ABSTRACT
The development of novel training technologies forces athletes to adapt to new equipment which may require changes in their existing motor skills and strategies. Advancements in training technologies are by no means the only reason that make it necessary to change movement patterns that may have become largely automated. In addition, while adaptation often refers to short-term changes as a response to situational variations, changing automatized movement patterns relates to relatively permanent and stable modifications of a motor skill. Second, changing automatized movement patterns implies that the task goals remain the same. Changing automatized movement patterns can involve these gradual shifts, yet in sports, situations can emerge in which the previous motor pattern is just not feasible anymore and hence gradual shift is impossible. There can be no doubt that changing automatized movement patterns is highly relevant field of research and that coaches and athletes alike deserve more evidence-based guidance to support the process of technique change and performance enhancement.
