The Cycle of Analysis

The Cycle of Analysis

· Every area in Physical Education follows “The Cycle of Analysis”. This is an approach used to analyse and develop performance as part of a performance improvement programme.

· We progress through the Cycle for every activity to improve practical performance.

· Once the Cycle has been completed, the performer should look for further improvement to ensure there is no “learning plateau”.

Introduction to Badminton

A match in Badminton is the first player to win three sets. Each set is a game where the winner is the first to reach twenty one and by two clear points.

Singles Rules

The court for full court singles is a long and narrow shape using the furthest away tram line and the inside side line. This is the court for the entire length of the match.

The method of scoring is rally scoring, which means one point will be awarded at the end of each rally.

You continue to serve until you lose a point and then the serve will move to your opponent.

Service Rules

Both feet must be on the ground and behind the service line during the service action.

The head of the racquet must be below the handle of the racquet when contact is made with the shuttle.

The serve begins when the racquet starts to move forward and at that point the action must not stop.

The opponent must be stationery until the serving action begins.

The shuttle must cross the service line on the opponent’s side of the net and land in the court diagonally opposite the server.

There are NO second serves.

Key Concept : The development of skill and refinement of technique in terms of: Stages of Learning, Methods of Practice, Principles of Effective Practice and motivation, concentration and feedback.

Key Features : How skills are learned and require refinement of technique through practice

Concept of Skill and Technique

Skill

A skill is a whole movement, which, if performed competently, will help to make a performer effective in an activity in which that skill is required.

Technique

Technique is the way in which a skill is performed. When developing a skill a performer will usually attempt to improve aspects of their technique.

Learning and Using Skills

Skill is learned and requires practice, which will lead to a permanent change in the performance.

A Skill can be performed effectively using more than one technique. For example, a high serve might be played with a full back swing by one performer and with a more ‘wristy’ technique by another. If the shuttle goes to the rear tramlines using both techniques, they are equally effective.

A skill can be performed more effectively by learning an advanced technique. For example a smash performed with a jump and scissors kick will be struck slightly earlier and the shuttle will go down at a steeper angle compared to a smash with a transfer of weight.

An effective performer performs skills consistently e.g. in badminton high serves are played to the correct place every time and clears are played into the rear tramlines every time.

An effective performer uses economic and efficient movement, which is fluent and controlled. By comparison, a beginner may use a lot of energy and unnecessary movements and still not succeed while his / her movements lack control and fluency and look segmented and clumsy.

Use of a skill should be goal directed - there should be a definite aim. That means that an effective performer selects a skill at the correct time. For example, in badminton shuttles lifted to mid court should be smashed. To use a drop or a clear would be inappropriate.

An effective performer can adapt technique when performance demands change during performance. For example, when pushed to the back of the court, you may not have time to get into position to play a drop shot return with ‘model’ technique so you play an improvised shot.

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Key Concept : The concept of skill and skilled performance

Key Features : An understanding of how skill(s) and technique(s) are performed for effective, consistent performance whilst also displaying qualities of control, fluency and economy of movement.

Concept of Skill and Skilled Performance

What makes a Skilled Performance?

The objective of a skilled performance is to carry out linked movements with maximum efficiency. A skilled performance will display three features:

1. Movements are carried out in a fluent, controlled and consistent manner often with a minimum effort.

2. Appropriate options are selected to meet the demands of the situation.

3. The skills / techniques chosen reflect the player’s ability and are carried out effectively.

NB. Skill is relative to ability and you should play shots that you know you can play well to put pressure on your opponent(s). As you practice to develop your weakness your range of effective skills / techniques and movement will increase.

Badminton Example

Performers working at Higher level need to show an effective level of fluency, control and consistency in performing skills in demanding situations.

Show fluent, controlled movements:

The performer shows good court movement skills. He / She is relaxed and ready; footwork is light and quick to get into position to play selected shot; recovers to central base between shots.

Select correct options:

The performer shows an ability to select the shot option, which will put pressure on opponent’s and/ or relieve pressure on himself / herself. Show an element of disguise that will wrong foot opponents.

Use skills which reflect experience and ability:

Performers should know his / her own strengths and weaknesses.

e.g. powerful smash – creates opportunities that will force opponent to lift to provide chances to smash.

e.g. play tight drop shots or net shots to force opponent to play short lobs.

Key Concept: the concept of skill and skilled performance

Key Features: An understanding of how skill(s) are learned/performed through the information processing model

Information Processing Model

The ability to display and develop the features of a skilled performance depends not only on a skill development programme but also on your ability to process information.

The ‘Information Processing Model’ is a method you can use to illustrate and understand how learning takes place. As your performance develops, you are increasing your understanding of how to process relevant information effectively.

This model has four parts which are linked together in a ‘Learning Loop’ shown in the below:

Part 1 (input)

This is the information you receive from your senses. E.g. sight and/ or sound.

Part2 (decision making)

You then have to separate important information from the less important information and make a decision based on the options available. For instance - you see your opponent moving to the front of the court as you are about to play a net shot. You decide that they will get to the shuttle if it is dropped close, so a change of shot to a lift is required. A less skilled performer may just focus on the shuttle and not see the movement of their opponent and therefore play the net shot that is easily returned.

Part 3 (output)

Having considered the options and made a decision, you carry out the skill/ technique to implement this decision.

Part 4 (feedback)

You then receive feedback about the effectiveness of your shot selection.

Throughout the rallies, this processing is happening sub consciously at lightning speed in a continuous loop.

Key Concept : The development of skill and refinement of technique in terms of: Stages of Learning, Methods of Practice, Principles of Effective Practice and motivation, concentration and feedback

Key Features : Skills and/or techniques are learned in different stages. This should

include understanding about the following stages: preparation/cognitive; practice/associative; automatic/autonomous

Stages of Learning

There are 3 main stages when learning a skill:

· Cognitive stage (preparation and planning)

· Associative (practice)

· Autonomous (automatic execution)

Cognitive Stage

During this phase you would research the skill in different ways:

· Read coaching manuals

· Listen to teacher explanations

· Look at pictures

· Look at video

· Watch model performers

You would then try out some of the parts of the skill such as:

· Check grip

· Shadow certain parts

· Hit shuttle using only part of the movement

In all of the above activities you would be thinking about specific body movements. You would be seeing and feeling the required movements for the skill.

During this phase you would make changes to your movements to correct large faults.

You would use both intrinsic and extrinsic feedback (from model performer) to decide what changes were required.

Feedback is vitally important at this stage as your knowledge is still at a very basic level

Key Concept : The development of skill and refinement of technique in terms of: Stages of Learning, Methods of Practice, Principles of Effective Practice and motivation, concentration and feedback

Key Features : Skills and/or techniques are learned in different stages. This should include understanding about the following stages: preparation/cognitive; practice/associative; automatic/autonomous

Stages of Learning - continued

Associative Stage

During this stage you would practice the skill by:

· Having shuttle fed to you

· Doing drills

· Conditioned games

You practice in order to:

· Become familiar with the sequence and timing of subroutines

· Correct small faults

· Repeat the correct movements over and over again

The amount of practice required depends on:

· How complex the skill is

· Your ability and past experience

· Your goals

Feedback is still important at this stage.

At this stage there is still an amount of cognitive control required.

Autonomous Stage

At the autonomous stage in a game:

· You require less cognitive control

· Body movements become automatic

· Execute the skill without thinking about body movement

· Select the skill required and play it

· Speed and efficiency increase

· Focus on placing of shuttle

When at the autonomous stage you need to go back to the practice stage and even the cognitive stage to:

· Check technique is correct

· Correct minor faults

· Develop a more advanced technique e.g. jump smash

Some people never reach the autonomous stage in some skills.

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Key Concept : The concept of skill and skilled performance

Key Features : Understanding of skill classification terms in relation to performance : Open/Closed ; Simple/Complex.

Classifying Skill

There are several ways of classifying skill. The one that we will concentrate on to help us understand how we learn and improve our badminton skills is the open / closed continuum.

Open/ Closed Continuum

Closed skills are self paced. This means that the performer has control over when to start the action. Open skills are externally paced because the performer is not in control of when to start the action. Any serve in badminton is a closed skill while most other shots are open skills as the performer is reacting to problems set by an opponent’s when he / she plays the shot and where he / she places it.

Serving Any other shot

Closed Open

When developing an open skill it is often useful to make it as closed as possible while practising. For example, in badminton, when developing a skill we go to the cognitive (preparation) stage of learning, when shadowing. This is entirely self-paced. The learner can start the action whenever they want. They can slow the action right down. They can repeat the same movement over and over again until they have got rid of big faults.

They can introduce external pacing gradually by first asking a partner to feed the shuttle into an exact area of the court in order to repeatedly practice the whole skill and then move further towards external pacing by working on a drill involving two shots and then to a completely open skill in a full game.

Closed Open

(self paced) (externally paced)

Shadowing Feeder Practice Drills Full game

When in a full game, an effective player will try to reduce the effect of external pacing. Using fast court movement when preparing to play a clear, effective players play them with few adaptations most times. Slow, clumsy court movement means less effective players are unbalanced and more adaptations to the way they execute the skill are required.

Key Concept : The concept of skill and skilled performance

Key Features : Understanding of how a skilled performance can be used to enhance

and develop performance, for example: effective, consistent and economic movement; ability to vary and adapt by using a range of skills and techniques; ability to select the correct options to cope with various performance demands.

Models of Performance

Model performers and the performance of difficult skills and technique.

In badminton, some skills and technique are difficult to carry out effectively, for example, a backhand clear. If you watch a good performer playing the shot, possibly even from a slow motion video, then you can pick up clues about how to play the shot at different stages in the preparation, action and recovery of the shot.

Model performers to motivate you to improve.

Watching able performers can make performance look exciting and keep you interested in trying to improve. When watching better badminton players you can see a wide range of skills in action. It can make you motivated to work towards performing at their level. Having a model performer who is a similar age to the learner will also motivate, as the learner is able to see similarities between themselves and the model performer – and see that improvement is a realistic goal.

Model performers in training.

During your training programme, you can use model performers to give you feedback on your performance. Their knowledge of the sport allows them to see errors in your performance and be able to tell you how to correct them. They are also extremely useful for feeder drills, for example, if you want to work on your ACTION phase, model performers can feed the shuttle very accurately so that you don’t have to move. This allows you to focus specifically on your technique.

Questions for Consideration

· Which performers in your class could you use as model performers?

· Are there some performers in your class who are particularly skilful in one or more areas?

· If so, which parts of their performance would you use as a ‘model’?

· Which preparation, action, recovery points of technique are they particularly skilful at?

· As a movement analysis, how would you describe their overall performance in terms of body, effort, space relationships?

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Key Concept : Skill / technique improvement through movement analysis

Key Features : In relation to performance, the purposes of collecting relevant and detailed information through using one or more of the following approaches:

Movement analysis: information relating to movement within performance in one or more of the following, for example: effort factors such as control of weight, time, space and flow