Conversion Ability: Function, Tasks, Role & Diseases

In everyday life and especially in sports, it is important to be able to control one’s movements in a targeted manner. If the situation changes, the athlete, for example, must rethink in a very short time and adapt his movements to what is happening. The requirement necessary for this is referred to as changeover ability.

What is the ability to switch?

The task of the changeover ability is to enable a person to adapt to a new situation via brisk realization and movement. The changeover ability is one of seven coordinative abilities. The term coordination, which originally comes from Latin, means something like allocation or order. In a figurative sense, it means the correct assignment of a situation and the adaptation of one’s own movements (order). The different abilities play an important role especially in sports. They are defined by the interaction of the central nervous system and the musculature. If the musculature is appropriately trained, it is able to react quickly and appropriately to certain situations. The interactions of the individual abilities determine how well a person can act in a wide variety of movement situations. In addition to the ability to change, the ability to react, orient, differentiate, couple and balance as well as the ability to rhythmize are also part of this. Thus, the ability to switch is a subarea of the motor skills. These also include the conditional abilities of speed, strength, endurance, and agility. These abilities should always be considered in conjunction, as together they are responsible for what the body can do. Separately, none of them can function. In addition to the athletic aspect, they also condition the movements as a whole. For simple walking and running, the complex interplaying skills were learned and trained in childhood. However, they must be further developed for sporting activities. In this complex, the ability to adapt refers in particular to the ability to adapt one’s actions quickly and efficiently in the event of a change of situation. Thus, it goes hand in hand with the ability to react, the ability to orient oneself and the sense of balance. In addition, it is equally dependent on the speed at which the change is absorbed and the movements to be executed accordingly (movement experience). In sports, good coordination is conditioned by precision, rhythm and speed of movements. In addition, the flow of movement plays a role.

Function and task

According to this, the task of the ability to change is to enable the person to adapt to a new situation by means of swift realization and movement. Outside the sporting field, he needs this especially in dangerous situations, where quick reactions and the appropriate use of muscles for movement are required. In other words, a program for action is adapted to changed circumstances. Depending on the situation, the person must master a certain repertoire of possible movements in order to be able to react accordingly. These movements can be trained. In the field of sports, the ability to adapt is used especially in ball games. An example can be found in soccer: The ball that is kicked is passed differently than expected due to unexpected circumstances. The expected angle is not maintained. In this case, the ability to switch quickly enough and still reach the ball despite the changed angle helps. The soccer player therefore adjusts his position to be able to receive the ball in time. The situation is similar in tennis. Here, the ball ideally never returns to a basic position from which it can be easily played back. The angles always depend on one’s own game and – even more essential – on that of the opponent. Court errors can put it in a position where it is difficult to reach, as can net rolls. Both situations require a high degree of adaptability. In many cases, the point where the ball will hit can already be guessed from its trajectory. With practice and experience, this fact and good observation skills, in combination with good reflexes, help to master the situations. The ability to adapt is particularly important when opponents or teammates change the direction of a pass, for example, or condition it in some way.This makes it important, for example, for any ball sport in which rallies play a role.

Diseases and ailments

Disturbances in the ability to change over occur, for example, due to injuries. If an unpredictable injury occurs within the movement to be performed or even before, adaptation is no longer possible. In ball sports, this is often caused by incorrect footing, in which the athlete can sustain injuries in the leg area. However, lack of concentration can also affect the ability to adapt. If the athlete is distracted by something, the ability to react is primarily affected. This distraction, in turn, has a negative effect on the adaptation to newly occurring situations. Possible distractions can be, for example, personal and psychological in nature. Similar difficulties occur when balance or orientation are disturbed. This may be the case in sports due to lack of hydration, which is often accompanied by dizziness.If the sense of balance or orientation is impaired, it is equally difficult or impossible to adjust to the change. Generally, a person must train themselves to be able to adapt. As a child or beginner, it is almost impossible to make the necessary reactions or movements needed, for example, to run on bumpy ground or to beat a professional athlete. Practice of such situations, such as through childhood play and romping or through training sessions, promotes the ability to switch and overall produces better awareness and control of one’s body.