The quiet eye supports error recovery in golf putting

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to further examine the relationship between the Quiet eye (QE, Vickers, 1996) and performance. We aimed to scrutinise the relationship between QE and shot outcome and replicate the robust relationship between QE and expertise. Based on recent findings (Cooke et al., 2015) showing that motor planning is dependent upon the outcome of a previous attempt, we wanted to examine the influence of prior performance on the functionality of the QE. Design: We performed a 2 (expertise) x 2 (outcome) mixed design study. Participants performed golf putts until they had achieved 5 successful (hits) and 5 unsuccessful (misses) attempts. Methods: 18 experienced and 21 novice golfers participated in the study. Putts were taken from ten feet while wearing a mobile eye tracker. Results: Experienced golfers had consistently longer QE durations than novices but there was no difference in QE between randomly chosen hits and misses. However, QE durations were significantly longer on hits directly following a miss, but significantly shorter on misses following a miss. Conclusions: This is the first study to have examined QE duration as a consequence of prior performance. Our findings highlight the important role of QE in recovering from an error and improving performance. The findings add further support for the response programming function of the QE, as additional 'programming' was needed to recover from an error. Findings also highlight the potential for a link between QE and the allocation of attentional resources to the task (effort).

The quiet eye effect: A test of the visual and postural-kinematic hypotheses.

“…As expected, larger thresholds yielded 3 longer quiet eye durations, in line with the findings reported in a previous multiple-threshold EOG 4 study . Moreover, these quiet eye durations are consistent with those obtained 5 using camera-based eye tracking in a similar sample (e.g., Walters-Symons, Wilson, & Vine, 2017).…”

“…In the case of golf putting, the quiet eye period has been defined as the duration of the final ocular fixation on the ball, with onset prior to the initiation of the swing movement and offset when the gaze deviates from the ball, potentially even after putter-ball impact (Vickers, 2007). Longer quiet eye durations have been reported for experienced versus novice golfers (Walters-Symons, Wilson, & Vine, 2017) and for holed versus missed putts in experienced golfers (Wilson & Pearcy, 2009).…”

To err again is human: exploring a bidirectional relationship between pressure and performance failure feedback

“…Two noteworthy examples of experimental studies that could guide future research, were carried out by Gray and Allsop (2013) and Walters-Symons, Wilson, and Vine (2017). Gray and Allsop (2013) found that pressurized performance in a baseball batting task was influenced by previous performance, and could be mediated by changes in attentional focus (as measured by secondary task performance).…”

Assessing ocular activity during performance of motor skills using electrooculography

“…A compelling body of literature has reported that experts show longer quiet eye durations than novices for a variety of motor skills, ranging from precision sports to surgery (for reviews, see Gonzalez et al, ; Rienhoff, Tirp, Strauß, Baker, & Schorer, ; Vickers, ; Wilson, Causer, & Vickers, ; for meta‐analyses, see Lebeau et al, ; Mann, Williams, Ward, & Janelle, ). For instance, Walters‐Symons, Wilson, and Vine () tested 18 experienced golfers (mean handicap 5.7) and 21 novices (no formal handicap), as they putted balls to a 10‐ft (i.e., 3‐m) distant hole. They found that the experienced golfers had longer quiet eye durations ( M = 1.9 s) than the novices ( M = 1.2 s).…”