Types Of Practice

Question 1

What is massed practice?

Answer 1

Continuous practice of simple skills without breaks

Question 2

What are the pros and cons of massed practice?

Answer 2

Pros:
- Useful for continuous skills
- Useful for those with high fitness and motivation levels
- Allows motor programmes to be stored
- Good for improving fitness

Cons:
- Can become repetitive and tedious
- Should not be used during dangerous skills
- Can be hard to focus for long periods

Question 3

Give an example of massed practice

Answer 3

Practising dribbling in football by continuously running through cones

Question 4

What is distributed practice?

Answer 4

Practice is interrupted with breaks for discussion and recovery.

Question 5

What is mental practice?

Answer 5

Creating a mental image of the skill being performed.

Question 6

What is varied practice?

Answer 6

Practising a skill in different situations

Question 7

What are the pros and cons of distributed practice?

Answer 7

Pros:
- Useful for those with low fitness and motivation
- Useful for complex skills which would benefit from discussion
- Useful for discrete skills
- Provides time for mental rehearsal

Cons:
- Can be time-consuming
- Breaks can be unnecessary for experienced athletes

Question 8

Give an example of distributed practice

Answer 8

Learning a gymnastic routine by stopping to discuss each subroutine.

Question 9

What are the pros and cons of mental practice?

Answer 9

Pros:
- Can allow the performer to build up their confidence by imagining successful performance
- Useful for controlling arousal
- A good technique for novices

Cons:
- Not as useful as physical practice when used alone
- Limited effect for simple skills

Question 10

Give an example of mental practice

Answer 10

Imagining yourself perform successful penalty flicks in hockey before attempting to perform one

Question 11

What are the pros and cons of varied practice?

Answer 11

Pros:
- Environment and situation can be changed by the coach, preparing the performer for various match conditions
- Improves selective attention
- Useful for open skills
- Makes training more interesting

Cons:
- Often requires learning using a fixed method first
- Time-consuming
- Difficult for novice performers who find it hard to make decisions
- Can’t be used for closed skills

Question 12

Give an example of varied practice

Answer 12

Practising an attacking move in rugby against different defensive lines.