2022 Volume 42 Pages 78-84
Previous studies have reported that squeezing a soft ball with the left hand immediately before an important movement may prevent choking under pressure during games. Instead of squeezing a ball, we sought to identify an alternate material that could be attached to a uniform that an athlete can easily squeeze even during sporting games. In Study 1 we recorded electroencephalograms （EEGs）after squeezing three different materials. A fast Fourier transform （FFT）analysis showed the lowest alpha asymmetry score（AAS）for polyethylene foam. In Study 2, we asked tennis players to squeeze the polyethylene foam immediately before the execution of a second-serve task in a pressure situation. Participants exhibited higher somatic anxiety in the pressure test, and showed improved scores after squeezing the material; but this result did not reach statistical significance. Lastly, we created a prototype sports shirt, in which the polyethylene foam is embedded in the left side.
