When should I give the feedback? Feedback should be given relatively soon after the activity is completed that you are providing information about. The idea is to make sure that the athlete links together the feedback and the specific behavior you are targeting. When you are able to provide feedback immediately after the behavior occurs, you need to allow the athlete a few seconds to process their own sensory feedback before you start giving augmented feedback. This is especially crucial when correcting skill execution. We want to make sure that the athlete will combine the information about how the movement actually felt with the corrective information you provide. In sports, however, considerable time may pass by between when the behavior happens and when you get an opportunity to provide the feedback. If this happens, make sure that you clearly link the target behavior and the feedback.

What methods could I use to give feedback? This is probably the easiest of the questions to answer. Use any method that you have available to you. By far, the most commonly used method is verbal feedback, that is, telling the athlete what they need to do to correct the problem, eg. "Remember to pull all the way through on your stroke" or verbally reinforcing them for doing something well, eg. "Great job, that's the way to spike the ball!" Another method that can be used is video tape of the athlete performing. This can help the athletes see for themselves the problems they are having and can help with visualizing the solution. If you choose to use video tape, you should use it fairly regularly to ensure that the athlete is able to actually use the information he or she sees. In some activities the athlete needs to be more advanced in their skill level in order to see the problem and devise a solution, even with the help of the coach. Other methods such as still photography or white boards are of potential but restricted value for providing feedback.