Visual Strategies

Damien Lafont

[email protected]

A.S.Montferrand Tennis

© A

FP

Denver 2008

Plan

Sport, vision and perceptionSport, vision and perception

Visual strategiesVisual strategies

Interaction visual strategies & Interaction visual strategies & mental : the mental : the tennis tennis exampleexample

PerspectivesPerspectives

Damien Lafont Denver 2008

Damien Lafont

Sport, vision and Sport, vision and perceptionperception

Vision : important parameterVision : important parameter

Empirical methodsEmpirical methods

Confidential methodsConfidential methods

In development …In development …

Denver 2008

Damien Lafont

VisualVisual training training Static and dynamic acuityStatic and dynamic acuity

Contrast sensitivityContrast sensitivity

Ocular movements (mobility)Ocular movements (mobility)

AccommodationAccommodation

Coordination : convergence et Coordination : convergence et divergencedivergence

Denver 2008

Damien Lafont

PerceptualPerceptual training training Visual attentionVisual attention

Attentional partageAttentional partage

MemoryMemory

Multisensorial integrationMultisensorial integration


Denver 2008

PerceptualPerceptual training training

Peripheral visionPeripheral vision

Eye / hand coordinationEye / hand coordination

Reaction TimeReaction Time



AcuVisionAcuVision

Damien Lafont

DynaVisionDynaVision Wayne Wayne Peripheral Peripheral Awareness Awareness TrainerTrainer

SVTSVT

Denver 2008


MMethodsethods Visual Performance Visual Fitness TMK Slow Down the Game Dynamic Edge EyeCoach EyeBall



EyeBallEyeBall – Sherylle Calder – Sherylle CalderImproving performance through increased Improving performance through increased perceptionperception

see better, faster, at the best moment, at the best place see better, faster, at the best moment, at the best place

Methods on field « homeworks »

Results ? Rugby, Hockey

Damien Lafonthttp://www.sportsvisionmagazine.com

Denver 2008


DecisionDecision

What to see and When?What to see and When? Identify the best strategiesIdentify the best strategies

Laboratory

On fieldOn field

Gaze controlGaze controlDamien Lafont Denver 2008

Damien Lafont

GazeGaze Stability (100 ms)

fixation tracking

Instability saccades

Optimal control depends on the task (interceptive …)

Identify the control strategiesIdentify the control strategiesDenver 2008

Damien Lafont

Visual strategiesVisual strategies « Vision in Action »« Vision in Action »

Recording what the athletes see

Denver 2008

Damien Lafont


Denver 2008

Damien Lafont

Visual strategiesVisual strategies Identified visual strategies in sport: Identified visual strategies in sport:

BasketballBasketball GolfGolf VolleyballVolleyball Table tennisTable tennis HockeyHockey

Denver 2008

Damien Lafont

Visual strategies: Visual strategies: Example of the hitting phase in Example of the hitting phase in tennistennis

Usual model

Observations

Mental effectsMental effects

Denver 2008

Damien Lafont

Visual strategies - Visual strategies - TennisTennis

Between points, games and setsBetween points, games and sets Routines Ocular movements

Girod (1997), PNL

Return of serveReturn of serve The most relevant cues (anticipation)

During the stroke execution?During the stroke execution?

Denver 2008

Visual strategies - Tennis

Current model: Current model:

« Watch the ball ! »« Watch the ball ! »The player must try to always watch the ball The player must try to always watch the ball

≠ ≠ OBSERVATIONSOBSERVATIONS



© Advantage Tennis - McCarron

Damien Lafont


Denver 2008


Damien Lafont


Denver 2008

Forehand / Post-impact



Visual strategies - TennisFederer shows a specific gaze control (eye Federer shows a specific gaze control (eye

& head) during the hitting phase :& head) during the hitting phase :

Fixation on the contact zone at on the contact zone at impactimpact

Fixation on the contact zone during on the contact zone during the follow-throughthe follow-through

Unique signature ?Unique signature ?Damien Lafont Denver 2008

Photo analysis

DataData + 9000 photos + 9000 photos

ATP & WTA tournaments – Top 100ATP & WTA tournaments – Top 100 Hitting phase: Impact and post-impactHitting phase: Impact and post-impact Groundstrokes: backhand & forehandGroundstrokes: backhand & forehand

Advantage Tennis - Mike McCarronPablo SanfranciscoVandystadtAFPReutersAssociated PressGetty Images


3 profiles Fixation in backhand Fixation in backhand AND in forehandin forehand« Total fixation »

Fixation in backhand Fixation in backhand OR in forehand in forehand or by intermittencyor by intermittency

« Partial fixation »

No fixationNo fixation


« Fog zone » Different head positionsDifferent head positions Different gaze orientations Different gaze orientations

« No fixation »


« Partial fixation »

© Getty Images


« Total fixation »

Damien Lafont

© AP

Denver 2008

Total fxation : 10 playersPartial fixation : 35 playersNo fixation

ATP - Top 100ATP ranking 8/20/2007

1. Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Davydenko, Roddick, Blake, Gonzalez, Robredo, Berdych, Haas, Youzhny, Ljubicic, Gasquet, Canas, Ferrer, Hewitt, Moya, Baghdatis, Murray, Chela, Ferrero, Mathieu, Monaco, Nalbandian, Safin, Nieminen, Tursunov, Almagro, Volandri, Soderling, Starace, Melzer, Karlovic, Stepanek, Verdasco, Hrbaty, Ancic, Kohlschreiber, Andreev, Simon, Clement, Lee, Santoro, Monfils, Gicquel, Montanes, Querrey, Calleri, Becker, Fish, Tipsarevic, Mayer, Hernandez, Eschauer, Rochus, Malisse, Wawrinka, Bjorkman, Del Potro, Massu, Llodra, Lopez, Benneteau, Spadea, Koubek, Ginepri, Russell, Dancevic, Acasuso, Mahut, Delic, Johansson, Vassallo Arguello, Tsonga, Hartfield, Berlocq, Seppi, Roitman, Grosjean, Lapentti, Korolev, Vliegen, Zabaleta, Berrer, Garcia-Lopez, Horna, Bolelli, Guccione, Gulbis, Serra, Luczak, Henman, Kunitsyn, Gabashvili, Haase, Goldstein, Pavel, Pless, Navarro Pastor, Zverev.


A new model ?

Damien Lafont

The best players :

Seem to follow the ball longer

Fix the contact zone after the impact

Switch from the ball to the contact zoneSwitch from the ball to the contact zone

BALLBALL CONTACT ZONECONTACT ZONE

Denver 2008

Fixation on the contact zone : The consequences

Biomechanical benefits Visual and cognitive benefits Mental benefits



What the coaches tell usWhat the coaches tell usVic Braden (1977, 1993)Vic Braden (1977, 1993)

During the hitting phase, the player should During the hitting phase, the player should avoid moving his head to see where the ball avoid moving his head to see where the ball is goingis going

Scott Ford (1984, 2002)Scott Ford (1984, 2002) Focus on the contact zone would favour Focus on the contact zone would favour « flow » states, therefore optimal performance« flow » states, therefore optimal performance


Damien Lafont

Visual strategies - Visual strategies - TennisTennis« Fixation » on the contact zone : « Fixation » on the contact zone :

the mental effectsthe mental effects

ConcentrationConcentration ControlControl StressStress

Denver 2008

Psychology

Damien Lafont

Focus on the ball

« Outcome » focus lack of control

Focuson the

contact zone

ConcentrationPresentControlConfidence

« Flow »&

« Zone »

TESTS & QUESTIONNAIRESOMSAT-3, T-TAIS

Denver 2008

EffectsMesurements Mesurements

EEG – Vickers et Crews (2002)EEG – Vickers et Crews (2002) Golf – brain activation and gaze controlGolf – brain activation and gaze control


PerspectivesTraining and learning methods of visual Training and learning methods of visual

strategies in tennisstrategies in tennis AnticipationAnticipation During movement executionDuring movement execution DrillsDrills

Level of expertiseLevel of expertise

Improving performanceImproving performance


PerspectivesTraining Training

GolfGolf BaseballBaseball CricketCricket SoccerSoccer RugbyRugby


References

Lafont, D. (2008). Six good reasons to keep your eyes off the ball, ITF Coaching and Sport Science Review, 44.

Lafont, D. (2008). Gaze control during the hitting phase in tennis: a preliminary study, IJPAS, 8(3), 85-100.

• Lafont, D. (2008). From the ball to the contact zone: Evidence of visual referential switch among elite tennis players, Le tennis dans la société de demain, Dijon, France, April 2008.

Lafont, D. (2007). High-speed photo analysis of top players’ gaze behaviour, Tennis Science and Technology 3, ITF publication, London, 227-233.

Lafont, D. (2007). Towards a new hitting model in tennis, International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 7(3), 104-114.

Lafont, D. (2007). Watch the ball? ITF Coaching and Sport Science Review, 43, p.11.

Denver 2008

Documents

Visual Strategies