Psychomotor skills involve an athlete's ability to carry out fine motor movements

An athlete that possesses a high level of these abilities makes executing a variety of skills easier for themselves such as:

• Reaction Time - this is the ability that an athlete has to be able to respond quickly and effectively to a stimulus, without hesitancy or mistakes. For example, a swimmer has to react explosively to the starting buzzer setting them off on their dive from the blocks. This is particularly important within elite level swimming because success during high level competition is often determined by the smallest differences down to the millisecond. Therefore, excellent reaction time is needed to be able to recah optimum performance levels in swimming

• Coordination - this is the ability that an athlete has to be able to use their muscles to coordinate the rest of their body to carry out an action or a series of actions. Coordination is important in frontcrawl because it helps to maintain a fluent stroke; as one arm finishes its pull, the other should be beginning its pull to maintain a consistent pace. Another example would be the butterfly stroke withtin swimming because an excellent level of coordination is required to be able to maintain a powerful yet effortless movement through the water. Good coordination is also required to keep a swimmers arm and leg action continuous, so that their stroke appears smooth and without disruption

• Balance - this is the ability that an athlete has to maintain stability and control throughout their performance. Without balance, a swimmer would not be able to slip through the water with minimal water resistance. For example, elite swimmers like Tom Dean and Duncan Scott will know how to change their body positioning and shape to be able to streamline as effectively as possible. When comparing propulsion, which is a swimmers ability to propel themselves through the water using their arms and legs, to balance, balance and streamlining always comes first. Balance is important to get the correct level of rotation within the body whilst swimming front crawl; a 45 degree rotation is required within to the left and right of a position that is horizontal to the water with each arm pull. Good balance helps to stop over-rotation which could disrupt the timing and fluency.

Gross motor skills involve an athlete's large muscle movements such as when a swimmer is swimming butterfly stroke

Whilst children are growing up, they begin developing their gross motor skills as they learn to control their muscle movements

The following components contribute to an athlete's gross motor skills:

• Strength - this is the ability of that an athlete has to use their muscles to exert a force. For example, a swimmer requires a great level of muscular strength to be able to sustain a stroke frequency for a longer duration, to cover more distance per stroke and to be able to increase the length of their stroke

• Speed - this is the ability that an athlete has to be able to cover the greatest amount of distance in the shortest amount of time. For a swimmer, speed is needed to be able to move their limbs as quickly as possible to be able to generate as much power as possible within each kick and pull to travel further through the water in less time

• Flexibility - this is the ability of an athlete's muscles and joints to achieve the maximum range of motion. A swimmer's shoulder joint requires a great range of movement because this allows a greater reach ability to reach forwards, and an ability to pull back further with a greater force. Good mobility is also required within the hips when swimming because the movement that generates a swimmers kick comes from the hips, allowing a greater kicking force to be generated meaning the swimmer can swim faster

Perceptual skills involve the ability to interpret external stimuli

A lot of the time, stimuli can be missed

The ability to notice stimuli is down to experience and the level of attention that a performer has

A swimmers ability to take in information around them from their senses aids better decision making, benefitting them and their team's performance

An example of this would be whilst Tom Dean is swimming freestyle during a relay race; the ability to percept where his other opponents are in comparison to him whilst focusing on his swimming stroke, pace and distance from the wall showcases good perceptual skills

Fluency is the ability to execute skills so that they appear smooth, natural and effortless. They should not look hesitant or disjointed, they should flow

From this video above, you can see that Holly executes a fluent forehand serves, allowing her actions to appear smooth and well linked together. To improve her performance, Holly could try to incorporate more movement on the court to make herself a more dynamic player so that she has better chances of reaching and returning all of the shots that she receives

Transitions between different actions should flow, so that they are linked together well

When looking at the characteristics of a fluent performance, a few of the key aspects include:

• Smooth transitions - movements that look natural, flow with ease and do not appear hesitant

• Effortlessness - the skill being executed should appear controlled and easy, as if hardly any effort is being put in at all by the performer

• Coordination - an athletes body parts should work together in a controlled and balanced manner in order to carry out a specific action

An example of this would be Tom Dean's dive, it appears relaxed and as if he is hardly putting any effort into making it appear perfect and fluent

Fluency is important in sport because...

• Performance enhancement - a fluent athlete is much more likely to have higher levels of performance because fluency reduce wasted energy, focusing more of an athletes energy on the skill that they are performing and therefore making their performance more efficient. Fluency also helps to make an athletes performance of skills more effective

• Aesthetic appeal - fluent sports movements are visually pleasing for an audience to watch, which impresses fans watching and gains the athlete respect

For example, an elite swimmer is able to carry out tumble turns with hardly any thought or effort because they are so well practiced. This is why a professional swimmer's tumble turns are quick, smooth, and hesitation-free

Control of movements requires the correct combination of speed, accuracy and distance

In this video, you can see that Holly has good control when she carries out a forehand serve because she is able to control the amount of power that she puts into the shot. Holly also show good coordination within her forehand serve because the ball is returned at an accurate angle and speed

An example of this would be Duncan Scott's butterfly stroke; it is powerful and controlled

An athlete who has a good level of control is able to maintain balance across their body movements, focus their attention, and make good decisions on the spot whilst there are external factors pressuring them such as opponents, teammates, crowds and coaches

There are several different aspects of control that can influence an athlete's performance and they include:

• Body control and motor skills - having body control in sports is closely linked to motor skills, which involves different muscles working together to create a desired movement. This provides athletes with the ability to maintain a level of control over the movements that they carry out such as maintaining possession and control of a football whilst dribbling it along the pitch or a gymnast maintaining control of their balance and coordination during a routine on a balance beam. In short, an athlete that possesses excellent body control is able to produce efficient, accurate and consistent performances

• Attentional control - an athlete that is able to focus their attention, and not let anything external distract their perception, is one that is able to make rapid, well-judged decisions and react effectively to the changing environment around them on the pitch

• Ball control - in sports such as football or basketball, ball control refers to a players ability to manipulate the ball skilfully and without losing it to the opponent. Ball control includes a players skills to dribble, pass and shoot effectively

• Controllable components - to help keep an athlete's motivation levels high, and prevent them from becoming discouraged, an athlete should focus on aspects that are within their control such as how well prepared they are, the amount of effort that they put in and their mindset. Having a positive attitude is what helps an athlete not let external factors that are out of their control negatively affect them such as the behaviour of their opponent, the referee's decisions or the weather/ playing conditions

• Self-control - being able to handle their emotions under pressure, helps a performer to be able to maintain a professional composure and calm control of their sporting abilities and attitudes

For the execution of a skill to be successful, it needs to be performed in the least amount of time (efficient) and with a very little amount of errors (economic)

An example of this would be Tom Dean's tumble turn; it is powerful, quick and mistake-free

An athletes movements should waste as little energy as possible, but still optimise performance and minimise the risk of injury. It plays a crucial part within an athletes endurance, speed and performance capabilities, which allows athletes to be able to conserve their energy longer

By making their movements more efficient, an athlete is able to use up less of their energy to perform a certain movement/ series of movements

This is particularly important within endurance sports like distance running and swimming because it means that an athlete with excellent movement economy can maintain a better technique, for longer and at a quicker pace

There are multiple different factors that have an influence upon movement economy and they include coordinative abilities, movement technique, muscle fibre type and biomechanics

Below is a breakdown of how economy of efficiency of movement works:

• Conserves energy - minimises the amount of energy that an athlete expends, providing them with the ability to perform for longer durations without fatiguing

• Technique - possessing good technique allows a performer to be more efficient, gaining better movement economy

• Biomechanics - an athlete's level of flexibility, limb length and body structure all have an influence upon movement economy

A sporting example of this would be within running; a runner with a good technique will use up less energy per stride, which means that they can maintain a faster pace for longer. Having a good running technique also helps to reduce the risk of injuries occurring such as shin splints

Another example of this would be when a swimmer has an efficient technique; this helps them to create less water resistance, which means that they use up less energy when they are swimming through the water. This allows the athlete to swim faster for longer, reducing the amount of energy that they are putting in but covering more distance

This is important when an athlete is constantly executing high standards of performance and doing so repeatedly

An example of this would be Duncan Scott's ability to perform well during each freestyle race that he competes in

Elite athletes are often much more able to produce consistent results than lower level performers because they are more experienced, skilful and able to manage their emotions better

For an athlete's, this means:

• Predictability within their performances which provides consistency

• Long term success due to consistency

• Mental strength - an athlete that has the right attitude that allows them to perform consistently shows a positive mentality and strength of character, which positively impacts them in many sporting situations

• Focuses on the process rather than winning - rather than just competing to win, consistency of outcome encourages an athlete to focus on all of the aspects that help them to become a consistent and reliable athlete. These aspects include preparation, the attitude that they bring to the sport and maintaining a positive mindset

• An example of this would be a basketballer who is able to perform consistently throughout training and competitions - even if they do not score many goals, they support their team the best they can, providing a strong defence and ensuring that they position themselves in a space making themselves available to receive passes

• Consistency of outcome is important for a number of reasons such as:

  • Reduces the amount of pressure that an athlete may feel, because focusing on the process rather than the results can lower performance anxiety, allowing the athlete to perform at their optimum

  • Predictability which gives the athlete's coach and teammates more security that the athlete will be able to achieve similar levels of performance each time they train or compete

  • Develops an athlete's skills and resilience which helps them to become an all round better athlete who approaches every situation with an open mindset, and who does not give up in the face of a challenge

  • Develops the trust that an athlete's coach and teammates have in them

  • Boosts an athlete's confidence in their own abilities, allowing them to feel more grounded in a competition due to knowing they will be able to perform at a level they are happy with

  • Helps to create an adaptable athlete because a consistent athlete will be one that is calmer, and more able to self-centre. This means that when an athlete is placed into different situations they will be better able to handle the unexpectedness

• An example of how consistency impacts an athlete would be when an athlete has a consistent training routine; this helps build an athlete's resilience, develop a positive attitude to turning up consistently for training and improve their overall performance even if the reduce are not immediately visible, but more of a gradual process

• For an athlete to develop consistency, there are various aspects that they must be considering including training, mindset, and their overall attitude to thorough preparation

• An athlete that trains consistently considers factors such as developing a productive routine that suits them, focuses on the process of developing consistency rather than perfection, priorities the quality of their sessions rather than pushing it and causing injuries, adjusts their goals to suit them and does not beat themselves up if a session does not go as well as it could do or if they miss a session

This involves minimising the amount of energy that is wasted by eliminating/ reducing any unwanted movements. This means that a performers energy is not wasted on unnecessary movements that will not benefit their performance

An example of this would be Tom Dean's front crawl stroke; it is efficient, smooth and powerful, wasting no energy

For an athlete to meet the demands of their activity, they need to ensure that they have a sufficient amount of energy to perform optimally

The amount of energy that an athlete has depends upon a variety of factors such as the athlete's fitness levels and the duration and intensity of the activity

The more challenging that a session is, the more energy that an athlete will expend. For example, elite swimmers like Tom Dean will train for two hours twice a day, six days a week as well as training in the gym too. This means that they are using up a lot of energy to be able to keep up with the demands of their training and this is why swimmers of this level eat calorific diets

An athletes individual characteristics can also influence energy expenditure such as age, gender and weight. A tall, young male who is extremely active is going to require a lot more calories than someone than an average height female who does not participate in much sports

Different types of sports require different energy demands which is why an athlete that competes in endurance sports such as swimming is going to be using up a lot more energy than a diver like Tom Daley would be

Environmental factors such as the temperature can also impact the amount of energy than an athlete expends. Heat can make it more challenging to participate in sport, meaning that the body must work harder to achieve the same results that they would in normal temperature conditions

A skilled performance is one that involves complexity coordination

A skilled performance does not come naturally however; a great level of practice and commitment is needed to bring a level of perfection to the execution of skills, particularly at elite level performance

A performer who is able to carry out a skilled performance will be at the autonomous stage of learning, meaning that they are advanced and at a high level within their sport

A skillful performance has accurate timing, good coordination and excellent fluency throughout

The actions carried out by the performer are smooth and well linked together so that everything flows; a less skillful performer's movements can often appear a bit disjointed or as if the performer is putting in lots of effort to achieve the same result as an athlete who is more skilled

High levels of consistency and very little errors are made, if any, especially at elite level performance. This is because professional athletes will have developed an advanced muscle memory which allows them to carry out skills without much conscious thought, so that they can focus on other aspects such as their opposition

These types of performers are able to handle the pressures and demands of high level performance, making them able to make the right decision in a challenging situation. They can make decisions quickly without much thought because they have experience behind them which provides familiarity to situations

A skillful performance appears confident and under control; risks are taken at the appropriate times and a challenge is not feared. For example, professional padel players are not afraid to use power and touch shots to outmanoevre their opponents during rallies, aiming for specific areas of the court to use the space available to them effectively

Effortlessness is key to a performance appearing skilled; as little energy as possible is wasted, making the most of their energy by putting into getting the best out of their performance

There are three main categories used to define the qualities of a skilled performance:

Effectiveness

• This involves an athletes accuracy e.g., getting the shot to go exactly where it is wanted

• Consistency which involves being able to repeat the same level of performance

• Control of the skills they are performing

• Confidence such as an athletes belief in their own abilities

Athletes with greater abilities are more able to learn and be able to take in new skills much quicker than those with lower abilities. Athletes, particularly at the autonomous stage of learning, are able to reach the higher levels of skill acquisition faster and for a wide variety of skills that relate to their sport and link together well

An athletes characteristics are often what defines their ability level, for example a highly motivated, disciplined individual would be much more likely develop advanced skills because they have the characteristics required to stick with the practice and training required to master a technical skill

Abilities, like flexibility, strength and endurance, provide the foundation for which sporting skills are built upon

They provide the building blocks for skill to be developed such as cognitive (reaction time, tactical thinking and decision making) and physical (coordination, strength, flexibility, speed, balance and endurance)

Abilities help to facilitate the learning of skills because individuals with certain abilities are more likely to pick up certain skills with more ease e.g., a well coordinated individual may excel at a complex sport like gymnastics that requires coordinative abilities

Abilities help to enhance an athlete's performance because they provide an athlete with the skills to be able to perform well under pressure and in different situations

Abilities might influence an athlete's skill selection; this means that someone with a tall, lean physique and long legs, may naturally lean more towards a sport like distance running because their physical build gives them an advantageous aspect

An example of how an athletes ability would impact the development of their sporting skills would be in swimming because swimming requires an athlete with a long-limbed build to be able to reach and pull further, generating more force and propulsion through the water

A sports performer will possess a wide variety of skills and abilities that they use within their performance

Abilties and skills however, are different to each other

Skills are complex, have many technical aspects and require lots of regular practice to master. Performers aren't born with the skills that they are good at, it takes commitment to training and a dedicated attitude to perfect a skill

A combination of different athletic and mental abilities are required to carry out sports skills

Most of the abilities that a performer possesses are acquired throughout childhood and adolesence. This is because during this time, new skills are more easily learnt and picked up quicker, better developing the muscle memory early on. The more skills that are picked up during youth, the more proficient an athlete will be later in life at a range of skills

There are a few main areas that help to distinctly define the difference between abilities and skill and they are:

• Natural Level of Skill - some athletes find that certain skills come to them naturally, which means that they do not even have to have previously practiced a skill for it to just come easily to them. This may be due to genetic factors such as their physique being advantageous for the sport that they are participating in, which makes it easier for the performer to master certain skillful components

• Stable vs Unstable - this relates to a performers thought processes during the execution of a skill. The 'stable' aspect is how well the athlete can carry out a skill. If an athlete is to perform a skill correctly and effectively, they must ensure that both stable and unstable aspects are working together well. In summary, the athlete requires the mental attitude and the ability level to carry out a skill effectively

• Nature vs nurture - this concept creates a big debate within sport, concerning whether a performer is born with skills or if they develop them throughout their athletic career. All skills have the ability to be learnt, with the right attitude and resources, and this is considered nurture. However, an athletes natural level of skill that they have can positively influence their sporting ability because it allows them to reach a certain level of ability without intensive practice

Within sport, there are different categories of skill based upon the complexity and characteristics of the skill

Basic skills involve an athlete's fundamental movements such as jumping, catching, throwing and running. These help to make up the more complex skills which are specific to certain sports. An example of a basic skill would be a swimmer's kicking action during front crawl stroke

Complex skills involve movements that are specific to a sport, which means that they are often much more coordinated and controlled. An example of a complex skill would be swimming backstroke - it requires a combination of simple skills such as kicking and the arm action to be able to swim backstroke

Open skills are carried out in an environment that is constantly changing, which makes the situation unpredictable for the performer meaning that they must adapt and adjust themselves to suit the environment around them and their opponents actions. This means that an athlete must be well prepared so that they are ready to change how they act to suit the competition conditions. An example of an open skill would be an open water swim event such as during a triathlon because the environment around the swimmer can be extremely unpredictable and the swimmer must maintain an awareness of their opponent around them

Closed skills involve an environment that is consistent and reliable, which means that an athlete can plan their actions in advance. An example of this would be when Tom Daley performs a dive; the environment around him is kept consistent, and he competes solo

Gross skills involve large muscular movements which are broad, non-precise movements which are fundamental to actions like running, walking, throwing, and jumping. These allow athletes to carry out a variety of more intricate skills such as combining running, throwing and a jumping action to perform a bowl in cricket

Fine skills involve small, precise muscular movements, that require lots of control and coordination such as when a padel player 'taps' the ball over the net gently. This requires not too much force, but just enough to get it over the net

Possessing different types of skills allows a performer to carry out more complex movements, make quicker decisions and maintain a good level of focus on their surroundings and their sporting technique, which improves their overall performance

Mastering technical skills allows an athlete to carry out the skill that their sport requires with accuracy, efficiency and consistency which leads to an overall more effective performance. An example of this would be a swimmer's stroke technique

Mastering tactical skills allows an athlete to better understand the game around them which means that they can make more informed decisions which better impacts their team and their athletic performance. For example, a footballer has to be able to make the right decisions in terms of who they pass the ball to, where to position themselves to receive a pass and who they should be marking or where they should positioned to create a strong defence

An athlete that possesses a variety of physical skills such as speed, endurance, agility, strength, power, balance, and coordination are more able to perform to a higher level such as a long-distance runner that possesses better endurance will be able to achieve more in competitions and go further within their sport

An athlete also requires the right mental skills to be able to manage their mindset, focus and attitude, allowing them to be able handle the pressures of games, maintain a positive mental attitude and improve their perseverance

There are multiple environmental factors that have an influence upon an athlete's performance, and these need to be taken into consideration to ensure that an athlete's safety is prioritised so that they are not put at risk of any injuries

The first factor that can hinder performance is temperature; extreme temperatures can make it challenging for an athlete to perform at the same level that they usually do such as:

• Extreme heat/ humidity - hot weather can make it difficult for an athlete because heat can lead to dehydration, dizziness, an increased heart rate, reduced endurance, and potential heatstroke. Athletes who live in hot countries may be more acclimatised to the heat, but may still struggle to reach the same levels of performance as those who live in cooler countries

• Cold temperatures - cooler temperatures can cause the muscles to seize up which leads to a lack of flexibility, increasing the risk of an athlete pulling their muscles and having to stop playing their sport

Altitude Training - elite athletes will tend to train at higher altitudes because it makes it more challenging to get enough oxygen for aerobic respiration. This means that an athlete's body has to produce more red blood cells to transport oxygen to the muscles for energy, improving their fitness and therefore performance at lower altitude levels

Weather - extreme weather conditions can have an impact upon an athlete's training schedule and ability to perform optimally. This is because extreme weather conditions can make outdoor sports challenging, which is why indoor sports can be more reliable and consistent like swimming

There are specific sports that can be impacted by environmental factors including:

• Outdoor sports - outdoor sports are extremely susceptible to adverse conditions which makes it challenging for athletes who participate in them

• Winter sports - these types of sports can be heavily reliant on the time of year and the weather conditions; sports such as skiing and snowboarding require snowfall

• Water sports - these types of sports are particularly dependable sports; sports like surfing are heavily affected by aspects such as currents, tides and weather. Wind surfing and sailing rely on the wind conditions

Movement and skill classification involves the categorisation of skills based around factors such as body movements involved, environmental factors and the difficulty level of skills

Skills can range from basic to complex, gross to fine, and open to closed depednding on their characteristics

The complexity continuum describes how skills can go from being basic, simple and easy to carry out, to more complex skills that require intricacy and control from the athlete. An example of a basic skill in padel would be a serve, wheareas a complex skill could be a lob shot

The environmental continuum looks at open skills which are carried out in an open environment which can be unpredictable whereas closed skills are carried out in an enclosed environment such as a sports hall which makes them less susceptible to weather conditions, poor playing surfaces etc. An example of an open skill would be a runner racing a 5km mixed terrain race, whereas a closed skill would be a swimmer swimming a 50m butterfly

Bodily involvement describes the muscle groups that are involved within an athlete's movements. Gross motor movements involve large bodily movements such as running, whereas fine motor movements involve smaller, more intricate movements such as when playing darts

Continuous skills describe an athlete that carries out repetitive actions such as when swimming frontcrawl, or running a marathon. This type of skill is most commonly used by endurance athletes

Discrete skills are those that have a definite beginning and end such as a cartwheel in gymnastics

Serial skills are those that are carried out in a sequence, usually in a specific order such as a gymnastics routine

When looking at the process of how skills are carried out, an athlete's movements usually involve a preparation phase, an execution phase, and a recovery or follow-through phase

Each phase and their time period varies depending upon the skill being carried out and the type of sport that is involved

Preparation phase - this phase looks at how an gets themselves ready for the execution of the skill. Preparation includes adjusting positioning, focusing their mindset, and anticipating the action. An example of this phase in padel would look like this:

• Preparation - the player adjusts their positioning, stance and posture ready to serve or return the ball, and adapts themselves according to the situation

• Execution - in this phase, the player carries out the skill such as a forehand return which requires good preparation beforehand to make a successful shot

• Recovery/ follow-through phase - this phase provides the athlete with the time to recover themselves, regain their balance, and ensure they are ready for the next ball

The timing and pacing of skills describes who controls the speed and time that skills are carried out at, going from self-paced to externally paced

Self paced skills means that the athlete has full control over the pace at which the skills that they execute are carried out. An example of this would be a padel player executing a serve; they have full control over the speed that they serve the ball at. Self paced skills tend to lean more towards possessing characteristics of closed skills than open skills because they usually occur in environments that are predictable and consistent

Externally paced skills are those which are affected by environmental factors such as the environment, or the oppositions behaviour. An example of this in action would be when a padel player returns a serve; the pace and angle that the ball is coming towards them at is completely dependant upon how the opponent has served it and environmental factors such as the wind having an impact on the ball's direction. The characteristics of externally paced skills tend to lean more towards open skills because the environments in which they occur in can be dynamic and changeable

An athletes skills can be placed along a continuum, some being more externally paced whilst others more self paced

Tom Dean is an Olympic level swimmer for Great Britain

Dean's coach is David Mcnulty and he trains for the Bath Performance Centre Swimming Club

Dean's favourable event is the freestyle and medley. A freestyle stroke is usually front crawl, and a medley involves all four swimming strokes in the order butterfly, backstroke, breastroke and freestyle, all within one race such as a 200m medley. A medley relay involves four swimmers who each swim a different stroke, in the order backstroke, breastroke, butterfly and freestyle (Tom Dean swims the freestyle section)

Dean has achieved Olympic and World Champion, which means he is an Autonomous Performer making his swimming technique automatic allowing him to focus on other aspects such as the length that he is on, the position of opponents, and the pace he is swimming at

Dean began swimming when he was eight years old, and now, at twenty four, he is at the peak of his competitive career

Dean has achieved a total of fourty two international and national medals, thirteen gold, eighteen silver and eleven bronze

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Dean was one of the British star swimmers making Great Britain proud and he continued his winning streak into the Paris 2024 Games by achieving many medals in Commonwealth, European and World Championship events

Duncan Scott is an Olympic level swimmer for Great Britain

Scott's coach is Steven Tigg and he trains for the University of Stirling Swimming Club

Scott's favourable event is the freestyle and medley. He competed with Tom Dean in the medley relay team.

Scott has achieved Olympic and World Champion, which means he is an Autonomous Performer making his swimming technique automatic allowing him to focus on other aspects such as the length that he is on, the position of opponents, and the pace he is swimming at

Scott has achieved a total of sixty eight international and national medals, twenty nine gold, twenty two silver, and seventeen bronze

Scott is one of Britains most decorated Olympians after a single game, bringing home four medals from Tokyo 2020

Scott has competed in three Olympic Games and he has claimed titles including Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic Champion

Holly is a Level Three BTEC Sport Student at Burton and South Derbyshire College

Holly is eighteen years old and enjoys playing netball

Holly has recently been participating in Padel at Branston Golf and Country Club

Holly is at the associative phase of skill learning within her Padel abilities, which means that her technique is becoming automatic and she can recognise when she makes an error. The mistakes that she makes within her padel performance are also much less frequent.

Natalie is a Level Three BTEC Sport Student at Burton and South Derbyshire College

Natalie is eighteen years old and has enjoyed particpating in kickboxing/ karate in the past

Natalie has recently been participating in Padel at Branston Golf and Country Club

Natalie is at the associative phase of skill learning within her Padel abilities, which means that her technique is becoming automatic and she can recognise when she makes an error. The mistakes that she makes within her padel performance are also much less frequent

Psychomotor abilities require a combination of mental control and muscular movements

In this video, Holly is performing a drop shot technique where she aims to return the ball with just the right amount of power and at the correct angle so that the ball just about makes it over the net and lands close to the net on the other side

This technique makes it challenging for her opponent because they will have to suddenly run forwards to try to return the ball, which requires excellent reaction time

Holly executes a successful drop shot here, but to improve further she could try to incorporate more movement by involving her whole body in the execution of a drop shot. To do this, she needs to shift her weight from her back foot to her front foot, providing her with more stability and more power to her shot

Gross motor abilities require an athlete to coordinate many of their muscles at the same time to carry out an action or a series of actions

In this video, Natalie is performing a backhand serve technique which requires her to use her whole body to carry out the action

Whole body muscular control is required for a backhand serve because power and stability are needed to execute an effective shot

The legs, hips, core, shoulders and arms are all involved in generating the movement that allows a forehand serve to be performed

The legs and hips are what provide a strong foundation, keeping the performer stable and well balanced

The core also helps to maintain stability throughout the trunk, providing the performer with good posture, strength and an effective rotational action

The shoulders and arms are the leverage point which link the movement that is being created by the body to the point at which the ball is hit

An effective transfer of body weight is also required to be able to shift the body's weight from the back foot to the front foot in a balanced and stable movement

A rotational action throughout the core is required because this helps to bring more power to the shot, and helps to create a clean follow-through of the ball

Sports are made up of a variety of different skills that can be categorised and broken down into a combination of movements

Skills require the use of multiple muscles and joints working together to carry out a controlled and coordinated movement

An athlete gains skills through the process of learning and observing as well as consistent practice

To help athletes to develop the correct skills, coaches provide support and feedback allowing the athlete to gradually begin to master the sport

Some skills can be transferrable between sports such as a swimmer can use their swimming ability to be able to compete in a triathlon