Lesson
Common Issues with Coach Feedback
ISSUES WITH FEEDBACK
– Prescribing modifications for skill improvement depends on a coach’s ability to correctly
identify performance errors
– Even when movement errors are obvious and corrective responses are clear, transmitting
the information in a manner learners can understand is a concern. Often players cannot
translate instructions received into correct movement
– Sometimes players may not believe or accept what they are being told
Some useful strategies to analyze a skill and provide augmented feedback:
– First do a careful, through analysis of a player’s technique – focus on basic movement
patterns, not small idiosyncrasies of individual style
– AVOID offering feedback too quickly
– Offer corrective feedback ONLY IF substantial improvement or more safety is likely to result
– Select which error to correct, ONE ERROR AT A TIME; identifying the most critical one first
– Select the error that causes others OR which is easiest to learn OR is first in the sequence
– DO NOT experiment with random suggestions if unable to identify cause of an error
– THINK THROUGH and WATCH performance several times before offering feedback