Quiet Eye
- dbacic47
- Mar 10
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 8
Author: Stella Burns
Think of Tiger Woods lining up a putt, Michael Jordan at the free throw line, or Serena Williams during a tennis match; one thing they all have in common is a moment of intense focus right before the action happens. This ability to “lock in” and “keep your eye on the ball” is easier said than done but is something that differentiates many elite athletes from their counterparts. Science calls this phenomenon the quiet eye. This skill requires athletes to fixate on a target, allowing them to block out distractions and execute under pressure. Thanks to biometric devices like eye-tracking glasses and EEGs, researchers are able to discover the science behind quiet eye.
What is Quiet Eye
Quiet Eye, coined by Joan Vickers in the 1990s, is a means of attentional control. It refers to the final fixation of a person’s gaze on a relevant target before executing a related action. The eye “quiets” for a brief moment, 1 second to 3 seconds, and allows the processing of critical visual information while suppressing distractions. This phenomenon is particularly applicable to high pressure sports situations like shooting a basketball free throw or swinging a golf club. As such, much of the research has been focused on sports psychology. This research suggests that elite athletes can maintain a quiet eye longer than their non-expert counterparts. A longer quiet eye duration often leads to a higher rate of success in high pressure situations. Essentially, great athletes do not just rely on size and strength, they also have great control of their cognitive capabilities, like gaze and attention.
It is often defined by four variables:
Gaze Location is the point where cognitive attention is directed - in the example of a basketball player shooting a free throw, this would be the hoop.
Gaze Onset is the moment the cognitive focus is initiated before movement begins and eyes begin to fixate—for example, in basketball, aiming before taking the shot.
Gaze Offset refers to the moment cognitive focus is removed from the object and attention is redirected to something else, signifying the moment of focus has passed - in terms of shooting a free throw, offset would occur once the basketball is released.
Gaze Duration is the time between onset and offset. Quiet Eye duration usually lasts for a minimum of 1 second, while the elite/experts have a longer duration of around 3 seconds.
Quiet Eye Training
Along with other sports skills, a quiet eye can be learned and trained. The emergence of eye-tracking glasses provides one way to do this. The glasses use biometric data points to analyze where and how long an athlete focuses. They gather gaze fixation, saccades, and overall visual attention to provide data while in natural settings. A study done in 2024 used eye-tracking glasses to evaluate golfers, looking at where and how long participants focused their vision before executing a movement. 22 golfers were divided into two groups, one receiving quiet eye training and the other receiving technical training. The glasses recorded participant gaze behavior while putting and measured how long participants fixated on the ball before making a swing. The group that received quiet eye training had an increased quiet eye duration, meaning they fixated longer on the ball before swinging. The use of eye-tracking glasses made this research possible. Participants were able to act in a natural setting while data was collected, ultimately improving their training.
Quiet eye can also be trained through mindfulness. The eyes, mind, and body are all connected. So, when the eyes move, it causes corresponding reflexes in the body. When an athlete achieves a still mind, the eye is still, and therefore, the body is still. Just like being conscious of breath in meditation calms one, being conscious of gaze helps to calm and control one's system and filter out all other distractions.
Biometrics and Quiet Eye
The intersection of these two topics seems obvious. The quiet eye is centered around a person’s gaze, which is a popular biometric data point. As mentioned previously, eye tracking and quiet eye go hand in hand. Researchers can measure gaze duration by identifying gaze onset and gaze offset using portable eye trackers to enhance training. A relatively newer area of research surrounding the quiet eye is the underlying mechanisms and neurological processes that are involved in the quiet eye. Electroencephalography (EEG) provides a biometric approach to discover the neural mechanisms behind this phenomenon. A study done in 2024 provides incredible insight into this idea. Mobile eye tracking and EEG devices were used to record neural activity during the pre-shot routine of highly skilled golfers. In this study, the eye tracking data showed an insignificant difference in quiet eye duration for successful and unsuccessful putts. However, the EEG analysis uncovered a difference. Unsuccessful puts showed higher theta activity, suggesting increased cognitive demand. They also showed less beta suppression, meaning uncertainty and hesitation were present. In contrast, successful putts showed lower theta activity and greater beta suppression, indicating higher certainty before execution. The timing of beta suppression aligned with the recommended quiet eye duration of 2-3 seconds. Although the eye tracking data from the study is somewhat contradictory to prior quiet eye research, the EEG portion of the experiment offers support for neural patterns behind the quiet eye phenomenon.
Other Applications of Quiet Eye
Although quiet eye research is largely seen in sports science, it can apply to other fields that require a high level of focus. For example, the phenomenon can be looked at from a medical perspective. Surgery is a task that requires great precision and accuracy. Experienced surgeons have shown longer gazes during the most stressful and critical parts of an operation. Surgeons can train quiet eye to develop better visual fixation and control through eye tracking. Research has suggested quiet eye training can help surgical residents learn the focus of skilled surgeons earlier in their career. This can have great benefits such as a reduction in surgical errors due to improved visual attention and decision making. Similarly, law enforcement has begun to realize the potential impacts of quiet eye training. Officers are expected to quickly and accurately assess potential threats. Using quiet eye techniques can help them harness all available time to ensure they respond in a decisive and effective manner. A little less obvious of a comparison is the quiet eye effect in music performance. Musicians can use quiet eye techniques to better engage with the task, especially when potential performance anxiety kicks in.
Conclusions
Using biometric technology like eye tracking devices and EEGs, researchers are able to better understand the science behind quiet eye, proving that elite performers are able to see, process, and execute with precision. Whether it’s in sports, medicine, law enforcement, or even music, training quiet eye skills can improve focus, reduce errors, and enhance performance under pressure. Although this skill separates elites from their counterparts, it can be learned and developed by everyone. Eye tracking technology helps to train quiet eye, enabling professionals and everyday people to sharpen their focus and improve performance. In summary, “keeping your eye on the ball” is easier said than done. It is a technique that requires skill and practice.
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