In order to rigorously understand the various ways that imagery can interact with and potentially improve athletic performance, some kind of standard benchmark is required.
It will conclude, on the basis of this research, that imagery can indeed help people's athletic performance, but that it should be considered as a complement rather than a substitute for practice and training. The following paper will look at the research that exists on imagery as a technique athletes can use to program their minds. There are many various kinds of imagery techniques that exist, but the question of whether imagery really helps athletes to improve is still a matter of some debate, as is the question of how imagery works. Imagery is connected to but distinct from the technique known as 'mental practice,' where an athlete rehearses his or her strategy in competition. 370) Applied to the basic problem of improving athletic performance, imagery exercises might consist of visualizing a hole in one for a golfer, or imagining what it feels like to play the net in the next game for a goalie. We can be aware of 'seeing' an image, feeling movements as an image, or experiencing an image of smell, tastes, or sounds without actually experiencing the real thing… it differs from dreams in that we are awake and conscious when we form an image. Defined in its most general sense, imagery is "an experience that mimics real experience. One performance enhancing technique that has been the subject of many empirical studies and theoretical speculation is the practice of imagery.
#Imagery in the pedestrian professional
Whether it is a golfer who is looking to break his best score or a hockey goalie who is trying to get a shutout in the next game he plays, amateur and professional athletes are constantly trying to find ways of improving their performance. Athletes are always on the look out for techniques that will allow them to get better at their game.