Understanding Motor Synergies

Motor synergies are essential in understanding how various muscle actions work together to produce effective movement. Rather than relying solely on top-down control from the brain to specify individual muscle actions, motor synergies utilize a higher-level control process that focuses on end results. This allows the body to self-organize and adapt, managing multiple degrees of freedom and achieving flexibility while maintaining stability. For example, instead of prescribing every muscle's involvement in a basketball jump shot, a coach can concentrate on the overall goal of the movement, allowing different muscle combinations to satisfy the performance outcome.