DTLP Tip #1 - Seeing: Be Disciplined
DTLP Tip #1 - Seeing: Discipline
In a class of multiple people it can be hard to see faults, especially when they are subtle and/or the athlete is moving fast. To help with this, pick one fault that is associated to each movement represented in the workout for that day. Selecting which faults to pick can be done a number of ways, but an easy option is to assess positions that a large number of athletes struggle to find.
For example, if the movement is a Push Press the fault could be forward inclination of the torso during the dip (leaning forward). The ability to see this fault requires looking for the shoulder dropping in front of the hips when the athlete dips. You have to be disciplined and only focus on that specific fault during the execution of the movement. This is what it means to be disciplined when assessing movement. It is hard to ignore other phases of the movement, but you must in order to develop the eye.
Note: safety always trumps performance - unsafe positions must be addressed first. If you see an athlete "muting" the hip during the dip and/or when receiving the object on the reset, address it first.
If you are a newer coach, only pick one movement and one fault to look for. More advanced coaches can either pick one fault per movement, or multiple faults within one movement (eg., Push Press - look for forward inclination of torso during the dip AND pressing early). Advanced coaches will still need to focus on one fault at a time, but can use multiple reps for this.
Be disciplined!
Challenge: At the close of a class, can you identify the best mover (displaying the most points of performance), the worst mover (displaying the least amount of faults), and common faults across the entire group? If not, we have some work to do in what assessment system we use observe individuals and groups. More to come on how to "see" more effectively.
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