B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active Living and Movement: Train Smart, Respond Well, Play with Purpose

Fix It with Phases: Analysing and Refining Your Skills

C1 A1.5 A1.6About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can use the three phases of movement to analyse a skill and find what needs fixing.
I can apply movement principles (stability, force, range of motion and direction) to improve a skill.
I can use a feedback loop with video or a partner to refine one part of a skill at a time.
I can give and receive helpful feedback.

Words to know

analyse
To look closely at the parts of something to understand how it works or what's going wrong.

refine
To make small improvements to a skill.

stability
Being balanced and steady, which gives you a solid base to create force.

sequential movement
Using body parts one after another (legs, hips, trunk, shoulder, arm) to build up force, like a chain.

cue
A short, simple reminder of what to do, like "step and turn" or "follow through to the target".

feedback
Information about how you did that helps you improve.

Remember from Grade 7

In Grade 7 you broke skills into three phases of movement: preparation (getting ready), execution (doing it) and follow-through (finishing with control). You used the phases to fix throws, passes and catches.

In Grade 8 you'll become your own coach: you'll use movement principles to understand why a skill works, and a feedback loop to refine it step by step.

Hook: the kick that always goes over

Lily's soccer shots keep sailing over the net. She's tried kicking harder, which only makes them go higher. Frustrating!

She doesn't need more power. She needs to find which phase has the problem and why. Spoiler: it's usually something small, like where her support foot is or how far she leans back.

Principle	What it means	Example
Stability	A balanced base gives you something solid to push from	Feet apart and knees bent before a basketball shot
Sequential force	Use big body parts first, then smaller ones, one after another, like cracking a whip	Overhand throw: step, turn hips, turn shoulders, elbow, wrist
Range of motion	A longer backswing or reach can make more force, but is harder to control	A full backswing for a long pass; a short one for a short pass
Direction	Force goes where you push or swing; follow through toward the target	Kicking leg follows through toward the goal
Absorbing force	Spread force over more time and distance to receive or land softly	"Give" with hands when catching; bend knees when landing

Movement principles explain why the phases matter. When a skill goes wrong, one principle is usually being broken.

The feedback loop: observe, compare with a checklist, choose one cue, practise, recheck, then repeat.

The feedback loop

Observe: record a few attempts (with permission) or ask a partner to watch. Slow-motion video helps.
Compare: check each phase against a checklist of what a good attempt looks like.
Choose one cue: pick the one fix that would make the biggest difference. Usually it's in the preparation phase, because a bad start causes problems later.
Practise: first with the same attempt over and over (easy, focused practice), then in changing, game-like situations.
Recheck: record again. Did it improve? Then choose the next cue.

Giving good feedback

Start with something that worked.
Give one specific fix: "Plant your foot beside the ball," not "That was bad."
End with encouragement: "Try that and we'll look again."

One thing at a time

Trying to fix five things at once usually fixes none of them. Choose one cue, practise it until it feels natural, then move on. Being patient with yourself while you learn is a strength, not a weakness.

Worked example

Let's fix Lily's shot

Lily's soccer shots go over the net. In slow motion: her support foot lands behind the ball, she leans back, and she strikes the bottom of the ball. Use the phases and principles to fix it.

Preparation: support foot is behind the ball → stability and direction problem. Fix: plant the support foot beside the ball, pointing at the target.
Execution: leaning back and striking the bottom of the ball sends force upward (direction). Fix: keep her body over the ball, strike the middle with the laces, ankle firm.
Follow-through: her leg swings up high. Fix: follow through low and toward the target.
One cue first: the support foot causes the other problems, so start with "Plant beside the ball."
Practise: 10 slow shots with that cue, then 10 shots after dribbling in, then a game. Recheck on video.

Start with one cue: plant the support foot beside the ball. Then add "body over the ball" and "follow through low".

Lily's shot from the side. With her support foot behind the ball she leans back and the ball sails over. With the support foot beside the ball, her body is over it and the shot stays low.

Worked example

Let's analyse a short basketball shot

Owen's set shots keep falling short. Observations: feet together, legs straight, he pushes only with his arms.

Stability: feet together means a narrow base. Fix: feet about shoulder-width apart.
Sequential force: he uses only his arms. Fix: bend knees, then push up with legs, then extend the arm, then flick the wrist, one smooth chain.
Cue: "Legs, then arm."
Recheck: shots reach the rim more often, so the next cue can be about follow-through ("hand in the cookie jar": wrist relaxed, fingers pointing down toward the basket).

Most of the power comes from the legs. Use the cue "Legs, then arm."

Hands-on activity

Video coaching lab

You need: a phone or tablet to record (with a grown-up's permission), a soft ball or disc, a target (a wall, a laundry basket or markers), and a partner.

Warm up (6 minutes): jog, arm circles, trunk twists, leg swings, and 10 easy practice attempts of your skill.

Choose a skill: overhand throw, soccer pass or shot, backhand disc throw, basketball set shot, or underhand volleyball serve with a soft ball.
Write a checklist of 2 or 3 points for each phase. (Use the tables from this lesson and Grade 7.)
Observe: record 5 attempts from the side. Watch in slow motion.
Compare: tick what you saw. Circle the biggest problem.
One cue: write it in 2 to 5 words.
Practise: 15 attempts with the cue, same distance; then 15 from different distances or angles.
Recheck: record 5 more attempts. What changed?
Partner feedback: give your partner feedback using "what worked, one fix, encouragement".

Safety: Throw only toward a wall, net or empty space with nobody behind it. Record only people who agree, and keep videos private.

Just for fun

Coach's rule: if Plan A is "kick harder," Plan B should never be "kick even harder." Try "kick smarter" instead: one cue, then recheck.

Your turn

Name the three phases of movement.

What does sequential force mean? Give an example.

Why is the preparation phase often the best place to start fixing a skill?

Your friend's throws always go to the left of the target. Which principle is probably involved?

List the five steps of the feedback loop.

Rewrite this feedback to be more helpful: "Your serve is bad."

Why does a longer backswing sometimes make a skill worse?

More practice: warm-up

What is a cue?

Which principle explains bending your knees when you land?

How many fixes should you work on at once?

What does "follow through toward the target" help with?

Why record from the side?

More practice: on your own

A volleyball forearm pass keeps flying backward over your head. Suggest a likely cause and a fix.

Explain why a standing broad jump goes farther when you swing your arms.

Describe the difference between practising the same throw over and over and practising in changing situations. Why do both?

Your partner gives you feedback that's hard to hear. How can you respond in a helpful way?

Write a 3-point checklist for the preparation phase of a backhand disc throw.

Challenge

Choose a skill from any activity (for example, a hockey wrist shot, a cross-country ski stride, a badminton clear). Explain how all four principles (stability, sequential force, range of motion, direction) apply to it.

Your recheck video shows no improvement after a week. Give three possible reasons and what to do about each.

Explain why fixing the support-foot position in Lily's shot also fixed her leaning back.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which phase comes first?

Using legs, then hips, then trunk, then arm to throw is an example of:

Your passes keep going to the right of your partner. Which principle should you check?

In the feedback loop, after you choose one cue, you:

Which is the most helpful feedback?

Bending your knees as you land helps because it:

For parents and teachers

Big idea: In Grade 8, students show an understanding of the phases of movement and apply it, along with movement principles, to refine skills. This lesson adds stability, sequential force, range of motion, direction and absorbing force to the phases from Grade 7.

How to help at home:

Help record skills from the side and watch together in slow motion.
Encourage one cue at a time and praise improvement.
Model kind, specific feedback.

Common difficulties:

Trying to fix everything at once. Choose one cue.
Taking feedback personally. Feedback is about the skill, not the person.
Only practising the same way. After the movement feels natural, mix in game-like practice.

Privacy: Record only with permission, and keep videos of children private.

Social-emotional learning: Analysing and solving movement problems builds critical and creative thinking (A1.6); patiently improving builds confidence (A1.5).