Coordination
The ability to combine movements of different body parts smoothly and accurately to produce an intended action.
Definition
Coordination is the smooth, efficient integration of separate movements into a single controlled action, timing the arms, legs and trunk so they work together rather than in isolation. It relies on the nervous system sequencing muscle activity precisely and adjusting it using sensory feedback.
Sub-types are often named for the systems involved, such as hand-eye or foot-eye coordination, and coordination generally improves with practice as movement patterns become more refined. Well-coordinated athletes look fluid because their segments are sequenced efficiently, wasting little effort.
Where you’ll hear “coordination”
Sports that use this term:
Tennis
A singles or doubles racquet sport that blends agility, strategy and stamina on court.
Table Tennis
A fast, low-impact indoor racquet sport that sharpens reflexes and is easy to start.
Badminton
A fast indoor racquet sport played with a shuttlecock that rewards agility and touch.
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
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Movement patterns
- GlideGlide is continuous, low-resistance locomotion in which the body holds a streamlined shape so that momentum generated by a preceding propulsive action carries it smoothly across a surface or through a medium.
- PivotA rotation of the body about one planted foot, reorienting the trunk and hips around a vertical axis without travelling to a new location.
- ReachExtending a limb toward a distant point or object, often at full stretch, by projecting a distal segment beyond the body's resting envelope while a stabilised base preserves balance and control.
- StrikeA ballistic, whole-body hitting action that channels ground-generated force through a proximal-to-distal kinetic chain to deliver momentum to a target via the hand, an implement or a body part at the moment of contact.
- PushPressing a load or the body away from the torso — horizontally or overhead — by extending the shoulders and elbows, developing the chest, shoulders and triceps.
Physical qualities
- CoordinationGetting your body parts to work together smoothly and accurately, often with what you see.
- Cardiovascular enduranceThe ability to sustain whole-body activity for a long time while your heart, lungs and muscles keep up.
- FlexibilityThe range of movement available at a joint or group of joints.
- BalanceKeeping your body stable and controlled, whether still or moving.
- MobilityUsing a joint’s range of movement actively, with control and strength throughout.
Sports science
- Motor controlHow the brain and nervous system organise the muscles to produce coordinated, controlled movement.
- ProprioceptionThe body’s internal sense of where its parts are and how they are moving — the awareness behind balance and coordinated movement.
- Motor learningThe process by which practice and experience produce lasting improvements in how well a movement skill can be performed.
- Energy systemsHow the body supplies energy for movement — the different pathways that power everything from an explosive jump to a long, steady run.
- BiomechanicsThe study of how the body produces and controls movement — the mechanics behind every technique in sport.
Knowledge Atlas
Goals
- Improve coordinationSharpen how smoothly your body works together — like tracking and hitting a ball — through skill practice.
- Lose weightCombine regular, enjoyable movement with balanced habits to work toward a healthier weight in a way that lasts.
- Reduce stressFind calmer, healthier ways to unwind through regular movement, gentle mind-body activity and time outdoors.
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- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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