Technique versus skill

In the previous article I recommended that young athletes need to spend the majority of their training time working on technical competence. The focus of training will logically progress to incorporate physical fitness and tactical development as the athlete’s age. When training to improve technical ability athletes need to perform high quality and high repetition of the movements (techniques) required for their sport e.g. volleying a soccer ball, the wrist shot, catching a football at full speed etc…

 

Training to improve technique is different than training to improve skill. Technique training involves breaking down the movements into easier to teach sub-movements, which are taught in a progressive manner. To learn each sub-movement the athlete needs to perform high repetition with constant fine tuning from the coach; ultimately the movements will become automatic and “fluid”. After each sub-movement has been learned to a competent level they are combined together and the technique is then learned as a whole movement.

 

After the technique has been developed the skill can then be trained. Learning a skill is simply using a previously learned technique in a competitive situation including pressure from opponents, environment etc… Performing a technique under controlled, stress-free conditions is vastly different from performing a skill in competitive conditions.

 

Therefore, it is important that the coaches design training sessions that enable the athletes to practice their techniques in challenging activities (simulating competition). The coaches have to provide the appropriate amount of challenge so the athletes are not over or under challenged, which can lead to negative training results. The trial and error method of coaching may have to be used to ensure the training activity provides the correct amount of challenge. During early skill development constant technique correction will be required. TRAIN SMART.

Craig Dalrymple

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