Enhancing Pedagogy Part 1: Coaching Cues

Types of Cues

Coaching cues are small pieces of task-specific information given to an athlete in an attempt to enhance a skill. Some cues can describe the entire movement while others can be used to tweak and fine-tune various aspects. The use of cues is a delicate process, the coach should use appropriate cueing for the athlete in front of them, using complex language, a cue without context or a cue that takes ages to explain could be an example of poor cueing from the coach.

In sport, we are trying to teach a variety of motor skills, and therefore we have a few different types of cues available to us. These are internal and external cues.

Internal Cues:

These cues encourage the athletes to think about the execution of skills within the confines of their own body. Examples could be:

·        Keep your knees out.

·        Hips back.

·        Lift the leg higher.

·        Pull yourself up fast!

External Cues:

These cues direct the athlete’s attention externally of the body to the outcome associated with the skill being learnt. Analogies are a great example of external cues.

·        Put a footprint on the wall behind you.

·        Push the floor away.

·        Reach up to the ceiling.

·        Break the floor.

External cues are believed to be more effective in acquiring new motor skills, however, internal cues do still have a purpose and are at times relevant and useful.