LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) - When Michael Phelps gets ready
to race, he walks to the block, takes off his headphones, swings
his arms three times, steps on to the block and he is off. His
routine never changes.
Tennis player Serena Williams, five-times Wimbledon
champion, who, like Phelps, begins competition on Saturday,
always takes her shower sandals to the court, ties her shoelaces
in a specific way and bounces the ball five times.
Tiger Woods wears a red shirt in the final rounds of golf
tournaments which he has said is because his mother told him red
was his power colour.
Despite all the science and massive budgets involved in
sport, many sportsmen and women at all levels of sport swear by
superstitions or elaborate event rituals to enhance their game
with many examples of these on display at the London Olympics.
British diver Tom Daley has a lucky orange monkey and
British BMX rider Shanaze Reade always carries a picture of her
family.
Psychologists say people often become superstitious when
faced with unknown and stressful situations, which explains why
so many athletes are superstitious and frequently bound to rigid
preparation routines.
"When the stakes are high and there is a great deal of
uncertainty - as in top-level sport - then people will try
anything to get the outcome they want," Richard Stephens, a
senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University, told Reuters.
"When there is a low cost of carrying out an action but
there is possibly a high gain then you may as well."
But does it make a difference?
A study by psychologists at the University of Cologne in
Germany found in two experiments that superstition triumphed in
both cases.
In one experiment, participants were given either a lucky
golf ball or an ordinary one before being asked to sink a putt.
Those with a so-called lucky ball were more successful.
Participants were also asked to bring along a lucky charm
but these were confiscated from half of the participants before
making them take a memory test. Those who kept their lucky charm
performed better, the scientists reported in 2010 in
Psychological Science.
HARMFUL DISTRACTION
Some sports psychologists warn, however, that superstitions
can be harmful to an athlete's performance if they are taken too
far and become a distraction, particularly if they have no link
to their actual performance.
Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice says she is a firm
believer in superstition and karma, and will do eight arm
swings, four goggle presses, four cap touches before a face.
But it is shoulder problems have led Rice to play down her
chances in London of repeating her Beijing success when she won
three gold medals, two individual and one relay.
Andrew Lane, professor of sport psychology at Britain's
Wolverhampton University, said routines were important for
athletes as the hour before an event could be very stressful and
go slowly.
British women footballers have spoken about their set
routines with Kelly Smith putting her boots on last and leaving
the dressing room last while Kim Little always puts her socks
and shin pads on her left side before her right.
"It is the reliance on these routines that can be critical
to keeping them level-headed," Lane said.
"But if it becomes an fixation on something that is not
relevant to performance, you might need to change that."
London-based sorts psychologist Victor Thompson said
athletes needed enough flexibility to cope with something going
wrong with their routine such as losing their lucky shirt or an
iPod malfunction so they cannot listen to their pre-game music.
"This can create anger, stress, anxiety, and physical
tension," Thompson told Reuters. "It becomes a distraction and
causes a drop in confidence... all of which leads to a higher
chance of performing poorly. They can't rely on false
self-confidence or reassurances."
Keele University's Stephens agreed.
"If you start to spend too much time focusing on these
irrational things to improve your performance rather than the
important things, such as your swing or being relaxed, then
these superstitious techniques can take away from the outcome,"
he said.
Some athletes are wary of relying too much on superstitions
for their performance.
"I'm superstitious about having any superstitions. I do my
best to quash any of that start creeping up on me," Australian
diver Matthew Mitcham, who won gold in Beijing, is quoted as
saying on his official Olympic profile.
(Editing by Alison Williams)