The effects of self-regulation and distance of external focus of attention on learning of badminton serve in young females

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of self-regulation and distance of external focus of attention on learning of badminton short serve in young females. Therefore, 60 volunteer novice female university students with age range 19-24 yr. participated to a mixed factorial design. Assessment instrument of badminton short serve was the Goode and Magill’s 6-point test (1986). Participants were assigned randomly to the instructor-imposed internal focus of attention, instructor-imposed far, near, and self-regulated distance of external focus of attention groups. After pretest, the self-regulated group was divided into far and near external distance based on their preferred focus of attention in the end of first day. All groups performed 60 serves with the specific attentional instructions during 2 sessions. After 48 hr. retention and transfer tests were performed. Data was analyzed by 5 (group) * 4 (block) ANOVA with repeated measures of last factor, Kruskal-Wallis, and one-way ANOVA in significance level of p