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The Mental Skills Corner by Ray Lauenstein                         Feedback Welcome!

What is Imagery and How Can it Help you Succeed?

Imagery is the use of your mind’s eye to integrate and experience all the components of a skill or competitive situation in your mind.

How does imagery work?

In a sense, imagery fools the mind into thinking it is actually experiencing an act or action. Effective imagery therefore incorporates more than a visual representation of an act or skill. Imagery incorporates the sounds, feelings, emotions, thoughts and general surroundings found with the real world act or action.

 

What would be a real world example?

Competitive divers are well known for their use of imagery to practice their dives dozens of times without actually going to the pool. While trying to perfect a new move the diver will spend time seeing themselves doing the dive successfully before they hit the water.

Keep in mind that a successful use of imagery will also incorporate: climbing up the ladder, hearing the buzz of the crowd and other divers, feeling the winds breeze, seeing the judges off to the side of the pool, hearing your name announced on the PA system, standing at the edge of the platform, the act of the dive and the physical cues of each twist and turn, the perfect ripped entry into the water, surfacing, exiting the pool and seeing the judges score.

Granted that is a lot of detail, but it must closely simulate conditions of the real world in order to have a positive effect.

Does imagery require practice?

Yes! Imagery and any other mental skill are no different from physical skills and conditioning. You must be persistent and diligent in your application of imagery. Otherwise you will not improve.

The best time to practice imagery is during a quiet, relaxed period of the day such as before you go to bed. Clear your mind of other thoughts and worries. Practice slow, relaxed breathing and try to reduce muscular tension.

How have athletes applied imagery?

  1. Slump Buster- when times are bad, imagery can help you experience success or get rid of a bad habit.

  2. Overcome Tension or Nervousness- do you find yourself "choking" or underachieving during specific moments of a game or performance? Imagery can be used to experience success in these situations under a completely relaxed setting.
  3. Perfect a new skill or move- complex movements require repetitions beyond what time sometimes allows, or fatigue sets in before you have perfected the skill. Imagery gives you the freedom to successfully practice the skill as many times as you want. Some skiers will imagine a ski run 5 or 6 times even after their practice runs. This reduces the risk of injury, lowers fatigue, and saves time.
  4. Stay sharp while rehabilitating an injury- people get rusty while waiting on the sidelines for an injury to heal. Those who use imagery are able to return to their pre-injury form much quicker than those who do not use imagery.
  5. Prepare for a foreign environment- suppose you performing at a venue you have only heard or read about. Imagery can help you experience the environment before you even step foot in the arena.

Imagery is a great tool for high achievers and can be applied to anything you do in school or sports. Experiment on your own and find a style that works for you. If you have questions concerning imagery or other mental skills send e-mail to info@athletesadvisor.com .
 

 Ray Lauenstein is the author of Baseball: Playing Outside the Lines and The Making of a Student Athlete.  He also holds a Masters Degree in Sport Psychology and gives seminars on Mental Skills Training and the Recruiting Process.  If you would like him to speak to your team, booster club or other group please contact him via the online form or call 1-617-835-1836.