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This lesson introduces the concept of skilful movement as required by the OCR GCSE PE specification (J587, Section 2.2). Understanding what makes a movement "skilful" is the starting point for the sports psychology component. OCR Paper 2 regularly tests whether candidates can identify, define, and apply the characteristics of skilful movement to sporting examples. This is distinct from AQA's treatment of skill — OCR focuses specifically on five characteristics of skilful movement rather than a broader skill-versus-ability distinction.
A skilful movement is one that is performed with a high degree of quality and effectiveness. It is not simply about completing a task — it is about completing it well. A beginner and an expert may both complete a tennis serve, but only the expert's serve would be described as "skilful."
The OCR specification identifies five characteristics of skilful movement. You must know each one, be able to define it, and apply it to sporting examples.
Definition: A skilful movement uses only the muscles and energy needed — there is no wasted effort.
| Efficient Performance | Inefficient Performance |
|---|---|
| A long-distance runner with a smooth, relaxed stride and minimal upper-body movement | A novice runner with tense shoulders, clenched fists, and excessive arm swinging |
| A swimmer with a streamlined body position and controlled breathing | A beginner swimmer splashing excessively and lifting the head too high to breathe |
Exam Tip: Efficiency is about the economy of effort. When describing efficiency in the exam, explain that the performer uses the minimum amount of energy required to achieve the desired result.
Definition: The performer knows what they want to achieve before they execute the movement — the outcome is planned in advance.
| Pre-determined Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| A football striker shaping to curl the ball into the top corner | Before striking, the player has already decided where to aim and how to contact the ball |
| A gymnast performing a floor routine | Every movement, jump, and landing is choreographed and rehearsed in advance |
| A basketball player executing a set play | The player knows the sequence of passes and movements before the ball is even inbounded |
Definition: Different body parts work together in the correct sequence and with the correct timing to produce a smooth, effective movement.
graph LR
A["Run-up<br>(legs)"] --> B["Arm Swing<br>(shoulder/arm)"]
B --> C["Wrist Snap<br>(hand/wrist)"]
C --> D["Follow-through<br>(whole body)"]
style A fill:#3498db,color:#fff
style B fill:#2ecc71,color:#fff
style C fill:#f39c12,color:#fff
style D fill:#e74c3c,color:#fff
| Co-ordinated Example | Body Parts Involved |
|---|---|
| Tennis serve | Legs (drive), trunk (rotation), arm (swing), wrist (snap) |
| Football volley | Standing leg (balance), kicking leg (swing), trunk (lean back), arms (balance) |
| Javelin throw | Legs (run-up/brace), hips (rotation), trunk (extension), arm (throw), wrist (release) |
Definition: The movement flows smoothly from one phase to the next without hesitation, jerking, or pausing.
| Fluent Performance | Non-Fluent Performance |
|---|---|
| A skilled diver rotating smoothly through a somersault | A beginner diver who hesitates at the take-off and enters the water awkwardly |
| A skilled hurdler maintaining rhythm and stride pattern over each hurdle | A novice hurdler who breaks stride, stutters before each hurdle, and loses speed |
| A skilled basketball player dribbling, spinning, and shooting in one continuous motion | A beginner who stops, looks at the basket, adjusts their grip, and then shoots |
Definition: The movement looks pleasing to the eye — it appears effortless and graceful to the observer.
| Sport | Aesthetic Element |
|---|---|
| Gymnastics | A routine with pointed toes, extended lines, and controlled landings |
| Figure skating | Graceful spins, smooth transitions, and expressive movement |
| Diving | A controlled approach, clean entry, and minimal splash |
| Football | A flowing team move with one-touch passing ending in a goal |
The five characteristics are interconnected — a truly skilful movement demonstrates all five simultaneously:
graph TD
S["Skilful Movement"] --> E["Efficient"]
S --> P["Pre-determined"]
S --> C["Co-ordinated"]
S --> F["Fluent"]
S --> A["Aesthetic"]
E -.-> F
C -.-> F
F -.-> A
P -.-> E
style S fill:#8e44ad,color:#fff
style E fill:#2980b9,color:#fff
style P fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
style C fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
style F fill:#3498db,color:#fff
style A fill:#e74c3c,color:#fff
Scenario: Describe the characteristics of a skilful tennis serve.
| Characteristic | Application to Tennis Serve |
|---|---|
| Efficient | The server uses a smooth throwing action with minimal wasted energy — no excessive backswing or unnecessary body movements |
| Pre-determined | Before serving, the player has decided where to aim (e.g. wide to the deuce court) and what type of serve to use (e.g. slice) |
| Co-ordinated | The ball toss, knee bend, trunk rotation, arm swing, and wrist snap are all timed to produce maximum racket-head speed at the point of contact |
| Fluent | The serve flows smoothly from the ball toss through the loading phase to the contact point and follow-through with no hesitation |
| Aesthetic | The serve looks effortless and powerful to the observer — the movement is smooth and the outcome (an ace) appears almost inevitable |
The five characteristics of skilful movement (OCR J587) are:
| Characteristic | Key Phrase |
|---|---|
| Efficiency | Minimum energy, no wasted effort |
| Pre-determined | Outcome planned in advance |
| Co-ordinated | Body parts work together in correct sequence and timing |
| Fluent | Smooth flow from one phase to the next |
| Aesthetic | Pleasing to the eye, looks effortless |
Exam Tip: A useful memory device is EPFCA — Efficient, Pre-determined, Fluent, Co-ordinated, Aesthetic. Alternatively, you might create your own mnemonic to help recall all five in an exam.