Advancing the ball, we employ wide vision to spot options and we use narrow vision (focus) to execute...targeting the rim, catching the ball, delivering passes, and so forth.
Under duress, we get tunnel vision. Tunnel vision limits or alters our perception and exposes us to grievous errors. The death of Amadou Diallo in 1999 exemplifies tunnel vision. Officers misidentified him as a suspect in a serious crime, leading to his death in a hail of bullets. He was unarmed.
Under stress, the brain's stress center triggers a series of events leading to an adrenaline (epinephrine, norepinephrine) surge increasing breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and focus on 'the threat'.
It happens in basketball, too. Wide vision vanishes and narrow focus vision and behavior take over. Peripheral vision disappears and with it, our choices. Players force shots, take situationally-inappropriate shots, dribble or pass into traffic, or don't pass at all.
How do we expand our vision and slow the game down?
- Awareness that we are all vulnerable to stress-mediate tunnel vision.
- Employing techniques (e.g. conscious focus on breathing)
- Preparation for high stress situations
- Mindfulness that reduces stress hormones like cortisol
- Basketball Decision Training (Chris Oliver) to speed recognition and execution
- Learning 'cognitive biases' that impact decision-making
The Israeli Air Force developed software to improve pilot decision making. Intelligym programmers have modified a system for basketball training. The manufacturer contends that both performance improvement and less degradation over time, "money time effect" enhances play.
The "poor man's version" might be asteroids.
With even a limited number of players at summer workouts, we work on concepts from different spacing situations to help players recognize patterns and opportunity. Overcoming tunnel vision creates challenges and chances for big conceptual gains.
Lagniappe: Legendary pitching coach Ray Miller advised, "work fast, throw strikes, and change speeds."
Lagniappe 2: The extra pass. Via @HalfCourtHoops
Lagniappe 3: via @HoopsSean Passing out of the roll.Manu Ginobili "One More" Passes pic.twitter.com/wohcVytP0S— Half Court Hoops (@HalfCourtHoops) July 13, 2019
Short Roll Passing - Dunker’s Spot pic.twitter.com/MWK5jLNOLp— SeanBillermanHoops (@HoopsSean) July 14, 2019