OPTIMAL TECHNIQUE, VARIABILITY, CONTROL, AND SKILLED PERFORMANCE

Optimisation is often used in an attempt to explain technique adopted in skilled sport performance. This might take the form of minimising joint torques in an expectation that the optimum simulated technique will resemble the actual performance. If a suitable optimisation criterion can be identified then this may give some insight into the adopted technique. In all human movement there is inherent variation so that no two performances are exactly the same. As a consequence skilled technique needs to be successful in a noisy environment and so optimised technique also needs to be robust to the inherent variation in coordination. In movements in which there is sufficient time for feedback control to operate it is to be expected that there will be greater variation in technique in those phases that adjustments are made. It is also to be expected that there will be little variation in technique for those phases where accurate coordination is crucial to the success of the movement. The aspect that often governs elite technique is that of achieving consistent success rather than some biomechanical measure of movement

Optimal Technique, Variability, Control, and Skilled Performance

Optimisation is often used in an attempt to explain technique adopted in skilled sport performance. This might take the form of minimising joint torques in an expectation that the optimum simulated technique will resemble the actual performance. If a suitable optimisation criterion can be identified then this may give some insight into the adopted technique. In all human movement there is inherent variation so that no two performances are exactly the same. As a consequence skilled technique needs to be successful in a noisy environment and so optimised technique also needs to be robust to the inherent variation in coordination. In movements in which there is sufficient time for feedback control to operate it is to be expected that there will be greater variation in technique in those phases that adjustments are made. It is also to be expected that there will be little variation in technique for those phases where accurate coordination is crucial to the success of the movement. The aspect that often governs elite technique is that of achieving consistent success rather than some biomechanical measure of movement

THE INFLUENCE OF CRICKET PITCH LENGTH ON BALL RELEASE BY JUNIOR BOWLERS

Most junior cricket is played on pitches not much shorter than the 22 yards that adults play on. Young bowlers often struggle to bowl with good technique on these relatively long pitches, having to release the ball almost horizontally to achieve the distance, while adults typically bowl downwards at around 7° below horizontal. In this study ball release by 20 junior seam bowlers was analysed when they bowled on two different pitch lengths. It was found that the ball release angle was 3.4° lower on a 16 yard compared to a 19 yard pitch, while other release measures, including ball speed, were not substantially changed. Maintaining ball speed while bowling into the pitch more should enable players to achieve greater success and develop more variety in their bowling

FACTORS INFLUENCING VARIATION IN DIVE HEIGHT IN 1M SPRINGBOARD DIVING

The aim of this study was to determine the factors contributing to variation in dive height in performing a 1m springboard dive. 15 performances of a forward dive pike by an international diver were recorded using high speed video (250 Hz) and were digitised manually. The relationships between variables at hurdle landing, during board contact and dive height were determined. Hip extension during board contact accounted for 77% of the variance in dive height