Eye Movements While Viewing a Baseball Pitch

Abstract

Information-processing theory predicts that sport performers gain information from their environment through use of a systematic pattern of eye movements/fixations. Of interest here was the visual-search pattern used in viewing an oncoming baseball pitch and whether this pattern differed for expert and novice batters. Ocular latencies were also examined during the task. Subjects were 9 varsity collegiate baseball players (expert) and 9 novice players. Each subject was shown 20 pitches on videotape, with the type of pitch (curve, fastball) and type of motion (wind-up, stretch) varied During the viewing eye movements were recorded by a photoelectric technique. Expert players fixated during wind-up on the anticipated release point and then, after a latency of about 150 msec. following release, moved their eyes to the oncoming ball. Novice batters tended to move their eyes before release or to fixate somewhere other than the release point, such as the pitcher's head. Performance differences in hitting may be partially attributable to these differences in visual search pattern. This latter finding supports the information-processing viewpoint, yet the existence of an eye-movement latency supports a direct perception perspective.

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