Research Summaries Research Summary 38 Correcting Errors in Sport | Page 3

Seeing is Believing – Correcting Errors in Sport

Correction in practice
While correction practices have been largely overlooked
in coaching, there are plenty of useful examples from
other non-sporting contexts that explain two of the key
theories – contrast pairs and re-enactment.

In a study of orchestral rehearsals, researchers found that
when the conductor wanted to correct something, they
would get the orchestra to replay the faulted version and
then do it again with the corrected version.This is known
as a contrast pair where the incorrect version is
re-enacted, followed by the correct version.This provides
everyone with access to what the conductor had in mind
when they stopped the rehearsal. In other words, contrast
pairs are being used to show rather than tell the orchestra
what the conductor wants.

This process of re-enactment is especially important in
dynamic settings like dance. Dance moves are ephemeral,
they happen and then they are gone. So dancers would
not normally have visual access to the error the teacher
saw. Bodily quotation provides the learners with resources
to locate the problem and correct their own
performance.

The parallels to sport are obvious. As coaches watch the
action, they will spot an error, but the action will already
have moved on. By using themselves to recreate what
they saw, they are providing their athletes with an insight
into the coach’s mind. This re-enactment is additionally
useful for team sports where other players can get the
chance to observe the action rather than having to
concentrate on their respective roles.

© Stokkete/Shutterstock.com

At times, the instructor will not only ask the person to
repeat the activity, but may instead demonstrate it
him/herself. This re-enactment by ‘bodily quotation’ refers
to the teacher using their body as an instructional tool. It is
common in research on dance instruction to read how
the dance teacher reproduces the faulty performance
him/herself before showing the correction and explaining
the change.