Technique

Technique is the mechanical model of doing a task through which an athlete minimises energy expenditure and produces a remarkable output. It involves a well-timed and coordinated sequence of muscle actions, developed through the experience of players and coaches and the analysis of sports science, and refined so that the movements give the best performance with the least chance of injury. In short, technique is the way of doing a particular task scientifically and effectively — the basic movement of any sport or event, and the foundation on which skill is built.

For example, rolling the thumb over the cricket ball is a bowler's technique to get extra spin; the triple jump combines several techniques into one movement pattern (the run-up and then the hop, step and jump phases).

• Ozolin N. — "technique is the most rational and effective form to perform exercises"; it uses scientific and economic methods to achieve top performance.

Why technique is studied scientifically

Because technique is the biomechanical blueprint of a movement, sports scientists analyse it using video analysis, force plates and motion-capture to find the most efficient version of a movement for a given body type and event — this is how techniques evolve over time. The classic example is the high jump: the straddle and scissor techniques were eventually replaced almost everywhere by Dick Fosbury's "Fosbury flop," a technique that let the jumper's centre of gravity pass lower relative to the bar, clearing greater heights for the same effort. A poor or outdated technique does not just limit performance — it also raises injury risk, because the forces of the movement are no longer being absorbed and transferred efficiently through the joints and muscles that are built to handle them.

The technique of a sprint start specifies exactly how the feet are set in the blocks, how the hips and shoulders are positioned, and how the athlete drives out low and rises to full stride. A sprinter learns this correct technique first; only after long practice does the start become a fast, reliable skill. …