Force In, Force Out: Distance Versus Accuracy

We are learning to explain how the force you produce and the force you absorb, the order your body parts move in, lever length and follow-through change the distance and accuracy of a throw and the feel of a catch.

Before you startAbout 55 minutes · what success looks like · notes for the helper

About 55 minutes. It's fine to stop after the Quick Check and come back another day: the lesson opens where you left it, at the Quick Check.

You'll know you've got it when

I can explain how producing more force changes distance and accuracy, and why the best effort depends on the job
I can describe how the order of body movements, the length of the lever and the follow-through shape a throw
I can explain why catching with give lowers the force you feel, using the idea of stopping over a longer time
I can read a set of throws and name the one change that had the most impact, without claiming more than the evidence supports

For the helperhow to sit beside this lesson, and what this step is for

This step: Spark

Start with the question at the top and chat about it. There is no wrong answer here: it gets your learner thinking about what they already know.

Getting ready: A clear, flat patch of lawn or lounge room about 8 to 10 metres long, a laundry basket or bucket, some markers such as shoes or tea towels, and four to six rolled-up socks or a soft foam ball. You might walk the space together first, looking for trip hazards, hard edges, windows and anything breakable, and do five minutes of easy jogging, arm circles and practice throws before the first real throw.
What understanding sounds like: Listen for your learner saying what they changed between throws and what happened, rather than 'that was a good one'. 'I used my legs and it went further but missed left' is the kind of sentence that shows the concept at work.
A likely mix-up, and something that helps: The common belief is that harder is better, or that accuracy is a gift some people are born with. You might ask, 'What did you change between that throw and the last one, and what happened?' You don't need to coach technique; asking what changed is enough, and your learner can find the answer from their own throws.
If it comes easily: For a learner who is flying, one option is to design a fair test of a claim such as 'a longer arm throws further', work out what has to stay the same, and run it. Another is to find a second job where the best effort is surprisingly small.
If it's a struggle: If it is a struggle, you might work on one job at a time, starting with the 3 metre target, and keep to one change per round. A partner who calls 'left', 'short' or 'on' after each throw can be enough to make the pattern visible. Release speed, lever and momentum may be new words, so talking them through first, in your home language if that is easier, can help. If your learner would rather not throw today, being the recorder or the caller still uses every idea in the lesson, and stopping for the day is fine.

Step 1 of 6 · Spark

Lesson 1 of 5 · Moving Smarter: Concepts That Travel to New Games

Two jobs, one arm

For the helper

Start with the question at the top and chat about it. There is no wrong answer here: it gets your learner thinking about what they already know.

Here are two jobs. Job A: drop a rolled sock into a basket 3 metres away. Job B: send a rolled sock as far across the yard as you can. Most people say 'throw softly' for A and 'throw hard' for B, and then wonder why A goes wrong. Before you read on, try it. After your space check and warm-up (see the box below), throw five socks at the basket from 3 metres as hard as you can, then five with the lightest flick you can manage. Count how many land in each time. Neither way is likely to be your best, and the interesting question is why.

Same arm, same basket, two efforts. Where did the ones that missed go, and what does that tell you?