Why some athletes improve faster than others: Early movement choices drive sports skill learning

Even when athletes receive similar coaching in sports, some improve quickly while others do not. What accounts for this difference?

A joint research group led by Lecturer Hiroo Suzuki from the Faculty of Economics, Ryukoku University, Professor Takehito Hirakawa from the School of Health and Sport Sciences at Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, and Professor Yuji Yamamoto from the Department of Psychological Sciences at Niigata University of Health and Welfare demonstrated that the movement patterns (strategies) selected during the early stages of learning strongly influence the learning process of caster board riding (a two-wheeled skateboard with connected decks). The team also discovered that beginners who try various movements during practice acquire skills more quickly. Their findings were published online in Frontiers in Psychology: Movement Science.

Previous research on individual differences in motor learning has focused primarily on relatively small-scale movements such as juggling and handwriting. These studies have confirmed that factors such as past motor experience and movement patterns performed during the early stages of learning can contribute to differences between individuals. However, the factors underlying such differences in whole-body movements have remained unclear.

To clarify the mechanisms that cause individual differences in motor learning, the research group selected the caster board as an example of whole-body movement. They closely observed the learning process of participants attempting to ride for the first time, focusing on case-by-case variations.

A caster board is a modified skateboard consisting of two rotating decks connected by a torsion bar, with a caster attached to the bottom of each deck. Riders avoid falling by maintaining balance while applying alternating force to the two decks to move forward.

The study focused on seven university students who were attempting to ride a caster board for the first time. Their movements were measured in detail using three-dimensional motion analysis, from the early stages of learning until task completion (completing two laps of a circular course of approximately 10 meters without falling).

The analysis revealed that learners could be divided into two types based on their movement strategies. The momentum type attempted to succeed by increasing speed through an initial push-off, whereas the twisting type generated propulsive force through periodic rotation of the shoulders. The twisting group showed a clear tendency to complete the task more quickly. Furthermore, analysis of movement variability across trials revealed that learners with higher movement variability (those who tried various approaches) improved faster. This result contrasts with the common coaching approach in sports instruction that emphasizes solidifying movements through repetition (repetitive practice).

These findings demonstrate that strategy selection in early learning and movement variability (the range of trial-and-error) strongly influence the speed of skill acquisition. This insight has potential applications not only in sports but also in various learning and instruction contexts, including school education and rehabilitation.

Journal Information
Publication: Frontiers in Psychology: Movement Science
Title: Factors influencing caster board skill acquisition
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1643100