Coaching the Entire Squash Shot Cycle USSRA Coaching

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

Global Approach to Error Correction

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 Broad WIDTH Narrow External Internal DIRECTION

Attentional Problems Internal distractions Attending to past events (e. g. , what was? ) Attending to future events (e. g. , what if? ) Choking under pressure Overanalysis 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