Part-Part-Whole vs. Whole-Part-Whole Coaching


When it comes to learning/coaching a new movement pattern, or in the case of team sports a skills development activity, in the gym or on the field there is more than one way to get there. Two useful strageties for the coaching process are Part-Part-Whole (PPW) and Whole-Part-Whole (WPW). Now while the two methods both use the DDCDD (DESCRIBE it, DEMONSTRATE it, and CUE it; athletes will DO it; and both will DEBRIEF it) Coaching Loop found in Language of Coaching (https://humankinetics.me/2021/02/10/what-is-the-coaching-communication-loop-and-how-can-you-use-it/). 


PPW coaching takes the movement you are looking to correct and breaks it up into its base parts before returning to the whole. For this discussion we will use the example of a Lateral Med Ball Throw. The big benefit of this method is that you allow the athlete to find the feelings they need to have without the distraction of the Med Ball. If the athlete has issues with more than one component of the movement we then need to break it down to its primary patterns; lateral force development through the legs and stiffness through the torso. What are two activities that you can think of that use these qualities? The first examples I came up with are:

    1. Lateral Bound/slideboard
    2. Standing Anti-rotation press/Lifts and Chops
    
So, how you can structure the circuit to set up the client/athlete for a solid Lateral Med Ball Throw could look like this:
   
    1. Standing Antirotation Press x 5 per side
    2. Lateral Bound x 5 per side
    3. Lateral Med Ball Throw x 5 per side


WPW coaching can be used on the athlete who had a better understanding of the movement but has minor corrections that are needed to be made. using WPW should be for minor corrections and not necessarily teaching brand new movements.  We start with the whole pattern, move to a part, then check the whole pattern again. This is where you will see corrective exercises used to reinforce the cueing from the coach. For this example we will use a Goblet Squat. The client has a solid squat pattern but tends to lean forward during the eccentric portion of the lift. What is one activity you can introduce to the client/athlete to help with this? The first thing I thought of was bodyweight squat facing a wall. The wall acts as direct feedback to the athlete letting them know they are leaning forward. After you go through the Coaching Loop on that part (DDCDD), return to the Whole to see if the athlete can bring the Part into the Whole.  The "circuit" would look like this:

    1. Goblet Squat x 5 reps
    2. Facing Wall Squat x 10 reps
    3. Goblet Squats x 5 

Cheers!


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