Research Article
Abstract
Sport psychologists are increasingly confronted with performance problems in sport where athletes suddenly lose the ability to execute automatic movements (Rotheram, Maynard, Thomas, Bawden, & Francis, 2012). Described as performance blocks (Bennett, Hays, Lindsay, Olusoga, & Maynard, 2015), these problems manifest as locked, stuck, and frozen movements and are underpinned by an aggressive anxiety component. This research used both qualitative and quantitative methods in a single case study design to investigate the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy with graded exposure as a treatment method. The participant was a 58-year-old professional male golfer who had been suffering a performance block for 11 years. Specifically, the participant was experiencing involuntary spasms, shaking, muscle tension, and jerking in the lower left forearm while executing a putting stroke. Physical symptoms were coupled with extreme anxiety, panic, and frustration. The study tested the hypothesis that reprocessing related significant life events and attending to dysfunctional emotional symptoms would eliminate the performance block and related symptoms and that the individual would regain his ability to execute the affected skill. Pre-, mid-, and postintervention performance success, using the Impact of Event scale, subjective units of distress (SUD; Wolpe, 1973), and kinematic testing revealed improvements in all associated symptoms in training and competition. These findings suggest that previous life experiences might be associated with the onset of performance blocks and that EMDR with graded exposure might offer an effective treatment method.
Figures
Tables
Step | SUD Score (0–10) |
---|---|
Playing an individual event and entering a scorecard | 10 |
Playing a round as part of a team | 9 |
Game scenario with two other players | 8 |
Putting with another pro on the green | 7 |
Putting with another player on the green | 6 |
Setting individual targets on the green alone | 4 |
Putting on the green alone | 2 |
Note: SUD score of 0 = no anxiety experienced: “feeling the speed of my arms, control of my arms, and inner calmness”; SUD score of 10 = extreme anxiety: “electric shock in my arms, not in control of my arms, intense anxiety inside.”
Period | Abstract | Full | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Apr 2024 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 52 |
Mar 2024 | 24 | 14 | 8 | 46 |
Feb 2024 | 42 | 24 | 11 | 77 |
Jan 2024 | 56 | 10 | 5 | 71 |
Dec 2023 | 52 | 13 | 12 | 77 |
Nov 2023 | 34 | 22 | 6 | 62 |
Oct 2023 | 26 | 18 | 2 | 46 |
Sep 2023 | 45 | 8 | 13 | 66 |
Aug 2023 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 42 |
Jul 2023 | 37 | 17 | 3 | 57 |
Jun 2023 | 22 | 21 | 8 | 51 |
May 2023 | 45 | 19 | 12 | 76 |
Apr 2023 | 35 | 67 | 8 | 110 |
Mar 2023 | 29 | 26 | 13 | 68 |
Feb 2023 | 35 | 329 | 6 | 370 |
Jan 2023 | 27 | 33 | 23 | 83 |
Dec 2022 | 22 | 25 | 11 | 58 |
Nov 2022 | 34 | 42 | 18 | 94 |
Oct 2022 | 35 | 26 | 18 | 79 |
Sep 2022 | 28 | 12 | 10 | 50 |
Aug 2022 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 25 |
Jul 2022 | 18 | 16 | 9 | 43 |
Jun 2022 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 48 |
May 2022 | 26 | 20 | 8 | 54 |
Apr 2022 | 41 | 20 | 13 | 74 |
Mar 2022 | 42 | 30 | 15 | 87 |
Feb 2022 | 22 | 25 | 10 | 57 |
Jan 2022 | 18 | 28 | 6 | 52 |
Dec 2021 | 16 | 23 | 9 | 48 |
Nov 2021 | 34 | 24 | 11 | 69 |
Oct 2021 | 26 | 25 | 4 | 55 |
Sep 2021 | 19 | 27 | 6 | 52 |
Aug 2021 | 10 | 22 | 13 | 45 |
Jul 2021 | 18 | 22 | 7 | 47 |
Jun 2021 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 26 |
May 2021 | 18 | 20 | 7 | 45 |
Apr 2021 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 38 |
Mar 2021 | 44 | 19 | 6 | 69 |
Feb 2021 | 41 | 14 | 1 | 56 |
Jan 2021 | 225 | 19 | 4 | 248 |
Dec 2020 | 52 | 24 | 6 | 82 |
Nov 2020 | 9 | 22 | 5 | 36 |
Oct 2020 | 20 | 30 | 5 | 55 |
Sep 2020 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 34 |
Aug 2020 | 21 | 11 | 3 | 35 |
Jul 2020 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 24 |
Jun 2020 | 17 | 13 | 2 | 32 |
May 2020 | 19 | 38 | 2 | 59 |
Apr 2020 | 48 | 16 | 8 | 72 |
Mar 2020 | 96 | 33 | 7 | 136 |
Feb 2020 | 95 | 9 | 1 | 105 |
Jan 2020 | 78 | 20 | 13 | 111 |
Dec 2019 | 84 | 9 | 2 | 95 |
Nov 2019 | 19 | 11 | 1 | 31 |
Oct 2019 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 22 |
Sep 2019 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Aug 2019 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
Jul 2019 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 18 |
Jun 2019 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 19 |
May 2019 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 29 |
Apr 2019 | 3 | 17 | 5 | 25 |
Mar 2019 | 2 | 14 | 109 | 125 |
Feb 2019 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 23 |
Jan 2019 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
Dec 2018 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
Nov 2018 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Oct 2018 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 22 |
Sep 2018 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
Aug 2018 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
Jul 2018 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
Jun 2018 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
May 2018 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |