Several experiments have demonstrated that focusing a performer's attention externally (i.e., on the effects of a movement) rather than internally (i.e., on specific parts of the body) enhances performance when the task requires object manipulation (i.e., throwing a ball to a target). The purpose of this experiment was to investigate if whole-body movements (e.g., standing long jump), without object manipulation, are influenced by an internal or external focus of attention. After participants (n = 120) completed a short warm-up, they were assigned to either an internal (INT) or external (EXT) focus of attention group. All participants completed 5 standing long jumps separated by a 2-minute seated rest. Before each jump, participants in the INT condition were read the following instructions: "When you are attempting to jump as far as possible, I want you to focus your attention on extending your knees as rapidly as possible." Participants in the EXT condition were read the following instructions: "When you are attempting to jump as far as possible, I want you to focus your attention on jumping as far past the start line as possible." An independent samples t-test revealed a significant difference (p = 0.003) in the average distance jumped between the EXT (187.37 +/- 42.66 cm) group and the INT group (177.33 +/- 40.97 cm). The results suggest that providing instructions that focus attention externally enhances standing long-jump performance compared with instructions that focus attention internally. This finding is valuable for strength and conditioning professionals that use jumping tests to evaluate performance.

I t is well documented that directing attention externally enhances motor skill learning and performance under controlled experimental conditions. What is not well understood is how verbal instructions (VI) and feedback provided by coaches in authentic environments influences athletes' focus of attention. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the type of VI and feedback provided by experienced coaches during practice, and how this information influenced elite athletes' focus of attention during competition. Participants were athletes competing at the USA Track and Field Outdoor National Championships. Participants completed a survey inquiring about the VI and feedback provided during practice and what they focused on while competing. The data revealed that 84.6% of the participants reported that coaches provided instructions during practice that promoted an internal focus of attention. Participants also reported they utilize internal focus cues 69% of the time during competition. These results suggest that this sample of coaches provided instructions that focused athletes' attention internally. This practice strategy is inconsistent with motor learning research, which shows learning and performance are enhanced when using an external focus of attention during motor skill execution. Recommendations are made to improve coaching education curriculums, bridging the gap between science and application.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that using verbal instructions to direct a performers attention externally (i.e., toward the effect of the movement) significantly enhances motor skill performance. Limited research has also demonstrated that increasing the distance of an external focus relative to the body magnifies the effect of an external focus of attention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing the distance of an external focus of attention on standing long jump performance. Using a counterbalanced within-participant design, recreationally trained male subjects (n = 35) performed 2 standing long jumps following 3 different sets of verbal instructions (total of 6 jumps; each separated by 1 minute of seated rest). One set of instructions was designed to focus attention externally near the body (EXN); another set of instructions directed attention externally to a target farther from the body (EXF); the last set of instructions served as a control condition (CON) and did not encourage a specific focus of attention. The results indicated that the EXN and EXF conditions elicited jump distances that were significantly greater than the CON condition. In addition, the subjects in the EXF condition jumped significantly farther than those in the EXN condition. These findings suggest that increasing the distance of an external focus of attention, relative to the body, immediately improves standing long jump performance.

These findings demonstrate that the development of MTSS is multifactorial, with passive range of motion, muscle strength, plantar pressure distributions, and both proximal and distal kinematics all playing a role. We suggest that coaches or sports medicine professionals screening runners for injury risk consider adopting a comprehensive evaluation which includes all these areas.

Significant benefits in standing long jump performance have been demonstrated when subjects were provided verbal instructions that promoted an external focus of attention compared with an internal focus of attention, suggesting differences in ground reaction forces. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate peak force and jump performance between internal and external focus of attention strategies. Untrained subjects were assigned to both experimental conditions in which verbal instructions were provided to promote either an external or internal focus of attention. All subjects completed a total number of 5 standing long jumps. The results of the study demonstrated that the external focus of attention condition elicited significantly greater jump distance (153.6 ± 38.6 cm) than the internal focus of attention condition (139.5 ± 46.7 cm). There were no significant differences observed between conditions in peak force (1429.8 ± 289.1 N and 1453.7 ± 299.7 N, respectively). The results add to the growing body of literature describing the training and learning benefits of an external focus of attention. Practitioners should create standardized verbal instructions using an external focus of attention to maximize standing long jump performance.

No abstract

Investigators have recently demonstrated that standing long jump performance is enhanced when participants focus their attention externally instead of their leg action but found no differences when examining peak force. The purpose of this study was to examine kinetic and kinematic properties associated with the standing long jump that may explain disparities between an internal and external focus of attention. It was hypothesized that the external focus condition would exhibit greater impulse values and a more optimal projection angle (45°) than the internal condition. Twenty-one participants each performed 5 total jumps: 1 baseline jump, in which no focus instructions were given, followed by 4 remaining jumps in which either internal or external focus instructions were introduced in a counter-balanced manner. Analysis of variance revealed that the external condition jumped significantly farther than the internal and baseline conditions. Analyses of kinetic measures (i.e., peak force and impulse) revealed no significant differences among conditions. However, there was a significant difference between the internal and baseline conditions compared with the external condition with respect to projection angle. Specifically, participants in the external focus condition exhibited an average projection angle of 45.7°, compared with the internal (49.5°) and baseline (49.0°) conditions. Therefore, the observed difference in jump distance among conditions can be explained by the external condition producing a more optimal projection angle. The results of this study partially support the constrained action hypothesis.

For more than 10 years, researchers have investigated how the focusing of conscious attention influences motor skill execution. This line of investigation has consistently demonstrated that directing attention externally rather than internally improves motor skill learning and performance. The purpose of this study was to test the prediction that participants completing a 20-m sprint would run significantly faster when using an external focus of attention rather than an internal or no-focus of attention. Participants were college-aged volunteers (N = 84; 42 women, 42 men; mean age = 20.32, SD = 1.73 years) with no prior sprint training. This study used a counterbalanced within-participant design. Each participant completed 3 days of testing, with each day utilizing a different focus of attention (i.e. internal, external, or control). Running times were collected automatically using infrared timing gates. Data were analyzed using a 1-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results of the ANOVA revealed a significant main effect for condition, F (1, 83) = 6565.3, p ≤ 0.001. Follow-up analysis indicated that the trials completed in the external focus condition (mean = 3.75 seconds, SD = 0.43) were significantly faster than trials completed in the internal (mean = 3.87 seconds, SD = 0.64) and control conditions (mean = 3.87 seconds, SD = 0.45). The analysis also indicated that the control and internal conditions were not significantly different. The results of this study extend the findings of previous research and demonstrate sprinting performance can be improved by using an external focus of attention.