ABSTRACT
A characteristic feature of sport tasks is that associated movements are too intricate to be realized ad hoc. Success in sports is fundamentally based on practice. This chapter provides the reader with an overview on the role of practice for developing motor skills. To this end, a short review on the state of the art of motor-control theory is presented to obtain a framework for the subsequent discussion of different aspects of skill-related practice. By classifying the four aims of practice for motor learning as formation, exploration, (de)composition, and differentiation of task spaces, a helpful framework is introduced to discuss specific practice conditions that are common and proven in the world of sports. To this end, a closer look is given at cognitive, preparatory, specific, variable, whole, part, and complex practice, as well as the relevance of the amount of practice.
