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Steven W. Noles, Psy.D.
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MENTAL IMAGERY
One
of the most critical elements in preparing for athletic competition
is the use of mental imagery. While the power of mental imagery has
been known for decades, most athletes have spent precious little time
developing this very important skill. Jim Thorpe, whom Sweden's King
Gustav
V called "the greatest athlete in the world" following the 1912 Summer
Olympics, was not overly fond of practice. Instead he relied heavily on
the art of visualization, the beginning stage of mental imagery. Thorpe
was able to see himself performing feats
at a high level and this helped him win gold medals in the decathlon
and pentathlon events in the 1912 Stockholm Games. Today we know there
is no substitute for good solid physical practice, so you will not
become
the best baseball player or track star you can be by sitting on the
couch
and imaging yourself hitting home runs instead of getting to the
batting
cage. But we also know you will be a better athlete if you add mental
imagery to your practice. Dwight Stones, the Olympic high jumper, could
always be seen bobbing his head just prior to making a jump. He
explained
that with each bob of his head he was seeing himself take each and
every
step along the way to the high jump bar and he always saw himself sail
over the bar. Jack Nicklaus, the winner of 18 professional major
tournaments
(he was second an astonishing 19 times) was noted for his use of mental
imagery.
It worked for these great athletes and it will work for you.
While
visualization is the more common term used for this technique, I prefer
the broader term mental imagery because I think you have to do more
than
simply visualize what you need to do. Humans have five
senses. We use
them all the time and it is important when preparing for competition to
use all five of them. When you compete you gain information from all of
your senses. Sure, you see things that happen around you. You see the
field
or the court or the track, you see the crowd, you see your opponent,
but
there is much more to it than that. Visualization stops here, but what
is the crowd doing? Are they booing or cheering? You will need to
incorporate
this into your strategy as well if it is going to be most helpful to
you.
This technique will assist you in becoming more aware of all the
different
pieces of information you obtain during an athletic event and it will
better
prepare you for the real situation. Follow
these steps to developing your own mental imagery:
Step
1: Think of a situation in which you need to perform better.
Step
2: Now get out a piece of paper and write your responses to the
following
Steps.
Step
3: Write several sentences which tell what you see as you perform the
task you identified in Step 1 above. If you are, for example, playing
linebacker
for your high school's junior varsity football team, you might write
something
about the opposing teams front line, about the position of your
teammates,
about the grass playing field, about the little bugs flying in the
night
sky, and so on. If you run track, you might write sentences about the
what
the track itself looks like, about the infield, about the beautiful
spring
afternoon sky, and so on. The more you write the better and you will
create
a better visual image with more detailed sentences. Remember the goal
is
to create as accurate and as vivid an image as you can.
Step
4: Now write several sentences which tell what you hear as you perform
the task you identified in Step 1 above. Lets go back to the linebacker
and think of what he might hear. He will hear the crowd noises (some
friendly
and maybe some not so friendly), the sounds of colliding shoulder pads
and helmets, the grunts of the players, the sounds of his own
breathing,
and so on. Our runner may hear the sounds her shoes make with each
stride,
she will hear the sounds of the crowd, the encouragement of her
teammates
and the instructions of her coaches, the yelling of her opponents'
teammates
and coaches, the sounds of the other runners, the rhythm of her own
breathing,
and so on. Again, the more you write the better and you will create a
better
auditory image with more detailed sentences.
Step
5: Write several sentences which tell what you feel as you perform
the task. Our linebacker might feel the touch of other players, the
cool
night air in late October, the perspiration on his skin, the moisture
on
his uniform, the adrenalin begin to flow as he moves into to make the
hit,
and so on. The track star might feel the impact of each stride as she
runs
along the track, the perspiration on her skin, the breeze created by
her
own movement as well that of any wind that day, the heat of the
afternoon
sun, and so on. As before, the more you write the better and you will
create
a better tactile image with more detailed sentences.
Step
6: The next few steps are a bit harder because we tend to focus less
on these senses than the ones we have already addressed. Stick with it
though and do the best you can. Now write several sentences that tell
what
you smell during the event. The football player will undoubtedly smell
the grassy field, his teammates and opponents, and any other smell that
might be in the night air. The track star will also have a variety of
smells
to report and these too should be written out in as much detail as
possible.
Again, the more you write the better; you will create a better
olfactory
image with more detailed sentences.
Step
7: Now write several sentences that tell what you taste while
competing.
This may be the most difficult sense of all and, no, we do not expect
you
to be eating while you compete. But some athletes do chew gum while
competing;
what does this taste like? Some athletes report tasting their own
perspiration
during the event or maybe the salty air if you compete near the coast.
Write as much as you can with as much detail as you can since this will
help create a better image for you.
Step
8: Now write one sentence which reflects a good, positive thought you
want to have in your head when performing the task you identified in
Step
1. This statement should be something simple, not something real
involved
and certainly not negative. Always be sure you are telling yourself
what
you want to do; do not tell yourself what you do not want to do. For
example,
if you are a wide receiver for your high school football team you would
want to say something to yourself like "Watch the ball into your hands"
and not "Don't take your eyes off the ball." While both statements tend
to say the same general thing, the first is more positive than the
second
one. Stay positive; here are some examples of proper self-statements.
If
your goal is to improve your free throw shooting, you might want a
thought
such as "Take a deep breath and exhale completely once the referee
hands
you the ball." If you are on the track team, the thought may be "Run
your
race, not hers." If you are an infielder on the baseball team, you
might
think "Ready position" as the pitcher starts his wind up. Just think of
a short, quick thought that will help you perform better.
Step
9: Now put all the sentences from Steps 3 through 7 together to make
a complete story, or more to the point, a complete mental image of the
event you want to master. This story is your mental image.
Step
10: Read the story several times to yourself; try to memorize it. If
you have a tape recorder, it would be helpful to record the story
several
times on a tape. Read the sentences softly, slowly, and clearly into
the
tape recorder. Ultimately you want the mental image to be repeated
enough
times so the tape lasts about fifteen minutes.
Step
11: Now lie down in a quiet and comfortable place. Kick off your shoes
and loosen any tight fitting clothes or jewelry. Close your eyes, take
a couple of deep breaths, and listen to the tape recording of your
mental
image for about fifteen minutes. If you do not have a tape recorder,
repeat
the mental image to yourself from memory. Do this at least twice each
day.
Some athletes like to do the mental image exercise in the morning and
evening.
Some people like to do it before and after practice or a work out; they
simply make it part of the routine. Other people like to spend thirty
minutes
at one time in the day. Experiment with different options and see what
is right for you. Remember, the right way is the way that works best
for
you.
Step
12: Use the steps outlined above with other behaviors or situations
you need to master in order to become a better athlete.
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