Combination of narrow and wide bandwidth knowledge of performance in the acquisition of a complex sports motor skill

Objectives: This study tested the effects of combining two bandwidth knowledge of performance (KP) on a complex sports motor skill.

Method: Twenty-two elementary students were divided into combined wide and narrow bandwidth KP (WNG) and control group (CG). The task was the volleyball serve, whose goal was to hit the bull's eye center of a target lying on the floor on the opposite side of the court. The study was composed of a pre-test, acquisition phase and retention test, and had three measures (pre-test, intermediate test, and retention test) with 15 serves recorded each. The acquisition phase consisted of 252 trials. The WNG had a wide bandwidth KP in the first half of the acquisition phase and a narrow one in the second. The CG received KP in all trials. The effects of bandwidth KP were analyzed separately to infer parameters and skill structure learning.

Results: Both groups improved the skill structure from the first to the intermediate test, but only WNG also improved on the retention test. The parameters accuracy improved only on retention compared to the pre-test and intermediate test but had no difference between groups.

Conclusion: Providing information using the bandwidth KP led to an initial engagement and prioritization of skill structure learning.