53 How does a performer become attuned to the perceptual information that is optimal for a task? Perceptual learning as a direct movement through information space guided by information for learning involving processes of education of intention, education of attention, and calibration. Download link Articles: Direct Learning http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/has-the-fly-ball-revolution-begun/ Learning to visually perceive the relative mass…

52 How does experience and practice change our ability to extract information from our environment and how can we best facilitate this process? What changes in our brain during perceptual learning? Download link Articles: Perceptual learning and human expertise Expert baseball batters have greater sensitivity in making swing decisions More information: Subscribe in iOS/Apple Subscribe…

51 Sports Science Shorts: will baseball’s new proposed rule changes to speed the pace of play make the game more exciting and attract new fans? What can we learn from similar attempts made in soccer? What determines a sport’s fans level of excitement Download link Articles: How to Make Soccer More Attractive? Rewards for a…

50 News: A look at a few recent articles in the area of motor learning and performance. Can the structure of motor variability predict the rate at which a performer learns a new skill? Does using social media before a game increase anxiety in an athlete? What differs between the way in which I child…

49 A discussion with Danny Newcombe, Lecturer in Sports Coaching and PE, Oxford Brookes University. Topics discussed include: applying the constraints-led approach to practice design and physical education curriculum, research on the constraints-led approach –what does it tell us about its effectiveness and are we using the correct methods of evaluation? Download link More information…

48 A discussion with Diane Ste-Marie, Professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. Topics discussed include: why do athletes tend to perform better when they have control over the feedback they receive and when is self-controlled feedback ineffective? How do athletes use observation of themselves or others to acquire or…

47 A discussion with Dave Collins, Professor & Director of the Institute of Coaching & Performance, University of Central Lancashire. Topics discussed include: what it’s like to be a sports psychologist, talent development, performance analytics, technique change, bridging the gap between research and practice, and the role of social media in research. Download link More…

4. A look at my recovery from my 100 miler and some recovery science. Two race reports: The Elephant Mountain 50K and the Tucson Marathon. What was my secret to qualifying for the Boston Marathon? Does talking to yourself and using mantras while running really help your performance? How should your self-talk change for the…

46 Do athletes perform better when they talk to themselves? Should the talk be motivational or instructional? Positive or negative? Does it work for both novices and experts? Download link Articles/links: The influence of self-talk on the performance of skilled female tennis players Self-talk influences vertical jump performance and kinematics in male rugby union players…