Effect of Internal vs. External Focus of Attention Instructions on Countermovement Jump Variables in NCAA Division I Student-Athletes

Abstract

Kershner, AL, Fry, AC, and Cabarkapa, D. Effect of internal vs. external focus of attention instructions on countermovement jump variables in NCAA Division I student-athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2019—The purpose of this study was compare the effect of internal and external focus of attention instructions on force-time characteristics of the countermovement jump (CMJ) in collegiate student-athletes. Forty-three resistance-trained men ( JOURNAL/jscr/04.03/00124278-201906000-00002/inline-formula1/v/2023-08-19T002820Z/r/image-tiff ± SD; age = 20 ± 1.5 years) on an NCAA Division I baseball team volunteered to participate in this study. Each participant performed a total of 16 CMJs on a force platform while holding a wooden dowel on their shoulders to eliminate arm swing. Force and power parameters such as jump height (JH), peak velocity (PV), and mean concentric velocity (MCV) were calculated from force-time and position data. Paired-sample t-tests and Cohen's d effect sizes were used to examine differences between conditions. When subjects were instructed using an external focus, they demonstrated significantly (p < 0.05) greater JH, PV, and MCV compared with jumps performed with the internal focus (external JH = 48.0 ± 5.6 cm, internal JH = 46.4 ± 5.4 cm; external PV = 3.6 ± 0.3 m·s−1, internal PV = 3.5 ± 0.3 m·s−1; and external MCV = 2.31 ± 0.22 m·s−1, internal MCV = 2.25 ± 0.23 m·s−1). It is interesting to note that there was superior recall of the internal instructions during the manipulation checks that may suggest that the subjects consciously processed these instructions to a greater extent and reduced internal condition performance. These results indicate that instructions can alter the efficiency and performance of a skill. According to the literature and this study, if an optimum performance metric is desired, external focus of attention instructions should be used.

Physical and Performance Characteristics of 3×3 Professional Male Basketball Players

“…On the other hand, when performing CMJ-S, athletes were instructed to start with arms positioned slightly in the front of the body with elbows flexed at a 90-degree angle and finish with the arms extended above the head. All athletes were verbally encouraged to give maximal effort and focus on pushing away from the ground as explosively as possible [ 15 ]. The best score obtained from three total attempts for each jump test was recorded and used for performance analysis purposes.…”

Focus of Attention in Coach Instructions for Technique Training in Sports: A Scrutinized Review of Review Studies

“…In contrast, the external focus provoked rapid opening of ankle, knee, and hip angles together, leading to an overall improved task performance [ 34 ]. Interestingly, peak force (ground reaction forces measured by a force plate) and peak power in a jump-and-reach task did not change, albeit higher jumping performance in EF condition for trained athletes [ 35 ]. This result might be due to an optimized co-ordination of all body parts or due to better harmonized timing of movement elements to realize higher jumps.…”

External focus of attention enhances arm velocities during volleyball spike in young female players

“…Such findings have been found across a variety of different motor tasks, regardless of age, (dis)ability, and level of expertise ( Wulf, 2013 ; Chua et al, 2021 ). In particular, an EF has been found to be more effective than an IF for motor tasks where velocity plays a crucial role for optimizing outcome performance ( An et al, 2013 ; Lohse et al, 2014 ; Halperin et al, 2017 ; Kershner et al, 2019 ). For example, An et al (2013) investigated the golf swing and reported an increased X-factor stretch during the backswing, carry distance, and angular velocities of the pelvis, shoulder, and wrist when adopting an EF (e.g., push against the left side of the ground as you hit the ball) relative to an IF (e.g., transfer your weight to your left foot as you hit the ball) or control (e.g., no-focus instruction) group.…”

“…Investigating a punching task, Halperin et al (2017) found that “focus on punching the pad as fast and as forcefully as possibly” (EF) compared to “focus on moving your arm as fast and as forcefully as possibly” (IF) increased velocity and punch impact. In a study on a countermovement jump, Kershner et al (2019) reported an increased mean velocity and squat jump height when participants were asked to “concentrate on pushing away from the ground as explosively as possible” (i.e., EF) versus when they were required to “concentrate on extending your knees and hips as explosively as possible” (i.e., IF). As such, evidence suggests that an EF relative to an IF promotes increased angular velocities in motor tasks where velocity is a critical element for successful performance.…”