Variable practice

Motor learning research often uses throwing a ball as an example. Throwing from the same distance every time is constant practice, while mixing throws from shorter and longer distances is variable practice.

During practice, performance often looks more consistent with constant practice. Repeating the same conditions helps the body become familiar with them quickly. But when performance is checked again a few days later, or when people try throwing from a distance they have never practiced, those who used variable practice reportedly tend to be more accurate. In other words, how comfortable practice feels does not necessarily reflect how much skill is retained later. This is one of the best-known findings in motor learning.

A leading explanation is schema theory, proposed in 1975 by American researcher Richard Schmidt. This theory holds that when movements are repeated under different conditions, the brain does not store each individual instance separately. Instead, it organizes the relationships between conditions and outcomes into rules. For example: “If the distance is greater, I need to add this much more force.” These rules can then be applied to distances encountered for the first time. You can find more details in Schema theory and generalized motor programs.

Mixing practice conditions requires you to plan the movement anew each time, making the brain work harder. This is said to make practice feel more demanding while leaving a more lasting memory. This idea is also connected to the concepts of desirable difficulties and contextual interference.

Variable practice can be applied to almost any activity involving physical movement.

• Throwing and hitting balls — Rather than throwing only from the same distance, alternate between aiming at nearby and farther targets.
• Walking and running — Rather than walking only on level ground, mix in uphill, downhill, and uneven paths.
• Squats — Rather than always using the same weight and speed, mix in variations such as lowering slowly or changing your foot spacing.
• Moving loads — Develop a feel for balancing your body by lifting objects of different weights and at different heights.

In everyday life, the ground surface, the weight of a load, and the speed of movement vary from one occasion to the next. Becoming familiar with different conditions in advance, rather than repeating just one posture, helps your body feel less caught off guard in unfamiliar situations.

• When learning a new movement, practice it slowly under similar conditions until you have established the basic pattern. Once it feels familiar, try changing one condition at a time.
• Changing just one factor—distance, speed, or weight—is easier to follow than changing several things at once.
• When you vary your practice, you may initially feel as though you are making more mistakes. This is a natural part of practice, so you do not need to focus too much on your score.
• The effects vary depending on the difficulty of the task and the learner’s skill level, so the less experienced you are, the better it is to start with a smaller range of variation.