Babett H. Lobinger

How to detect the yips in golf

The yips is a multi-aetiological phenomenon that is characterized by an involuntary movement that can affect a golfers putting performance. Diagnostics are crucial for a better understanding of what causes the yips but are still lacking. The purpose of the present study was therefore to identify sensitive methods for detecting the yips and evaluating its aetiology. Forty participants, 20 yips-affected golfers and 20 nonaffected golfers, completed a psychometric testing battery and performed a putting session in the laboratory. They answered questions about their golfing and yips experience and filled in standardized questionnaires measuring trait anxiety, perfectionism, stress-coping strategies, somatic complaints, and movement and decision reinvestment. In the laboratory, they had to putt in five different conditions that might elicit the yips: as usual with both arms, under pressure, with one (the dominant) arm, with a unihockey racket, and with latex gloves. Measures included putting performance, situational anxiety, kinematic parameters of the putter, electromyography of the arm muscles, and electrocardiography. The groups were separated only by putting performance and kinematic parameters when putting with the dominant arm. Future research should use kinematics to investigate the aetiology of the yips and possible interventions.

Apollo’s Curse: Causes and Cures of Motor Failures in Musicians: A Proposal for a New Classification

Performing music at a professional level is probably one of the most complex of human accomplishments. Extremely fast and complex temporo-spatially predefined movement patterns have to be learned, memorized, and retrieved with high reliability in order to meet the expectations of listeners. Performing music requires not only the integration of multimodal sensory and motor information and its precise monitoring via auditory and kinesthetic feedback but also emotional communicative skills for a “speaking” rendition of a musical masterpiece. To acquire these specialized auditory–sensory–motor and emotional skills, extensive training periods over many years are a prerequisite, starting in early infancy and passing through stages of increasing physical and strategic complexities. Performance anxiety, linked to high societal pressures, fear of failure, and heightened self-demands is a frequent accompaniment of these learning processes.

Home advantage in soccer – A matter of expectations, goal setting and tactical decisions of coaches?

Abstract In soccer, home teams win about 67% of decided games. The causes for this home advantage are still unresolved. There is a shortage of research on the psychological states of actors involved. In this study, we examined soccer coaches’ expectations, goal setting and tactical decisions in relation to game location. Soccer coaches (N = 297) with different expertise levels participated in an experimental, online management game and were randomly assigned to one of two groups, “home game (HG)” or “away game.” Participants received information on the game for which they were asked to make decisions in multiple points. The only differing information between groups was game location. Regardless of expertise, HG coaches had higher expectations to win, set more challenging goals and decided for more offensive and courageous playing tactics. Possible consequences of these findings concerning home advantage in soccer are discussed.

An adaptive toolbox approach to the route to expertise in sport.

Expertise is characterized by fast decision-making which is highly adaptive to new situations. Here we propose that athletes use a toolbox of heuristics which they develop on their route to expertise. The development of heuristics occurs within the context of the athletes’ natural abilities, past experiences, developed skills, and situational context, but does not pertain to any of these factors separately. This is a novel approach because it integrates separate factors into a comprehensive heuristic description. The novelty of this approach lies within the integration of separate factors determining expertise into a comprehensive heuristic description. It is our contention that talent identification methods and talent development models should therefore be geared toward the assessment and development of specific heuristics. Specifically, in addition to identifying and developing separate natural abilities and skills as per usual, heuristics should be identified and developed. The application of heuristics to talent and expertise models can bring the field one step away from dichotomized models of nature and nurture toward a comprehensive approach to the route to expertise.

Benefits of Motor and Exercise Imagery for Older Adults

Abstract: The benefits of imagery use have been shown for athletes and neurological patients, but little is known about the benefits of motor and exercise imagery for older adults. Current research on movement-related imagery is reviewed in this narrative article, with a focus on methods for estimating the ability to use motor and exercise imagery and the extent of their use. Recent investigations of motor imagery and exercise imagery in healthy older adults are reviewed. Recommendations for integrating the two approaches in future research are made and the potential of imagery use to encourage physical activity in older adults is discussed.

Emotionale Prozesse im Bereich der Planung und Realisierung von Gesundheitshandlungen

Zusammenfassung. In den letzten Jahren wurde in der Motivationspsychologie wiederholt eine mangelnde Einbindung emotionaler Prozesse beklagt. Dies gilt insbesondere auch fur Erklarungsmodelle von Gesundheitsverhalten. Das vorliegende Positionspapier spezifiziert diesen Mangel und zeigt Wege zur starkeren Einbindung emotionaler Prozesse in Modelle und Untersuchungen zum Gesundheitsverhalten auf. Die Betrachtung gangiger Modellvorstellungen zur Erklarung von Gesundheitsaktivitat zeigt, dass Emotionen hier lediglich im Rahmen der Intentionsbildung berucksichtigt werden. Modelle und Theorien der allgemeinen Motivationspsychologie zeigen daruber hinaus erstens Zusammenhange von emotionalen Prozessen zur Fokussierung und Aktivierung einer bereits gebildeten Gesundheitsintention. Zweitens wird der Einfluss von Emotionen auf die Auswahl und Bewertung einer Situation hinsichtlich ihrer Eignung fur die Umsetzbarkeit und Effektivitat der Gesundheitshandlung diskutiert. Drittens werden Emotionen als Bestandteile voli...

Reinvestment – the Cause of the Yips?

The yips is a multi-etiological phenomenon consisting of involuntary movements during the execution of a skill (e.g., a golf putt). Reinvestment, the conscious control of a movement that detrimentally affects automated movements, is thought to be a potential mechanism leading to the yips. Preventing yips-affected golfers from consciously controlling their movement, therefore, should be beneficial. The aim of the study was to be the first to empirically test in a laboratory whether reinvestment causes the yips and to explore if the tendency to reinvest can explain yips behavior. Nineteen yips-affected golfers participated in a lab experiment. They putted with the dominant arm in a skill-focus and an extraneous condition, in which they had to perform different dual tasks designed either to direct their focus on their own skill or to distract them from it. The tendency to reinvest was estimated via the Movement-Specific Reinvestment Scale. Yips behavior was assessed by putting performance and movement variability. Although the dual-task performance showed that the attentional manipulation worked, the tendency to reinvest did not predict the behavior of the yips-affected golfers in either putting condition. The yips-affected golfers also showed no difference in yips behavior between the skill-focus and the extraneous condition. In other words, the attentional manipulation did not change yips behavior. The data do not support the assumption that there is a link between the yips and reinvestment, likely because of the multi-etiological nature of the yips. Other psychological or neurological mechanisms such as conditioned reactions may better explain the yips and should be investigated.

Self-report vs. kinematic screening test: prevalence, demographics, and sports biography of yips-affected golfers

Abstract The yips is considered a task-specific movement disorder. Its estimated prevalence, however, is high compared to similar neurological movement disorders, possibly resulting from previous studies’ restriction of samples based on skill level, and self-report bias. Alternatively, this high prevalence might be an indication of additional aetiologies, for example the influence of previously played racket sports. We estimated the prevalence of the putting yips across the skill range, using self-reports in one study and a screening test in a second study. We explored if previously played sports matter for the development of the yips. In study 1, yips prevalence (N = 1,306) and golfers’ sports biographies (n = 264) were examined via two online surveys, in which golfers indicated if they were yips-affected. In study 2, golfers (N = 186) putted in a standardised putting test while kinematic and performance measures were recorded. Prevalence was estimated via a kinematic threshold. Sports biographies (n = 119) were obtained via an online survey. Prevalence of currently yips-affected golfers was 22.4% in study 1 and 16.7% in study 2. In both studies, more yips-affected than unaffected golfers had experience in playing racket sports. Yips prevalence remained higher than previously estimated prevalence of other movement disorders but decreased when the whole skill range including professionals and novices was considered. Future studies should use the kinematic screening test instead of self-reports to detect the yips and further investigate the influence of previously played racket sports.

Psychological Characteristics in Talented Soccer Players – Recommendations on How to Improve Coaches’ Assessment

Psychological characteristics, including personality traits and psychological skills, have been shown to be relevant predictors of soccer performance. In research, general and sport specific standardized self-report questionnaires have been applied in psychological diagnostics of sports talent. However, with regard to the assessment of psychological characteristics of talented soccer players, a gap between research and practice is apparent. While soccer clubs often ask their coaches to assess their players on self-designed, unevaluated scouting sheets, research widely neglects expert coaches’ and clubs’ perspectives on relevant performance characteristics. As we believe that expert coaches’ assessments could be a valid predictor of a player’s current performance and future success, we provide recommendations on how to improve coaches’ assessment of psychological characteristics. As the quality of the assessment of psychological characteristics is crucial, we provide recommendations on how to ensure the central diagnostic standards: objectivity, reliability, and validity in talent assessment. Further, we argue that assessing psychological characteristics should combine self ratings of players and external ratings of coaches in talent development. Sport psychologists should assist clubs and coaches in improving the diagnostics of psychological characteristics as well as in embedding psychological diagnostics and interventions in the talent development process.

Nonautomated Pre-Performance Routine in Tennis: An Intervention Study

The effect of a nonautomated pre-performance routine (PPR) on performance in a high-pressure situation was investigated. Twenty-nine tennis players served in a low- and high-pressure condition in a pre- and posttest design. The intervention group learned a nonautomated PPR for 4 weeks. Increases in subjective but not objective (i.e., cortisol) levels of stress were detected in the high-pressure conditions. The intervention group showed a significant decrease in performance in the high-pressure condition in the pretest (p =.005) but not posttest (p =.161). Using a nonautomated PPR may benefit athletes who experience a drop in performance in high-pressure situations.