The document discusses the concept of technique in sports. It defines technique as movements that allow athletes to perform attacks and defenses with the goal of competition in mind. Athletes must learn ideal movement models to improve their skills. The analysis then discusses how technique has different meanings depending on the sport, and how technical ability is assessed both formally and during real competition. It proposes stages of technical learning, from general conditioning to specialization to perfection, with criteria defined for each stage to develop an athlete's technique.

1. BY
DR PAWAN KUMAR
MMH COLLEGE GHAZIABAD

2. Concept of Technique
Technique as the ideal model of a movement relative
to a specific sport activity. For team sports; mechling
(1983) defines technique as that movements or part of
movements that permit to perform attack and defense
actions with a concrete game purpose, and with a quite
good execution quality (good with reference to an
ideal model).

3. The sportsman, in order to obtain performance in
his particular sport, must have learned a group of
movements, following ideal models, result of
different research, which will facilitate to execute
precise actions to improve his motor skills.

4. Harre, D.(1979), Grosser, M. (1982), Roth (1983).
Consequently, an sportsman will possess a good
technical ability the best he adjust his movement to
the ideal model, in addition to the best he can control
it to obtain maximal performance during real
competition. The aptitude of a person to acquire these
abilities is understood as capacity (Thiess, 1980).

5. 2. Analysis of the Technical Ability
All technical abilities are performed by precise segmentary and/or
global movements. Such precision makes the segmentary body parts
to perform meticulous paths on the space. Also, that spatial trajectory
must spend a certain period of time. All spatial and temporal aspects of
a technical skill are easily observable and can be studied from different
perspectives. They can be differenced from other called internal or
structural aspects which will generate that external values manifested
during sport practices of the athlete.

7. 3. The Meaning of Technique in
Different Sports
 The concept “technique” does not have the same
meaning in all sports. The factors previously studied
play a different role for every sport.
 In order to determine the different meaning of a
technical concept, it is necessary to analyse each sport
specialty independently.

8.  Verjoshanskij (1985) develop different meanings of
technique even within the same sport (athletics). For
explosive strength specialties, he states that the
technique must guarantee the capacity of producing a
strong and concentrated impulse just at the
determinant phase of execution.
 Neumeier (1981) also states that at this determinant
phase of execution the role of the technique is to reach
maximal acceleration. We can see, then, that there is a
clear concurrence of concepts (dynamic-cinematic).

9. While for endurance events the technique is efficacy or
performing a skill economically (temporal and
kinesiologic factors are the most relevant). Thus, their
techniques must be learnt differently.
Gulinelli (1986) holds that in artistics sports the
technique have to increase the precision and
expressivity of movement (external-aesthetic
assessment, and internal-informative and
psychological assessments are the most important).

10. For sports practiced with an opponent, Gulinelli (1986)
understands technique as the possibility to solve
variable competitive situations. On the other,
Djatschkov (1977) states that technique must develop
precise strength and speed executions to the maximal
extend. In this case internal-informative and external-
temporal values are the most determinant. Therefore,
such factors must be taught preferentially in order to
develop technical skills adequated to the competitive
needs.

11. 4. Technical Assessment
The formal assessment consist of an analysis of the
similarity between a technical execution and its
scientific ideal model. It is an objective assessment. In
some sports (gymnastics, figure skating, etc) the
athlete’s performance is evaluated with such formal
criterion. A judge, trained to observe, give an score
that assesses the execution of this type of technical
skill. In other words, there exist a direct concurrence
technique-result; therefore, such formal assessment is
equivalent to a real assessment of the result.

12. Technical Training
By the technical analysis (section 2) we have the
knowledge of all factors that can be taught in order to
improve the technical skill of a particular athlete.
Knowing the meaning of technique allow us to classify
the importance of all these factors and, therefore, to
clearly define the goals. Finally, with the evaluation of
the technical skill in different sports, we can fix its
relative importance and plan in sequence the learning
goals during the athlete’s sport life. It is now time to
discuss how to improve a technical skill; however, it is
impossible to describe all the training process of all
different sports, due to the nature of this article.

13. Stages of the Technical Learnig
This training process will allow the learning of technical
abilities after years of uninterrupted experiences. On the one
hand, Fitts (1964) proposes three stages for these acquisitions:
cognitive stage, associative stage and autonomous stage. Gentile
(1972) only define two stages, while Meinel (1977) develops also
three levels of dominion: beginner, advanced and high
dominion. Martin (1977) adds a fourth level. Both Ozolín (1970)
and Matveev (1977) observe two moments: learning and
advanced. More recently, Nadori (1985) define three levels under
the following epigraphs: non-specific, semi-specific and specific
stage for the technical ability acquisition. Most authors agree
with the idea of defining a first moment in which it must be
reached a basic “technical model”, understanding the conditions
of the skill as well as recognizing and interpreting environmental
characteristics in which the technical movement must be
performed and adapted.

14. Anyway, there cannot be any doubt that the person’s
sport life must be divided by stages in order to adjust
the biological maturing processes with
the development of technical abilities and others. Our
proposal for team sports and sports of similar
characteristics is:
 A) Stage of multipurpose general conditioning (8-10
year-old).

15.  B) Stage of oriented multilateral preparation (10-12
year-old).
 C) Stage of specific initiation (12-16 year-old).
 D) Stage of specialization (16-20 year-old).
 E) Stage of perfecting (20-24 year-old).
 F) Stage of high stability of performance (more than
24 year-old).

16. For each stage we will define the differential criteria for
the formation of the technical ability, as a consequence
of an organized training under the parameters we have
mentioned.
A) At this stage the training of motor participation must
develop all coordination capacities; with non-specific
orientation, with constant modifications of
environmental conditions of the practitioner. It is
founded, therefore, on motor experimentation of all
movement capacities.

17. B) When the athlete and coach are conscious of the best
efficacy at executing a concrete spectrum of movements,
this second stage of oriented multilateral preparation
begins. The training of technical abilities is focused on the
improvement of non-specific coordination of the group of
movements in which the individual is talented, and in
which they will be able to apply afterwards to some sport
specialty.

18. C) At this moment, all technical training is focused on
reaching and developing the self-execution model of
the specific movements of a concrete sport specialty.
We could talk about an adaptation of abilities to
specific skills with participation of cognitive processes
so as they can be assimilated by the motor repertoire.

19. D) Talent personal qualities are basic at this
specialization stage. Morphological development,
facility in technical learning and its fixing, efficacy in
taking decisions, adaptability to competitive
conditions, are among others, factors which will allow
both the athlete and the coach to make sure that their
choice was right.

20. E) At this moment the sportsman has a dominion of all
technical abilities and the purpose is its perfecting. That
means that space-temporal and structural aspects must be
in total concordance in order to obtain this perfection in
competitive situations. The variability of these situations
tests cognitive and specific conditional capacities which
must be continuously trained to reach that perfection of
the technical ability.

21. F) The stage of high stability of performance. This is a
consequence of the previous stage. The difference is
that now, the possible motor solutions to competitive
situations must be, in most of the cases, a product of
personal elaboration of the athlete and his creative
capacity. The athlete has a high level of technical
stability, its technical capacity is consolidated in such a
way that permits him to perform in all competitive
conditions and, moreover, can create movement
solutions which even allow him to be more effective

22. This success will permit him to stay during a longer
period of time competing with a high level of
motivation to do that. We believe this is possible
through an appropriate distribution of the goals in the
different stages proposed and by giving attention to
the training of cognitive capacities over the different
phases of technical training.
Finally, it only remains to point out that the technical
training proposed is senseless if it is not done in
concordance with the tactical training which has been
systematically ignored due to the nature of this article.