Sports Visualisation: Imagine victory

Sports Visualisation: Imagine victory

Written by Anton 09.08.2016

Sports greats Wayne Rooney (soccer), Muhammad Ali (boxing), Jonny Wilkinson (rugby), Michael Phelps (swimming), Jessica Ennis-Hill (athletics) Andy Murray (tennis) are amongst the thousands of successful sports people who use sports visualisation to perform at their peak.


A floatation chamber is far more productive than any other environment, including bed, for visualising the perfect technique, that vital victory or for an aide to coping with the pressure… because floatation results in complete sensor deprivation (so that you are not influenced by real smells and noises that can detract from the visualisation).

And as spots psychologist Dr Steve Bull, author of The Game Plan, recently told The Telegraph newspaper: “The most important thing with imagery is using multiple senses, like sound, sight and smell. What makes (a player like) Rooney unique is his imagination. When he visualises scoring a goal, he can feel his foot hitting the ball, the smell of the grass under his foot and the sound of the crowd.”

“This incredibly vivid imagery helps an athlete to prepare mentally, by improving their confidence, focus, clarity and speed of thought. It helps them prepare for any scenario: how will I react to the crowd? What if we go 1-0 down? What shot will I take in a certain situation? But it also fires impulses to the muscles, therefore priming them for action. The more vivid the mental image, the more effectively your brain primes your muscles to complete the same physical and technical action in a real game.”

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