Optimizing Bowling Performance

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2020

Publication Title

Journal of Motor Learning and Development

Volume

8

Issue

2

First page number:

233

Last page number:

244

Abstract

The present study examined the influence on motor performance of key variables described in the OPTIMAL (Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning) theory of motor learning: enhanced expectancies for future performance, autonomy support, and an external focus. Participants performed a nine-pin bowling task. In the optimized group, enhanced expectancies, autonomy support, and an external focus were implemented on three successive blocks of 12 trials. In the control group, participants performed all trials under “neutral” conditions. The optimized group outperformed the control group on all blocks. The findings corroborate the importance of key variables in the OPTIMAL theory by demonstrating immediate benefits of their implementation for motor performance.

Keywords

Autonomy support; Enhanced expectancies; External focus; Motor performance

Disciplines

Kinesiology | Life Sciences | Motor Control

Language

English

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