The ability to anticipate the action of one’s opponent, when practicing a sport, is a determining factor in performance.
We are talking here, for example, of intercepting a ball (a ball or a shuttlecock) or avoiding an opponent. These actions, which result directly from anticipation, are essential and characteristic of the best sportsmen. The latter thus respond more quickly and more accurately to the situations they face.
Postdoctoral researcher in sports science at Imaging and Orthopedics Research Laboratory from ÉTS andNational Institute of Sport of Quebecmy research focuses on anticipation and decision-making in sport, in real and virtual conditions.
The importance of anticipation in sport
Anticipation can be defined as a judgment of recognition of an action performed by an adversary before it is performed. Thus, the difficulty in anticipating lies in the fact that at first sight, no movement information allows us to understand what is going to happen.
Anticipation can also be defined as the ability to intercept a moving object in sport, by guessing where and when the object will arrive. We then speak of“anticipation-coincidence”. This object can be a ball (a ball or a shuttlecock), but also an opponent’s kick.
These two definitions can be complementary and show all the mechanisms necessary to anticipate in a dynamic context such as sport: reading one’s environment, predicting events and putting one’s body into action to respond to events.
(Shutterstock)
Not all sports have anticipation as a determinant of performance. Anticipation does not seem to be decisive for the practice of running or archery, for example. The interest of understanding anticipation in team, duel and racket sports is all the more important since the environments are constantly modified and uncertain with the presence of time pressure (movement of partner/opponent players and of the ball/ball /flying).
The measure of anticipation
Addressing the measurement of anticipation helps to understand the factors that define it. This judgment involves several determinants. As part of my thesis au Sport, Expertise, Performance laboratory of INSEP at Paris Cité University, I identified four major determinants of anticipation. The measures were carried out in the field, in order to be as close as possible to the reality of practice, from glasses eye-tracker (eye tracking), to record eye movement, and a camcorder, to record motor actions.
(Shutterstock)
Motor behaviors. Anticipation is largely measured by reaction times, which is the time between the start of an event and when you react to that event. At this reaction time, it is interesting to consider motor behaviors in response to events. For example, in racquet sports, these behaviors can be the resumption of support (start where the two feet are not in contact with the ground) then the shots made; in combat sports, these behaviors can be avoidance or the blow carried out in response to the event. Thus, anticipation is linked to the performance achieved.
visual behaviors. Anticipation is possible thanks to visual processes that make it possible to look at one’s environment and to collect the information deemed relevant by the athlete. This information may relate to opponents, partners or the object to be intercepted.
Visual attention. It allows you to focus on an element of your choice. Without the visual attention on elements of his environment, the athlete could not collect information allowing him to anticipate.
Context information. This information refers, among other things, to the score, the position of the players on the field and the knowledge that the athlete has about his opponents and about the sport. They are dynamic, that is to say in continual change during a match or a fight.
Shutterstock
The anticipation of the great champions
We often hear that great champions are better at anticipating. Among the determinants explained above, what characterizes great champions?
Motor behaviors. Athletes are able to respond more quickly and more accurately to the situation encountered. However, he has recently It was shown that athletes could take longer to respond, allowing them to take in more information about the situation. These different behaviors depend on the situations encountered, in particular whether they are specific to the athlete’s area of expertise or not.
visual behaviors. Athletes develop visual strategies, that is, they look at particular places in their environment. These places, also called areas of interest, are specific to each sport. For example, in combat sportathletes inhomogeneously alternate their gaze on different parts of their opponent’s body.
Attention. Athletes are able to use their peripheral vision from anchor points, allowing in particular to reduce the blows related to the movement of the gaze. They modulate this attention during a game.
Context information. Through their experience in terms of years, time and conditions of practice, the athletes have developed knowledge about their sport, the situations encountered and their opponents (for example, their favorite shots). All this knowledge allows athletes to anticipate the behaviors performed by their opponents.
The impact of fatigue on anticipation
When carrying out a match or a fight, a certain fatigue sets in. This fatigue could be a brake on anticipation. Indeed, too much fatigue can disrupt the reading of the environment, the prediction of events and the action of the body.
(Shutterstock)
The current literature does not agree on the effects of fatigue on anticipation. On the one hand, because fatigue has different definitions and, on the other hand, because the measurement contexts are very varied (laboratory versus terrain, specific task versus free task). Therefore, the generalization of the results remains difficult. Overall, fatigue can impact anticipation through a decrease in correct answers and an increased reaction times.
Anticipation is therefore essential for success in sport and involves various determinants. Athletes and the team surrounding them can use the determinants of anticipation to improve performance in competition.
So, anticipation could be a key to getting a medal at the next Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
