Introduction:
There are five characteristics of motor skill learning and they provide a framework for analyzing skill level and give direction for modifying specialized sequences and strategies. These characteristics include stability, persistence, improvement, consistency, and adaptability. To analyze this framework within my performances I will be using ‘Fitts and Posner’s stage of motor learning’. Fitts and Posner’s stage of motor learning is one of the most widely taught theories used to explain the process of motor learning today. According to this theory, there are three stages of learning. During this task, I will be using Fitts and Posner’s stage of motor learning’ framework to analyze a certain skill I will be performing within the sport volleyball.
Paragraph 1 – Introduce the chosen system for analysis
The system I will be choosing to use within this analysis is the ‘Fitts and Posner’s stage of motor learning’, this system focuses on the stages of a learner and how they perform a skill, this system is used to analyze performances with three stages. Stage one is the cognitive stage, during this stage, the learner is trying to understand the skill and figuring out exactly what needs to be done in order to perform it. Next is stage two, this is the associative stage, during this stage, the learner has grasped the fundamentals and mechanics of the skill and their performance has become more consistent with fewer errors. Lastly is stage three, which is the autonomous stage, during this stage the learner can perform the skill consistently and fluently in different environments without conscious effort (Science For Sport, 2018). By using this system, I will be able to analyze my volleyball skill performance by knowing what stage I am at with performing the skill and then being able to find drills to help me practice the skill and become better at it.
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Paragraph 2 – analysis of your performance
The skill that I will be analyzing is served, this skill is important in volleyball because a team that cannot serve is a team that probably won't score very many points and therefore will lose many matches. There are two types of serves in volleyball an overhand serve and an underarm serve, I will analyze both of these serves.
Overhand serve –
As you can see in my first video I am not successful in serving the ball over the net. This video was taken at the beginning of the term, it shows that I can not consistently overhand serve but I know what position to stand in how that ball needs to be thrown up, and how it needs to be hit with a flat hand, meaning I know the fundamentals of this skill. It is showing that. by viewing this video, I can recognize that I’m in that associative stage of learning this skill. Video two was taken towards the end of the term after id been practicing serving throughout lessons during the term. As you can see the ball does go over the net and I have grasped how to hit the ball in a way so it does go over, ….
Underarm serve –
In the first video it is shown that the ball does not go over the net and that I serve with a floppy wrist, I would say that in this video I know what I’m supposed to be doing but I’m not putting a lot of effort into the serve and their for I stand at the associative stage. in the second video you can see that when I hit the ball my arm and wrist are a lot strongest and my step into the serve is more powerful instead of my step into the serve in video one were it’s a careless Step and there’s not much effort. Resulting in my stronger arm and stronger wrist when serving the ball, the ball goes over the net and you can see that I know how to underarm serve the ball. By looking at video two I believe that I’m at the associative stage of learning because even though I can serve it over the net, it doesn’t go over the net every time, it's not consistent.
Paragraph 3 – identifying movement sequences and strategies to enhance your performance
I believe the best way for me to enhance my performance of a volleyball serve is to repeat the skill over and over and just practice it by using this method it will help because practicing is the foundation of sports success, meaning it is what you do that determines whether you do or do not achieve your sports goals. practice, the third party of the ‘prime performance system’, is comprised of five essential elements the goal of which is to ensure that you get the most out of your efforts (Huff Post, 2017).
The five essential elements of the prime performance system are, practice like you compete, consistency, experiment, perspective, and quality (Dr. Jim Taylor - Inspire, Inform, Transform, Perform, 2017). These five elements will help improve how you perform a skill because practicing practice as you compete means that on competition day you will be ready to handle the pressure, you will be ready and you will have mentally prepared yourself during training so on the big day you won’t be as stressed so you will be able to perform to your best ability. Constancy will help you to improve your performance because the more consistent you are with practicing the skill the more you will mentally and physically remember how to do it quicker. Experimenting while practicing is the next element this is helpful because by experimenting with different types of exercises and drills you can find out which one is more beneficial for you and what you need to work on. Perspective helps you realize what you want to get out of the drill and lastly quality. Quality is important because The quality of how you practice will have an immense impact on your development as an athlete and the results you produce in competitions.
Paragraph 4 – selecting a drill to improve technique
The drill I would use to help improve the way I perform an underarm and overarm serve will be a drill called ‘Target Aim’ (Stack, 2012), during this drill a ball cart is placed in any zone of the court on the opposite side of the net. The team is split into two groups both standing at the end lines with balls. The players serve one at a time. The object is to directly hit the ball cart target. A bonus drill I could do to help me perform an overarm serve is ‘wall serving progression’ (The Art of Coaching Volleyball, 2018), during this drill, the player stands opposite the wall with their opposite foot to their hitting hand forward in the correct serving stance, and as they throw the ball up to serve they have to make contact will the ball wedged in between their hand and the wall, keep repeating this drill until you feel comfortable with your serve. This drill can be modified depending on your skill level.
I chose to use these drills because I’m only at the associative stage and by doing these drills and practicing them my serving will become a lot more consistent with fewer errors helping me move up to the autonomous stage so I can perform volleyball serves to the best ability. When doing these drills I would film myself so I could go back over how I performed them and be able to provide myself with feedback and improve how I am doing it. By doing it this way I would be able to practice the drills whenever I could and wouldn’t have to wait for a coach to help me which means I could practice in my spare time and complete the drills more often. Helping me achieve my goal of being in the autonomous stage by serving a volleyball.
Paragraph 5 – Evaluation of drill
This drill was successful in meeting my motor learning needs because by the end of the term I could serve the ball over the net a bit more consistently compared to the start of the term, allowing me to serve during games and earn points for my team.
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