Concentration “Whether it be the last ten minutes of play, the closing holes of a major tournament or the last mile of a marathon, an athlete needs to focus their attention on the correct things”

“Concentration is the ability to focus on the task in hand and focus for a period of time”

Concentration Test SummerFall GlassAdrenalin FrameCollege FinalShoes Ready Commonwealth SpeakerMedium BasketNarrow Cooper TestSelective

Summer Fall Glass Adrenalin Frame College Final Shoes Ready Commonwealth Speaker Medium Basket Narrow Cooper Test Selective How well did you do in the concentration test? Why do you think you did not concentrate as well as you might have done?????

Internal Stimuli Negative Self talk Over thinking Mechanics Dwelling External Stimuli Bad Decision Opposition (Trash talk) Weather Field conditions Crowd What external and internal stimuli can impair your ability to concentrate?

No performer can concentrate 100% of the time The key is to be selective with your attention and focus on what is important in that given moment. Selecting your attention on the correct stimulus /cues and switching attention on and off prevents concentration lapses and mental fatigue Narrow Concentration Broad Concentration2 Dimensions Directing focus to one or two cues in the game Aware of everything around them but not focusing on any one part of performance e.g crowd, playing environment.

Sustained Concentration ?? Short Bursts of Concentration ?? Intense Concentration ??

Sustained Concentration MarathonBadminton/Tennis Short Bursts of Concentration CricketDiving Intense Concentration Bobsleigh100m Sprint

Barriers to Concentration Anxiety Mistakes Fatigue Weather Public announcements Coach/Manager Opponent Negative thoughts

Positive Consistency in play – Focus at the right time Respond faster to cues to solve problems Stay in the zone Disregard external /internal stimuli, distractions and noise Faster decisions Selective with attention Few careless mistakes as relaxed Concentration

A badminton player with a lack of concentration will allow the pressure to get to them and will forget their game plan. They will make frequent errors through not being selective with what they focus on resulting in brain overload.  Might not be watching where the opponent is or the space to hit the shuttle (Reducing effectiveness of shots)  Not watching the flight of the shuttle (Preparation time delayed and technique effected)  Incorrect execution of specific techniques.  Wrong, rash decisions (adaptiveness reduced. Too much attention on irrelevant cues Increased anxiety Confusion

Example of intense concentration Qualifiers : European Championships 2014 – Max Whitlock Qualifies in 1 st position YeQ

Going into the final as Favourite BrOA