PREPARATION WITH A "SOMERSAULT SIMULATOR" FOR LEARNING A NEW TASK WITH YOUNG DIVERS

Abstract

In diving it is important to learn different difficult kinds of somersaults. Before young divers perform a new task for the first time they prepare with various exercises and the help of different apparatus. By using a "somersault simulator" five young divers were prepared for a new task in six training sessions. After the special training three divers did the task under real conditions. Their performance was compared with other divers, which did not train with the "somersault simulator". Altogether we can report, that there was no significant effect of the special "simulator" training on preparation for the water entry or actual diving performance. One explanation was the amount of practice with the "simulator" (four times training and two times (pre and post) test) was not enough for positive effects on diving performance.