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Purpose. The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of different types of verbal feedback in the learning of a complex movement task. Methods. Twenty university students took part in a six-week training course learning how to correctly execute the vertical jump. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group E&P received verbal feedback on errors made during movement execution and on how to improve, Group P obtained verbal feedback only when they correctly performed the task, and Group E was provided with verbal feedback only when an error was made. Performance was measured on three separate occasions, before the training course (pre-training), one day after (post-training) and seven days after completing the course (retention) by executing the vertical jump in front of three gymnastic judges who scored their performance on a scale of 1 to 10. Jump kinematics were also measured pre-training and post-training by recording landing force and flight time on a force platform. Results. Post-hoc comparison indicated that a significant improvement in performance was observed only in the group receiving verbal feedback on errors (E). Judges' scores received in post-training were significantly higher than those measured pre-training (10.3 %; p < 0.0003) and further increased to 14.4 % in the retention test (p < 0.0001). Judges' scores for the groups receiving verbal feedback on errors and correctness (E&P) and only correctness (P) improved insignificantly. Conclusions. Providing too much verbal feedback when learning the vertical jump turned Out to be less effective than providing limited verbal feedback only when errors were made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]