ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the nature, dimensions and importance of concentration in sport psychology. It then outlines briefly the principal methods used by psychologists to measure attentional processes in athletes. The chapter summarizes some key principles of effective concentration that have emerged from research on attention in sport performers. It also addresses the question of why athletes are vulnerable to lapses or loss of concentration. The chapter reviews various practical exercises and psychological techniques that are alleged to improve concentration skills in athletes. It outlines some old problems and new directions for research in this field. The chapter suggests some ideas for possible research projects on concentration in athletes. In cognitive sport psychology, concentration is regarded as one component of the multidimensional construct of "attention". The importance of concentration in sport is indicated by at least three sources of evidence: anecdotal, descriptive and experimental.
