Which type of skill requires more body movements and finer control, and is usually specific to one sport (for example, a tennis serve)?

• A. Open skills
• B. Closed skills
• C. Complex skills
• D. Fine motor skills

Answer: (C)

Complex skills involve coordinating many body parts in a sequence with precise timing and control, and they’re typically tied to a specific sport. A tennis serve is a prime example because it requires the whole body to work together—from foot stance and weight transfer through hip rotation, shoulder and arm action, to the exact tossing of the ball and the final contact with the racket. Each part must be timed and controlled precisely to produce the desired speed, spin, and placement, so the action is highly demanding and sport-specific.

The other ideas describe different aspects that don’t capture this combination of multiple movements and fine control. Fine motor skills focus on small, precise hand and finger actions, which isn’t the main demand of a full tennis serve. Open versus closed skills talk about how predictable the environment is, not how many parts of the body must be coordinated. So the best fit for a movement-rich, highly coordinated, sport-specific action is a complex skill.