Coaching the Entire Squash Shot Cycle
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Transcript of Coaching the Entire Squash Shot Cycle
Coaching the Entire Squash Shot Cycle
USSRA Coaching Conference September 2000
Tim Bacon,Smith College
Gail Ramsay, Princeton University
Ice-Breaker!
• Turn to the person next to you and briefly tell each other (less than 15 sec.): based on your past
coaching experience what is the MOST important thing to teach to that C/B player (or young
junior/or no. 7 player on your team ladder)
Overview
• Shot-cycle
• Open skill process
• Global Approach to Error Correction
• 3 Coaching Principles
• Example Coaching Topics
The Shot Cycle
• Watching-Ready-Position (Perception =
anticipation + ball judgement)
• Movement to the ball
• Stroke
• Recovery
The Open Skill Process
• Perception
• Decision
• Action
• Feedback
Global Approach to Error Correction
• Appropriatediagnosis is critical for accurate training « prescription »
• Technical Error? 4 possibilities…
Examples of « Technical » Errors
Technical-Technical bad grip wrong swing path
Technical-Perceptual/Decision-making
doesn’t watch –arrives late
late startTechnical-Physical insufficient speed
poor enduranceTechnical-Mental choking
focus too narrow
Global Approach to Error Correction
Type of Error Type of Practice
Technical-Technical Stroke lesson
Technical-Perceptual/Decision-Making
Perception-Decision-making drills
Technical-Physical Physical training
Technical-Mental Mental Skills Training
Examples of Perceptual/Decision Errors
• Pays attention to wrong cues
• Focused on too small an area
• Focused on too broad an area
• misjudges path, speed, direction of ball
• miscalculates time/place of arrival of ball
• selects wrong movement to ball
• selects wrong instance of correct movement
The Psychological is Important too!
• Attention=concentration
• Nideffer ’s model of concentration
• attentional errors
• « choking »
Four Types of Attentional Focus
WIDTH
DIRECTION
Broad
Narrow
External Internal
Attentional Problems
Attending to past events (e.g., what was?)
Internaldistractions
Attending to future events (e.g., what if?)
Choking under pressureOveranalysis of body mechanics
Fatigue
Choking An Attentional Problem
Three Teaching Principles
• Progression not correction
• Respect learning styles - especially kinesthetic
• Integration - bridge the gap between practice and match play
Example « Shot-Cycle » Topics
• Watching - Anticipation
• Watching - ball judgement
• Movement - split-step
• Hitting: Decision-Making - drop or boast?
• Hitting - kinesthetic approach to teaching the grip
Anticipation in Racquet Sports
• Abernethy: « A » players initiate movement before the ball is struck - « D » players do not!
• Expert players rely on shoulder and racquet head cues - novices don ’t
• Differences between world-class and national-level players
Progression for Anticipation• Identify pre-impact cues
• train the perception
• train the decision
• train skill 1
• train skill 2
• alternate skills
• randomize skills
• competitive-conditioned game
• evaluate in match play
Brainstorm Other Anticipation Examples
• Groups of 3-4 coaches
• 2 minutes to find other examples (hint: most common situations, easiest to teach, beginner-intermediate-advanced topics)
• take up 1 example from several groups
• turn in examples - we will distribute
Teaching Ball Judgement
• Train the perception: straight or cross• Train the decision: « fore » or « back »• Train skill 1: forehand• Train skill 2• Alternate execution of skills• Randomize execution of skills• Competitive game• Evaluate in match play
Brainstorm Other Ball Judgment Examples
• Groups of 3-4 coaches
• 2 minutes to find other examples (hint: most common situations, easiest to teach, beginner-intermediate-advanced topics)
• take up 1 example from several groups
• turn in examples - we will distribute
Teaching the Basic Split-Step by Progression
• Verify split-step
• split to shadow stimulus
• split to coach self-rally
• split on coach feed - return to coach
• split during rotating rails
• split in game situation
• evaluate in match play
Decision-Making (Tactics) Progression
• Choose a topic: select two skills where player must differentiate
• “Sell” the decision
• Train the perception
• Train the decision
• Train skill 1
• Train skill 2
• etc.
Brainstorm Other Decision-Making Examples
• Groups of 3-4 coaches
• 2 minutes to find other examples (hint: most common situations, easiest to teach, beginner-intermediate-advanced topics)
• take up 1 example from several groups
• turn in examples - we will distribute
Kinesthetic Grip Progression
• Rally program from 6 ’: forehand, backhand, alternate, with and without a bounce, finish with short (easy) game
• « top » & « side » cues to « feel » the grip
• « méthodes de contraintes » - catch and send, contact behind, COLFing, etc.
3-min. Group Discussion
• How have you successfully changed/taught « poor » learners grips?
• What cues do you use?
• What progressions do you use?
• How can we get every U.S. junior to start with the correct grip?
Summary
• Shot-cycle
• Open skill process
• Global Approach to Error Correction
• 3 Coaching Principles
• Questions? Discussion?
• www.science.smith.edu/exersci/tbacon/home.html