Whole, part, whole-part-whole and progressive part practice

Overview

Whole practice and the cartwheel, part practice and breaststroke, whole-part-whole practice for a tennis serve, and progressive part practice for the triple jump, with the advantages and disadvantages of each.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is whole practice?

   Model answer

   Whole practice teaches a skill in its entirety, without breaking it into subroutines. The learner performs the complete movement every time.

2. 2

   Which types of skill suit whole practice?

   Model answer

   Whole practice suits high-organisation skills whose subroutines cannot be separated easily. Whole practice also suits simple, fast or ballistic skills, such as a golf swing.

3. 3

   Give two advantages of whole practice.

   Model answer

   The performer develops a kinaesthetic feel for the complete skill and its timing. Whole practice also transfers well to the real game situation.

4. 4

   Give two disadvantages of whole practice.

   Model answer

   A beginner may suffer information overload when attempting a complex skill as a whole. Fatigue can also set in during long or demanding skills.

5. 5

   Why would a coach choose whole practice for a gymnast learning a cartwheel?

   Model answer

   A cartwheel is high in organisation, so its subroutines are hard to separate. Whole practice keeps the timing and flow of the movement intact.

6. 6

   What is part practice?

   Model answer

   Part practice breaks a skill into subroutines that are practised separately. The parts are later put back together into the whole skill.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.