1. Skill acquisition
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2. Three Stages of Skill Acquisition
1. Cognitive (understanding)
2. Associative (practice)
3. Autonomous (automatic)

3. Video

4. Cognitive Stage
Characterised by thinking - trying to understand the skill
Movements in this stage are jerky, halting and poorly timed
Performance is variable with a lot of 'gross errors'
An increase in 'self-talk' is evident as this stage progresses
This stage is quite short
With regular practice and thought, the learner will make rapid and large gains in proficiency
Gross errors = the learner knows something is wrong, but they dont know how to fix it. E.g. learning a golf shot and keep missing ball or hitting the ground

5. Cognitive Stage ctd.
Learners at this stage need short, simple instructions
Constant blocks of practice work best
Lots of feedback required. KP (knowledge of performance) is best
Visual and auditory feedback is good

6. Associative Stage This stage is quite long
Some people might never move out of this stage
The basic fundamental skill has already been learnt.
Less variable and more consistent performance
Less errors because the learner can detect and correct errors
Movements are more coordinated and refined

7. Associative stage ctd
Individual needs to think less about the skill, there is a shift to memorised movements
Rapid improvement and a marked decrease in energy expenditure
Encourage use of mental imagery
Practice skills randomly rather than in blocks
E.g. a golfer can now hit the ball consistently. They may not have full control over their distance and direction yet though, but that will come with practice

8. Coaching during the associative phase
It is important for the coach to communicate well and give good feedback.
Instruction needs to be more individual, with errors identified and corrections prescribed.
Progressive increase in task complexity
Demonstrations, videos of the athlete performing and verbal descriptions of corrections are useful

9. Autonomous stage
After much practice and experience, the skill becomes habitual or automatic
Improvements come slowly but there is a good consistency of performance
Most of the skill is performed without thinking because the athlete requires less attention to basics
Instead, they can give more attention to higher-order cognitive activities, such as game strategies and external cues
E.g. spin on the ball or position of the opponent. This develops self-confidence and risk taking in performance situations. The golfer will be able to change a swing to suit the particular shot required and be able to curve the ball with control after hitting it to allow for external factors such as wind or slope.

10. Autonomous stage ctd
The practice sessions need to be well organised to ensure improvements
The athlete must be highly motivated and given a great deal of feedback
Training should attempt to simulate the actual performance conditions.
Psychological skills training can be very effective in this stage, especially when dealing with anxiety in competitions

11. Video