Swimming World Presents – Swimming Technique Concepts: Dr. Anders Ericsson’s Concept of Deliberate Practice – By Rod Havriluk

Dr. Anders Ericsson

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Swimming Technique Concepts:
Dr. Anders Ericsson’s Concept of Deliberate Practice

By Rod Havriluk

Dr. Anders Ericsson left a vital legacy for athletes striving to become experts. His deliberate practice concept specifies
the key components that help athletes progress to an expert level. The success of deliberate practice suggests that a coach prioritize deliberate practice strategies in team training and relegate conditioning to secondary importance.

It is with great regret we note the passing of internationally renowned psychologist Dr. Anders Ericsson.

He was best known for his research on “deliberate practice,” and he found that expertise was the result of practice and not talent (Ericsson, Krampe, Tesch-Römer, 1993).

He was commonly referred to as “the expert on how to be an expert.” He was a professor at Florida State University, a brilliant scholar and a wonderful person. Dr. Ericsson died suddenly at his home in Tallahassee, Fla. This article presents a brief summary of his deliberate practice components applied to swimming.

COMPONENTS OF DELIBERATE PRACTICE
Ericsson found that experts became experts by including the following 10 components in their practice. Specific applications to swimming are listed for each component.

1. Identification of technique elements to improve
A coach must first identify technique elements that are most critical for the improvement of each individual.

2. Clear instructions:
If the instructions are clear, there will be less chance that a swimmer will misinterpret the information. Instructions can be made clear with:
• Images and videos of an optimal model of technique
• Precise wording of specific visual and kinesthetic cues for each technique element that complement the model

Due to the necessity to maintain a fixed head position, a swimmer must rely on kinesthetic information for most of the stroke cycle. However, during the time that the arm is within a swimmer’s field of view, visual cues are extremely helpful.

3. Appropriate task difficulty
The design of the task must be appropriate to each swimmer’s skill level. For example, a younger or less-skilled swimmer might only be able to replicate a skill on a non-breathing stroke. The coach can moderate the task difficulty by:
• Adjusting the course distance in a competition pool or by using a non-competition pool (Fig. 3)
• Simplifying the skill to isolate specific body parts, such as the arms

[PHOTO CREDIT: BECCA WYANT/FINIS, INC. PHOTOGRAPHY]

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Swimming World Magazine October 2020 Issue

FEATURES

012 WORKING FOR CHANGE
by David Rieder
In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, elite swimmers Lia Neal and Jacob Pebley created Swimmers for Change to promote diversity and to make swimming a more inclusive sport and a more inclusive community.

020 THE TROUBLE WITH SPRINTERS (Part 4): REVISITING THE CAREER OF GARY HALL JR.
by Bruce Wigo
As Dave Marsh and Mike Bottom explained in the previous issue, if there is a problem with sprinters, it is because, mentally, they are wired differently from other athletes. Potential trouble then seems to start when coaches and administrators are unable to understand their behavior and their needs. But while causing trouble for some, the aquatic sports world would not be where it is today without the rebellious personalities of sprinters.

026 DEFYING ALL ODDS
by John Lohn
There is no doubt that the Summer of 2004 remains the defining moment in South African swimming history. That’s when Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling shocked the world with their Olympic gold medal and world record-setting performance in the men’s 400 meter freestyle relay in Athens.

COACHING

010 PLAN B: WHEN BEST-LAID PLANS GO AWRY
by Michael J. Stott
Bolstering swimmers—in sickness and health—is part and parcel of a coach’s job. When done right, everybody wins.

038 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: DR. ANDERS ERICSSON’S CONCEPT OF DELIBERATE PRACTICE
by Rod Havriluk
Dr. Anders Ericsson left a vital legacy for athletes striving to become experts. His deliberate practice concept specifies the key components that help athletes progress to an expert level. The success of deliberate practice suggests that a coach prioritize deliberate practice strategies in team training and relegate conditioning to secondary importance.

040 SPECIAL SETS: MICHAEL PHELPS—FROM GOOD TO GREAT
by Michael J. Stott
The sets included in this article are taken from the 2001-02 short course and early long course season. They are a representative sample of Coach Bob Bowman’s early program in developing Michael Phelps as the greatest Olympic swimmer of all time.

043 Q&A WITH COACH DAN’L MURRAY
by Michael J. Stott

044 HOW THEY TRAIN EMANUEL FAVA
by Michael J. Stott

TRAINING

030 DRYSIDE TRAINING: NO SEASON, NO RACING…NOW WHAT?
by J.R. Rosania
This pandemic has shut down our competition calendar. Whether it’s a high school, college, professional or Olympic season, we need to perform exercises that will help us stay strong, fast and explosive.

JUNIOR SWIMMER

046 UP & COMERS: EMILY WAY
by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS

008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT

015 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

023 DID YOU KNOW? MARY HOERGER

031 PREP SCHOOL DIRECTORY

042 HASTY HIGH POINTERS

047 GUTTERTALK

049 PARTING SHOT

Swimming World is now partnered with the International Swimming Hall of Fame. To find out more, visit us at ishof.org

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