The long jump is an event in which performance cannot be manipulated by a competitor; it’s a competition of an athlete against oneself only. Our athlete will train two primary psychological factors to aid his overall performance:
1) Attention Focus
Attention focus is important – there are many stimuli the athlete must be aware of, including: the runway, take-off boards, mechanics of jumping, and the sand pit. Focusing on a high above-ground external target helps increase performance (this target will fundamentally be selected by our athlete himself). According to attentional focus research, an external focus improves motor performance even more when compared to an internal focus: [1]
Figure 1. Graph showing how having an external focus of attention has a significant advantage in the performance of the athlete’s standing long jump [2].
2) Kinaesthetic Imagery
Imagery further enhances long jump performance. This skill is created and recreated within the mind using different sensory modalities like kinaesthetic imagery, which form part of Practice in Mind (PIM) training. If psychological processes aren’t monitored appropriately, psychological pressure can lead to circumstances hindering performance. Due to this, a specialised sports psychologist will become a fundamental part of our athlete’s team.
