Enjoyment, performance and perceived exertion in differential versus repetitive basketball shooting practice

This study tested whether momentary enjoyment moderates within-session effects of Differential (DL) and Repetitive Learning (RL) on basketball shooting performance and perceived exertion (RPE) in youth athletes. Thirty-seven players were randomly assigned to DL (n = 19) or RL (n = 18) and completed 16 training sessions across eight weeks. Enjoyment was assessed after each session using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) and decomposed into within-person and between-person components. Performance outcomes included Stationary Shooting Accuracy Test (SSAT) scores before and after a 30-shot training task (30-STT), as well as accuracy during the 30-STT itself. RPE was recorded immediately following each session. Linear mixed models (LMMs) were used to analyze group effects and enjoyment-related moderators. Results showed that DL yielded superior performance in the 30-STT (β = 2.23, p = .011, d = 0.66) and substantially lower RPE compared with RL (β = −1.18, p < .001, d = −1.40), reflecting performance differences within the practiced task constraints rather than generalized shooting proficiency. We did not detect moderation of DL versus RL effects by enjoyment; however, confidence intervals for interaction terms and the limited variability in PACES indicate that small-to-moderate moderation effects cannot be ruled out. SSAT scores were similar between groups pre- and post-task, with explained variance driven primarily by individual differences rather than enjoyment changes. Training structure accounted for immediate performance and RPE differences independently of post-session enjoyment, though this does not preclude the importance of affective states, which require more comprehensive assessment and ecologically valid performance measures.