Baseball researcher finds "the zone" in brain wave experiment
Scientists at the University of Victoria have been able to determine that you really can over think the game of baseball. In an experiment, more than 60 young, accomplished batters were fitted with a portable EEG device before they approached the plate.
Anthony Pluta, a former professional baseball pitcher, and a graduate student in the University's Neuroeconomics Lab, was able to see which type and range of brain wave coincided with a successful at-bat. The study found that when a batter's brain was in the higher beta range, a frequency associated with concentration and focus, the player was not so successful. However, when a batter's brain was in the lower beta range, a frequency associated with a more relaxed state, the player had greater success.
This research reinforces the notion that you really can over think things, in this case an at-bat in baseball. It is possible that in the future, such a device could be used during a game to help a manager identify which player or players are in the so-called 'zone' prior to going to bat.
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