Practice should incorporate perfect practice principles like distributed practice with rest breaks, variation in environment and conditions, and mental rehearsal. Only perfect practice with these elements will lead to optimal skill development and performance, while massed or continuous practice risks injury, boredom, and inefficient learning.

1. Practice methods
Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes
perfect.
Matt Massed
Doesnt Distributed
Feel Fixed
Very Varied
Macho Mental

2. Massed
• Practice without rest intervals (continuous)
Cognitive phase learners Too tiring/boring
Simple/Discrete skills Could lead to demotivation
Autonomous Performers Could lead to overuse injuries
Develop fitness Errors increase

3. Distributed
• Regular breaks in the practice
– For rest - mental rehearsal- feedback
Cognitive learners – prevents boredom Disrupts learning
Associative/Autonomous – understanding skill Demotivate if breaks long
Dangerous/Complex skills

4. Fixed
• Practice remains the same conditions
Over learning and grooving a skill Could be boring
Closed skills Overuse injuries

5. Varied
• Practicing in different environments
Open skills Can confuse cognitive phase learners
Real game sceanrios Information overload
Increase motivation May not develop motor programme
Develop schema
Transfer of learning

6. Mental
• Going through the skill in your head –
visualisation. Creating a mental picture!
Autonomous performers Some personalities find it difficult
Works well with distributed practice Not easy to apply to competition
Helps learning patterns/movements/routines
Can visualise faults and corrections
Reduces reaction time
Improve confidence