Ons oefen gewigsverskuiwing slegs indien ons maatslae uittel.

Indien means if.

It introduces a condition, just like English if:

• indien ons maatslae uittel = if we count the beats / measures

Compared with as:

• indien is often a bit more formal or written
• as is very common in everyday speech

So this sentence sounds correct and natural, but slightly more formal than one with as.

Slegs means only.

Together, slegs indien means only if.

That means the condition is restricted:

• Ons oefen gewigsverskuiwing slegs indien ons maatslae uittel.
• We practice weight shifting only if we count the beats.

So slegs is not describing gewigsverskuiwing; it is limiting the whole if-clause.

Its position shows what it applies to.

Here, slegs modifies the condition:

• slegs indien ons maatslae uittel = only if we count the beats

If you moved slegs, the meaning could change. For example:

• Ons oefen slegs gewigsverskuiwing ... would suggest we practice only weight shifting
• Ons oefen gewigsverskuiwing slegs indien ... means we practice weight shifting only if ...

So the placement helps show the scope of only.

Because indien ons maatslae uittel is a new clause, and Afrikaans normally states the subject of that clause explicitly.

So the sentence has:

• main clause: Ons oefen gewigsverskuiwing
• subordinate clause: indien ons maatslae uittel

Just like in English, you usually repeat the subject:

• We practice weight shifting only if we count the beats

You would not normally leave out the second ons.

This is a very common Afrikaans pattern.

Uittel is a separable verb:

• base verb: uittel
• parts: uit
  • tel

In a main clause, the finite verb usually comes second, and the particle separates:

• Ons tel maatslae uit.

But after a subordinating word like indien, the verb goes to the end of the clause, and the parts stay together:

• indien ons maatslae uittel

So both things are happening here:

1. the verb moves to the end because this is a subordinate clause
2. the separable verb appears in its joined form: uittel

Gewigsverskuiwing is a compound noun, which is very normal in Afrikaans.

It is made up of:

• gewig = weight
• s = linking element
• verskuiwing = shifting / movement

So literally it is something like weight-shifting.

Afrikaans usually writes compound nouns as one word, even where English might use two words or a hyphen. That is why you get:

• gewigsverskuiwing not
• gewig verskuiwing

The s here is just a linking sound/spelling element, not a separate word.

Because gewigsverskuiwing is being used as a general activity or practice item, not as a single countable object.

So:

• Ons oefen gewigsverskuiwing = We practice weight shifting

This is similar to English when you say:

• We practice balance
• We practice footwork

If you meant a specific instance, you might use an article, but here the general, article-less form is natural.

Yes. Oefen can take a direct object, much like English practice.

So oefen gewigsverskuiwing is a normal structure:

• oefen = practice
• gewigsverskuiwing = the thing being practiced

Other similar patterns could be:

• Ons oefen die roetine.
• Sy oefen Afrikaans.

So you do not need a preposition here.

Maatslae is the plural form of maatslag.

This is a compound noun, and the last part determines the plural pattern:

• maatslag → maatslae

That happens because the final part slag has the plural slae. So the compound follows that same pattern.

This can feel irregular to English speakers, but it is a normal Afrikaans plural pattern in some nouns.