The relationship between visual spatial working memory capacity of tennis players and visual information processing of offensive tactical decision-making

Objective To investigate how spatial working memory (SWM) ability and visual search features influence tennis players’ offensive tactical preemptive decision-making. Methods We investigated 48 tennis players’ behavioral performance and eye movements in the decision-making offensive tactics task using a mixed experimental design of 2 (sport level: expert, novice) × 2 (SWM capacity: high-volume, low-volume). Results (1) Tennis players with different SWM capacities had similar decision-making offensive tactics correct rates; however, expert tennis players had a significantly higher decision-making offensive tactics correct rate than the novice group, as well as a significantly lower reaction time. (2) There was variability in visual search for offensive tactical decision-making among tennis players of different skill levels. The expert group had significantly longer gaze durations, more gaze times, and greater eye-jump distances than the novice group for the three areas of interest (AOIs) of the torso, lower limbs, and racket-holding arm and racket. Conversely, the novice group exhibited fewer gaze times and shorter eye-jump distances for the two areas of interest (AOIs) of the ball and the near-court player. (3) The five areas of interest (AOI)—trunk, lower limb eye, racket arm (near-court), tennis ball, and near-court player—showed that tennis players with high SWM capacity had longer gaze durations, more gazes, and longer eye-hopping distances than the novice group. Conclusion Spatial working memory capacity is associated with the visual search features of offensive tactical decisions, tactical decision-making agility is lower in the high-volume group, and expert group tennis players perform better in tactical decision-making and visual search strategies.