What term describes the sensation produced by the movements that make up sports skills?

The sensation produced by the movements that compose sports skills is referred to as intrinsic feedback. This feedback arises from the body’s own sensory systems, allowing athletes to feel and understand their performance through sensations such as tension, balance, and muscle engagement. This internal feedback plays a crucial role in the learning process, as it helps individuals assess their movements and adjust accordingly, leading to improvement and skill refinement.

Intrinsic feedback is essential for developing motor skills, as it facilitates self-assessment and enables athletes to make adjustments based on their own bodily sensations. For example, a runner might feel the strain in their legs or the rhythm of their breath, using that information to modify their technique or pace. This type of feedback contrasts with augmented feedback, which is external and provided through coaching or technology.

Understanding the differences between intrinsic feedback and other forms of feedback, such as relevant feedback (which emphasizes information that is critical to performance), augmented feedback (which includes external sources of feedback), and descriptive knowledge of performance (KP), highlights the vital role of self-awareness and sensory input in sports skill acquisition.