The effect of blocked and random practice on the leg power of four adult male water polo players

The application of blocked and random practice protocols are most typically associated with learning motor skills. Blocked practice being most frequently applied to novices, introduction of new techniques or a form of remedial refinement or refresher activity. By contrast, random practice is most often associated with the development of motor skills in more advanced athletes. Research on the application of the two methods typically results in superior immediate performance associated with blocked practice but better retention or learning of techniques with random practice structures (Schmidt and Lee, 2014). This study provided a different focus on the application of those practice structures in that it sought to discover how they might impact on the development of strength in an applied water-polo activity, the 'egg-beater' treading water technique that is an essential part of play in water-polo. Within this study it was shown that random learning structures provided superior strength gains on delayed tests of the water-polo egg-beater technique. This investigation provides support material for teachers and students of the New Zealand NCEA Senior School Physical Education programme for Level 2.2 and Level 3.3.