Elite sport psychology/imagery/skill development

Imagery has some useful applications in training situations:

• Learning new skills and techniques.
• Building tactical awareness.
• Developing and enhancing existing skills.

Learning new skills

When learning a new skill, imagery has two very specific uses.

Firstly, a skill can be replayed in the mind, following  observation of a well-executed demonstration. The demonstration could be a slow-motion video or an expert practitioner sharing their knowledge on the training ground. Athletes can then replay the action using imagery but placing themselves in the role of the performer. Importantly, the demonstration has to be of the highest quality or imagery could introduce a flawed technique.

Secondly, imagery can be used to reinforce specific details of technique. For example, breaststroke swimmers may imagine themselves as a frog to help them kick effectively through the water.

Creating an image

Can you create an image to develop a specific skill?

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As an example, imagine a tennis racquet as a backscratcher to improve service technique.

Developing tactical awareness

In the image at the top of the page, a wide receiver is practising his role in an offensive play at a training camp. The training camp is vital in a sport like American football where players must learn complex tactics developed by a coaching team.

Imagine the scenario that his team is one score behind with time running out. He must:

1. Accelerate upfield once the ball is released to the quarterback.
2. Gain a couple of yards separation from his defensive counterpart who is covering him closely and hoping to intercept the pass.
3. Leap to catch the ball.
4. Run the ball out of play to stop the clock.

There is a lot going on here. He has to be aware of his defensive opponent and concentrate on catching the ball cleanly before taking it out of play. Imagery can assist. Using his imagery skills he can vividly recreate the scenario in his head and his role within it. Each part of the play can be broken down into its components. He can imagine his body position to catch the ball or how far he needs to go to get the ball out of bounds to stop the clock. As his imagery skills develop, he will be able to remember more and more tactical situations and how to execute them effectively.

Practising existing skills

Imagery can also be used to rehearse and enhance existing skills. An athlete skilled in imagery can accurately recreate a competition environment in their mind. Although mental practice is not a substitute for physical practice, it can be used to complement it. Mental training can lead to more progression than physical training in certain circumstances particularly if the athlete is fatigued or recovering from injury.

Imagery for practice is often used in individual sports such as figure skating, archery and shooting as the competition environment can be imaged with a high degree of accuracy. However, it can also be used in less predictable sporting scenarios, such as pacesetting in athletics or at the free throw line in basketball.

Planning an imagery session

Here are some steps for planning an imagery session:

• Schedule a session. Regular times are preferable, although downtime such as during a long journey can be used productively.
• Decide on a specific skill.
• Identify the practice environment accurately, recalling as much information as possible.
• Clarify the content and context of the session, including number of repetitions, opposed or unopposed, and alone or with others.
• Set a performance goal.
• Create a written plan.

During a session

Here are some steps to follow during a session:

• Get relaxed and comfortable using controlled breathing techniques.
• Create an image of the environment. This will include inputs such as sights, sounds and other senses.
• Visualise yourself coming into view. You may imagine yourself going through your usual warm-up routine such as light jogging or stretching.
• Begin to mentally rehearse the skill. This will include all the preparation steps (e.g., a server bouncing the ball) and then the skill itself. It is important to play close attention to how you feel performing the skill.
• Repeat the skill the designated number of times (50 repetitions for example).
• At the end of the session write down how you felt. Did you achieve your goals? What were your emotions afterwards?

Imagery can also be used in competition. The next section will look at this more closely.