Can a pre-performance routine help, and how would we know?
A familiar sequence before a free throw might organize attention, or it might simply accompany a well-practiced skill. One small study compared different routines while novices learned basketball free throws. Its abstract describes a specific training comparison, not evidence that any ritual will improve any performance.
Questions you could explore
- What should a comparison group do to separate the routine’s effect from extra practice?
- Would a benefit remain if the routine were removed?
Start reading
- Perceptual and Motor Skills / SAGEBenefits of a Guided Motor-Mental Preperformance Routine on Learning the Basketball Free Throw
The abstract compares guided, self-regulated, and no-routine training for novice free throws. Full methods are needed to judge the experiment in detail.
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