Variation in Coordination of a Discrete Multiarticular Action as a Function of Skill Level

Abstract

The authors investigated coordination modes that emerged as a function of the interaction between skill level and task constraints in a multiarticular kicking action. Five skilled, 5 intermediate, and 5 novice participants attempted to satisfy specific height and accuracy constraints in kicking a ball over a barrier. Skilled and intermediate groups demonstrated a functional coordination mode involving less joint involvement at the proximal joints and greater joint involvement at distal joints, mimicking a chip-like action in soccer. Conversely, the novice group tended to produce larger ranges of motion throughout the kicking limb in a driving-like kicking action. Key differences were also found for task outcome scores, joint angle-angle relations, and ball-trajectory plots between the skilled and intermediate groups and the novice group. Findings from this study demonstrated that joint involvement during this discrete multiarticular action is a function of skill level and task constraints rather than a consequence of a global freezing-freeing strategy suggested in some previous research. The authors also highlight the merit of using a model of the acquisition of coordination in examining how coordination modes for multiarticular actions differ as a function of skill.

Influence of sports vision techniques on adult male rugby players

“…As well as improvement in physical performance, the results obtained in this study confirm the possibility that moderate intensity exercise also improve mental performance (Paas & Adam, 1991).The results also suggest that hand-eye coordination is sensitive to the short-term effects of exercise, mediated by several factors (Tomporowski & Ellis, 1986), such as physical fitness of subjects, intensity and duration of the exercise intervention, skills (Chow, Davids, Button & Koh, 2008) and the coordination tests selected.…”

Sport vision assessment in soccer players

“…The results have indicated an improvement in visual skills as the participant's age increases. This could be attributed to the type of training that is being received and to the number of years that the player has been playing in his position because having accumulated visual skills his performance will be enhanced (Chow, Davids, Button & Koh, 2008). The results have also shown that different positions do not necessarily have different levels of visual skills.…”

Intentions, Perceptions and Actions Constrain Functional Intra- and Inter-Individual Variability in the Acquisition of Expertise in Individual Sports

“…Within this framework, there is no ideal motor coordination solution to be repeated, but rather functional patterns of coordination that emerge from the interaction of constraints (task, environmental and organismic) [1,18,22,23] leading to intraindividual and inter-individual movement variability. In previous research, the functional role of movement variability has typically been explored in performance of ball skills (in soccer [24]; in basketball [25,26]; in volleyball [27]; in handball [28,29]). Here we extend understanding by exemplifying how intra-individual and inter-individual movement variability could play a functional role in individual physical activities, such as a cyclical movement task (breaststroke swimming) in an aquatic environment and a continuous discrete task (ice climbing) in the wilderness.…”