Characterisation of motor skills

• Gross

  • Involve large muscle groups resulting in large body part movement
• Fine

  • Involve movement of smaller muscle groups resulting in more precise movement
  • Often involves coordination between the hands and eye
• Discrete movement

  Have clear beginnings and end
• Serial skills

  • Made up of several discrete skills which are put together in a certain order
• Continuous skills

  Do not have a clear beginning or ending, it is impossible to define exactly where the skill starts and where is stops
• Closed skills

  • Where the performer has the greatest control over their performance environment (weather, playing surface, opponent) and usually requires repetition of a successful movement pattern
• Open skills

  • Where the performer is required to have flexibility and adaptation in the execution of a skill under a constantly changing environment or time pressure