Visualization – The Power of the Mind on Performance
The greatest of all time did it…
“I visualized where I wanted to be, what kind of player I wanted to become.” – Michael Jordan
“Before the (Olympic) trials I was doing a lot of relaxing exercises and visualization. And I think that that helped me to get a feel of what it was gonna be like when I got there. I knew that I had done everything that I could to get ready for that meet, both physically and mentally” – Michael Phelps
Studies consistently show it works…
An article in the September 2015 edition of Popular Science magazine said,
“Sports psychologists have conducted hundreds of studies comparing imagined and physical practice for actions such as throwing darts, juggling, and tap dancing. Overall, the research shows that mental training works. A 2012 study, for example, compared 32 amateur golfers who putted to another 32 who merely held a golf club in their hands and visualized their swings. Under the same training regimen, both groups improved their putts by getting the ball about 4 inches closer to the hole.”
So what is it and how do you do it?…
Visualization is a very powerful technique in which an athlete mentally rehearses their performance in intricate, compelling and vivid detail. They complete the skill flawlessly, step-by-step, detail-by-detail.
Here are three tips to help you incorporate visualization into your practice routine:
1. Find a quiet, peaceful location to practice this technique with as few distractions as possible so you can fully concentrate.
2. The word visualization is a little misleading as people assume they are just imagining what they are seeing when performing the skill. To multiply the technique’s effectiveness, incorporate as many of your senses as possible during the mental rehearsal, as well as your emotions.
Sight: See your surroundings, your teammates, the competitors, the crowd, the shapes, colors and everything that is in your field of vision as vividly as possible. See this from a first-person point of view, not as a spectator watching what you are doing.
Sound: Hear the cheers of the crowd, the music, the ball making contact with the bat or bouncing on the hardwood floor.
Smell: Take a deep breath as you stand on the field and smell the scent of the freshly cut grass.
Touch: Feel the ball in your hands, your feet touch the ground the exact way they would when running, your body slide across the ground as you dive for the ball.
Emotions: Experience the emotions you will feel in that moment of success – joy, happiness, a sense of pride and accomplishment.
3. For best results do it daily. Most athletes do it either right before they fall asleep and/or right when they wake up in the morning. The mind seems to be most primed to imprint these thoughts at those times of the day.
If you found this tip valuable and are looking for further options to enhance your mental performance, or that of the athletes you work with, please consider one of our Mind of a Champion programs. We can bring these programs directly to your teams - or individual athletes can attend one of our public programs in Naperville, IL.