thought, daydream or feeling to become the target of your attention. By the way, this
problem can be overcome by writing down two or three specific study questions before
you approach a textbook or notes (see advice in Moran, 2000b). Let us now consider the
question of why athletes lose their concentration.
In general, psychologists distinguish between external and internal sources of
distraction (see review by Moran, 1996). Whereas the former term refers to objective
stimuli which divert our attentional spotlight away from its intended target, internal
distractions include a vast array of thoughts, feelings and/or bodily sensations (e.g., pain,
fatigue) which impede our efforts to concentrate on the job at hand.
Typical external distractions include such factors as sudden changes in ambient noise
levels (e.g., the click of a camera), gamesmanship by opponents (e.g., at corner-kicks in
football opposing forwards often stand in front of the goalkeeper to prevent him/her from
tracking the incoming ball; see Moran, 2003a) and unpredictable playing surface or
weather (e.g., a golfer may become distracted by windy conditions). Often, these
distractions lead to impaired performance at the worst possible moment for the athlete
concerned. For example, consider what happened to Tiger Woods in the 2002 American
Express World Championship in Mount Juliet, Ireland. He was leading the field, playing
the final hole and well on the way to becoming only the second golfer ever to win a
tournament without registering a single bogey when he was distracted by the click of a
camera as he prepared to play his second shot to the green. This distraction cost him a
bogey and a place in the record-books—although he still won the tournament!
Nevertheless, he was very angry afterwards: “It was the most important shot of the week.
Of all the times to take a photo... I didn’t want to end the tournament with a shot like the
one I hit” (cited in Mair, 2002, p. S9). By contrast, internal distractions are self-generated
concerns which arise from our own thoughts and feelings.
Typical distractions in this category include wondering what might happen in the
future, regretting what has happened in the past, worrying about what other people might
say or do and/or feeling tired, bored or otherwise emotionally upset (see Figure 4.3).
A graphic example of a very costly internal distraction occurred in the case of the
golfer Doug Sanders who missed a putt of less than three feet which would have earned
him victory at the 1970 British Open championship in St Andrews, Scotland. This error
not only prevented him from winning his first major tournament—but also deprived him
of millions of pounds in prize-money, tournament invitations and advertising
endorsements. Remarkably, Sanders’s attentional lapse was precipitated by thinking too
far ahead—making a victory speech before the putt had been taken. Years later, he
revealed what had happened: “I made the mistake about thinking which section of the
crowd I was going to bow to”! (cited in Gilleece, 1999, p. 23). Clearly, Sanders had
inadvertently distracted himself by allowing his mental spotlight to shine into the future
instead of at the task in hand.
Staying focused in sport: concentration in sport performers 109