Тоmasz Niźnikowski¹
Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw¹
Faculty of Physical Education and Health in Biała Podlaska, Poland

Кeywords: female gymnasts, feedback, kinematic structure, sports technique, double salto backward, dismount.

Introduction. Problems of motor action training have been and continue to be of interest to scientists for many years. Numerous different theories have been formulated, and many means, methods, and forms of motor action training have been developed. The most efficient is cognitive theory, in which the main role boils down to the notion of feedback. Training with the use of feedback has been shown to provide optimal results.

Feedback may be provided to the athlete before, during and after the task performance in oral, visual, kinesthetic or combined form. Each type of feedback plays an important role in determining the rate and efficiency of learning [1, 2].

Let us dwell upon studies in which the effectiveness of using various feedback options has been tested. A number of specialists have tried to explain the learning process and the factors contributing to its efficiency [3, 4]. The following aspects are usually analyzed in this respect: feedback types - verbal, visual and kinesthetic, in particular [5], organization of feedback - the frequency and time of information conveying to students [6]; task complexity and contextual interjection [7].

Most studies were conducted with the use of simple motor actions, which limits their transfer to the conditions of real-life physical education or sport, where complex motor tasks tend to dominate. In these works, it was shown that an oral explanation significantly facilitates the execution of a specific motion, since the teacher focuses the student's attention on those aspects of the task that can be omitted during the visual form of feedback [8]. According to another conclusion, if oral instructions containing information about errors and ways to correct them were used at the beginning of the learning process, then their impact on learning outcomes was effective [9].

There are few scientific works on the impact of various types of feedback on learning complex motor tasks in practical conditions of elite sport.

Despite the fact that the feedback influence on the process of learning motor movements has been the subject of numerous studies, many issues directly related to sport need to be addressed [6].

As of today, there is a relative lack of studies on the role of different feedback types (verbal, visual, kinesthetic information) in teaching complex motor tasks.

Objective. Studying the impact of two different types of verbal cues in the process of teaching complex gymnastic exercises – double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars.

Tasks. 1. To conduct biomechanical analysis of the key elements of connecting move sports technique “double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars”.

2. To study the effect of two different feedback types in the process of learning double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars.

Меthods of study. Skilled and highly skilled female gymnasts participated in the study. Their average indices of height, body mass and age (x ± δ) constituted: 157.5 ± 2.85 cm; 51 ± 2.25 kg; 20 ± 2.35 years, respectively. Gymnasts were randomly assigned to one of two groups: experimental E (n = 8) and control C (n = 8), the differences between the groups were insignificant (p > 0.05). In the course of training, the experimental group (E) athletes received urgent verbal information about the errors committed in the key elements of the mastered motor action, whereas those of the control group (C) - about all the faults made during performing double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars.

1. To determine the technique key elements, two digital cameras JVS 6R-DVL 9800 NTSC were used for video-recording the performance of connecting move “double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars”.

2. The efficiency of two types of verbal instructions was determined experimentally. After completing the task, the subjects of E group were informed of errors committed in the key elements and how to correct them in a subsequent attempt. Other errors were ignored. Subjects of C group received information about all the faults made in each attempt and the ways to correct them (100% feedback). The approach used in C Group is common in gymnastics training sessions. Each of the two corrective impacts was evaluated on the basis of three tests before and immediately after the training process as well as six days after its completion. Technical fitness of female gymnasts was assessed by three (n=3) highly qualified artistic gymnastics judges. The consistency of experts opinions was determined by the coefficient of concordance (r=0.848). In the process of training, the gymnasts made 240 attempts to perform double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars.

Statistical analysis methods: the normality of distribution and the uniformity of deviation were verified by the Shapiro-Wilk test. Differences in the use of two types of verbal instructions were determined by means of ANOVA variance analysis. The probability level p <0.05 was used as critical. Fisher's test was used to reveal significant intergroup differences. Statistical analysis of the results was made using the STATISTICA computer software package (version 12.0).

Results of study. Figure 1 illustrates the effect of training double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars.

Figure 1. Average group scores for execution of double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars.

The average results of groups E and C were found to be statistically significant (F(2, 28)=49,724, p=00000) (Тable 1).

Тable 1. Statistical significance level according to Fisher

It was found that before the experiment the differences between the average results of groups E and C were statistically insignificant (p>0.05). At the end of the experiment, the average values increased in both groups. The increase of indices was statistically significant (p<0.001) in both groups. On the other hand, 6 days after the end of the experiment a decrease in mean values (p<0.001) was observed. It is noteworthy that both at the end of the experiment and 6 days after the experiment, statistically significant differences between the average results of groups E and C were observed in favor of group E (p<0.001).

Conclusion. Training and improving motor skills are the major tasks in the process of technical preparation of female gymnasts. The search for ways to effectively solve these tasks, in particular, the use of feedback, is an up-to-date direction of studies both in elite sport and physical education.

Therefore, the objective of the study was to gain knowledge about the impact of different verbal information and the efficiency of teaching complex gymnastic exercises - double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars. At the first stage of the study, the technique key elements were determined. It was established that the key elements providing the effectiveness of the exercise performance are: starting posture, motor actions aimed at assuming tuck position and motor actions during landing. Starting posture is known to exert a significant influence on the quality of each individual exercise and a connection of gymnastic exercises [4]. Based on a study by Gervais, Dunn [10], it was found that the best results during performing a double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars are achieved by those female gymnasts who “feel the limits” in the phase structure of movement. Identifying the phase structure of an exercise may be of crucial significance for development of effective training programs and preparation of gymnastics coaches.

These views coincide with the opinion of other authors [6], who have shown that in sports technique of gymnastic exercises one may single out specific body systems characterized by elastic-rigid and rigid interaction with bearing surface, which determines the quality of gymnastic exercise performance and their dynamic connections.

The results of the above studies indicate large reserves in preparation of female gymnasts. The technology for teaching complex motor actions should be enhanced at the expense of the optimal amount of information conveyed by the coach.

One of the directions for technical preparation optimization in gymnastics is to reduce the amount of verbal instructions about the quality of task execution passed on to the athlete. One of the effective ways is to focus the corrective actions of the coach on the errors committed in the key elements of sports technique.

Therefore, it seems advisable to carry out a kinematic analysis of the studied exercise structure and identify the technique key elements, above all. The training process design with account for the formation of the motor action correct structure, the “sense of limits” and body position, will undoubtedly contribute to decrease in the intensity of the training process of female gymnasts and the development of a progressive training model, being the most promising in the process of long-term preparation [4]. Further research should be aimed at studying a complex of entirely different theoretical approaches to the type of information presentation and control during movement motor structure formation with the subsequent development of recommendations necessary for teachers and coaches.

Conclusions. 1. Our results prove that a great deal of information is not the most effective way of teaching complex gymnastic exercises.

2. Provision of a large amount of information turned out to be less efficient for teaching gymnastic exercises than the dosed information on errors in key elements of sports technique.

References

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3. Sobera M., Rutkowska-Kucharska, A. (2019). Postural Control in Female Rhythmic Gymnasts in Selected Balance Exercises: A Study of Two Cases. Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism, 26(1), 3-7.
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Аbstract. Objective. Studying the impact of two different types of verbal cues in the process of teaching complex gymnastic exercises – double salto backward piked to dismount from uneven bars.

Мaterial and methods. The study involved skilled female artistic gymnasts (n = 16). Their average indices of height, body mass and age (x ± δ) constituted: 157.5 ± 2.85 cm; 51 ± 2.25 kg; 20 ± 2.35 years, respectively.

Pedagogical experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of training and improving sports technique of gymnastic exercises through the use of two types of verbal cues. The subjects (n = 16) were randomly divided into experimental (E) (n = 8) and control (С) (n = 8) groups.

Results. Statistically significant differences were revealed between the average results of the E and C groups (F (2, 28) = 49.724, p =, 00000). The differences between the average results of each group were statistically significant (p <0.001) both before and after the test of memory strength.

Conclusions. The findings demonstrate that a large amount of urgent verbal information about committed technical errors, which is conveyed by the coach to gymnast, negatively affects the process of learning motor actions. The reduction of corrective actions to the key elements of the motor task provides a significantly better learning outcome.