Introduction to Motor Learning
• As we grow and develop our ability to complete complex motor tasks
increases profoundly
• All individuals go through 4 distinct stages from birth to adulthood
• Reflexive Movement
• Rudimentary Movement
• Fundamental Movement
• Sport-related Movement
• Reflexive Movement Phase
(0-4 months)
-controlled motor development is displayed
-moving arms and legs
• Rudimentary Movement Phase
(birth-2 years)
-locomotor  crawling
-basic manipulation  picking up/releasing
-stability  controlling head/neck, sitting up and down
- overlaps reflexive movement phase
• Fundamental Movement Phase
(2-7 years)
-develop the basic movement skills to prepare for next stage
-three progressive phases: initial, elementary, and mature
-skills: running, throwing and kicking
• Sport-related Movement Phase
(7  )
- 3 distinct sub-phases:
1. General Phase (7-10 yrs)
-Skills learned in fundamental phase become refined into
sport skills
- ex. Throwing a ball: overhand  pitch
2. Specific Phase (11-13 yrs)
-athlete develops more accuracy and complexity
- ex. Pitching to the strike zone with different windups
3. Specialized Phase (14 – adult)
-skills refined further
-muscle memory
We just looked at how we develop movement, now we’re going to take
it to the next stage and look at how we master a skill
Fitts and Posner –Human Performance (1967)
“Stages of Learning Model” (how acquire new skills)
3 stages (move through stages is gradual and not pointed)
Stage 1: Cognitive
• basic understanding of task
• rules of skill/game
• large errors made  may recognize these errors, but need
instruction on how to improve
Stage 2: Associative
• refining stage 1 skill
• beyond basic mechanics
• awareness of mistakes  fewer and less pronounced
• more and more effort put towards learning skill
Stage 3: Autonomous
• skill virtually “automatic”  muscle memory
• specialize and highly refine
• mistakes are minute, but very apparent to athlete
• work very hard to correct these small mistakes
What could cause a problem in learning a skill?
• Incorrect understanding of movement
• Poor physical abilities
• Poor coordination
• Incorrect application of power
• Lack of concentration: fatigue, motivation
• Inappropriate equipment, clothing, footwear
• External factors: weather, audience, etc
• Practice v.s. Competition