Josh Colbourn
Do you ever wonder why the AFL’s leading goal kickers, before they attempt a kick at goal, always take the same amount of steps backwards, always pull up, or pull down their socks, always spin the ball in their hands, always practice the kick without the ball and always look blankly towards the goals before starting their run up?
They do this because it is beneficial for obtaining the most optimal physical and mental state prior to executing their play (Cohn et al, 1990). A Preparatory routine is defined as “A systematic sequence of task-relevant thoughts and actions that an athlete engages in systematically prior to their specific sporting skill” (Moran, 1996). It should give an athlete every chance to make themselves feel as focused, confident, self-expectant, in-control and optimally aroused as possible before they execute their play (Lidor, 2007).
Preparatory routines do not involve wearing the same ‘lucky’ underwear for a game or a tournament, this is a Superstition. Superstitious rituals are physical behaviors which are perceived to have a positive effect on the outcome of performance. Athletes who use superstitious rituals are seen to give their actions special or even magical significance, even though there is little evidence that it enhances performance (Wormack, 1992).
But why do athletes need to be so calm and collected before a set play? Shouldn’t the countless hours practicing that particular shot at goal always equate to success? Not quite, athletes are human too, which means that when the pressure is on to perfrom successfully, it’s only natural that they too can succumb to nerves and anxiety (Masters, 1992).
Anxiety in its simplest form is a negative emotional state that can cause feelings of nervousness, apprehension and tension (Keegan, 2013). It can affect an athlete psychologically, through feelings of self-doubt about their ability to perform successfully (Morris et al, 1981 and Sarason 1984) as well as fear of the importance of the play and the consequences of failure (Smith et al, 1998). It can also affect an athlete physiologically through uncontrollable responses such as trembling, increased heart rate and respiratory rate (Morris et al, 1981 and Sarason, 1984).
And lastly it can affect the athlete physically through a theory called the Conscious Processing Hypothesis (Masters, 1992). Masters suggested that pressure situations raise anxiety and self-consciousness about performing successfully. This can result in the disruption of the automatic task processing of a skill, causing an athlete to lose consious control, rush or completely miss vital physical processes required for success, just like beginners. For example, a basketballer attempting a free throw needs to bend their knees, extend their elbows, flick the wrist and follow through, and all at the right angles and right timing for the ball to have any chance of going through the hoop (Alexander & Way, 2005-2013). See figure A and B below.
This is why it is so important for an athlete to have a preparatory routine that can assist in minimising these problems. An effective preparatory routine should include physical components such as bouncing or spinning the ball, or performing the movement without the ball (kinesthetic coupling); as well as psychological components, such as imagery and positive self-talk that can be used to help the athlete focus and become more confident (Kingston and Hardy, 2001; Lidor and Singer, 2003; Lamirand and Rainey, 1994).
The positive effect of preparatory routines on performance in self-paced events can be seen in the numerous studies that observed the performance of skills, namely free throw shooting, see a increase in successful performance after being exposed to preparatory routine techniques (Lidor, 2007; Amberry, 1996; Lidor and Mayan, 2005). Clinical research through a questionnaire study of Golf drives by Yancey et al. 2011 has shown that athletes know that preparatory routines are effective as they occupy their minds instead of self doubt and fear.
Preparatory routines can enhance the performance of skilled athletes in self paced tasks but future developments could look into introducing the concept of preparatory routines to beginners in the early stages of learning. This would enable beginners to potentially acquire and perform the skills, and develop them quicker having fast tracked the motor skill acquisition (Sherman, 1999; Sinclair and Sinclair, 1994).
Preparatory routines are vital tools that are readily available to athletes when they know they are under pressure to succeed. To have a routine that can help athletes focus on themselves and not the outcome of the situation, and help them to block everything out is invaluable to sports performance and sports psychology.
References
Alexander, M. & Way, D. (2005-2013). Mechanics of the Free Throw. CoachesInfo.com, Date Accessed 9 August 2013, < https://www.coachesinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=10009&Itemid=202>
Amberry, T. (1996). Free throw: 7 steps to success at the free throw line. New York: Harper Perennial
Cohn, P. J. (1990). Pre-performance routines in sport: Theoretical support and practical applications. Sport Psychologist, 4, 301-312.
Cohn, P. J., Rotella, R. J. & Lloyd, J. W. (1990). Effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention on the preshot routine and performance in golf. Sport Psychologist, 4, 33-47.
Keegan, R. (2013). Stress, Anxiety and Arousal, Sport and Performance Psychology Lecture. Week 3, Semester 2, Lecture Date, 20 August.
Kingston, K. M., & Hardy. (2001). Performance routine training using holistic process goals. In P. R. Thomas (Ed.), Optimizing performance in golf (pp. 264-278). Brisbane: Australian Academy Press
Lamirand, M., & Rainey, D. (1994). Mental imagery, relaxation and accuracy of basketball foul shooting. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 78, 1129-1230
Lidor, R. (2007). Preparatory Routines in Self-paced events: Do they benefit skilled athletes? Can they help the beginners? Handbook of Sports Psychology, 20, pp. 445-463
Lidor, R., & Mayan, Z. (2005). Can beginning learners benefit from performance routines when serving in volleyball? Sport Psychologist, 19, 343-363
Lidor, R., & Singer, R. N. (2003). Performance routines in self-paced tasks: Developmental and educational considerations. In R. Lidor (eds.). Handbook of research in applied sport and exercise psychology: International perspectives (pp. 109-126). Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology
Masters, R.S.W. (1992). Knowledge, knerves and know-how: The role of explicit versus implicit knowledge in the break- down of a complex motor skill under pressure. British Journal of Psychology, 83, 343-358
Moran, A. P. (1996). The Psychology of concentration in sport performers: A cognitive analysis. Hove, East Sussex, England: Psychology Press
Morris, L. W., Davis, D., & Hutchings, C. (1981). Cognitive and emotional components of anxiety: Literature review and revised worry-emotionality scale. Journal of Educational Psychology, 73: 541-555
Sarason, I. G. (1984), Stress, anxiety and cognitive interference. Reactions to tests. Journal or Personality and Social Psychology, 46: 929-938
Sherman, C. P., (1999). Integrating metal management skills into the physical education curriculum. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dane, 70, 25-31
Sinclair, G, D., & Sinclair, D, A. (1994). Developing reflective performers by integrating mental management skills with the learning process. Sport Psychologist, 8, 13-27.
Smith, R. E., Smoll, F. L, & Weichman, S. A (1998). Measurement of trait anxiety in sport. In J. L Duda (Ed.), Advances in sport and Exercise Psychology Measurement, pp. 105-128
Unknown Author (2008). What is it about Australian Rules Football? Aussie Bloggers.com.au. Date Accessed 1/9/2013 <https://www.aussiebloggers.com.au/2008/09/26/what-is-it-about-australian-rules-football/>
Womack, M. (1992). Why athletes need rituals: A study of magic among professional athletes. In S. Hoffman (Ed.), Sport and religion (pp. 191- 202). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Yancey, A., Czech, D. R., Joyner, B., Zwald, D., & Gentner, N. (2011). The Experience of Preshot Routines among Professional Golfers: An Existential Phenomenological Investigation. USA Journal of Excellence, Issue 14
