Gal Ziv – författare

In practice settings, competitions, and games, athletes are often required to perform an arsenal of motor tasks in dynamic and challenged sporting environments, where they have to respond without having enough time to prepare themselves for the act. However, in many sport activities athletes also perform closed self-paced motor tasks – tasks that take place in a relatively stable and predictable environment, where there is adequate time to prepare for their execution. Among these tasks are free-throw shots in basketball, putting in golf, serving in tennis, and bowling.

In these tasks, performers are able to plan their actions in advance. They can activate a plan, a strategy, a protocol, or a procedure – what we term a ritual behavior. Effective rituals are usually achieved with a high degree of consistency. That is, either deliberately or subconsciously they become an integral part of the act itself. The Psychology of Closed Self-Paced Motor Tasks in Sports explores those plans, procedures, protocols, strategies, and techniques that aim at facilitating the performance and learning of closed self-paced motor tasks. Included in the instructional-psychological routines discussed in this book are pre-performance routines, focusing attention, motor imagery, enhanced expectancies, autonomy support, gaze strategies, self-talk, and periodization.

The routines discussed in the book are evidence-based. Based on updated reviews of laboratory and field inquiries on the discussed instructional-psychological routines, practical implications are given for those professionals who teach closed self-paced motor tasks, including coaches, instructors, and sport psychology consultants.

In practice settings, competitions, and games, athletes are often required to perform an arsenal of motor tasks in dynamic and challenged sporting environments, where they have to respond without having enough time to prepare themselves for the act. However, in many sport activities athletes also perform closed self-paced motor tasks – tasks that take place in a relatively stable and predictable environment, where there is adequate time to prepare for their execution. Among these tasks are free-throw shots in basketball, putting in golf, serving in tennis, and bowling.

In these tasks, performers are able to plan their actions in advance. They can activate a plan, a strategy, a protocol, or a procedure – what we term a ritual behavior. Effective rituals are usually achieved with a high degree of consistency. That is, either deliberately or subconsciously they become an integral part of the act itself. The Psychology of Closed Self-Paced Motor Tasks in Sports explores those plans, procedures, protocols, strategies, and techniques that aim at facilitating the performance and learning of closed self-paced motor tasks. Included in the instructional-psychological routines discussed in this book are pre-performance routines, focusing attention, motor imagery, enhanced expectancies, autonomy support, gaze strategies, self-talk, and periodization.

The routines discussed in the book are evidence-based. Based on updated reviews of laboratory and field inquiries on the discussed instructional-psychological routines, practical implications are given for those professionals who teach closed self-paced motor tasks, including coaches, instructors, and sport psychology consultants.

Gaze and Visual Perception in Sport is the first book that explores various aspects of gaze and visual perception in sport.

The way athletes control their gaze and their ability to extract relevant information from the environment is important for their ability to perform sport-related motor tasks. Whether it is closed, self-paced targeting tasks such as the basketball free-throw shot, or a more dynamic task such as overtaking a race car on track, the visual system will play a large role in the athletes'' ability to achieve a high level of proficiency. As eye-tracking systems become available at reasonable prices, the effect of gaze control and visual perception on sport-related motor performance becomes more relevant in both research and professional contexts. Focused on evidenced-based theoretical and practical applications of gaze strategies related to expert performance in sport, this cutting-edge edited book brings together the multi-faceted implementation of gaze behavior and visual attention in sport, from both the empirical and applied perspectives.

This state-of-the-art summary of the evidence-based, as well knowledge through to applied practice, will be key reading for all elite athletes as well as elite sport psychology consultants, coaches, and instructors.