Jennifer Kahn of Wired Magazine recently wrote a fascinating article about an athlete’s “field sense,” or the ability to anticipate one’s teammates’ and opponents’ actions.
U.S. Olympic Committee researcher Peter Vint, like many sports fans, was frequently awed by players like Wayne Gretzky and his seemingly magical ability to react before things happened. But Vint went beyond typical fandom: he decided to see how field sense works, and then to determine whether or not it could be taught.
Opponents struggling to anticipate Gretzky’s next move often became disoriented, like hunters who think they’re tracking a leopard, only to hear a twig crack directly behind them. The experience was so unnerving that players who had to face Gretzky repeatedly exhibited a kind of automatic dread. Describing the feeling in a 1997 Cigar Aficionado interview, former St. Louis Blues goalie Mike Liut said woefully: “I’d see him come down the ice and immediately start thinking, ‘What don’t I see that Wayne’s seeing right now?’”
Check out the article; it’s a lengthy but engaging look at the science behind the magic. As the article concludes, “Magic, after all, is just a collection of steps executed artfully. And while Gretzky may be hockey’s Houdini, there’s a lot to be said for starting out with some simple sleight of hand.”
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