SPORTS

Focus: What Really Boosts Athletes' Throws?

Wed Nov 20 2024
You might think that athletes do better when they focus on where they want to go, like a far target. But a study had college students throw a medicine ball while switching their focus between near and far targets. Surprisingly, focusing on the far target didn't make much difference. Instead, when they concentrated on their own movements, either during or after the throw, their performance improved! So, it's not about the outcome, but about how you're moving right now that matters. Have you ever thought about why some athletes seem to perform better than others? It might not be about the end goal, but about how they focus on their actions in the moment. This study shows that just paying attention to what your body is doing can make a big difference. The study was done with college students, which means it's a small group and might not apply to everyone. But it's still interesting to think about how focusing on the right things can help you do better in sports.

questions

    Who knew that focusing on the little blue dot in the distance wasn’t the secret to perfect throws?
    Is there a hidden agenda behind promoting outcome focus over action focus?
    How might this study’s findings be applied in other domains to improve performance?

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