Summary.-This study was designed to assess the effects of videotape feedback, under various temporal conditions, on the improvement in performance of a closed skill-the tennis serve. The subjects (48 advanced beginner and 48 intermediate tennis players) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups: (1) Gntrol-no video feedback, (2) Early-subjects received videotape feedback during the early stages of the instructional cycle, (3) Middlevideotape feedback was administered midway through the cycle, and (4) Cornbination-videotape feedback was administered during both the early and middle' stages of the instructional cycle. Posttest performances, using pretest scores as covariates, on five phases of the serve (footwork, body movement, ball toss, arm pattern-phase I, and arm pattern-phase 11) were statistically analyzed to assess treatment effects. Performance scores for the three feedback groups were significantly better than for the control group for all subjects on the arm pattern-phase I part of the serve, and for the intermediate level subjects on the footwork phase of the serve. No significant differences among the three feedback groups suggest that temporal location is not related to effectiveness of videotape feedback. It is concluded that videotape feedback may be an effective supplement to the more traditional instructor-provided feedback only in limited situations and special conditions. It may not be as generally effective as its current popularicy and widespread use seems to indicate. Use of videotape replay as a means of providing feedback during motor skill instruction has become increasingly popular. It is commonly used in many types of physical activity classes in public education as well as for commercial instruction in such places as tennis colleges, golf dubs, racketball clubs, and on the ski slopes. However, evidence of its effectiveness as an instructional tool is far from persuasive. Positive effects of videotape feedback have been found by Plese (1968), Hampton ( 1970), and Del Rey ( 1971) on skill acquisition in gymnastics, shot put, and fencing, respectively. No positive effects were found in a study involving bowling (Caine, 1966) or on trampoline performance (Penman, Bartz, & Davis, 1968). In a review of the abstracts of over 50 Master's theses and doctoral dissertations involving use of videotape feedback, Rothstein and Arnold (1976) report that 19 of the studies showed significant positive effects, whereas, 33 indicated no significant effects.
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