Visualization

Visualization is a useful sports psychology exercise to solve problems before they happen, overcome fears, and stay focused.

Many athletes practice visualization in the weeks and months leading up to a competition to develop quick problem solving and decision making skills, which are keys to success.  In a recent interview on ESPN, Russell Wilson discussed how he uses visualization to imagine potential situations during a game and then develops a specific plan to address them.  It is a technique he has been using for years and it has helped him to remain calm in the midst of storms.  We may not always be able to physically solve a problem, but we can always say something to ourselves to kept the situation from getting worse.  By staying calm and in the Here-and-Now, we're able to see clearer and chart a new path.

The technique of visualization has been used for centuries by monks to combat warriors, but only recently became a popular tool for athletes.  In the 60s, 70s, and early 80s, Russian gymnasts used mental imagery training to practice routines over and over.  As a result, they were virtually unbeatable in the Olympic.  The Russians also used sports psychology techniques with a variety of their athletes.  While listening to the podcast Fitness Behavior, I learned of a study on Creative Visualization conducted with Russian pole vaulters. The athletes were divided into four groups.

I. 100% physical training
II. 75% physical training; 25% mental training
III. 50% physical training; 50% mental training
IV. 25% physical training; 75% mental training

The athletes in group IV showed the most improvement in performance, even though they performed the least physical work, while the athletes in group I performed the worst, even though they performed the most actual physical work.  In an American study, a psychologist at the University of Chicago once improved the free throw percentage of the basketball team by having them envision the ball going into the basket.  The players that physically practiced free throws improved by 24%.  The players that just used visualization, without physical practice improved by 23%.

The benefits of visualization appear to occur because real and imagined events are often processed identically in the brain.  Whether, one physically participates or just mentally imagines participating, the brain doesn't know the difference.  This helps increase the amount of practice one can participate in, thereby laying down neural pathways making movements more natural and less anxiety provoking. The phenomena is also very beneficial with overcoming fears, without risking physical harm.  Just "trying harder" and physically exposing one's self repeatedly to feared situations rarely helps and typically leads to neurosis making the fear worse. Visualization allows for progressive exposure in a safe environment and at a rate that meets the needs of a client.

Even Olympians have fear.  Melissa Hoar, recently discussed using visualization to help prepare for the Winter Olympics in the Skeleton, where athletes travel at 90 mph with their chin inches off the ice experiencing 5.5 G of forces.  She says, "with the visualizations, it really enables you to approach it in a different way. It's not so daunting. It's like, well now I'm thinking about the start, and now I'm thinking about curve one and two, and now I'm thinking about curve 3, and 4, and 5. Just being able to link it together and think about it in a different way. This makes it not seem like it's the scariest thing you ever done. If there's a curve that's really difficult, now I'm not thinking, Oh no here comes this curve, but saying to myself, Here I come."  Through visualization, she's been down the course several times and is habituated to it.  Often she will practice visualization while she sits and waits for her turn to go down the course, which to me seems like a better use of time than worrying about failure.

Another benefit of visualization is in helping people maintain focus. In 1952, Florence Chadwick became the first woman to ever swim the Catalina Channel. On her first try, she quit after swimming 21.5 miles, only a half-mile from shore. She said it wasn’t the freezing cold water, the fear of sharks, or even fatigue, but rather her inability to see the shore through the fog. She had lost sight of her goal. Two months later, she swam the channel again, this time with a clear mental picture of the shore.  She became the first woman to swim the channel AND beat the existing world record by two hours.

Where to begin: Start small and build your visualization practice. By starting small, 30-60 seconds at a time, one prevents frustration and the tendency to get distracted.  From there increase the duration gradually up to 30 minutes and know that any practice is better than none.  Ideally one would practice several weeks or months prior to a race visualizing several different scenarios and develop a plan for what to do physically as well as what to say to yourself if a situation unfolds.  As the race approaches, practice successful completion of your plan and less on potential issues.  On race day, your plan will unfold like a habit and you'll be able to stay calm.  Feel free to use visualization in other important areas of your life from business meetings to public speaking to other daunting situations.