Difficulty continuum in sport
Skills can be classified according to how complex or difficult the movement is.
The two different characteristics of the difficulty continuum are 'simple' and 'complex'.
Simple skills are skills where the performer doesn't have to process much information or make many decisions. The skill has only a small number of parts (or sub-routines) and doesn't require much Information used to modify performance. during its performance. An example of a simple skill is sprinting.
Complex skills are skills where the performer has to process lots of information and make lots of decisions. The skill has many sub-routines (or parts) to it and requires a lot of feedback during its performance. An example of a complex skill is a tennis serve.
Most skills are not totally simple or complex but range between the two. They are somewhere on the difficulty continuum between simple and complex.
Question
Using a practical example, describe two characteristics of a simple motor skill.
Backstroke swimming or running, due to the following characteristics:
- not much information to process
- not many decisions to make
- not many sub-routines (parts)
- not much feedback needed during the skill