Content area
Full text
Keywords: motor learning; locomotive agility; movement patterns; movement mechanics
summary
Part 1 of this 2-part article looks at how taking a motor learning-based approach to locomotive agility can assist in setting up a long-term agility development program. It outlines a system in which agility can be deconstructed into target movement patterns and movement mechanics, each with their target function. These classifications are then used in the construction of the development program. The article also highlights how motor learning theories can be applied to the structure of agility sessions.
In many sports, a high degree of locomotive agility is fundamental to optimal performance. To support this, there has been a great increase in the number of books and videos aimed at enhancing locomotive agility. It is now believed that agility can be improved through a well-structured training program (7, 15). Additionally, there appears to be limited transfer between maximum speed and agility (7, 15), emphasizing the need for agility-specific training. A common thread through much of the current literature is that agility is an independent motor skill (10). Skills are defined as "movements that are dependent on practice and experience for their execution, as opposed to being genetically defined" (12). If agility can be improved through practice, then agility should be subject to the same skill acquisition theories as any other sports skill. In the development of traditional sports skills, such as hitting a baseball, the skill typically follows a distinct path, beginning with simple movements and progressively advancing towards open, more complex drills. Given the skill-based nature of agility, then, it can be argued that for optimum effectiveness, agility training should be structured in a similar way.
Identifying the Fundamentals of Agility-A Target-Based Approach
An important first step in developing an agility program is to identify the target movement patterns that contribute to agility. Just as strength-based movements can be broken down into basic movement patterns (2), similarly, agility movements can be broken down into discrete target movement patterns, each with their own basic functions and techniques. Agility involves the effective combination of these discrete movement patterns into the movements we see in sports. These basic movement patterns can be termed the target movement patterns, and comprise movements such as sideshuffling, backpedaling, cutting,...