Factors Which Limit Skill The maximum skill which can be achieved may be limited by the following factors: (1) body weight, (2) body height, (3) timing, (4) accuracy of movement, and (5) muscle tension. Body Weight The heavier the weight of the individual in relation to his musculature, the greater the limitation of his physical skill. Added weight in the form of fat increases the effort needed to perform a movement. The fatty tissue may also be considered as having a hobbling effect on movement. A reduction of this inactive tissue will aid in improving performance of a skill exercise. Body Height A tall person displaces his center of gravity through a greater distance than does a short person when the same movement is performed by each. The taller person's center of gravity is always farther from his base of support. When the exercise requires displacement of the center of gravity in any direction except along a horizontal plane, the taller individual having the greater displacement requires more muscle activity to achieve the positions and maintain posture during the exercise. The shorter athlete has the advantage in many skill exercises. Errors in diving form are magnified in the taller diver and are less noticeable in the short diver. The same is true in gymnastics. The taller basketball player or baseball pitcher, however, may have better control by being able to guide the ball through a larger range of movement. Tall tennis players have an advantage in covering the court and placing the serve and the return. Timing A skill exercise requires a fine coordination in the timing of the muscular contractions. As the movements of an exercise proceed, each muscle involved must contract or relax at the proper instant or the movement will be interfered with or misdirected entirely. As learning of a skill exercise progresses there is an improvement in the timing of the muscular contractions and relaxations which control tile various movements. The limiting factor in developing the highest degree of muscle timing is the capacity of the central nervous system. The individual with an inferior central nervous system cannot, even by improved muscular development, attain a high degree of skill in any exercise which requires precise neuromuscular coordination. Eye-Muscle Coordination Accuracy of movement is essential in all skill exercises. Accuracy involves coordination of eye and muscle, proprioceptive sensibility and integration of the touch receptors, the inner ear and other organs of balance and positioning. Eye-muscle coordination establishes the relationship of the target object to the body so as to guide the movements directly to the target. Eye-muscle coordination is the dominant feature in learning a skill exercise. During the learning period the background of distance relationships is combined with movement-in-space experiences under the guidance of visual observation. As skill is improved the eye-muscle factor becomes less dominant. When the skill is perfected it can be performed with the eyes closed.		Home Components of Physical Fitness Clinical Examination Differences Between Fit and Unfit Men Physiological Elements of Fitness The Step Test The Effects of Training on the Physiological Systems Work Output Physical Condition of Muscle Application of Muscular Force Maintaining Optimum Strength Tests of Muscular Strength Strength and appearance Strength as a measure of physical fitness Strength as affected by organic problems Strength as prophylaxis Role of inactivity in production of disease Lack of Sociability in Work Lactic Acid System Muscular Form Capillary Growth Heart Size Heart Rate Training produces physicochemical changes Muscular Strength Nervous Stimulation and Muscular Strength Quality of Champions Factors Which Limit Skill Kinesthesis Balance Reaction Time Muscular Tension Visual Aim Skill Center in the Brain Endurance for Exhaustive and Moderate Work Distribution of Energy