Proprioception
The body's internal sense of the position, movement and effort of its joints and limbs without relying on sight.
Definition
Proprioception is sometimes called the body's sixth sense: a continuous stream of information from receptors in muscles, tendons and joints that tells the brain where the body's parts are in space and how much force they are exerting. It lets an athlete touch a racket to a ball, land from a jump, or hold posture with the eyes closed.
Because it underpins coordination and balance, proprioception is a common focus of movement preparation and skill practice, for example single-leg tasks, unstable-surface work, or drills performed with reduced visual feedback. Sharper proprioception helps athletes control their joints through a full range and make fine adjustments mid-movement. It is described here for education only.
Where you’ll hear “proprioception”
Sports that use this term:
Tennis
A singles or doubles racquet sport that blends agility, strategy and stamina on court.
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Swimming
A full-body, low-impact endurance sport suitable for almost every age and ability.
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Movement patterns
- CatchReceiving a moving object and securing it under control, absorbing its momentum by yielding along its path so kinetic energy is dissipated rather than rebounded away.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- PivotA rotation of the body about one planted foot, reorienting the trunk and hips around a vertical axis without travelling to a new location.
Sports science
- ProprioceptionThe body’s internal sense of where its parts are and how they are moving — the awareness behind balance and coordinated movement.
- Movement efficiencyHow economically the body performs a movement — achieving the goal with the least wasted effort.
- BiomechanicsThe study of how the body produces and controls movement — the mechanics behind every technique in sport.
- Motor controlHow the brain and nervous system organise the muscles to produce coordinated, controlled movement.
- The kinetic chainThe idea that the body’s segments work as a linked chain, passing force from the ground up through the hips, trunk and limbs.
Skills Academy
Recovery
Knowledge Atlas
Training methods
- Tempo TrainingTempo training holds a firm, controlled 'comfortably hard' pace for a sustained stretch, teaching the body to sustain effort without tipping into a sprint.
- Mobility TrainingMobility training works on moving your joints actively through their full range, combining control and flexibility so movement feels free and easy.
- Active Recovery SessionsActive recovery sessions are deliberately easy bouts of gentle movement — an easy walk, spin or swim — used on lighter days to keep moving without adding hard work.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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