Insights for Building Athletic Technique: 
Practical Suggestions for Coaches

As coaches, we understand that the foundation of athletic success lies in mastering technique. 

Whether you're guiding sprinters, football players, swimmers, or basketball players, honing in on the finer points of movement mechanics can make all the difference in performance outcomes. 

Today, we'll dive into actionable insights to equip you with practical tools for refining technique and maximizing your athletes' potential.

These are the building blocks for understanding more deeply how to structure your technique plan.

feedback loops in sports

Do You Waddle When You Walk? | Bob and Brad

What this means for athletes and coaches? 

Pay attention to posture (even walking gait) of your athletes. If the posture is off, even in walking, they are not optimized. Watch your athletes walk in today. What does it look like? Note: this even applies to swimmers.

Posture: The Backbone of Athletic Performance

Let's start with posture—a fundamental aspect of effective movement. 

It's impossible to understate the importance of aligning your athletes' bodies to optimize force generation and minimize injury risk. 

As coaches, we can assess alignment from head to toe, ensuring our athletes maintain optimal posture during drills and exercises. 

By focusing on proper alignment, we set the stage for enhanced force production and improved performance outcomes.

Posture can be observed during everything from walking around the gym to functional movement exercises to sport specific actions. 

Important: If you want to avoid hip replacement as you get older, watch the video above.

Positioning: Maximizing Elastic Potential

Next up is positioning—a key determinant of athletic success. 

Notice the significance of joint angles and mobility in unlocking athletes' elastic potential.

To put this into practice, incorporate dynamic stretching routines and plyometric drills into your training sessions. 

By enhancing positioning, we empower our athletes to tap into their elastic potential for explosive speed and agility on the field or court.

advanced wearable tech

TRAINING FASCIA DRIVEN ATHLETES: Parisi Speed School

What this means for athletes and coaches? Athletic potential = FREE Energy?

Why aren't the big muscly athletes the best athletes? Watch above.

Foot strike in Sprinting | Howcast

What this means for athletes and coaches?

 Consider thinking in terms of limiting energy loss vs. strength or speed gain. Would that change how you view your developmental programs?

Placement: Optimizing Force Transfer

Placement is another critical component of athletic technique, focusing on foot placement and ground contact. 

For swimming, this would be hand entry or foot placement (breaststroke). 

There is a need to evaluate the angle of the shin and dorsiflexion at the ankle joint to maximize force transfer on land movements. 

As coaches, we can integrate plyometric exercises and technical drills that emphasize proper placement, helping our athletes minimize energy loss and maximize speed efficiency in their movements.

Patterning: Cultivating Seamless Coordination

Last but not least is patterning—the coordination of movement patterns essential for peak performance. 

 Stress the importance of synchronizing actions to achieve seamless coordination between limbs.
 
To facilitate this, incorporate drills that emphasize rhythm and tempo into your training regimen. By fostering seamless coordination, we empower our athletes to perform at their best across a range of athletic endeavors.

The secret to giving great feedback. TED.

What this means for athletes and coaches? 
Build coordination and complexity into you training programs. Athletes with sophisticated neural firing capability are better than those without.

Making Sports Talent Accessible for Everyone Is GOAT's Mission.

Repetitive Practice

The essence of skill acquisition in sports lies in repetition. 

Each practice session is a chance to improve, to fine-tune skills until they become a natural part of the athlete’s repertoire. 

Feedback loops play a crucial role here, offering immediate insights that allow athletes to adjust and refine their techniques in real-time.

Think of it this way... just like you can cram for a test and get an 'A' then quickly forget everything, an athlete can perform a skill but not acquire it. 

In other words, without the repetition in feedback, the learning is lost. 

Designing a system with focused feedback loops to ensure learning is an immense competitive advantage - and a gift to athletes.

In summary, mastering athletic technique is a journey that requires practical application and attention to detail. 

By focusing on the principles of posture, positioning, placement, and patterning, we can elevate our coaching and empower our athletes to reach their full potential. 

So, as you plan your next training session, remember to prioritize technique refinement and watch as your athletes soar to new heights of success on the field, track, or court.

Integrating Feedback Systems

As we reach the culmination of our biomechanical exploration, it's clear that the journey is just beginning.

For athletes striving for peak performance, coaches dedicated to refining technique, or enthusiasts captivated by the intricacies of movement, the next step is integrating cutting-edge technology into your quest.

Imagine the possibilities with our new 2-sensor motion analysis system, harnessing the power of AI to revolutionize the way we understand and analyze movement.

This isn't just an advancement in technology; it's an invitation to be at the forefront of biomechanical discovery.

Join the Correct Movement 'Movement'

Your Role in the Biomechanical Odyssey

As we conclude our exploration, we invite you to join the biomechanics movement. Whether you're an athlete seeking to elevate your game, a coach shaping the future of sports, or an enthusiast fascinated by the science behind every move – your role in this biomechanical odyssey is crucial.

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