ANALYSIS OF TECHNIQUE IN SPORT

Many people in the field of coach education have emphasized the importance of observation,
followed by correction, in successful coaching. High level coaches are first concerned with the
evaluation of technique, then with its modification, in order to improve an athletes performance.
Barret (1983) stressed that a coachs attention must be focused on the identification of critical
features if movement is to be successfully analysed. Inexperienced observers are generally not
able to identify as many details in a particular movement as are experienced coaches and this is
mainly attributed to their difficulty in distinguishing relevant from irrelevant factors (Allison
1987). In sport therefore, a structured analysis and evaluation plan in the observation of
technique is frequently used by coaches.
PRE-ANALYSIS METHODS
The coach must ascertain the following factors prior to beginning any analysis of movement.
First, which level of performer is to be evaluated; and second what are the aspirations and the
age of the individuals being examined? For example, there is a great difference between the
expectations of an under-12 soccer team training 3 h per week, in comparison to an under-12
elite gymnastics squad, who may train 30 hour per week in preparation for an international level
performance.
While good technique will improve performance and mostly lead to more enjoyment, the
continual emphasison the minor modifications which are needed if an elite level is to be reached,
may destroy the enthusiasm of a young athlete who is new to a sport, or who only wishes to
participate at a recreational level.
Rather than immediately attemting to correct a flaw in technique, a good coach should first check
to see if the real source of the problem in elsewhere. This may require the assessment of the
psychological, physical and tactical aspects of the movement, before an assumption is made that
the cause of the error is purely technical. The following examples will illustrate these points:

The coach needs to determine whether the athlete is psychologically ready to learn the
skill under pressure. Factors such as stress, which may be from an outside source such as
the home or the school, or anxiety caused by fear of failure, can affect technique and need
to be addressed before technique modification is attempted.
The coach must also ascertain if physical factors are the reason for a technique fault. The
reason for a pacticular error may be low levels of flexibility, strength, or explosive power,
or an inappropriate lever system for the activity that is to be performed.
Errors in technique may also be the result of a poor tactical situation, rather than the
technique itself. A player may have tried to hit of kick the ball to hard for a given court or
field position, or may have chosen an inappropriate response to a tactical situation,

making the performance of a learned response almost impossible. Or the player may not
have had sufficient practice under pressure
SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS METHODS
Prior to discussing how any skill should be analysed, it is worth reviewing the spectator and
cause-effect types of analysis that are commonly part of coaching.
Spectator Analysis
It is important for coaches to be constructive in their comments. They may say for example,
good shot, well done, bad pass, you missed, jump higher, and so forth. While feedback at
this level does convey some information to the athlete, and if used correctly, can sometimes
increase his or her self-concept, it does little to help the individual understand why the
performance was good or bad. Examples of more positive feedback are listed below:

Good shot or good hit may be replaced by you kept your head down well during that
shoot or hit
Well done may be replaced by you held the tuck for a slightly longer time, which
enabled you to complete the somersault
Bad pass may be replaced by the comment the hands must be kept in line with the arms
as you release the ball

Cause-Effect Analysis
Some coaches have trouble seeing the wood for the trees and spend too much time trying to
correct the symptom rather than the cause of the fault. This is often expressed as correcting the
effect rather than the cause. A good example of this can be found in gymnastics, when the
gymnast takes a step backwards upon landing after a back somersault has been performed. A
coach may then comment, next time make your landing stick, where as the poor landing may
well have been the result of not tucking tightly enough during flight or opening out too soon. The
coach has not identified the cause of the problem and will have the athlete focusing on an
inappropriate part of the skill. Telling a gymnast to concentrate on the landing does nothing to
improve the performance, the reason for the poor landing occurs during the flight or take-off
phase of the skill. Other examples of this type of coaching error are found in Chapter 1.
Unfortunately, a large number on coaches do not discriminate between the cause and effect and
as a result continually mislead the athletes by not giving them the necessary instructions which
will correct their faults.
Skill analysis
The successful analysis of skill involves planning a routine set of procedures that become easier
to structure with practice. In order to analyse a skill, the coach needs to understand the
biomechanical principles involved in it and must be completely familiar with its performance

(i.e. having a thorough understanding of the purpose and requirements of the skill). Whit this
information in hand the coach can then analyse movement using the framework set out in fig.
2.1.
The steps a coach would use in implementing such a format would be as follows:
PRE-OBSERVATION PHASE
What is the coach trying to achieve for the performer: a lower time, greater distance or perhaps a
tactical advantage?
Before a technique can be modified, it is essential that a mechanical model of the performance is
established in the mind of the coach. By developing this model (Figs 2.2, 2.3) one can identify
the interrelationships of different factors that influence performance.
Not all the features of these models are of the same importance and therefore critical variables
must be identified (e.g. the run-up velocity in the high jump, or the racquet-face angle in the
squash drive).
An acceptable range for the run-up variable may be between 6 and 8 m/s, while a racquet-face
angle with reference to the court of +_5 drajat of the vertical may be acceptable. Objective data
reported in applied sport science research studies usually provide coaches with such ranges of
acceptability.
The coach must decide such factors as:

The directions from which the skill should be viewed (i.e. side, front and/or overhead
etc.)
Whether the individual phases of the movement should be viewed separately (i.e. backswing, forward-swing and/or impact etc.)
Whether an emphasis should be placed on particular segments in the movement (i.e.
haed, leg and/or trunk etc.)

OBSERVATION PHASE
In the phase of the skill analysis a coach compares what was observed whit the previously
established mechanical model. The coach is therefore identifying those aspects of a skill that
need correcting. It is important to consider at this stage whether the error in performance is
forced or unforced and whether the effectiveness of the technique is being assessed. That is
the analysis of the skill must not be divorced from the tactical aspects of performance. A driver
of skater whit a technique flaw must have this error corrected, because it is directly related to the
way in which the routine is judged. However, a tennis player whit a variation in technique which
does not detract from performance and which does not break down under pressure, may be left
alone (i.e. the coach must always consider flair in assessing performance).

DIAGNOSIS PHASE
Any error that are adentified must ranked according to their importance, and the time that will be
needed for their correction must also be assessed. Therefore, if a major fault detected, it may be
advisable to wait until the off-season before the correction takes place, because this may upset
the individuals performance. On the other hand, a minor fault that is not likely to have any
deleterious effect on the performance may be easily corrected in the weeks landing up to a major
event. It is important not to rank an effect but to address the cause(s) of each error.
REMEDIATION
In many respects the ability to communicate with athletes in a manner which they can easily
understand is one of the most important characteristics of a successful coach. All the instructions
which are given to the performer during error correction must be as simple as possible. First the
coach should describe the error, show it on a video or film and/or demonstrate it. The correct
technique should then be described and demonstrated so that the athlete can picture the correct
movement. The athlete may than told how the movement feels (or in some cases sounds) as
this is often the best way to emphasize flou in the action. Unfortunately, this useful strategy is
rarely used by many coaches. Finally, a good coach will check to see that the athletes understand
not only how to correct their technique but also why it necessary
The coach may then ask questions that determine if the athlete fully understands the changes
which are being attempted and the progressions needed to correct this fault in technique.
Performance at the completion of practice must then be re-observed to see if the equired changes
have occurred.
A coach can then, at least in part, gauge how successful the intervention in technique has been
from the athletes improvement. If a substantial improvement after a reasonable period of
practice has not occurred, than the coach may need to re-examine the modification process by
asking the following questions:

Was the error in technique identified correctly and was it clearly a cause and not the
effect of some other factor?
Was the correction sequence appropriate?
Did the athlete understand the modification needed and the reason for the change?

IN SUMMARY
Coaches who wish to improve the technique of their athlete should have a sound working
knowledge of both skill analysis and biomechanics, as well as the ability to see the movement
in its various phases. The coach also needs thorough understanding of the requirements of the
skill, and the factors which produce the desired result. Whit this in mind, repeated and specific

observations should occur so that the coach can determine how the movement characteristic
affect the performance, and individualized instruction should then be given.
Coaches must remember that errors in the technique(s) in any given movement may be the result
of other factors. Psychological considerations such as anxiety or poor concentration may
influence technique, as may psychological factors such as fatigue. Tactical situations such as
poor shot selection may also be the cause of technical errors. Coaches must therefore ensure that
they do not develop too narrow a focus when analyzing movement.
As athlete improve their technique and are able to perform at a higher level, it may then be
necessary for the coach to further consider the tactical implications of a given skill. A squash
player, who has learned the techniques needed to hit a ball down-the-wall, must also that an
opponent is not able to predict the direction of the shot. This may then mean that additional
factors need to be added to the mechanical performance model, so that a player learns how to
disguise stroke mechanics and thus tactically gain an advantage over an opponent.
OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS METHODS
At this level of movement analysis, there is often a need for interactions between the coach and a
biomechanics, if the maximum amount of information is to be gained. The coach may, however,
objectively evaluate skill by recording a permanent copy of a movement or series of movement
(e.g. film or video) for a number of trials, so that each can be viewed and analysed. Different
types of information may be needed by coaches for different sports and examples of these are
illustrated below.
The swimming coach may wish to know:

The muscle groups that need to be specifically trained for an efficient recovery in the
butterfly stroke.
The angle of the hand and forearm as they enter the water in the freestyle stroke.
The body position as it enters the water during a racing dive.