Comments on: Jonny Wilkinson, Physicist Extraordinaire http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/jonny-wilkinson-physicist-extraordinaire.html Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David Bradley Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:14:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/jonny-wilkinson-physicist-extraordinaire.html/comment-page-1#comment-159999 David Bradley Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:48:24 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/jonny-wilkinson-physicist-extraordinaire.html#comment-159999 Thanks for your comment Dave, yes those good-old sports scientists...eh? Where would we be without them? Thanks for your comment Dave, yes those good-old sports scientists…eh? Where would we be without them?

]]> By: Dave Allen http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/jonny-wilkinson-physicist-extraordinaire.html/comment-page-1#comment-159964 Dave Allen Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:31:07 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/jonny-wilkinson-physicist-extraordinaire.html#comment-159964 It can't be too often that sport and science come together - never quite worked out what the guys who did Sports Science at University were actually up to. There must be grounds for some scientists to look at the penalty taking in football - especially the England team. From a psychological point of view I liked the method employed by long serving Crewe Alexander manager Dario Gradi. He would ask the elected penalty taker before the match which way (left or right) he intended to place the kick. He then told the player that if the penalty was saved and he had stuck to his original intention, Gradi would take the blame. However, if the penalty maker changed his mind then he would have to deal with a very irate manager. It can’t be too often that sport and science come together – never quite worked out what the guys who did Sports Science at University were actually up to.

There must be grounds for some scientists to look at the penalty taking in football – especially the England team.

From a psychological point of view I liked the method employed by long serving Crewe Alexander manager Dario Gradi. He would ask the elected penalty taker before the match which way (left or right) he intended to place the kick. He then told the player that if the penalty was saved and he had stuck to his original intention, Gradi would take the blame. However, if the penalty maker changed his mind then he would have to deal with a very irate manager.

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