The Power of Visualization & the Beatles

In the opening seconds of the Beatles song, , you can hear John Lennon providing instruction, “…picture your fingers.” I love that–the Beatles using visualization techniques to do their magic!

Of course, the best recording of that song has to be the roof top concert version–the last time the Beatles played together in public. See it here. Okay, back to my main point for this blog!

So what is visualization and why should I care as a sport coach? Visualization, also called imagery, can allow your athletes to recreate positive experiences or picture new events to prepare themselves mentally for sport performance (thanks to Daniel Weinberg and Daniel Gould for that definition—it is from their text “Foundations of Sport & Exercise Psychology 5th Ed.”

I call visualization “free practice” as one of its benefits is that it activates the same neuromuscular pathways as if the athlete was actually performing the skill or playing the game. So imagery frees up the athlete to be able to practice in their mind anywhere! I once asked a 1996 Olympian regarding when he practiced visualization–he replied everywhere!

In order to make visualization more powerful, the athlete should incorporate as many of their senses as possible (sight, hearing, feel, smell and kinesthetic (sensation of body position or movement) to heighten the details of what they are imagining in their minds.

So, does this imagery/visualization work? Sport scientists and psychologists believe there are at least three ways in which it does work and help athletes:

• Ideomotor Principle which in layman’s terms means that imagery activate the same neuromuscular pathways used when you actually perform the activity.
• Symbolic Learning Theory--imagery helps athletes learn skills by becoming more familiar with them through imagery–the imagery helps create the mental blueprint.
• Psychological Skills Hypothesis–Imagery allows athletes to concentrate better, reduce anxiety and build confidence as they have rehearsed so many situations in their mind that they are not taken by surprise or intimidated on the playing fields.

I have been incorporating visualization into my practice plans since the mid 1990s–if thousands of Olympic athletes swear by its usefulness, maybe your athletes could benefit as well.

We will be creating a new Coach’s Bookshelf for sport psychology soon and will include great resources for visualization and other mental skills needed for peak sport performance.