is observed
• Whole-part-whole works well for serial and low-organisation skills

Question 7

What is an example for whole-part-whole practice?

Answer 7

triple jump can be practiced in whole-part-whole

Question 8

What is progressive-part practice?

Answer 8

• More sub-routines are introduced as the skill progresses
• Progressive-part shows the link between sub-routines and builds a kinaesthetic sense
• Serial-skills are practiced most effectively

Question 9

What is a disadvantage of progressive-part practice?

Answer 9

It is time consuming which is why it is only used in professional sports

Question 10

Give a sporting example for progressive-part practice.

Answer 10

Triple jump

Question 11

What is massed practice?

Answer 11

• Continuous performance with no rest
• It is best used for simple or continuous skills

Question 12

What is an example for massed practice?

Answer 12

Running or Cycling

Question 12

What is an example for massed practice?

Answer 12

Running or Cycling

Question 13

What is distributed practice?

Answer 13

• Continuous performance with lots of rest
• The rest periods are used for coaching points, recovery and team discussion
• Distributed practice takes advantage of the transfer of skills and is best suited to complex skills

Question 14

What is fixed practice?

Answer 14

• Used for stable and predictable training as conditions remain unchanged
• Used to practice closed skills
• Habitual movements are well developed

Question 15

What is varied practice?

Answer 15

• Realistic scenarios and experiences are practiced to build a kinaesthetic sense
• Improves open skills
• Aids long term memory and modifies future motor programmes