Imagery involves the creation of a mental picture that imitates a real life experience, using one or more of the following senses.

 

• Visual - what we see

• Kinesthetic - the feeling of our body movement

• Auditory - what we hear

• Tactile - what we touch

• Olfactory - what we smell

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Readh Orlick and Partlington (1988) about athletes using imagery to prepare for their practice sessions

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If I have heard it once I have heard it 1000 times, a athlete being interviewed after a major win say, 'I have dreamt about this moment since I was child'. Interesting!

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There are many anecdotal accounts of athletes using imagery to help their performance. For example, championship winning golfer Jack Nicklaus

 

a study by Murphy, Jowdy, and Durtschi, 1990) on Olympic athletes found 90% of athletes utilised imagery, and 94% of coaches used imagery as part of their training with 1 in 5 using it during every training session.

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It has often a challenge to get athletes to perform imagery as part of their training. Perhaps, as athletes are drawn to the excitement of competition, sitting still in a quiet room with your eyes closed, doesn't really do it for them? I mean it is a bit boring as it doesn't feel the same as the real thing, and you don't win any trophies for imagining a win. Or is it because they are not very good at it (but practice can help with that)? Or is it that they don't think it makes any difference?

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The effect of imagery on performance has been well researched and the consensus tends to be that imagery is an effective strategy that helps performance. Performance improvements are best when imagery and physical practice are combined, in comparison to their isolation. Imagery outperforms no practice, but physical practice outperforms imagery.

 

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The issue I have with imagery is if we are imagining something that is out of our control, e.g. an outcome, it still is effectively a goal. If I don't achieve what I have imagined, then I feel like I have failed. I am setting my goals too high.

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Imagery can be applied in sport across a number of situations.

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, but by the same token you also hear athletes say 'I never dreamed this would be possible'.

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When you create an image, it can have a similar effect on our nervous system as would the real event. If you have ever used a virtual reality headset, you will appreciate the power virtual images can have. It is difficult for our brains to disassociate what is fake and what is real when dealing with images - see an example in the video below.

 

Jose and Joseph (2018) completed a review of studies involving

 

Imagery has shown to benefit novice and expert performers, but the more experienced performers do tend to get stronger effects (Feltz and Landers, 1983). 

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Research has shown that imagery benefits those who have a superior imagery ability, essentially your ability to create vivid images and control them. The good news is that imagery ability can be improved. Complete this questionnaire to assess your image ability.

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Physical practice is the most important component to improving your performance. However, adding imagery to your practice can enhance your performance, as long as the imagery practice does not replace any physical practice time.

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Improves Performance

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Benefits

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Emotional Mental Preparation

Imagery can help you mentally prepare for upcoming situations.

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For example, you may tend to get nervous before a competition. You can imagine yourself at the event, and feeling confident, and comfortable. You see yourself talking to people and strutting around with quiet confidence. If you repeat this exercise and do it well, when you arrive for the event it sometimes feels like you have been there already,  deja vu. You can do this excerise to improve concentration, confidence, etc. The great thing about imagery is that you are no limited to anything. You can develop a script for any situation that you would like to improve upon.

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Rehearsal Preparation

As part of the process of getting ready for a performance, we can use our minds to imagine an upcoming performance. E.g., as part of their pre-shot routine, a golfer may stand behind their ball and imagine themselves hitting a shot that finishes down the middle of the fairway.

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Skill Acquisition

You can imagine completing an action or skill perfectly, rehearsing it. The process of imagining it mimics similar actions in our brain chemistry.

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Types

Internal Imagery

This is when you imagine an event as you would see it from your own eyes. For example, a golfer would see their feet, hands, ball, club, and target in the same way as they were actually performing the shot, a 'mind's eye' view. With this style of imagery there is a tendency to use also feel the shot.

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External Imagery

This is when you imagine a scenario from 'outside of your body', e.g. as if you were watching yourself on video, more of a 'bird's eye' view. Essentially you are watching yourself perform the action, e.g. a golfer would see their swing. There is less opportunity to feel the shot as its more from the outside.

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It's believed athletes tend to switch back and forth between the two styles, but you may have a preference of using one over the other.

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Imagine what goes through your head when playing well, imagine what your body language is like, imagine what your pre-shot routine looks like.

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However, when an athlete is unable to practice (e.g. injury), Imagery is an effective tool for athletes who are injured and physically are unable to practice. Imagery has also shown to improve recovery time (Ieleva and Orlick, 1991).

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Effective Imagery Principles

 

Real Time

When you imagine a scenario it is recommended that you imagine the event as it is occuring in real time.

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Vividness

It is best if you recreate the experience as close as you can to the real thing, and include as many senses as possible.

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Imagery in sport can be used to help:

 

- Regulate your emotions

- Improve a skill

 

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- If there are two groups doing no physical practise, the group who does mental practise will outperform a group that does no practise at all. *this would be an effective strategy for an injured athlete.

 

- Imagery in sport has shown to help close the gap between differences in ones performance from practise to competition. *E.g. an athlete may have a drop in performance in competition compared to practice due to negative effects of anxiety.

 

- It is suggested that a mixture of physical and mental practise will produce the best results.

 

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