Overview of Sports Performance

Sports performance is a concept that is vague and overly misused.  Sports performance study is the understanding of optimal sports instruction techniques within a foundation of a sound musculoskeletal system and proper physical conditioning with the appropriate psychological attributes. 

These three factors come together to make an elite athlete.  Frequently, elite athletes are separated with less than 1% of ability.  An athlete's commitment to work upon specific weaknesses within these three frameworks is paramount to success.

Three components that comprise sports performance are physique, physical conditioning and psychological attributes.

Human muscle movement, specifically biomechanics, helps an instructor or coach to optimize sports performance.  Simple mathematical models have been used to illustrate the athletic movements.  In general these are a good starting point, however as every athlete has uniqueness in their flexibility, joint mechanics, conditioning and injuries, individualized variations need to be identified early and corrected through proper instruction.

The goal of sports mechanics is to provide proper teaching techniques across all levels of athletes as well as proper identification of biomechanical errors that are evident in performance.  Understanding sports mechanics helps eliminate the trial-and-error approach to coaching and helps specify the weakness, abnormality or injury and biomechanically accommodate for it.

Similarly, it is important to asses for proper sports equipment given the physique and biomechanics of movements of each individual athlete.

Athletes perform skills with what an instructor terms as good or poor technique.  Good form and technique are very alike.  Poor performance in athletic ability vary for multiple reasons.

Top athletes incorporate sound basic instruction with their elite athletic ability enhanced by exceptional visual motor learning.

Should you have any further questions regarding this article, please direct your questions or comments to "Ask the Doctor" section.

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