The Link Between Tactics, Sport Psychology and Perceptual-Motor Learning

1. The Link Between Tactics, Sport Psychology and Perceptual-Motor Learning Squash Canada Task #11: Advanced Strategy and Tactics November 2003 Tim Bacon, Smith College

2. Ice-Breaker! • Think about the best tactical squash player that you know. Think about their psychological qualities. Turn to the person next to you and briefly discuss and decide (less than 2 min.): what psychological qualities do the best tactical squash players possess?

3. Overview • Open Skill Process • Nideffer’s Model of Concentration • Anticipation & Deception • Psychological Qualities & Styles of Play • Mental Skills to Improve Tactics • Winning Ugly: Psychological Tactics • Periodization of Tactics & Psychology

4. Importance of Linking Tactics to Psychology & Perceptual Motor Learning • Canada: Vickers • Australia: Abernathy & Flynn • German Tennis Federation (TC) • Bompa

5. Strategic Mistakes? • Tactical-Technical - insufficient skill to carry out the strategy • Tactical-Physical – insufficient conditioning to implement the strategy • Tactical-Psychological –too anxious or lack of concentration or confidence to implement the strategy • Tactical-Perceptual – Errors in perception, judgement or decision-making

6. The Open Skill Process • Perception • Decision • Action • Feedback

7. 3 Stages of Learning

8. Attention is both a Motor Learning and Psychology Topic

9. Nideffer’s Model of Sports Concentration • Focus – flashlight model • 4 types of focus • Relationship to Open Skill Process • Choking Process • Attentional Errors • TAIS • Attentional Control Training

10. Four Types of Attentional Focus Broad WIDTH Narrow External Internal DIRECTION

11. Choking An Attentional Problem

12. Attentional Problems Attending to past events (e.g., what was?) Attending to future events (e.g., what if?) Choking under pressure Overanalysis of body mechanics Fatigue

13. Test of Attentional & Interpersonal Style • BET, NAR, OIT, OET, RED • Canadian Jr. results

14. Anticipation in Racquet Sports • Abernethy: « A » players initiate movement before the ball is struck - « D » players do not! • Expert players rely on shoulder and racquet head cues - novices don ’t • Differences between world-class and national-level players

15. Teaching Ball Judgement • Train the perception: straight or cross • Train the decision: « fore » or « back » • Train skill 1: forehand • Train skill 2 • Alternate execution of skills • Randomize execution of skills • Competitive game • Evaluate in match play

16. Progression for Anticipation • Identify pre-impact cues • train the perception • train the decision • train skill 1 • train skill 2 • alternate skills • randomize skills • competitive-conditioned game • evaluate in match play

17. Decision-Making (Tactics) Progression • Choose a topic: select two skills where player must differentiate • “Sell” the decision • Train the perception • Train the decision • Train skill 1 • Train skill 2 • etc.

18. Decision Training (Vickers) • Tactial Training • Feedback • Top down vs. Bottom up

19. Tactical Coaching Assessment

20. Coaching Feedback Assessment

21. Top Down Coaching

22. Developmental Model for Perceptual-Motor Skills (Flynn)

23. Psychological Qualities & Styles of Play

24. IPS and Tactics • Tactical play is improved when in the zone

25. Mental Skills to Improve Tactics

26. Focus Plans • Integrated mental & tactical plan • 3 parts: Pre-Match, Match, Refocus • 3 ways to develop • Situation/checkpoint/score • Tactics • Free form

28. Winning Ugly: Psychological Tactics • Brad Gilbert: Winning Ugly • ‘’Geoff Hunt on Squash’’ • Chuck Kriese: Momentum Management

30. Periodization of Tactics & Psychology • Technical-Tactial periodization • Development of psychological qualities • Development of mental skills • Periodization of visualization • Long-term planning

31. Periodization of Visualization

32. Longterm Planning – TC Example

33. References