Effects of Point of Aim on the Accuracy and Eye Movement Behavior in Bowling: A Pilot Study

Jongil Lim, Seung Ho Chang, Adriane Cris Tomimbang

Abstract


Background: A common research question in far-target aiming has been the importance and significance of the final visual fixation before movement initiation. In rolling tasks, such as 10-pin bowling, location of point of aim needs not be at the final target, the pins, but may be located at any point along the trajectory of the ball. Objective: Specific interest in the present experiment has focused on the relationship between visual point of aim and performance accuracy, and the relationship of visual control strategies utilized by expert performers. Methods: Skilled bowlers (N=7) performed 20 trials per condition concentrating on visual targets in different distances along the bowling lane (20, 40, 60 feet, and self-selected). Ball trajectory was tracked using a video based system and eye movement was measured using an eye tracking system. Results: Deviation of the ball from the visual target increased with visual target distance, while deviation of the ball from the pins was the lowest in the self-selected visual targets, followed by aiming at the pins. The final fixation duration before movement initiation was not associated with ball accuracy regardless of visual target locations. However, results demonstrated the association between final fixation duration task difficulty, that is, longer final fixation duration with increased visual target distance. Conclusion: The results indicate that visual fixations before movement initiation are uncharacteristically long while visual fixations just before the completion of the movement are relatively short.

Keywords


Motor Skill, Attention, Accuracy, Vision, Fixation

Full Text:

PDF

References


Behan, M., & Wilson, M. (2008). State anxiety and visual attention: The role of the quiet eye period in aiming to

a far target. Journal of Sports Sciences, 26(2), 207-215.

Bell, J. J., & Hardy, J. (2009). Effects of attentional focus on skilled performance in golf. Journal of Applied

Sport Psychology, 21(2), 163-177.

Causer, J., Bennett, S. J., Holmes, P. S., Janelle, C. M., & Williams, A. M. (2010). Quiet eye duration and gun motion in elite shotgun shooting. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 42(8), 1599-1608.

Cockerill, I. M. (1979). Visual control in golf putting. In C. H. Nadeau, W. R. Halliwell, K. M. Newell, & G. C. Roberts

(Eds.), Psychology of motor behavior and sport (pp. 377–384). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

De Oliveira, R. F., Oudejans, R. R., & Beek, P. J. (2006). Late information pick-up is preferred in basketball jump shooting. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(9), 933-940.

Glöckner, A., Heinen, T., Johnson, J. G., & Raab, M. (2012). Network approaches for expert decisions in sports. Human Movement Science, 31(2), 318-333.

Henry, F. M., & Rogers, D. E. (1960). Increased response latency for complicated movements and a “memory drum” theory of neuromotor reaction. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 31(3), 448-458.

Horn, R. R., Okumura, M. S., Alexander, M. G., Gardin, F. A., & Sylvester, C. T. (2012). Quiet eye duration is responsive to variability of practice and to the axis of target changes. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 83(2), 204-211.

Klostermann, A., Kredel, R., & Hossner, E.-J. (2013). The “quiet eye” and motor performance: Task demands matter! Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 39(5), 1270-1278.

Lohse, K. R., Sherwood, D. E., & Healy, A. F. (2010). How changing the focus of attention affects performance, kinematics, and electromyography in dart throwing. Human Movement Science, 29(4), 542-555.

Mackenzie, S. J., Foley, S. M., & Adamczyk, A. P. (2011). Visually focusing on the far versus the near target during the putting stroke. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(12), 1243-1251.

Marchant, D. C., Clough, P. J., & Crawshaw, M. (2007). The effects of attentional focusing strategies on novice dart throwing performance and their task experiences. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5(3), 291-303.

McKay, B., & Wulf, G. (2012). A distal external focus enhances novice dart throwing performance. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 10(2), 149-156.

Oudejans, R. R., van de Langenberg, R. W., & Hutter, R. V. (2002). Aiming at a far target under different viewing conditions: Visual control in basketball jump shooting. Human Movement Science, 21(4), 457-480.

Porter, J. M., Anton, P. M., Wikoff, N. M., & Ostrowski, J. B. (2013). Instructing skilled athletes to focus their attention externally at greater distances enhances jumping performance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(8), 2073-2078.

Razman R., Abas W.A.B.W., Osman N.A.A., Cheong J.P.G. (2011). Temporal Characteristics of the Final Delivery Phase and Its Relation to Tenpin Bowling Performance. In: Osman N.A.A., Abas W.A.B.W., Wahab A.K.A., Ting HN. (eds) 5th Kuala Lumpur International Conference on Biomedical Engineering 2011. IFMBE Proceedings, vol 35. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Shank, V. & Lajoie, Y. (2013). Attentional demands in the execution phase of curling in novices and experts. International Journal of Kinesiology & Sports Science, 1(1), 1-8.

Slowinski, J. (2007, June). 3-Point targeting for advanced lane play. [Online forum post]. Retrieved from https://www.bowlingthismonth.com/bowling-tips/lane-play-alignment

Taylor, D. (1979). Secret of Bowling Strikes: Wilshire Book Company.

Thomas, P. R., Schlinker, P. J., & Over, R. (1996). Psychological and psychomotor skills associated with prowess at ten‐pin bowling. Journal of Sports Sciences, 14(3), 255-268.

Vickers, J. N. (1992). Gaze control in putting. Perception, 21(1), 117-132.

Vickers, J. N. (1996). Visual control when aiming at a far target. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 22(2), 342-354.

Vickers, J. N. (2007). Perception, cognition, and decision training: The quiet eye in action: Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Vickers, J. N. (2009). Advances in coupling perception and action: the quiet eye as a bidirectional link between gaze, attention, and action. Progress in brain research, 174, 279-288.

Vickers, J. N. (2011). Mind over muscle: The role of gaze control, spatial cognition, and the quiet eye in motor expertise: Springer.

Vine, S. J., Moore, L. J., & Wilson, M. R. (2011). Quiet eye training facilitates competitive putting performance in elite golfers. Frontiers in psychology, 2(8), 1-9.

Williams, A. M., Singer, R. N., & Frehlich, S. G. (2002). Quiet eye duration, expertise, and task complexity in near and far aiming tasks. Journal of Motor Behavior, 34(2), 197-207.

Wilson, M. R., & Pearcy, R. C. (2009). Visuomotor control of straight and breaking golf putts. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 109(2), 555-562.

Wulf, G. (2007). Attentional focus and motor learning: A review of 10 years of research. E-journal Bewegung und Training, 1(2-3), 1-11.

Wulf, G., Dufek, J. S., Lozano, L., & Pettigrew, C. (2010). Increased jump height and reduced EMG activity with an external focus. Human Movement Science, 29(3), 440-448.

Wulf, G., & Lewthwaite, R. (2010). Effortless motor learning? An external focus of attention enhances movement effectiveness and efficiency. In B. Bruya (Ed.), Effortless attention: A new perspective in attention and action (p. 75-101). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Wulf, G., McNevin, N., & Shea, C. H. (2001). The automaticity of complex motor skill learning as a function of attentional focus. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology: Section A, 54(4), 1143-1154.

Wulf, G., & Su, J. (2007). An external focus of attention enhances golf shot accuracy in beginners and experts. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 78(4), 384-389.

Young, K. C., Sherk, V. D., & Bemben, D. A. (2011). Inter-limb musculoskeletal differences in competitive ten-pin bowlers: A preliminary analysis. Journal of Musculoskeletal Neuronal Interact, 11(1), 21-26.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijkss.v.6n.3p.38

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.




Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

2013-2023 (CC-BY) Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD.

International Journal of Kinesiology and Sports Science

You may require to add the 'aiac.org.au' domain to your e-mail 'safe list’ If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox'. Otherwise, you may check your 'Spam mail' or 'junk mail' folders.