Attentional focus

Attentional focus is the direction and breadth of awareness at a given second. In Robert Nideffer's model it breaks down along two axes: broad/narrow (how many objects you take in) and external/internal (outside, or in your own thoughts and sensations). Controlled focus is a skill, trained the same way as technique or endurance.

A tennis player narrows their attention to the ball and the target before serving, while a point guard in basketball keeps a wide view of the court. The trouble starts when focus sticks to the wrong thing: the athlete thinks about the score instead of the action, or replays a mistake. That leads straight to poor concentration at competitions.

Questionnaires on concentration and attentional switching in the tests section show your habitual attentional style and how well it holds up under load. The results reveal which way you tend to drift — into inner thoughts or into outside distractions. It is easiest to go through the findings with a specialist.

Focus is trained with attention anchors, breath counting and deliberately narrowing or widening your view on command. Pre-start tuning rituals help too, returning attention to the right point every time. Ready-made practices are gathered in the exercises section.

Attentional focus breaks down into four types: broad external, narrow external, broad internal and narrow internal. Changing between them at the right moment is attentional shifting. Lapses in focus are closely tied to pre-competition anxiety.