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1.1
They tracked each group’s performance during this practice or acquisition stage. (The lower the time the better – see diagram 1.1). As you can see both groups improved over this practice or acquisition stage and the block group outperformed the random group.
However, when they did the transfer test to measure the real learning they discovered something important. The block group lost all of the gains and improvements they made during practice but the random group retained those gains. Look at the massive gap between the two trials. (Diagram 1.2)
Block Practice
Block practice is the more traditional approach where you get a ton of reps doing the same thing over and over and over.
In golf, this is hitting a bunch of shots from the same spot. In doing this, each shot is the same and all he has to do is simply repeat his stroke each time.
Block practice is super common in basketball. We see this all the time when people practice shooting a ball. They’ll shoot 10 or 15 shots from one spot before moving to another one.
Block practice is super common in basketball. We see this all the time when people practice shooting a ball. They’ll shoot 10 or 15 shots from one spot before moving to another one.
Random Practice
Random practice is a little different. You can also get a ton of reps but the reps are randomized – you are never doing the same thing twice.
A random approach on the putting green would be to scatter balls out around the hole so no two shots are exactly the same.
If you were going to take a more randomized approach to shooting a basketball you would simple vary the location and distance of each shot. Every single rep is from a different place on the court.
Support Studies and Research
One of the most important studies in the block vs. random research was actually done in 1979 by Shea and Morgan.
They divided the participants up into two groups. One group was taught a series of arm movements using bloc practice and the other group was taught the same movements using random practice.
They tracked each group’s performance during this practice or acquisition stage. (The lower the time the better – see diagram 1.1). As you can see both groups improved over this practice or acquisition stage and the block group outperformed the random group.
The Baseball Observer - Jan/ Feb 2017