One of my favorite lines to use with athletes is, “See it happen, Make it happen.” Aside from being an easy catch-phrase, there is significant background and purpose to this line. Before the phrase can make sense to my athletes, we work on the practice of imagery. Many people recognize the strategy, as it is one of the more popular techniques of mental skills. But mastering the skill for your own use often requires instruction.
Let’s start with a brief introduction of what imagery is, and why it can be an important. A more accurate term to describe imagery is visualization. Rather than being a form of relaxation, visualization is a mental focus of experiencing the act of performing. This includes seeing yourself execute the action(s) you want to perform, and “feeling” what is happening with your other senses. When done right, imagery is also a way to mentally practice. At some point, physical practice will yield negative returns as an athlete becomes too fatigued. But your mind can extend what your physical growth by allowing your to repeat skills and techniques. Whether you are looking to master new skills, or rehearse old ones, you can do so without becoming tired. There is also the benefit of practicing your focus and control of emotions, as you can visualize yourself in stressful situations that can be difficult to replicate in practice. With these benefits, it should be clear that learning to implement imagery into your mental training is important.
Using imagery requires a little knowledge in the various ways to use the skill. Briefly, there are two distinct approaches of practical use; deep focus and brief moments. The first is often useful when you are looking for significant gains in mastery. This requires you to first have a goal of focus/purpose for imagery. For example, are you looking to implement complex sequences into live execution, trying to identify intricate patterns of stimuli that require the ability to distinguish which ones to respond to, or are you needing to expose yourself to the intensity of the situation to learn how to deal with the pressure you expect to feel? This type of imagery becomes a scheduled aspect of a detailed mental training schedule.
Brief imagery has a different purpose and implementation. This technique is best when you are trying to dial in your focus. For example, you may find yourself a little too hyped during competition. Taking a few seconds to visualize the next play, situation, or attempt is a way to rechannel your focus on what you are doing, rather than how you feel. Similarly, you may find that throughout the day leading up to competition you become over anxious. Taking a few seconds to see yourself performing well is a way to redirect your attention toward feeling excited to compete, rather than being nervous about the upcoming event. Implementing brief imagery into your day (or competition), is a great way to manage your emotions and anxiety, while refocusing on the task at hand.
Once you have decided that imagery is a mental skill you want to implement into your training and peformance, the next step is to develop an appropriate “script”. First, as noted above, have a clear purpose for what you want to imagery to address. Your goal can range from mastering a new skill, polishing learned skills, exectuting in specific situations, or preparing to handle stressful ones. Second, keep your visualization on “what to do”, rather than tring to control the situation. Mentally preparing to react and execute in specific situations promotes the likelihood you will be successful. You can’t control the event, only how you react. Finally, implement all the relevant sensory experiences necessary for executing. The five senses are an integral part of performing. But the level each is used depends on the actvity and what you are required to do while executing. Be aware of what you need to pay attention to and how, then use the form of imagery (deep focus or brief moments) that best addresses your goal.
Hopefully this article helps you to understand the complexity of imagery, as well as its real value as a part of preparation and performance. Truthfully, we all use imagery from an early age – its called imagination. But like many physical skills (running, jumping, throwing, etc.), we need to practice a natrual talent to perform consistently at a high level. Should you find yourself needing more help in this area, why wait? Make the call, bring in an expert.