Speech Title: Prediction Power of the postural system
Aim: How to improve the postural control of shooters?
Methods: The movements of the center of gravity and of the line of sight have been recorded during 205 shootings, in a room, ten meters away from the target, for marksmen of different levels: 8 international, 16 National and 9 Regional. The time series of these movements have been compared and their correlations calculated.
Results: In the left-right direction of the body, the center of gravity is immobilised and to predict the time he must decide to shoot, the shooter has only to follow, by vision, the vertical movements of his line of sight. On the contrary, in the forward-backward direction, the shooter cannot stop the movements of his center of gravity. These movements are not correlated to the movements of the line of sight, the shooter cannot predict by vision the time he must decide to shoot. The time intervall between the decision to shoot and the impact of the bullet on the target is occupied by a lot of events cortico-neuro-muscular and mechanic, it represents, for the postural system, its prediction intervall.
Conclusions: The prediction power appears as a factor of the postural control that, to date, we do not know how to measure and how ro improve.
Acknowledgements: Supported by a project grant from Institute of Posturology, Paris.