I enjoyed this piece from the show Sport Science looking at Ovechkin shooting on Kolzig and explaining how an NHL goaltender is able to react to a shot so quickly.
To experienced goaltenders the explanation that Kolzig has to use reflexes – not the ‘quick movement’ type most people use when talking about a goalie’s movements, but the kind that involve automatic movements without thought. Movements that bypass the normally slow decision-making process and more akin to the reactions that we make when, for example, touching a burning-hot surface. These are known as somatic reflex arcs.
This oldie also addresses reaction time. It includes a common test used in high school science classes to measure reaction time, but keep in mind that that sort of reaction time is far slower than a reflexive move.
At the end of the day we have to be so well-trained that we move reflexively – without thought.
You might enjoy reading the Wikipedia article on reflexes.
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