1. The Link Between Tactics, Sport Psychology and Perceptual-Motor Learning
Squash Canada Task #11: Advanced Strategy and Tactics
November 2003
Tim Bacon, Smith College

2. Ice-Breaker!
Think about the best tactical squash player that you know. Think about their psychological qualities. Turn to the person next to you and briefly discuss and decide (less than 2 min.): what psychological qualities do the best tactical squash players possess?

3. Overview Open Skill Process Nideffer’s Model of Concentration
Anticipation & Deception
Psychological Qualities & Styles of Play
Mental Skills to Improve Tactics
Winning Ugly: Psychological Tactics
Periodization of Tactics & Psychology

4. Importance of Linking Tactics to Psychology & Perceptual Motor Learning
Canada: Vickers
Australia: Abernathy & Flynn
German Tennis Federation (TC)
Bompa

5. Strategic Mistakes?
Tactical-Technical - insufficient skill to carry out the strategy
Tactical-Physical – insufficient conditioning to implement the strategy
Tactical-Psychological –too anxious or lack of concentration or confidence to implement the strategy
Tactical-Perceptual – Errors in perception, judgement or decision-making

6. The Open Skill Process
Perception
Decision
Action
Feedback

7. 3 Stages of Learning Stage Characteristics Tech./Tactics Cognitive
Technique
Differenitated
Tactics
Automatic

8. Attention is both a Motor Learning and Psychology Topic

9. Nideffer’s Model of Sports Concentration
Focus – flashlight model
4 types of focus
Relationship to Open Skill Process
Choking Process
Attentional Errors
TAIS
Attentional Control Training

10. Four Types of Attentional Focus
Broad
WIDTH
Narrow
External
Internal
DIRECTION

11. An Attentional Problem
Choking
An Attentional Problem

12. Attending to past events (e.g., what was?)
Attentional Problems
Attending to past events (e.g., what was?)
Attending to future events (e.g., what if?)
Choking under pressure
Overanalysis of body mechanics
Fatigue

13. Test of Attentional & Interpersonal Style
BET, NAR, OIT, OET, RED
Canadian Jr. results

14. Anticipation in Racquet Sports
Abernethy: « A » players initiate movement before the ball is struck - « D » players do not!
Expert players rely on shoulder and racquet head cues - novices don ’t
Differences between world-class and national-level players

15. Teaching Ball Judgement
Train the perception: straight or cross
Train the decision: « fore » or « back »
Train skill 1: forehand
Train skill 2
Alternate execution of skills
Randomize execution of skills
Competitive game
Evaluate in match play

16. Progression for Anticipation
Identify pre-impact cues
train the perception
train the decision
train skill 1
train skill 2
alternate skills
randomize skills
competitive-conditioned game
evaluate in match play

17. Decision-Making (Tactics) Progression
Choose a topic: select two skills where player must differentiate
“Sell” the decision
Train the perception
Train the decision
Train skill 1
Train skill 2
etc.

18. Decision Training (Vickers)
Tactial Training
Feedback
Top down vs. Bottom up

19. Tactical Coaching Assessment

20. Coaching Feedback Assessment

21. Top Down Coaching

22. Developmental Model for Perceptual-Motor Skills (Flynn)

23. Psychological Qualities & Styles of Play
Psych Quality
Methods to Develop
Retriever
Attritional
Lobber/slow
Hard Hitter
Shotmaker

24. IPS and Tactics
Tactical play is improved when in the zone

25. Mental Skills to Improve Tactics
Application
Rationale
Relaxation
Self-Talk
Activation
Visualization
Concentration

26. Focus Plans Integrated mental & tactical plan
3 parts: Pre-Match, Match, Refocus
3 ways to develop
Situation/checkpoint/score
Tactics
Free form

28. Winning Ugly: Psychological Tactics
Brad Gilbert: Winning Ugly
‘’Geoff Hunt on Squash’’
Chuck Kriese: Momentum Management

30. Periodization of Tactics & Psychology
Technical-Tactial periodization
Development of psychological qualities
Development of mental skills
Periodization of visualization
Long-term planning

31. Periodization of Visualization
General
Prep.
Specific Prep.
Pre-
Comp.
Trans.
Technique
Basic Patterns
Individual
Game Plan
Styles
Focus Plan
Opponent
Refocus
N/A
Forehand
drop in front
Drop followed by volley
Retriever
8-8, 5th
Match ball
Down 2-0

32. Longterm Planning – TC Example
Age
U11
U14
U16/18
Psych Qualities
Other

33. References