What is gaze control?

Gaze control refers to an athlete's ability to focus their attention on a specific visual cue just prior to executing a sport-specific skill.

Research studies show that elite athletes "pause" or control their gaze in two ways:

1. Location:

Elite athletes rest their gaze on one specific point or one precise location.

2. Duration:

In addition to knowing where to rest their gaze, elite athletes also focus their attention for a few seconds longer than do novice athletes.

Why is gaze control important in athletic performance?

Gaze control is important because it provides the brain with a window of opportunity to efficiently process the most important information needed for successful execution of the skill.

What can athletes do to improve their gaze control skills?

For every skill, within every sport, there is an optimal gaze control strategy. Research has been completed in many sports and continues to be carried out on a regular basis.

Gaze control is a trainable skill. Athletes can inform themselves of the optimal gaze control strategies for their sport and then train themselves accordingly.

Remember the purpose of gaze control:

That is, to optimize the information needed for execution of your particular skill.

More Information About Gaze Control

ARTICLES
OPTIMAL LOCATION (CNN, 2005)	Gaze control helps elite athletes	click here
CONTROLLED SHOOTING (CNSC, 2008)	Using quiet eye training to enhance shooting performance	click here
QUIET EYE (GDM, 2004)	Using your eyes to detect the right information about distance and direction at the right time	click here
RUNNING MECHANICS (RMM, 2009)	Where you look can affect how you look: running mechanics and gaze control	click here
WATCH THE BALL (ITF, 2007)	How elite tennis players focus on the contact point	click here
VIDEOS
EYES ON THE PRIZE (DPDN, 2006)	The quiet eye in ice hockey goaltending	click here
RESEARCH STUDIES
TENNIS (Ligue d'Auvergne de Tennis, France, 2008)	Gaze control during the hitting phase in tennis	click here
BALANCE AND POSTURE (TCSB, 2004)	Impact of gaze stabilization on balance and posture	click here
HOCKEY GOALTENDING (HMS, 2006)	Ability to stop puck is dependent on location, onset and duration of gaze prior to initiating saving action	click here
HOCKEY DEFENSEMEN (HMS, 2004)	Gaze characteristics of elite and near-elite athletes in ice hockey defensive tactics	click here
SPEED SKATING (CP, 2006)	Optimal gaze of Olympic speedskaters skating at full speed on a regulation oval	click here
TABLE TENNIS (JSS, 2002)	Gaze behaviour and the role of head, eye and arm movements during the execution of a table tennis forehand stroke	click here
BASKETBALL FREE THROWS (TSP, 2001)	Gaze control training improves accuracy in the basketball free throw	click here
DRILLS AND EXERCISES
GAZE CONTROL ROUTINE	Practice routine to develop gaze control, using golf putting as an example	click here
HOOP LOCATION	Gaze control training protocol for basketball free throw shooting	click here
TARGET SHOOTING	Gaze control training for improved target shootng in biathalon	click here