Imagery what is it, how can it help me?

Imagery has been used by athletes for decades to perform additional training without over-stressing the body. It has also been used to practice and enhance skills.

Imagery has been given a number of different names including, mental rehearsal, ideomotor training, visulisation, imaginal practice, imagery rehearsal, symbolic rehearsal and visual motor behaviour rehearsal. It is probably easiest to think of imagery as something like a dream, where you not only see things.

The difference is, you see, feel, hear, move, smell and experience an event. However, in this case you are in control of the experience and can add what you want to the imagery. By doing this you are able to train your body and prepare for an athletic event, without even doing the event!

This extract from page 241 of Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (Williams, 1998) gives examples of how imagery can work for atheletes.

Jack Nicklaus, perhaps the greatest golfer of all time, says that playing the ball to a certain place in a certain way is 5O% mental picture. Nicklaus sees and believes before he hits any shot.

I never hit a shot, not even in practice, with-out having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. It's like a color movie. First, I "see" the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes and I "see" the ball going there; its path, trajectory and shape, even its behavior on landing. Then there is sort of a fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the images into reality. (Nicklaus, 1974, p. 79)...

Another extract from the same book...

Certainly, Jack Nicklaus has won more major championships than anyone else because of his enormous physical talent. Yet experts feel that his concentration skills carried him to a level above all other golfers. It may be that Nicklaus's systematic practice of imagery facilitates the concentration that has been the key to his success...

This extract discusses the use of imagery in other sports.

Greg Louganis reached the pinnacle of his magnificent diving career by winning gold medals in both the springboard and platform events at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. He speaks of how he used imagery to practice each dive and of his particular technique of setting his dives to music as he practiced them in his head.

Michael Johnson, the first male athlete to win Olympic gold medals in both the 200- and 400 meter races, talks of what he calls the "danger zone," which is the competitive mind-set he creates the day of a race, in which he uses positive images and thoughts to block out all unimportant attentional distractions…

This example of how imagery can be used in a sport such as cycling is take from Sport psychology theory, applications and issues (Morris & Summers 1995, page 369).

Improving confidence of a road cyclist during and after rehabilitation from a crash on the bike, which involved no other riders or vehicles.

Use of imagery during recovery from injury often has multiple value. Not only can it facilitate recovery, it can also relieve some of the stress of being injured by giving the athlete something constructive to do. In the example below, imagery not only occupies the cyclist and thus reduces the stress of being injured, but also rebuilds confidence.

Improving confidence of a road cyclist during and after rehabilitation from a crash on the bike, which involved no other riders or vehicles. (Morris & Summers 1995 pg 369).

1. During rehabilitation, the cyclist imagines the conditions surrounding the crash: thoughts, emotions, environment, situation, and so on. With this heightened awareness, the cyclist may understand personal responsibility for the outcome, leading to personal forgiveness. This process allows the cyclist to learn how the crash situation should be avoided in the future.

2. The cyclist uses this information to image being on the bike again in the same situation, but at a slower speed and under greater control. As the cyclist becomes comfortable with this step, the rate of speed is systematically increased and so is the degree of difficulty associated with the situation. The important point here is that the cyclist must always feel in control of the bike and situation, even though his or her abilities are being tested. If the cyclist starts to feel that control is being lost, it is simply a matter of leaving the scene for a moment, and gaining control of thoughts and emotions before returning to the bike.

3. Once the cyclist is physically ready to return to the bike, the risk level must be systematically increased in proportion to confidence level. The cyclist must continue to use imagery at a slightly increased level of risk than is actually being taken in physical training on the bike. This will expedite the recovery time, because the imagery will prepare the cyclist for the next level while reducing the amount of anxiety associated with the memory of the crash.

The theories

There are a number of different theories that may explain how imagery works to improve a physical performance. Regardless of the theory it is known that with practice imagery does work.

The Psycho neuromuscular theory

This theory developed after it was discovered that when a person imagined a body part moving there would be very low levels of electrical stimulation to the group of muscles that was being used in the imagery. Further to this was an association between the real activity and the same muscle groups as used in imagining the activity. This theory suggest that the electrical stimulation that occurs when you perform quality imagery is similar to that which occurs during physical movements. It may be a matter of the "muscle developing a memory" for the movement that is practised in the imagery. Another way to say this is it may be extra practice for the body without the extra effort for the body.

Symbolic learning theory

This theory suggest that imagery symbolizes the brain movements needed to perform skills and therefore facilitates performance. That is when learning a skill we use a "mental map" and over time this mental map becomes automatic. Think of the first time you walked home from a new school or job. Initially you concentrated on looking at street names and land marks. This may be an example of using a "mental map". However, overtime you learnt to automate your guidance on the route home and can get home without even thinking about it. The mental map has become automated and you can use your concentration for other things. This theory suggest that the more you practice imagery of your sport the better you lay down a '"mental map" of the physical and mental skills needed for the sport you play. From this point it is easier to recall a skill without actively having to concentrate on it. This theory suggests you learn a skill quicker. So it is like learning to be an expert player in a short time.

Bio-Informational theory

This theory is similar to the Symbolic learning theory except that it suggests that imagery strengths links between a stimulus and the appropriate response. For example, if a cricket ball is hit up in the air (stimulus) and you are close to and move your hands and body into a position to catch it (appropriate response). In this example the appropriate response would have many factors, such as hand position, arm position, flexion of elbows, stances of feet for balance and position of whole body. Imagery would include the strengthening (automation) of these factors to allow you to develop a fast catching reflex action.

Activation and arousal theory

This theory proposes that there is a link between the level of arousal experienced in imagery and the level of arousal experienced in a sporting performance. By using imagery an athlete is preparing them selves for what they will experience in a game. There is only limited evidence for this theory.

Motivational explanation

This explanation says that imagery increases a persons performance because they expect it to.

The confidence improvement idea

This is the idea that imagery rehearsal may increase your self confidence. Self confidence has been shown to lead to enhanced performance.

Morris, T.M. & Summers, J. (1995). Sport psychology theory, applications and issues. Sydney: John Wiley & Sons.
Williams, J.M. (1998). Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (3rd ed.), Mountain View, CA, US: Mayfield Publishing Co