Cueing

Cueing is a way of managing attention through prepared "anchor" signals. Such a signal (a cue) instantly activates the setting you want: a technical point, a tempo, an emotional state. Cueing is used both by coaches (external prompts during execution) and by athletes themselves (self-cueing through key words).

A swimmer sticks a one-word note on the wall, a tennis player says "low and forward" before serving, a gymnastics coach shouts a short command at the right point in an element. A good cue is short, specific and about the action rather than the result. A well-tuned cueing system helps especially when it is hard to get yourself together at competitions.

Before building a system of cues it helps to know your dominant attentional style and where things typically break down — the concentration questionnaires in the tests section are made for that. They show what pulls you away most often. Cues are then chosen to match those weak points.

Draw up a list of 3-5 cues for the key phases of your performance and drill them in training until they are automatic. Start with external ones (a card, a metronome click), then move on to internal key words. Ready-made schemes for building cues are in the exercises section.

Cueing is the umbrella term covering verbal cues and trigger words. It often works together with attentional refocusing: the cue becomes the reset button back into the state you want. Our specialists can help you set up a personal cue system.