Technique

Technique must be the servant not the master. Within reason teach the athlete WHAT to do, not HOW to do it. Give them enough information and direction to allow them to solve the particular movement problem, then get out of their way and let them discover the way that works for them. Don’t turn them into robots by forcing them into a specific technique. Help them achieve good technique with being overly technical. Provide just enough direction and correction to spur their creativity.

Remember the story of the centipede:

A centipede was happy quite, until a toad in fun
Said, “Pray, which leg comes after which?”
This raised his doubts to such a pitch
He fell distracted in the ditch
Not knowing how to run.

There is no one "correct" technique, each athlete will have their own way of expressing the technique demanded by the sport - that is called style. Everyone has a movement signature or a movement fingerprint that makes their movement unique, recognize that and build upon it to achieve the required technical competence.

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Comment by Karsten Jensen on April 18, 2012 at 2:48pm: There is a beautiful discussion of this principle in Arthur Dreschlers Encyclopedia of Weightlifting, where he describes, how on CERTAIN parameters of technique world class athletes execute almost opposite strategies.

However, other components of technique are always the same (and cannot be compromised on), in the case of weightlifting, it is the straight back.

To effectively (and not dangerously) use the idea that "there is no on correct technique" each trainer must know exactly, what parameters of technique that can - with great results and safely - be executed differently and which parameters that must be the same.

Comment by Shawn Myszka on April 17, 2012 at 6:24pm: As always-great post, Coach. It is constantly alarmly to me how few coaches understand your points above. Instead many coaches elect to try and force their athletes into applying certain intricies of another's technique execution without the understanding that the specific athlete may not possess the same physical characteristics that allow the person to properly display proficiency in that specific style/execution in a safe and efficient manner.