Technical Model

Technical Model (P3)

A Technical Model uses qualitative information to analyse and compare performance to the ‘ideal’ model in order to produce strengths and areas for improvement for the athlete. This model can be used to identify differences between how we believe the skill should be performed in order to achieve maximum proficiency and how the athlete is actually performing the skill. Technical analysis is more descriptive than the other methods and looks at ‘form’ and technique, rather than speed, angles or distances. This method is described as ‘subjective’ as it is based on opinion and there is no statistical data to support this.

Balance

The term ‘balance’ is defined as “an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady”. Balance is key in a wide variety of sports, if not all of them, but in this instance balance can be applied to the netball shot in order to make the skill effective.

If the athlete is unbalanced when taking a netball shot, it can cause them to stumble or fall away from the line they are attempting to shoot, causing the shot to loose accuracy. For this reason, balance is important factor to the shot to ensure that the ball follows its intended path into the net.

In this frame, we can observe that the athlete appears to be well balanced. Her body is upright and the extremities and limbs are distributed evenly which means that her weight is dispersed in a way which created an equilibrium, therefore balancing the athlete. Balanced is achieved by keeping the centre of mass, or gravity, low. The athlete achieved this by bending her knees and resultantly her centre of gravity is lowered. By keeping her spine perpendicular to the ground, it means that the centre of mass remains in a position in line with the centre of the body, therefore maintaining balance.

This still image show Helen Housby, England and Manchester GA, taking similar shot to the one in which I had analysed my own athlete. From this, I can gather that my athlete maintains a similar body position to the elite model whilst shooting in order to maintain balance. Housby maintains a similar body and spine shape to my athlete which allows her centre of mass to be in a position which assists with the maintenance of balance whilst shooting.

Grip

It’s important for the athlete to maintain a strong, firm, hold on the ball when shooting. In other words, a good grip will mean that the athlete will not be at risk of dropping the ball or shooting the ball in a way which is unsuccessful. The advised way to grip the ball when shooting is to hold underneath the ball with one hand, whilst the other hand supports the ball to prevent it from falling from the shooting hand.

Supporting evidence from TeachPE.com states that: “Ball held by dominant hand and high above the head. Fingers point back and are slightly open, ball sits in your hand” and that “second hand is placed at the side of the ball to steady its position” - TeachPE (2016). I can use this model in order to compare to and analyse my athlete’s technique when shooting in order to produce information on her strengths and areas for improvement.

During the preparation stage of my athletes shot, they appear to be holding the ball with their fingertips on either side of the ball, in contrast to the suggested technique. This means that the athlete is at risk of the ball tipping or falling in a way which means the shot will not travel along its intended path, into the net. She is at risk of dropping or ‘spilling’ the ball by gripping it in this way and that may result in the opponents obtaining possession and being able to start their own attack. So, this is an area of the athlete’s technique in which they could look to adjust and improve.

Stance

The description of the ideal netball shot from TeachPE.com suggests that stance is an important part of the shot being taken correctly. They say that “Feet should be in a comfortable forward facing position, not too far apart” and that “a balanced position, with equal weight on both feet and hips facing the front” should be taken TeachPe.com(2016). This stance links back to my earlier points which addressed the athletes balance when taking a shot. A perfect stance will mean that the athlete will remain balanced whilst taking the shot which increases the chances of the shot being successful.

 

This frame shows the stance of my athlete whilst they are preparing to take the shot. The feet appear to be an ideal distance a part which provides stability and balance, therefore this makes this part of the stance an area of strength for the athlete. However, the athlete’s heels are slightly raised off of the floor which suggests that she is baring most of her weight through the balls of her feet and her toes. In effect, it means that the athlete is leaning slightly forward during the shot which means that she is at risk of becoming off balance and toppling or falling whilst taking the shot and therefore reducing the chance of the shot being successful.

Body Position

The positioning of the athletes body is very important to the skill itself as it will determine where the ball takes flight and where the ball finishes. If the athlete positioned in a way which doesn’t line up with the net, it may result in the ball taking flight to a tangent away from its intended target, which in effect reduces the level of performance in which the athlete is able to achieve. So, for the shot to be successful the athlete’s body needs to be positioned directly facing the net with the shoulders, hips and feet all running parallel to one another. Any rotation at the hips could mean that the shot will not be executed in a straight line which reduces the chances of the shot being successful.

“Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and keep your body straight.” BBC Sport (2005) this is the recommendation of BBC Sport when it comes to the technique and body position of an athlete when shooting. This statement supports my point about how the athlete should be positioned when shooting in netball. As a result, I can compare these points to the actual technique of my athlete.

 

As the frame shows, my athlete has positioned her body in a way which is aligned and facing toward the netball post. Although her knees are bent as she is in the preparation stage of the shot, her shoulders and hips and feet all align to allow the body to be directly upright in order to take the shot. The correct technique being performed in this way means that the chances of the shot being successful are increased.