Skilled anticipation in real-world tasks: measurement of attentional demands in the domain of tennis

Anticipatory skills are characteristic of expert performance in a range of dynamic domains. However, models of the processes underlying such skilled anticipation remain limited. This study describes the construction and validation of a video-based test of anticipation in tennis and examined whether video test performance is less attentionally demanding for expert tennis players than for novices. Expert players performed the anticipation test more effectively than novices and were less vulnerable to dual-task decrement. This article discusses these findings in relation to models of skilled anticipation. The video test could be used for both selection and identification of training needs.