Coach Your Brains Out TASK SIMPLIFICATION vs TASK DECOMPOSITION - Motor Learning for Coaches
Jun 26, 2025
Andy Bass, mental skills coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, dives into the nuances of motor learning in coaching. He highlights the balance between task simplification and decomposition, using examples from baseball and piano playing. The conversation critiques repetitive drills, advocating for holistic training that incorporates real-game scenarios. Bass emphasizes full-body engagement in glove work and discusses how to simplify skills for better coaching outcomes. It's an enlightening chat on enhancing athlete performance through innovative training methods.
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Task Simplification vs Decomposition
- Task simplification means making the whole skill easier instead of breaking it into parts.
- It preserves the skill's integrity and promotes efficient learning compared to decomposition.
Avoid Decomposed Glove Work
- Have players catch and field balls on their feet with some randomness rather than freezing their bodies.
- Use drills that mimic real game demands instead of isolated glove work on knees.
Value of Informational Integrity
- Decomposing skills often removes the critical informational variables needed to coordinate movement.
- Maintaining specifying information in practice enhances transfer to game situations.
