Reaction time is defined as the time it takes for an athlete to react to a stimulus. In sport this could range from a sprinter reaction to the gun shot which signifies the start of the race or a goal keeper reacting to a strikers shoot.
The first of the examples can be categorised as audio reaction time. This simple means that the athlete must react to sound.
The second example is based on visual reaction time. This requires the athlete to use his/her vision to react to the stimulus. Visual reaction time is used far more than audio reaction time. This is because of its practicality in game scenarios in sports such as NFL, Soccer, Basketball and Rugby .
For example, if a player from the opposite position is approaching you in an NFL match and you have the ball, they are highly lightly tackle you. Their approach is very difficult to hear as the sound of the crowd can flood out footsteps. Therefore audio reaction time becomes far more important.
This post is being constructed because I was recently asked about various pieces of kit used to improve reaction time. There are athletes who are practicing responding to audio cues which is irrelevant.
There are also athletes who are not responding to the visual cues in the correct manner. I’ll explain myself further with two examples.
- An athlete who practices reaction time by clapping his hands together whenever he sees a light flash.
- An athlete who practices reaction time by performing a side dodge whenever he sees a light flash.
So the first example does not have any specificity to any sporting action. The second one may be used practically in any game situation or even in various combat sports. Therefore the second drill is better.
With this in mind it is actually worth having a variety of reaction drills lined up to simulate a series of scenarios. Pad work in boxing is a higher level of reaction time training as it requires the participant to react with different punches which are decided based on the angle at which the pad is being held by the coach.
Reaction time is often considered a genetic trait which cannot be improved. There may be some truth in this but an athlete should still practice by training the way they react. Practice reacting with sports specific movements so that your given reaction time can be used more practically and efficiently.
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