Air shooting competition effects on visual skills depending on the sport level

Abstract

Olympic shooting is a sport with high demands of accuracy. Minimal visual errors could be related to performance losses. However, not all visual skills have been studied in depth in this sport. The main objectives of this study were to compare differences in shooters' visual skills by level and to analyze the competition effect on them. Sixty-six participants were distributed in three groups (non-athletes, elite and non-elite). Eleven visual variables were tested in four skills groups (visual acuity, heterophoria, accommodation functions and other visual skills). The data were collected through a pre-and post-competition simulation test. The results of the study showed differences between groups by shooting sport level. In general, shooters had higher visual acuity values than non-athletes p < .001 with large size effects (d between 1.01 and 2.35), and elite shooters presented higher values of accommodation than non-elite shooters p < .05 with large size effects (d between 0.88 and 0.97). Furthermore, different visual skills were modified after competition depending on the shooting level. Specifically, visual accommodation skills were only improved in elite shooters. Finally, our study suggests that elite shooters employ different visual strategies or skills to non-elite shooters and that shooting activity is closely related to some specific visual skills. This aspect should be considered by coaches in the design of optimal visual trainings and improve the shooters' performance. Highlights:. Shooters showed better acuity skills than non-athletes.. Shooting activity seems to improve visual acuity skills, binocular visual time and eye-hand coordination in non-elite shooters, and accommodation and eye-hand coordination in elite shooters immediately after the competition simulation. . Elite shooters employ different visual strategies or skills to non-elite shooters.. Non-dominant eye occlusion may benefit binocular vision recovery by inhibiting aiming action and the use of accommodative flexibility could be related to the QE during the shot.

Optoelectronic analysis of technical factors and performance of elite-level air pistol shooting

“…Interestingly, stability of hold does not seem to be a determining factor of the score but could be a general prerequisite to achieving high levels of performance. Compared with previous literature, the variance explained in our results could suggest differences in the shooting technical strategies [ 10 , 28 ] and skills [ 29 ] between shooter levels and modalities. Last, the results of this study could be used by coaches to compare data and elaborate specific training programmes to their air pistol shooters.…”

“…Additionally, the elite-level shooter performance (points per shot) in previous studies 9.7 [ 10 ], 9.39 (12) or 9.7 [ 7 ] was lower than that in our study (10.08). This fact could provide another possible explanation for the result differences, suggesting diverse shooting technical strategies [ 10 , 28 ] and the use of different skills in elite-level shooters [ 29 ].…”

Ironic processes of concentration and suppression under pressure: A study on rifle shooting in Norwegian elite biathletes

“…68 11.1.2 | Insights on expertise The participants' cognitive processing efficacy, even when confronted with multiple demands, may be attributed to the observed decrease in ironic error hit rates in Experiment 2. 8,69 Furthermore, elite performers usually demonstrate refined cognitive and motor processing efficiency, 70 including the ability to inhibit task-irrelevant information, 71,72 maintain selective functional activation of task-relevant cues such as visual search patterns, [73][74][75][76] and attain a higher degree of automaticity. 77 As such, they are less susceptible to distractions owing to their increased attentional resources to manage high situational demands and secondary task loading than novices.…”

Formation of Motor Skills in Athletes in Bullet Shooting at the Initial Stage of Training

“…The available scientific and methodological literature does not take into account the modern nature and approaches to the training of young shooters through the formation of motor skills, which are the basis of sports techniques. There are no methodological recommendations for technical training of athletes in shooting at the beginning of a sports career, which creates a mismatch between the use of tools and methods for effective training of shooters, quality formation of motor skills and scientific explanation of basic psycho-physiological mechanisms of their use (Kalynichenko & Lopatiev, 2012;Mon-López & Tejero-González, 2019;Mon-López et al, 2021;Park et al, 2019).…”