Focus of Attention and Verbal Instructions: Strategies of Elite Track and Field Coaches and Athletes

Abstract

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.

Children's learning of tennis skills is facilitated by external focus instructions

“…Given the relative dearth of studies examining attentional focus effects in children, and the fact that instructions given in practical settings are typically body-related and therefore induce an internal focus (Porter, Wu, & Partridge, 2010), it seemed important to further examine the influence of different types of instructions on sport skill learning in children. Studies have demonstrated differences in motor learning between children and adults.…”

Practice Variability and Training Design: Strategies of Elite Horizontal Jump Coaches

“…Moreover, we investigated if elite coaches use strategies consistent with the motor learning and control literature, namely, principles of practice variability and contextual interference. Based on the findings of Williams and Ford (2009) and Porter et al (2010), it was hypothesized that elite coaches do not use methods consistent with the motor learning and control literature to develop accuracy. The results of the present study partially supported this hypothesis.…”

“…In light of this, the purpose of this study was to investigate how elite horizontal jump coaches develop the accuracy component of the horizontal jump events in track and field and to examine whether or not the coaches utilized principles of practice variability and contextual interference found within the motor learning and control literature. Based on previous findings (Porter, Wu, & Partridge, 2010;Williams & Ford, 2009) we hypothesized that elite horizontal coaches will not utilize methods for developing accuracy that are consistent with the practice variability and contextual interference literature.…”

“…While these types of statements reveal the importance of skill development (i.e. training and practice), many coaches are unable to design evidence-based practice and training environments to achieve optimal skill development (Porter, Wu, & Partridge, 2010). In order to achieve optimum performance, a coach must integrate a variety of sport science disciplines within the development process that include: biomechanics, exercise physiology, nutrition, sport and exercise psychology, and motor learning and control.…”

The Role of Augmented Feedback on Motor Skill Learning

“…The most prominent criticisms of past research on augmented feedback, along with the lack of separation of KR and KP, and the lack of retention or transfer tests, are about the use of "artificial" laboratory tasks and the lack of consideration of the characteristics of motor skills. It has been argued that the generalized principles of augmented feedback from the laboratory with one-dimensional tasks may not apply well to more complex real-world settings [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25], and that skills with different characteristics need different types of feedback information for effective learning. The number of explanation for the lack of effectiveness on skill acquisition may be due to overly complex information presented, failure to provide critical feedback about the skill and not providing enough information for error detection [13].…”