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Using a Situation Awareness Approach to Identify Differences in the Performance Profiles of the World's Top Two
Stafford Murray1, Nic James2, Janez Perš3
1High Performance Sport New Zealand, Millennium Institute of Sport and Health, Auckland, New Zealand.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 30, 2019
Summary
Elite squash performance is driven by the interplay of players' situation awareness (SA). Understanding this dynamic reveals why consistent, opponent-independent performance profiles are unlikely for top athletes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Motor Control
- Human Performance
Background:
- Squash performance pressure arises from shot quality and return ability, reflecting the coupling of players' situation awareness (SA).
- Situation awareness (SA) encompasses recognizing information, synthesizing it with expertise, and responding physically.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the coupling of situation awareness (SA) between elite squash players.
- To investigate how player interactions influence performance under pressure.
Main Methods:
- Recorded and analyzed matches of top professional squash players using Tracker software.
- Captured shot type, ball location, player positions, and movement parameters at 25 Hz.
- Classified shots into SA clusters, noting a higher proportion in high-pressure categories.
Main Results:
- Developed cluster performance profile infographics to visualize individual player differences.
- Observed significant variations in performance profiles between matches for individual players.
Conclusions:
- The coupling of player behaviors complicates tactical analysis in squash.
- Elite players' performance profiles are inherently dynamic and opponent-dependent.
- Further research should explore in-match performance fluctuations.
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