This presentation discusses the science and application of how to effectively teach and correct movement patterns through the use of constraints and session variability (Implicit coaching framework). Based on the science of dynamic systems and movement variability, this presentation showcases a framework for designing drills and practice sessions that effectively leverage constraints and variability. Considerations for the impact these strategies have on skill acquisition will be discussed.

1. Part1

2. Performance

3. Performance
temporary changes in motor behavior or
knowledge that can be observed & measured
during or immediately after Practice
SoderstroM & Bjork, 2015
= Practice

4. Learning

5. Learning
relatively permanent changes in Motor
behavior or knowledge that supports long-
term retention and transfer to competition
SoderstroM & Bjork, 2015
= Competition

6. Attention

7. “The mechanism by which our brain
registers information is what we call
attention” - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

8. “You dispose of a limited budget of attention
that you can allocate to activities, and if you
try to go beyond your budget, you will fail”
- Daniel Kahneman

9. “It is not simply the case that the longer a piece of
information stays in STM then the more likely it is to go
into LTM. Instead, the more significant a stimulus or event is
then the greater likelihood it is retained in LTM”
- Williams et al. (2008)

10. “Two of the most crucial principles used by the
attentional filter are change and importance.”
2
“The brain is a change detector – novelty seeking
opposed to constancy monitoring”
3
1 “Attention is limited in capacity – we process a
fixed amount of information at any given time.”
Daniel Levitin | The Organized Mind

11. 1
Constraints
Coach=FacilitatoR

12. Technical
ERRORs
COACHING
Programming
Biomechanical & coordinative attributes
associated with the effective execution
of the skill – “the player’s good”
Physical & psychological constraints
limiting the effective execution of the
skill – “The Player’s Bad”
Verbal (explicit) & non-Verbal (Implicit)
coaching strategies used to overcome
technical errors and establish learning
Ensuring practice conditions that
support learning (e.g., variability),
while building-up physical limitations
TEC-P Model for skill development

13. Phase
Requirements
Variability
Constraints
Identify the distinct phases of the
target movement skill to be improved
Applying the technical/error model

14. Fleisig, G., Chu, Y., Weber, A., & Andrews, J. (2009).

16. Phase
Requirements
Variability
Constraints
Identify the distinct phases of the
target movement skill to be improved
Identify the spatial (e.g., joint angle)
and temporal (e.g., trunk flexion & arm
rotation) requirements for each phase
Applying the technical/error model

17. Worthington et al. (2013)

18. Phase
Requirements
Variability
Constraints
Identify the distinct phases of the
target movement skill to be improved
Identify the spatial (e.g., joint angle)
and temporal (e.g., trunk flexion & arm
rotation) requirements for each phase
Identify what requirements have high
intra-individual variability versus low
intra-individual variability
Applying the technical/error model

19. Fleisig, G., Chu, Y., Weber, A., & Andrews, J. (2009).

20. Accuracy & adaptive variability are key components of
elite performance in fast bowling and improve with skill
level. only national elite bowlers showed requisite
levels of adaptive variability to bowl a range of
lengths to different pitch locations.
Phillips et al. (2012)

21. Phase
Requirements
Variability
Constraints
Identify the distinct phases of the
target movement skill to be improved
Identify the spatial (e.g., joint angle)
and temporal (e.g., trunk flexion & arm
rotation) requirements for each phase
Identify what requirements have high
intra-individual variability versus low
intra-individual variability
Identify what physical & psychological
constraints limit one’s ability to
achieve the identified requirements
Applying the technical/error model

22. Psychology
Position
Power
Pattern
Trait Anxiety: High vs Low
Over-thinker: Yes vs No
Coping: Avoidance vs Solution
Stability: High vs Low
Mobility: High vs Low
Relative Strength: High vs Low
Power (RFD): High vs Low
Coordination:
Effective vs Ineffective
Player/Body Constraints| The 4Ps

23. Influencing Technique
Constrain-Based Drills

24. Attractors
Fluctuators
Highly stable (Low Variability) body positions
commonly associated with a given
Phase of a movement skill
The variable or adaptable motion required to
achieve a desired body position– Varies based
on player differences, preference and
environment – Aka Adaptability
Key Terms

25. Key Questions To ask before correcting
To understand exactly what needs to be corrected,
consider the following questions:
1. Where is the source of the problem (1o)?
a. Consider Phase & Technical Requirement
a. Early Phase Problem & Late Phase Symptom
b. Or Isolated late phase problem
2. What type of problem are you dealing with?
a. Technical position – not achieving Correct ROM
b. Technical Pattern – Not achieving correct Timing

26. Influencing Attractors
“Errors must become unstable for efficiency to emerge”

27. Constraint-Based Model
Player
Task/SkillEnvironment
Perception
Action
Coordination
Movement
Adapted From: Davids, K., Button, C., and Bennett, S., 2008- Dynamics of Skill Acquisition- A Constraints-Led Approach

28. Constraint-Based Model
Player
Task/SkillEnvironment
Movement
Zone
Adapted From: Frans Bosch

29. Distinct technical changes emerge when facing
a bowler versus a bowling machine. This is a
result of different informational constraints
(Pinder et al. 2009)
Distinct technical changes emerge when
bowling with & without an umpire. This is
a result of different informational
constraints (Greenwood et al. 2016)

30. Space
Time
Rules
equipment
Manipulate the amount of space the movement
can be performed in (e.g. use cones or dowel)
Task, Environment & Player Constraints
Sensory
Cognitive
Manipulate the amount of Time the movement can
be performed in (e.g. External tone or rhythm)
Manipulate the rules associated with the
movement skill (e.g. shrink the strike zone)
Manipulate the equipment associated with the
movement skill (e.g. Bat weight or bungee)
Manipulate the Sensory information available
(i.e. Visual, Auditory and/or Tactile)
Manipulate the attentional focus associated
with the movement skill (i.e. External Cues)

31. Constraints, just like cues, encourage one
pattern of movement over another without
the explicit influence of the coach

32. Constraints push the fringe of coordination,
especially when the change is more complex
than can be described in words

33. 01 Create memorable and Interesting learning opportunities
02 Drills can be designed to constrain errors so a new pattern can emerge
03 Use constraint based drills to stabilize highly variable technique
04 For transfer, the constraint based drill must maintain the correct intention
05 Future research should integrate motor control & biomechanical analyses

34. Influencing Technique
session variability
“The Galvanizer”

35. Skill1Skill2Skill3
S 1
S 1
S 1
S 1
S 2
S 2
S 2
S 2
S 3
S 3
S 3
S 3
BLOCKED Serial Random

36. A progressive increase in
contextual interference from
blocked to random has been
shown to be superior to
blocked or random only.
Porter et al., 2010

37. Learning is a result of the attention
deployed during Training and the
demands placed on memory retrieval.
Interleaving drills ↑ demands placed
on Attention & memory.
Porter et al., 2010

38. single Skill
Single Drill
single Skill
Multi Drill
multi Skill
Multi Drill
Blocked: Single Pitch Practice
Serial: Repeated Sequence of Pitches
Random: Random pitch selection
Interleaving multiple drills that focus
on the same outcome skill (e.g. hitting) –
soft toss, pitching machine, live pitcher
Interleaving multiple drills that focus
on different outcome skills (e.g. hitting
to fielding) – serial or random order

39. Skill Retrieval Drives learning. To
strengthen retrieval we must first forget.
Skill spacing & variability creates
Desirable difficulty.

40. spacing out short & frequent bursts of
practice is key When trying to learn or
improve upon a given motor skill.

41. 01 Create memorable and Interesting learning opportunities
02 Drills can be designed to constrain errors so a new pattern can emerge
05 The right level of session variability encourages deeper learning
03 Use constraint based drills to stabilize highly variable technique
04 For transfer, the constraint based drill must maintain the correct intention
06 Use session variability to improve the adaptability of A stable technique

42. @NickWinkelman
Thank You