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Application of an automated precue projection system to improve the capacity for anticipation in female volleyball players
Abstract
This study aimed to ascertain the efficiency of the system presented and verify whether the training applied improves the anticipation capacities of eight female volleyball players. A quasi-experimental factorial intra-group design was applied with a pre-test, two weeks of treatment, a post-test and a re-test. The independent variable was training based on the contribution of initial data in the form of the opponent's precues. The dependent variables consisted in logging the participants' responses when choosing to block. The results obtained showed an improvement in the participants' response times and a high percentage of success under these experimental conditions. The volleyball players better anticipated attack times placed behind the setter. The results obtained allow the automated system described to be considered a useful tool for sports research.
The purpose of this study was to analyze decision making in a volleyball block situation, based on the actions of the setter. The sample was composed by 40 female volleyball players (24.0 ± 4.9 years), that were federated and had a role in blocking actions during the game. decision making in blocks was analyzed, using video sequences projected in a real scale. According to their skill level, the participants were classified into an elite group (n = 10), composed of the players of the spanish national women's volleyball team, and an amateur one (n = 30), with non-professional players from women's First and second spanish division. The setting sequences that the participants watched were in consonance with their skill level, so that every group saw the same number of setting sequences, made by two different players, of the same competitive level. A comparison between success rates in both groups in the different types of settings was performed. No significant differences were found in success between both groups, although significant differences were detected after considering the data, as well as an effect size over the average value. These differences in the means of success variables may be important from a practical point of view, inasmuch as translated to the playing ground would imply a higher success. Besides, a high positive correlation between success variables was found, which points out a trend to failure or success independently of the setting zone. These results can be the basis so as to carry out intervention programs to improve decision making in this specific action.
This study analyses setting movements in volleyball to identify body cues that help predict where the ball will be set. We examined a total of 36 randomly chosen setting actions by two setters from the highest category of this sport in Spain, who were members of the national junior and senior teams. This choice ensured that the movements were representative of highly experienced players and players who approached this level of expertise. A descriptive design was used with kinematic analysis and photogrammetric techniques. The data allowed us to relate the size of body angles and the lengths of different body segments to different setting tactics. The results show that of all variables analysed here, the size of both the shoulder angle and most of the horizontal segments were the parameters that best reflected how the ball was going to be set.
34 beginning and 16 intermediate players were required to view film clips which showed a player serving. The film was edited so the subject would see only a limited part of the service motion and/or ball flight. The four restricted viewing conditions were as follows: 10 msec, before contact (Prior), 0 msec. (Contact), 15 msec, after contact (Immediate), and 30 msec. after contact (Flight). Based on the limited visual information, the subject indicated on a specially designed score sheet the position in which the serve landed in the deuce service court (both latitude and longitude). Analyses of variance for mean percent correct responses indicated that intermediate players were significantly more successful in plotting the latitude of the ball's position than were the beginners. Longer viewing times significantly improved both groups' ability to predict the terminal location of the ball.
El presente trabajo aborda el estudio de la influencia del tamaño de imagen en una situación de videoproyección en laboratorio, reproduciendo la acción de resto al servicio en tenis. Los tenistas analizados observaron dos secuencias de 24 servicios, dirigidos a la esquina y a la cruz del cuadro de servicio, cada una de ellas con un tamaño de
imagen distinto. El primer tamaño mostraba el jugador al servicio con un tamaño similar a la realidad, mientras que el segundo lo mostraba aumentado. Los resultados muestran como, en fases iniciales del gesto, los jugadores prestan más atención sobre regiones del miembro superior (cabeza y brazo auxiliar), para realizar seguidamente un seguimiento de la trayectoria de la bola. El análisis de varianza muestra como algunas localizaciones (cabeza y raqueta) reciben más atención con un tamaño mayor de imagen, debido a la mayor claridad y cantidad de información que dispone el sujeto al resto en tales circunstancias. De esta manera, el estudio del comportamiento visual de deportistas en situaciones simuladas de laboratorio debería llevarse a cabo con un tamaño de la imagen similar a la realidad.
Examined 12 experienced and 12 novice volleyball players' ability to detect and use information from advance visual sources. The availability of information from such advance sources for a variety of offensive volleyball plays was also examined. Ss viewed film sequences simulating offensive attack patterns by a defensive backcourt player preparing to intercept an impending spike. Sequences were presented before and after the offensive setter's initial contact with the ball. The time period of 167 msec before and after setter contact was a rich source of usable information to the experienced S but was not used by the novice. The availability of visual cues at specific stages of the temporal sequencing depended on the type of offensive play being executed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
It is hypothesized that live playing situations preceding an opponent's strokes in tennis have sufficient significance to provide expert players with anticipative cues to estimate accurately the spatiotemporal characteristics of oncoming ball trajectories. Seven participants (all expert tennis players) had to watch two players opposed in high, moderate, and low tactical significance situations terminated by a stroke delivered by one of the two players in the direction of the participants. The participants' vision was occluded 100 ms after the stroke, and they had to indicate the zone reached by the ball at the moment of its rebound. Results showed that the essential anticipative information is contained in the view of the opponent's stroke movements, whatever the tactical significance of the situation.
We used a novel methodological approach to examine skill-based differences in anticipation and visual search behaviour during the penalty kick in soccer. Expert and novice goalkeepers were required to move a joystick in response to penalty kicks presented on film. The proportion of penalties saved was assessed, as well as the frequency and time of initiation of joystick corrections. Visual search behaviour was examined using an eye movement registration system. Expert goalkeepers were generally more accurate in predicting the direction of the penalty kick, waited longer before initiating a response and made fewer corrective movements with the joystick. The expert goalkeepers used a more efficient search strategy involving fewer fixations of longer duration to less disparate areas of the display. The novices spent longer fixating on the trunk, arms and hips, whereas the experts found the kicking leg, non-kicking leg and ball areas to be more informative, particularly as the moment of foot-ball contact approached. No differences in visual search behaviour were observed between successful and unsuccessful penalties. The results have implications for improving anticipation skill at penalty kicks.
The present study consists of two clearly different parts. In the first the aim has been to develop an automatic system to stimulate situations in the game enabling them to be studied in conditions closer to reality. In the second part we have applied this system in order both to test its efficiency and to obtain records of three dependent variables: reaction time, accuracy/ error in the choice of response and the precision of the pass. We also analyse the possible effect on these three parameters of the visual angle between the subject and the position where the stimulus is shown. We have chosen an intrasubject design alternating the subjects A-B-A with seven replications. All the subjects were volunteers, male students of the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences of the University of Granada. The experiment was carried out in seven sessions, consisting of three blocks of twelve tests, as well as a general warm-up and a block of five tests. The results show that the automatic system developed with the means available can be considered effective for the study of the basketball player's behavioural variables. A tendency to improve the three basic parameters studied was also observed, with precision improving least, basically due to the type of feedback used. Finally the visual angle (position of the stimulus) had a clear effect on the three variables.
The objective of this work is to study the various pre-cues which would allow us to develop some kind of anticipatory technique. For this purpose we have selected a service technique and analyzed the possible variables based on the area towards which the ball is hit. A professional 18 year-old tennis player was selected to analyze the topspin serve. A biomechanical analysis by means of three-dimensional cinematic techniques was applied to determine the characteristics of the stroke in order to identify the trajectories of the different parts of the body or the speed they reach at different points. Three indexes have been pointed out which have proven to be significantly different in strokes to the right and to the left. These indexes are: the trajectory of the ball prior to the hit, the movement on the "Z" axis of the edge of the racket and the angle of the shoulders prior to the hit.
In this article, the application of a computerized simulation system developed to train the player to anticipate the return of the service in tennis is presented. The study is based on cueing techniques. Six tennis players were trained following the cues exhibited by a professional tennis player. Improving their responses to cues significantly decreased their reaction times. The results indicate improvement in anticipation strategies in the subjects after the protocol.
Using a kinematic analysis, perceptual cues were studied through observing the ball toss in tennis serves in order to facilitate the receiver's anticipated response. Eight female professionals (m = 67.13, SD = 29.38 WTA ranking) participated in the study during an official competition. The main result of the multivariate analysis, which involved twelve space and time variables, revealed a relationship between ball tossing and the depth of the serve. The quantitative values obtained were: R = .917 y R2= .840 (F(9, 96,) = 56.007, p <.000), with β = 1.040 (p < .001) for the times in which the player released the ball. This specific result underscores the relevance of the concept of "perceptual cues" to achieve faster and more accurate responses in tennis and also in other sports in which it is possible to study the opponent.
The objective of this study was to investigate the detection of movement cues indicating whether soccer goalkeepers would dive to the right or the left during penalty kicks. Two-dimensional kinematic analysis of the videotapes and Sport Radar Stalker recordings were used to identify movements of different parts of the body before the kick, and take-off speed of the kicked ball. The AA. found two variables that differed significantly and that predicted the direction of the goalkeeper's movement toward the right or left before the ball was kicked. These variables were, in order of reliability, angle of knee extension greater than 150°, which predicted movement of the goalkeeper toward the side opposite to the knee, and angle of knee flexion less than 100°, which predicted movement of the goalkeeper toward the same side as the knee. Except for the greater stability of movement prior to kicking in professional goalkeepers, no other significant differences were found in movement patterns in anticipation of the penalty kick between professional and amateur goalkeepers.
The aim of the study was to verify what was the influence of intelligence in the terminal phases of information processing. Thirty two individual (18 to 45 years) with qualification between 9th to 12th grade of intelligence were studied, The obtained results allow to the Authors to conclude that intelligence does not influence the motor programming phase but influence the response's selection phase.
Discusses the potential for training perception and cognition in sport through video simulation of game situations. The paper reviews perceptual training studies and data from studies involving slide and video training in basketball. Issues that arise when creating simulations and assessment of transfer are discussed. (SM)
Describes a series of experiments conducted on the racquet sports of badminton and squash to determine the location of the advance cues that provide critical anticipatory information and to document any expert–novice differences in anticipatory cue usage. Data suggest movement of the arm and racquet and outward flight of the struck ball (or shuttle) as the source of the critical cues for racquet sports, and a close match was found between the visual search sequence and the proximal-to-distal kinematic development of the opponent's stroke. Expert racquet sport players differed from novices in terms of their ability to use the earlier occurring, more proximal arm cues as a basis for predicting resultant stroke speed and direction, but these differences in information pick-up were not matched by differences in visual search strategy. (French, Spanish, German & Italian abstracts) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Investigated whether video-based perceptual training would improve beginning tennis players' return of serve via an interactive video simulation. 24 novice tennis player' were randomly assigned with consideration given to the constraint of gender, to either a video-based perceptual training group, a placebo training group or a control group. Eight training sessions of 15 min duration were conducted over a 4 wk training period between the pre and post testing. The participants decision-making time(s) and directional accuracy (movement direction) were measured. The results of an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the perceptual training group were significantly faster than the placebo and control groups at deciding upon an appropriate response. There was no significant difference between the training groups with respect to directional accuracy. These results are discussed in relation to possible advantages of perceptual training and methodological considerations for future perceptual training research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Analyzes the relationship between the sensorimotor and the semantic visual function in sport and considers how understanding and acting cooperate. Athletes' visual behavior (recorded by a video-oculographic technique) and motor behavior (recorded by video or rapid cinematography) in 2 characteristic open activities are studied. Table tennis is an activity in which the opponent both manipulates the uncertainty and imposes the time pressure externally. Rock climbing is an activity in which the uncertainty is conveyed by the physical environment and the time is self-paced. Different levels of processing are identified, then a general model describing the understanding–acting process in sport is presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The effect of both the availability and the quality of visual cues preceding stick-puck contact was investigated for an ice hockey goaltending task. Thirty-four young (15.8 years) goaltenders observed filmed sequences of a hockey player approaching the net and directing a shot to one of the four corners. The film sequences were edited so that 2, 4 or 8 images were occluded prior to the impact of the stick with the puck, reflecting durations of 1/12, 1/6, 1/3 of a second, respectively. The subjects' performances for both the wrist and the slap shot were measured as well as the level of response confidence in both the horizontal and vertical planes. The results indicated that performance precision was aided by the increased availability of pre-shot visual cues. It was also evident that the wrist shot provided more cues for the goaltender than did the slap shot. Performances were found to be superior in the horizontal as compared to the vertical plane. In all dimensions, the subjects' perceptions of their success closely followed the actual performance patterns. It appeared that information that could facilitate anticipation in this goaltending task was both available and useable during the period that precedes the shot.
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the reaction times (RTs) and anticipation of karate athletes. In Experiment 1, choice RTs and simple RTs were measured with two types of stimuli. One was videotaped scenes of opponent's offensive actions, which simulated the athletes' view in real situations, and the other was static filled circles, or dots. In the choice RT task, participants were required to indicate as soon as possible whether the offensive actions would be aimed at the upper or middle level of their body, or the dot was presented either at a higher or a lower position. In the simple RT task, they were required to respond as soon as possible when the offensive action started from a static display of the opponent's ready stance, or a dot appeared on the display. The results showed significant differences between the karate athletes and the novices in the choice RT task, the difference being more marked for the video stimuli than for the dot stimuli. There was no significant difference in simple RT between the two groups of participants, for either type of stimuli. In Experiment 2, the proportions of correct responses (PCRs) were measured for video stimuli which were cut off at the seventh frame from the onset of the opponent's offensive action. The athletes yielded significantly higher PCRs than the novices. Collectively the results of the two experiments demonstrate the superior anticipatory skills of karate athletes regarding the target area of an opponent's attack (Scott, Williams, & Davids, Studies in perception and action II: Posters presented at the VIIth International conference on Event Perception and Action, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ, 1993, p. 217; Wiiliams & Elliot, Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology 21 (1999) 362), together with their advantage over novices in non-specific sensory functions (e.g., vertical discrimination).
We examined the effectiveness of different cueing conditions during observational learning of a soccer accuracy pass. Sixty participants (30 males, 30 females) were randomly assigned and stratified by sex into one of six groups: discovery learning, verbal instruction, video model with visual cues, video model with verbal cues, video model with visual and verbal cues, and video model only. Each participant completed eight blocks of 10 trials each, with trial blocks 1 and 2 representing the practice phase (no manipulation), trial blocks 3, 4, 5 and 6 the acquisition phase (manipulation administered) and trial blocks 7 and 8 the retention phase (24 h after acquisition, with no manipulation). Absolute error, variable error and kicking form were recorded. The results indicated that those who used video modelling with visual and verbal cues collectively displayed less error and more appropriate form across acquisition and retention trial blocks compared with other groups. Our findings suggest that verbal information in addition to visual cues enhances perceptual representation and retention of modelled activities to improve task reproduction capabilities. Future research directions are proposed with implications for both direct and indirect perception accounts of skill acquisition through observed behaviours.