The Technical Model

Yesterday’s post on Frank Dick’s seven principles for high performance underscored the need to establish a sound technical model as a basis for later performance excellence. That being said and understood it is important to emphasize that the technique fit the athlete. Too often coaches have one technical model that they try to impose upon all athletes. In building the technical model start with the physical and psychological capabilities of the athlete. Know their strengths and weaknesses, know how they learn, know their cognitive abilities and psychological maturity level. The biomechanical principles that determine what an athlete must do to run fast, jump high, throw far, or swim efficiently are known and irrefutable. They key is to determine a technical model that will allow the athlete to achieve the correct biomechanics within the context of their capabilities.

From the very beginning stages it is imperative to construct a technical model that is robust and dynamic, not rigid. It should be flowing and easy not segmented and robotic. Teach the model through discovery activities and exploration that allow for individual expression. Then refine it and continue to refine it to meet the demands of competition and the athletes improving physical and psychological capabilities.

Beware of cloning in search for a technical model, by cloning I mean blindly copying the technique of the current champion. The negative implications of this are obvious. Certainly study the current best in the event or sport, look at what you can use but don’t blindly copy them. Beware of too much drilling; remember drills do not equal skills. Drills make you good at drilling but often the transfer of the drills to the actual skills is negligible. It is important to build the physical capacities in parallel with the technical model to insure continued development. All else being equal in the heat of competition it is the athlete that can execute their technique under pressure that will prevail.