Where does the instruction point?
An instruction can direct attention to a body movement or to an effect outside the body. Researchers call these internal and external focus. A target on the floor and a description of a joint position point attention to different places, even when they are used to discuss the same task.
The research question is about focus
A meta-analysis has examined attentional focus in sprint performance. Its findings belong to the tasks and studies reviewed, not every sport or phrase a coach might use. External does not mean ignoring the body, and internal does not mean an instruction is automatically wrong. The distinction helps describe what the athlete is being asked to attend to.
Sources
- Effect of attentional focus on sprint performance: a meta-analysis (PMID: 35627791)
0 comments