3 ms·

not a cricket fan, but i knew this would relate to a great article i once read where elite sportspersons have an ability to see time slower. An example being f1

not a cricket fan, but i knew this would relate to a great article i once read where elite sportspersons have an ability to see time slower. An example being f1 drivers - their perception of time is just 'different' to everyone else. Similarly skateboarders- those multi-flip kicks are a result of the same. I have wondered, of late, if politicians etc function in a different 'time'. I've met a few, and their ability to 'think fast' is often staggering. /still a bunch of twats tho.

jon-wood 4y ago
I’m curious whether this is a time perception thing, or very specialised thought processes. If I were to take an F1 driver and put them in front a cricket bowler would they be able to spot the spin on a ball? Can a skateboarder react quick enough to drive an F1 car?
- tsm 4y ago
  Anecdotally, it's specialized. In the past five years I've put a tremendous amount of effort into improvising variations for 18th-century Scottish music (…don't ask) and have noticed that things slow down and from my point of view I have all the time in the world to think about what I've played and what should come next. But for the audience I'm zipping along at 480 eighth notes per minute. Meanwhile, I'm absolutely useless at anything involving sports or a fast reaction time. I'm reminded of the section of Peak (Anders Ericsson) where chess grandmasters were excellent at remembering board positions from real games and completely average at remembering impossible board positions.
nickdothutton 4y ago
I was lucky enough to have dinner with Stirling Moss once, winner of the 1955 Mille Miglia and many other races. He spoke of this ability to slow down time, and how it was “automatic” and didn’t require conscious effort. He said that after his 1962 crash and brain injury… he could still drive fast but it was no-longer automatic. Instead it required tremendous concentration. He said he knew then that he must quit racing or would very likely kill himself with a momentary lapse. Edited for typo.
Swizec 4y ago
I think it’s a combination of adrenaline, focus, and ignoring the unimportant. For example, I can do this in the boxing ring. Been training for 10 or so years, never competed. Most obvious when sparring with a beginner. While they’re just trying to survive, I’m fighting on the level of tactics and strategy. The technique for punches and footwork is automatic, and in those split seconds between the opponents punches I can see where the openings are, how they’re flowing, which punches I need to throw so certain openings show up, where to step to drive the opponent towards the ropes, etc. You really have time to think and analyze the situation during a 3 minute round. Feels almost like playing chess. Adrenaline really is a fun drug. When I was super into downhill mountain biking in high school, flying down a single track inches away from trees at 50km/h, yet you have time to notice every tiny detail on the trail. Every loose pebble and tiny twist of the trail, texture on every tree root … feels like you notice and process orders of magnitude more information per second than you can at walking speeds.

jon-wood 4y ago

I’m curious whether this is a time perception thing, or very specialised thought processes. If I were to take an F1 driver and put them in front a cricket bowler would they be able to spot the spin on a ball? Can a skateboarder react quick enough to drive an F1 car?

tsm 4y ago
Anecdotally, it's specialized. In the past five years I've put a tremendous amount of effort into improvising variations for 18th-century Scottish music (…don't ask) and have noticed that things slow down and from my point of view I have all the time in the world to think about what I've played and what should come next. But for the audience I'm zipping along at 480 eighth notes per minute. Meanwhile, I'm absolutely useless at anything involving sports or a fast reaction time. I'm reminded of the section of Peak (Anders Ericsson) where chess grandmasters were excellent at remembering board positions from real games and completely average at remembering impossible board positions.

nickdothutton 4y ago

I was lucky enough to have dinner with Stirling Moss once, winner of the 1955 Mille Miglia and many other races. He spoke of this ability to slow down time, and how it was “automatic” and didn’t require conscious effort. He said that after his 1962 crash and brain injury… he could still drive fast but it was no-longer automatic. Instead it required tremendous concentration. He said he knew then that he must quit racing or would very likely kill himself with a momentary lapse. Edited for typo.

Swizec 4y ago

I think it’s a combination of adrenaline, focus, and ignoring the unimportant. For example, I can do this in the boxing ring. Been training for 10 or so years, never competed. Most obvious when sparring with a beginner. While they’re just trying to survive, I’m fighting on the level of tactics and strategy. The technique for punches and footwork is automatic, and in those split seconds between the opponents punches I can see where the openings are, how they’re flowing, which punches I need to throw so certain openings show up, where to step to drive the opponent towards the ropes, etc. You really have time to think and analyze the situation during a 3 minute round. Feels almost like playing chess. Adrenaline really is a fun drug. When I was super into downhill mountain biking in high school, flying down a single track inches away from trees at 50km/h, yet you have time to notice every tiny detail on the trail. Every loose pebble and tiny twist of the trail, texture on every tree root … feels like you notice and process orders of magnitude more information per second than you can at walking speeds.