Is gait-based visual regulation identical to gaze-based visual regulation in inexperienced athletes' long jump run-ups?

In long jumping, athletes need to hit a take-off board with both high precision and high run-up velocity to leap as far as possible. It is commonly agreed that visual regulation plays a crucial role in long jumping. To identify visual regulation, researchers have typically relied on analyses of variability in step parameters (i.e., "gait-based visual regulation"). The aim of the current study was to examine whether gait-based visual regulation coincides with measures of actual gaze control, referred to as "gaze-based visual regulation". Therefore, 15 participants performed long jumps and run-throughs while wearing a mobile eye-tracker. To compare gait-based with gaze-based visual regulation, a digital camera recorded all trials for subsequent frame-by-frame analyses of step parameters. Results revealed that gait-based visual regulation coincided with the step of the longest gaze (i.e., dwell time) on the take-off board but not with the step of initial gaze on take-off board. This finding supports the notion of visuomotor control of motor variability by means of longer gazing periods at the take-off board. In addition, our results provide initial insights to coaches and athletes on the particular requirements of visual regulation and the relationship between gait and gaze in the long jump approach.