Elite sport performance/Concentration/Concentration
Concentration
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Video credit: RSsportscars.com.
In the video above, four time Formula 1 world champion, Sebastian Vettell test drives a Ferarri FXX K around the track. His driving skills are incredible, but his powers of concentration are even more exceptional, in a sport where a single mistake can spell disaster.
The art of concentration
Concentration is a precious commodity. Coaches plead with their players to keep it, whilst defeated athletes bemoan the fact that they lost it.
It is hard to imagine anyone performing anything to a high level without having good concentration. Taking control of attentional processes is at the heart of every great performance and yet, if you ask elite performers what they think about when they are really performing well, you almost always get the same answer: “Nothing, really.”
How can that be? Concentrating without thinking of anything. In this section we will try to unravel the mysteries of concentration in sport. Specifically you will:
- Explore concentration and its relationship with attentional processes.
- Understand why concentration errors occur.
- Learn some strategies to improve concentration.
