Skills and Techniques- Badminton KC 1- The concept of skill and skilled performance Classification of Skills Skill Classification What is a skill? A skill is any action learned for a purpose. It is the ability to perform a movement (or a series of movements) with maximum efficiency. It describes the purpose of linked sequence of movements. Technique The way in which the skill is performed. Example Activity: Badminton Skill: Serving Technique: High Serve Low Serve Flick Serve Skill Classification Skills are predominately:  Simple or complex  Open or closed  Discrete, serial or continuous  Gross or fine motor skills Classifying a skill according to these different criteria is particularly helpful in determining which types of practice are most likely to improve a specific skill. Simple/Complex Simple        Complex Skills exist on a continuum, those which require little decision making and only basic movement patterns are simple; those which require more thought and decision making are complex. A number of other factors determine whether a skill is predominantly simple or complex. S Sub routines (No of) and danger element E Experience/ability/ physical demands B Balance A Agility C Co-ordination T Timing Low levels of the above factors would classify a skill as being SIMPLE. High levels of the above factors would classify a skill as being COMPLEX Open or Closed Closed  Open Skills exist on a continuum between closed and open. Those which are predictable (i.e. you are in charge of) are closed and those which are unpredictable are open. Most skills lie somewhere along this continuum with some skills more open or closed than others. Examples of closed skills: Tennis serve  Golf drive High serve Examples of open skills: Smash Overhead kick Programmes of Work- Open/Closed skills  Programmes of work for closed skills should be based on repetition. By repeating the action until it is correct the performer should become more controlled and accurate.  Programmes of work for open skills should begin by practising the action as a closed skill (repetition practices) and gradually the practice should introduce the external factors which influence performance e.g. Decision making etc. This brings the action back to an open skill (semi active/active/pressure practices and conditioned games) Closed Open Mainly repetitious Mainly perceptual Predictable situation Unpredictable situation Environment does not change Environment never the same Performer in control of external factors Performer has little/no in control of external factors Internally paced Externally paced Target, distance and place the same each time Target, distance and place NOT the same each time External Factors         Speed Height Angle Trajectory Opponents Decision Making Pressure Target Areas Discrete/Serial Continuous Skills are predominately discrete, serial or continuous.  Discrete- Discrete skills have a clear beginning and end and can be broken down into PAR (e.g. tennis serve, high serve)  Serial- Serial skills are made up of a number of skills which are put together in a sequence or series. To complete a serial skill effectively the performer is required to link the different skill movements together correctly (e.g. Lay-up, javelin)  Continuous- Continuous skills are characterised by their on going nature and for having cyclical or repetitive patterns. They also have no beginning or end (e.g. cycling, swimming, running) Gross/Fine motor skills This type of classification is based on the amount of movement and force required to perform a skill.  Gross motor skills- These are skills which involve large parts of the body or movement of the whole body. For example, a somersault or kicking a ball.  Fine motor skills- These are skills which involve the movement of small muscle groups for example writing or painting. These are generally not included in the field of physical education. Gross/Fine motor skills A problem with this classification is that some skills undoubtedly employ both large and small muscle groups. For example: Throwing a softball needs considerable force and this is generated from the ‘whole body’ but the action requires skilful manipulation of the fingers at the point of release for accuracy. Driving to the basket to score a lay-up in basketball requires gross motor skills to begin with for the dribbling and jumping phase as well as fine motor control for the precise placement of the ball on the backboard. Balancing on a beam in gymnastics with one foot requires the strength of the muscles in the whole body as well as the fine adjustments of the foot and ankle muscles.