Skill Acquisition - Assignment 3 (30262296) by

Psychomotor

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Psychomotor abilities are associated with performing movements with fine motor skills. The possession of high aptitude of these abilities will make executing a number of skills much easier. Some examples of psychomotor abilities are reaction time, coordination, and balance. Having a good reaction time is needed in padel as the performer will need to be able to reach quickly between receiving a stimulus to make a movement. Coordination is needed to be able to hit the ball back to the opposition correctly and with precision. This involves using different joints and muscles in a specific order or sequence to perform a task. Balance is the ability to maintain stability when performing, this is needed in padel so that performers do not fall over and injure themselves or stumble and miss a shot. Elite performers will need to have developed psychomotor abilities to perform well and become successful and all of these abilities add to winning matches. Beginner performers will need these abilities to improve on their skills and work on hitting the ball back to the opposition to score points.

Gross Motor

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Gross motor abilities are associated with large body movements such as running, they are usually required while a child is growing up and involve controlling and using the body. Gross motor abilities are used in padel when using the arm and wrist muscles to apply force to a shot for example. Examples of gross motor abilities include strength, speed, and flexibility. Both elite and beginner performer will need and use gross motor abilities in the same way. They will be used to apply power and speed to their shots which will give them ana advantage against their opponents. Elite performers will be more able to apply their gross motor skills to their shots and apply their force effectively. An example of gross motor abilities being used would be a professional padel player hitting the ball back to the opposition using the muscles to exert force to create a movement, and speed to test the oppositions reaction time.

Perceptual

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Perceptual abilities involve interpreting and making use of information the body receives for its senses. This could involve using things in your environment that you can see, hear, feel, or even smell. Interpreting information is a perceptual ability and this involves reviewing circumstances such as wind speed and direction to decide on what the best approach would be to the match and to individual shots. Decision making involves making adjustments depending on certain factors. This means that being able to judge the conditions along with previous experiences is crucial. An elite performer would use all of these abilities in matches and tournaments to find ways to create and upper hand against the opposition. A beginner performer may not use these abilities as much as they may not have developed them yet and figured out what they are looking for and how to approach that circumstance.

Fluency

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Fluency is the ability to perform a task smoothly and effortlessly. It involves accuracy, speed, and appropriate expression, allowing for a natural flow and comprehension. The elite performers I have chosen would use fluency every time they play when performing all of the shots such as the smash, backhand, and lob etc. They would do this so that they have more chance of winning a match and perform more accurate shots. The beginner performers would not use fluency as much as they still haven't perfected the shots however they would practice to be fluent in the future.

Control

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Control in sport refers to an athletes ability to effectively manage their body movements, impulses, and emotions to achieve a desired outcome. Motor control for example is the ability to initiate, grade, and direct movements effectively such as precision in padel. Elite athletes would use control when hitting the ball back to their opposition, they would do this so that they can hit the ball where they want it to go and where they think will give them more chance of gaining a point. Beginner performers would use control when hitting the ball over the net as they will try and keep the ball in the court using control. This is a beginning step of improvement.

Economy of Efficiency of Movement

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

This refers to the body's ability to perform a task with the least amount of energy expenditure while maintaining optimal performance and minimising the risk of injury. An elite performer will use this so that they can distribute their energy appropriately throughout matches. This will give them more energy for longer which will allow them to keep playing well during long tournaments. A beginner performer will use this when practicing for long periods of time so that they can get used to training for a long time. This also allows the body to adapt to playing sports for a long period of time which will enable the body to release energy only when it is really needed.

Consistency of Outcome

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Consistency of outcome is the performers ability to maintain a similar level of performance over time, regardless of the specific game or competition. An elite athlete would need this to succeed and go up on league tables as they would need to consistently perform well and win matches to gain more points overall. The beginner performers will need consistency of outcome to improve on their skill. As they begin to practice the skills more, their success rate will increase and therefore become more consistent. They will successfully carry out a skill more often and perfect it.

Energy Expenditure Meeting the Demands of the Task

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Energy expenditure refers to the amount of energy the body uses to function and perform activities. It is essential for meeting demands of the sport. An elite athlete would use this when training or playing in matches for long periods of time at once. This is so that they do not get tired and can perform to the best of their ability all day. Beginner performers would use this when practicing shots over again as they will need to persist to get the technique right before getting too worn out.

What are the qualities of a skill performance?

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

The qualities of a skill performance involve making sure that movements are fluent, efficient, controlled, and accurate. Adapting quickly to daily and environmental changes is also a quality of a skill performance. These are all qualities as they enable a performance to be successful and run smoothly. They allow the execution of skills to be perfected and effective when used in a match as well as in training. An elite athlete would need these qualities to win matches and to have a good performance profile when analysed on their skill execution. A beginner athlete would need to learn these qualities to progress in the sport and successfully perform each skill.

How do abilities contribute to the production of Sport Skills?

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Athletes with greater abilities will find it much easier to learn, process, and perfect new skills than an athlete with lower abilities would. These types of athletes often reach the higher levels of skill acquisition faster, learning a wide variety of skills that are related to each other. Abilities contribute to the production of sport skills as a combination of abilities are required to perform a skill. This is why skills are considered more complex and coordinated. Abilities are developed throughout life and the more opportunities people get to practice these, the more abilities they have, when learning a skill, these abilities are applied. An elite performer would have more abilities as they would have been in more situations where new abilities are learnt due to their persistence in padel. A beginner performer would learn new abilities as they practice the sport which they will later be able to apply when learning a new skill in the sport or out of the sport.

What is the difference between Abilities & Skills?

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

A sportsperson will have a wide range of different types of abilities, they would have developed these throughout childhood and different stages of their lives. A performer is not born with skills such as being able to perform a backhand in padel, they are learned and practiced to be executed. A combination of abilities are required to perform skills. Many abilities are further practiced throughout life which indicates how proficient a person will be in later life.

Types of Skills

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

There are three different types of skills, motor, perceptual, and cognitive. Motor skills require movement of muscle control involving precise movement of voluntary muscles. An example is a sprinter staying in their designated lane during a race. Perceptual skills require the interpretation of external stimuli from the brain. Not all stimuli will be perceived as it depends on experience and attention ability. An example is in boxing someones opponent backing off, they may see it is tiredness and weakness but it could be used as an advantage depending on the situation. Cognitive skills require thought processes and are referred to as intellectual skills and give a good sense of the situation. An example of this is to play aggressively or defensively in a game.

Environmental Effect

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

There are two types of environmental effects which include open and closed. Open skills are when the athlete is consistently aware of what is happening around them. A team example is when a netball team is playing at the oppositions home court as it is a new surrounding which can increase nerves within the team. An individual example is during a padel game when the opponent returns a shot and you are unaware of where the shot is going, so you have to react quickly to the shot. Closed skills are pre learned patterns of movement, this is when a performer can follow with very little reference to their environment. An example would be serving in padel.

Movement & Skill Classification

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

There are two types of movement and skill classification which are fine and gross. Fine skills includes small movements of body parts such as a three pointer in basketball, this is because it only requires the shooter to move their fingers and wrist. Gross skills involves large muscle group movement such as bowling in cricket as it involves multiple muscle groups during the process.

Beginning and End of Movements

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

There are three different components in beginning and ending movements, these are serial, discrete, and continuous. Serial skills is a series of discrete skills put together, this produces a fluent movement. The order of movement is important and the requirements of each part of the skill will require specific development. An example is a footballer dribbling the ball and then shooting. Discrete skills have a clear beginning and ending and the skill can be repeated but the athlete will have to start the full action again. An example of this is a golf putt. Continuous skills have no obvious beginning or end, they can be performed for a long period of time and the end of the skills is the beginning of the next, an example of this is running.

Timing & Packing of Skills

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

The two paces of skills are self paced and externally paced. Self paced is decided by the performer, they choose their pace, time, and execution of the skill. An example of this is someone throwing a ball as they control the timing of release and the level of force. Externally paced is when external factors determine the pace, an example of this is the pace and direction of which an opponent serves to you in padel.

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BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Padel Portfolio.docx

Elite Performer 1

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Fernando Belasteguin is the elite performer in this image, he is a former professional Argentinian padel player. He is known by many as the greatest padel player of all time. He made his professional debut in 1995, at the age of 15. This shows that he has been playing for a very long time.

Elite Performer 2

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Agustin Tapia is an Argentinian padel player, he is a professional player who has practiced in the sport since 2008. From 2010, he began playing in the junior circuit tournaments as he was quickly recognised as a talented player. He now plays for Argentina. Overall, he has played 151 matches, 137 of which he has won.

Performer 1

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Holly is the performer in this video, she had only played padel 3 times before this therefore she is a beginner in this sport. The video above shows her performing basic shots such as the smash, lob, forehand, and backhand.

Performer 2

BSDC_DDC5 — 2025-03-31 08:12:42 UTC

Lucy is the performer in this video, she had only played padel 3 times before this therefore she is a beginner in this sport. The video above shows her performing basic shots such as the smash, lob, forehand, and backhand.

Reaction Time

30262296 — 2025-05-09 09:10:45 UTC

Reaction time is the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus which means how fast a person can react to something they perceive. Reaction time is shown in this video when the players from both opposing teams jump and run to the ball to hit it back before the opposition gain a point.

Coordination

30262296 — 2025-05-09 09:10:52 UTC

Coordination is the ability to use various body parts together, smoothly and efficiently. This is shown in the above video when each player hits the ball back over to the opponents side. You can see that all players are using their body to perform smooth and accurate shots to try and gain a point.

Balance

30262296 — 2025-05-09 09:11:03 UTC

Balance is an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady. You can see in the video above that players maintain balance whilst performing difficult shots when the ball comes from an unexpected direction.

Strength

30262296 — 2025-05-09 09:11:32 UTC

Strength is the quality or state of being strong and with standing great force or pressure. This is shown in the video above when the player in white uses his arm strength to perform a powerful and effective shot to the opposition in attempt to throw them off and gain a point.

Speed

30262296 — 2025-05-09 09:11:36 UTC

Speed is the ability to move your body at a fast pace/as quickly as possible. You can see in this video that before the shot went out of the court the speed of which the players were hitting the ball increased. This is so that the teams have the opportunity to catch out their opposition and also test their reaction time.

Flexibility

30262296 — 2025-05-09 09:11:42 UTC

Flexibility is the ability of a joint or series of joints to move through an unrestricted, pain free range of motion. This video shows Agus Tapia using his flexibility to lunge to hit the ball when it was not quite within his reach. He made use of his flexibility to make a shot that he wouldn't have made if he has turned to run or tried to hit without moving.

Reaction Time

30262296 — 2025-05-09 13:16:14 UTC

Reaction time is the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus which means how fast a person can react to something they perceive. This video shows reaction time when the Argentinian player has to react quickly to a fast shot coming in their direction. They had to react quickly to hit it back over the net.