Abstract

Differential learning has proved useful for improving certain motor skills. The results with novice populations contrast with recommendations based on practice under conditions of variability or contextual interference which call into question its usefulness in learning new skills. In this paper we compare the changes in the speed and accuracy of the serve in volleyball when implementing training methodologies for consistency and differential learning. A sample of 33 participants with no experience in volleyball was divided into three groups. Two groups carried out three weeks of training, while the third formed the control group. Participants were assessed beforehand and on two subsequent occasions. In each test the accuracy and speed of service were recorded. The results highlight the improvement in both accuracy and speed of the practice groups. Furthermore, the differential training group presented improved consistency in accuracy, decreasing the variable error of their attempts. The main conclusion of the study is that the methodology of differential training can be a very effective method for learning the serve in volleyball with novice populations