ABSTRACT
Performance psychologists realize the importance of automating task components. Practice schedules should be structured to capitalize on the benefits of automaticity to optimize training and, ultimately, competitive performance. To capitalize on automaticity, psychologists need to identify tasks and task components that can and cannot be automatized. Elite athletes recognize the importance of practice and realize that, because opportunities to practice are limited, they need to take advantage of every practice session by focusing on developing specific skills and working hard. Skilled athletes should practice under a variety of conditions. Practice/repetition until the new performance is automated is the way to make the new, corrected skill the dominant response that will be given in stressful competitive situations. Skills that are automated are performed more efficiently and accurately, and are more resistant to the effects of stress and fatigue.
