October 1997 Newsletter Article                                    To Newsletter Menu

Title: Mental Skills Corner - Visualization

Author: Ray Lauenstein

Visualization is using your imagination to see yourself doing things in your mind, such as competing, training, relaxing, taking a test, passing your driving exam, asking out your secret love, as a way to practice and perfect something before you actually do it.

How can that be? Actually your mind cannot differentiate between what is real and what is imagined. If repetition is the key to flawless execution, you can mentally rehearse a reverse dive, a diving catch a line drive hit, a kick save, a game winning field goal and a buzzer beating shot, a thousand times in your mind under all conditions.

What kinds of conditions. In your mind you can be the home or away team, there can be bright lights, boos, scouts, bad weather or perfect weather. You can come from behind, lead from the start, shake off an injury. In short you will never be surprised.

What do your mean surprised? The best athletes make do with the situation given to them. They have back up plans because they have prepared for less than ideal circumstances. By visualizing any possible obstacle to success, and seeing yourself overcome them with some solution, you are more likely to respond positively in a real life critical situation.

The power of your belief. Nothing can be accomplished if you do not first have self-confidence to even try. Do you think you can be a better student? Do you think you can reach a minimum or better SAT score? Do you think you can make the varsity roster? Do you think you can stay out of detention? See yourself doing these things successfully, over and over again in your mind, until you believe it. You will naturally do the things necessary to make them a reality.

Visualization Applied to Specific Sports

Cross Country- Review all parts of the course and imagine how you want to be at each point. How hard are you running, how much energy do you have remaining. See yourself in front of the pack and holding off a challenger. See yourself coming from behind to overtake the leader at the top of the hill.

Volleyball. Imagine hitting all your spots during service. See the perfect timing on a set for a big kill. Allow yourself to serve the game winning point. Dive for a crucial dig and recover. React positively to a poor call by the official. Imagine ignoring insults by the hostile crowd and channeling that energy into great blocks at the net.

Football. Quarterbacks see all your receivers run their routes and deliver perfect strikes. Imagine a blitz, step up in the pocket and hit your secondary receiver. All players imagine each play against all looks and fronts. Imagine adjustments, punts, field goals etc.

Golf- Visualize all 18 holes, or specific shots that give you trouble, see them go in this time. See correct technique on each shot and imagine responding well to a poor tee shot with a great iron from the rough. Perfect form on the putts, see yourself competing with another player who you need to beat to make the cut.

Any sport or situation. Imagine in detail what it is that you need to do to be successful and see it happen. Create all kinds of possible scenarios and variables that could happen and have a positive outcome. Remember things do not always go your way and you have to be ready to respond when this happens.