Transfer of improved movement technique after receiving verbal external focus and video instruction

Abstract

PurposeIt is unknown how movement patterns that are learned carry over to the field. The objective was to determine whether training during a jump-landing task would transfer to lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during sidestep cutting.MethodsForty healthy athletes were assigned to the verbal internal focus (IF, n = 10), verbal external focus (EF, n = 10), video (VI, n = 10) or control (CTRL, n = 10) group. A jump-landing task was performed as baseline followed by training blocks (TR1 and TR2) and a post-test. Group-specific instructions were given in TR1 and TR2. In addition, participants in the IF, EF and VI groups were free to ask for feedback after every jump during TR1 and TR2. Retention was tested after 1 week. Transfer of learned skill was determined by having participants perform a 45° unanticipated sidestep cutting task. 3D hip, knee and ankle kinematics and kinetics were the main outcome measures.ResultsDuring sidestep cutting, the VI group showed greater hip flexion ROM compared to the EF and IF groups (p < 0.001). The EF (p < 0.036) and VI (p < 0.004) groups had greater knee flexion ROM compared to the IF group.ConclusionsImproved jump-landing technique carried over to sidestep cutting when stimulating an external attentional focus combined with self-controlled feedback. Transfer to more sport-specific skills may demonstrate potential to reduce injuries on the field. Clinicians and practitioners are encouraged to apply instructions that stimulate an external focus of attention, of which visual instructions seem to be very powerful.Level of evidenceII.

Self‐assessment during Jump Shot Drills Translates to Decreased Vertical Ground Reaction Forces during Single Limb Drop Jump Landing

“…Since internal cues may worsen performance 10 and external cues have been shown to improve kinematics during jump training, perhaps the cues on the task card should focus the athlete's attention externally and not internally. 27,32 For example, keeping the externally focused cues (i.e., land quietly) and changing internally focused to externally focused cues may augment learning to land softly without decreasing jump height performance. 35 Evidence also suggests that twodimensional external cues (i.e., keep markers on knees apart) may help avoid a dynamic limb valgus position.…”

“…First, the significant decrease in vGRF during single limb landings suggests that training athletes to land softly during a single limb task is not required in addition to task training when landing on both limbs. Others 27 have found that movement training during jump landing tasks transferred to cutting tasks. Second, the statistically significant decrease in vGRF impulse over time for the single limb drop jump (i.e., decrease of 0.32 Ns/kg) is likely clinically meaningful as it equates to a 15% difference from pre-to post-intervention (i.e., [{Post vGRF -Pre vGRF}/Pre vGRF] * 100).…”

Targeted Application of Motor Learning Theory to Leverage Youth Neuroplasticity for Enhanced Injury-Resistance and Exercise Performance: OPTIMAL PREP

“…Indeed, relative to enhanced expectancies and autonomy support, the potential benefits of an external focus have received considerably more discussion with respect to ACL injury prevention programs and injury rehabilitation [22,75,76,79,80], yet still have limited support from empirical data, particularly for patients following ACLR. Though a few additional studies have examined the effects of an external focus for improving biomechanics associated with ACL injury risk [23,24,69,184,224,225], to our knowledge only a handful of studies have investigated the effects of an instruction-based external focus for patients rehabilitating from ACLR [5,77]. Notably, other studies have successfully used augmented feedback techniques to improve ACL injury risk biomechanics via visual stimuli presentation of video feedback compared to or in place of verbal, externallyfocused feedback [28,29,67,68,157].…”

“…Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise (2021) 3:[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] …”

The Q-Pass Index: A Multifactorial IMUs-Based Tool to Assess Passing Skills in Basketball

“…In tasks of a closed nature, it is easier to identify the optimal movement technique, taking into account that factors exogenous to the athlete (or environmental factors) play a less important role in the modelling equation [ 17 ]. On the other hand, numerous authors have used an expert model to correct sports technique [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”