rather than on past events or on possible future outcomes. Finally, pre-performance
routines may prevent athletes from devoting too much attention to the mechanics of their
well-learned skills—a habit which can unravel automaticity (see Beilock and Carr, 2001;
see also Chapter 3). Thus routines may help to suppress the type of inappropriate
conscious control that often occurs in pressure situations. A useful five-step pre-
performance routine for self-paced skills is described by Singer (2002) and Lidor and
Singer (2003).
Figure 4.5 Pre-performance routines
help players to concentrate
Source: courtesy of Sportsfile and UCD Department of Sport
Augmenting the preceding arguments is empirical evidence derived from case studies
which show that routines can improve athletes’ concentration skills and performance. For
example, Crews and Boutcher (1986) compared the performances of two groups of
golfers—those who had been given an eight-week training programme of only swing
practice and those who had participated in a “practice-plus-routine” programme for the
same duration. Results revealed that the more proficient golfers benefited more from
Sport and exercise psychology: A critical introduction 116