The Effect of Differential Attentional Focus Strategies on Accuracy of Free Throw in Novice Basketball Throwers: The Role of Visual Information

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of different attentional strategies on the accuracy of free throw as well as to examine the role of visual information in basketball novice throwers. Fourteen novice throwers from 21 to 28 years old were recruited. Participants performed 20 trials as counterbalance in various attentional conditions and in general performed 80 trials. In each attentional condition¡ half of the trials were performed using visual information and the other half of the trials were performed without the presence of visual information. The results of the factorial variance analysis with repeated measure indicated that the main effect of internal-external attention¡ the presence and non-presence of visual condition as well as the interactional effect of internal-external / relevant-irrelevant attention was significant. The other effects were not significant. In other words¡ the findings indicated that the external relevant attentional strategies in both visual and nonvisual conditions was better that the other strategies. Therefore¡ it can be suggested that it is better the coach’s use from external relevant attentional strategies.