Developing Imagery skills
This page aims to help you develop your imagery (visualisation) skills. We will look at the elements of imagery development and the creation of scripts to improve your imagery skills.
Imagery Categories
The five main categories of imagery have been identified as follows:
- Motivational-specific (MS) - This involves seeing yourself winning an event, receiving a trophy or medal and being congratulated by other athletes. MS imagery may boost motivation and effort during training and facilitate goal-setting but is unlikely on its own to lead directly to improved performance.
- Motivational general-mastery (MG-M) - This is based on seeing yourself coping under challenging circumstances and mastering challenging situations. It might include maintaining a positive focus while behind and then coming back to win. MG-M imagery appears to be important in developing expectations of success and self-confidence.
- Motivational general arousal (MG-A) - This imagery reflects feelings of relaxation, stress, anxiety or arousal to sports competitions. Good evidence suggests that MG-A imagery can influence heart rate - one index of arousal - and can be employed as a 'psych-up' strategy.
- Cognitive specific (CS) - This involves seeing yourself perform particular skills, such as a tennis serve, golf putt or triple toe-loop in figure skating. If learning and performance are the desired outcomes, evidence suggests that CS imagery will be the most effective choice.
- Cognitive general (CG) - This involves images of strategy and game plans related to a competitive event. Examples could include employing a serve-and-volley strategy in tennis or a quick-break play in basketball.
Where do I start?
Imagery needs to be developed and practised regularly. There are four elements to mental imagery - Relaxation, Realism, Regularity and Reinforcement (The 4Rs) (Hale 1998)[1].
Relaxation
A relaxed mind and body are essential to help you feel the movement patterns and experience any emotions generated. It will help to use a relaxation technique before imagery training.
Realism
Create imagery so realistic you believe you are executing the skill. To obtain the most graphic representation possible, you must incorporate definition, action, emotion, detail, and a positive result in your imagery:
- Definition - Make the images as vivid as possible, including colour
- Action - Break down the image into small components and visualise those components. (Sprinting - consider the movement of the arms, legs, trunk, head, feet, hands, breathing etc.)
- Emotion - Try to include emotional feelings in your images. Refresh your memory constantly by emphasising specific sensory awareness (e.g. smells, the wind) during training
- Detail - Incorporate as many of your senses as possible into your imagery so the scene is as clear and realistic as real life itself
- Positive result - This is essential, "you only achieve what you believe".
Regularity
Spending between 3 and 5 minutes on imagery seems to be the most effective. It should be included in the training, and time outside of training should be spent on imagery. (10-15 minutes a day)
Reinforcement
Writing imagery scripts will help you plan the content and timing of your imagery training.
Creating a Script
Basic picture
Document the primary content of the skill to be imagined. Describe how the skill is performed and include all components of the skill to be imagined or behaviours to be emphasised, e.g. elbows are driven back with hands relaxed.
Adding details
Add the detailed movement patterns and kinesthetic feelings, e.g. the toe is dorsiflexed and tightness felt in the muscles at the front of the shin.
Refine the script
Read it to yourself and try to imagine executing the skill. Do you feel as if you are performing the skill correctly? If not, re-examine the text to see if they accurately reflect the sensations and movement patterns associated with the skill.
Tape it
When you have a suitable script, then record it and use it as an aid for your imagery training.
Example - Squash Serve
Basic Story - Components: Body position, ball toss, impact, ball flight, and landing in the back corner.
Adding detail - Seeing the racket in one hand, the black ball in the other hand, the position of the opponent, and the point on the face wall where you will direct the serve.
- feeling the relaxed shoulders and hands
- feeling the racket grip in the hand
- seeing the back ball nestled on the fingers in the hand
- feeling the smooth release of the ball
- feeling the body weight shift, the knees bend
- feeling the power in the body
- feeling the racket head accelerate
- feeling the wrist snap and the sound of the racket making contact with the ball
- watching the ball bounce off the face wall and land in the back corner of the opponent's side of the court, making it impossible for the opponent to return
- feeling the exhilaration and pleasure
Refine the script - Rewrite it until you feel you are executing the service when you read it.
FITT
In designing your imagery program, apply the FITT principles, as we do with physical training.
- F is for Frequency - Aim to incorporate imagery into your training schedule every day. Just before you sleep could be a good time for busy people, and it helps if you are relaxed and tranquil.
- I is for Intensity - Try to create an all-sensory experience that is as vivid and clear as possible. Initially, practising in a quiet environment can help minimise distractions and facilitate clear images.
- T is for Time - Imagery should make significant demands on your attention, so short (5-10 minutes) frequent quality sessions are preferable to long ones.
- T is for Type - Remember to decide on your desired outcome and select the type of imagery to match it.
References
- HALE, B. (1998) Imagery Training. London: National Coaching Foundation
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- MACKENZIE, B. (1997) Developing Imagery skills [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/imagery.htm [Accessed