Perceiving the target to be larger than it is in reality may give athletes a competitive edge. A study led by Jessica K. Witt of Purdue University found that making a golf hole appear bigger than its actual size caused study participants to sink 10 per cent more putts than when the hole was made to appear smaller. The study’s results have implications for professional sport performance since they suggest that imagining a bigger target — whether it be a basketball hoop, a soccer goal, or a golf hole — could increase a player’s accuracy.
