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Last week, I wrote about the difference between learning/teaching (changing a motor pattern) and training (refining a motor pattern). Understanding the textbook definitions is only the first step, however. I believe it's just as important to know when to teach and train, and furthermore, to understand the role of the coach and player in each of these situations. To decide what to do, there are a few questions we can ask ourselves. Where is the skill on the skill acquisition p

If we really wanted to divide athletes into two groups, we could make the argument that there are thinkers, and there are grinders. This is too simplistic, but the point remains: some players prefer to break things down, reflect, tinker, and make changes. Others prefer to simply outwork the competition. In other words, do you work hard, or do you work smart? When it comes to improvement in any athletic endeavour, it’s not an OR but an AND – players must work hard and smart. F

As mentioned in last week’s post on designing training blocks, the quality of the work we do on court is often more important than the quantity. At an elite level, there is no athlete that isn’t training three to four hours a day, six days a week. One of the factors that will separate the good from the great is the efficiency of the on-court work. What kind of work should the athlete be doing? How do you order the elements of the training session? What’s the balance between m