The Power of Coaching Cues

The post by Allistair McCaw

How many times have we experienced or witnessed a coach giving his or her players cues or instructions, but half the group didn’t understand it?

The coach understand what he wants, but the players don’t.

What is a “cue”?
A “cue” is an instruction that serves to improve the quality of an athlete’s performance of a specific drill or exercise. You use cues when describing how you would like to see a drill or exercise executed, addressing common mistakes in movement, strokes, and when providing a correction.

A cue can be as simple as “transfer your weight” on a forward movement to a short ball or “explosive rotation” during a core med ball throwing exercise for example. However, sometimes, a simple cue doesn’t get the desired result. You can tell athletes time and time again that they need to “push the ground away from them” during an ‘off the mark’ speed drill, but they still don’t understand the cue.

Remember that in coaching, it’s not the coach, it’s about the athlete. The quality of your communication is in how well your message was understood. How effective and simply it was brought across. I, as a coach, might understand it, but what good is it if my athletes don’t get it?

One thing I like to do is have a 2 point check-card to make sure my athletes understand what I am exactly looking for:

1. After a cue is given, I ask if they understood it? (feedback)
2. Does my cue translate and resonate with them for the particular drill or exercise? (understanding).

Sometimes I have had to change the wording for a particular athlete. Something as simple as “fast feet” instead of “quick feet”.

Important rule: It must suit the athlete.

Make sure your cues are simple and understood. This will ultimately lead to more efficient training sessions and greater retention of correct performance.

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