ABCS OF MENTAL TRAINING

V is for Visualization

You’ve all been told to imagine yourself swimming your best race. You’ve undoubtedly sat up before a big meet and thought about how you were going to do and tried to “see” yourself winning. This article will discuss how to make the most of your imagination and how to visualize correctly so that you’ll reap the performance benefits.

It Really Works
Without going into the science or citing a bunch of research, there is a lot of evidence on the power of visualization in sport as well as many other domains. Basically, there are various theories as to why it works, some claim it strengthens neuropathways while others think it is effective because it bolsters psychological skills. Regardless of WHY it works, the majority of the research does show performance is enhanced through visualization, provided the athlete does it correctly.

The Keys
I should really stop calling it visualization because technically the correct term is “imagery.” The reason it’s not “visualization” is because when doing it correctly, you are using more than just your visual sense. The first key to proper imagery is to incorporate all of your senses. Not only should you see yourself swimming well, but you should feel your hands pulling through the water, smell the chlorine, hear the crowd, and maybe even taste the Gatorade you drank as you were preparing for your race. Vivid details are essential for imagery to be effective.

Another important aspect is to try to imagine your race in real time. I know a few coaches who give out stopwatches to their swimmers and have them imagine their race as close to their goal time as possible. Along with this is the need for controllability and positivity-you must dictate where your imagination takes you and you should ensure you are always imagining a desired outcome and correct technique.

For added benefit, include mental cues and positive self-talk. You can create a CD/Mp3 that you listen to that will guide you through the race. Such guided imagery should include positive statements to program your race-day thoughts (ex: “As I pull through the water I feel how strong and powerful I am” or “As you stand on the blocks you focus on only your lane and feel confident in your preparation and are ready to race your best”).

Do it often, don’t wait until right before your meet to imagine the race you want. When you wake up every morning you can imagine performing well in your upcoming events. Before practice you can visualize your goals for the day. Before each set you can quickly imagine how this will help you in a race. It can even be helpful to picture something not going as planned (ex: goggles snap, a bad race, etc.), but imaging an appropriate and effective reaction (though I suggest keeping everything positive the night before/day of a race).

Déjà Vu
The purpose of imagery is to mentally prepare you for various situations. You want to have vividly imagined every aspect of race day so that when you arrive at the pool, your mind thinks it has already been there, done that. Your mind can’t always tell the difference between what’s real and what it’s created, so by convincing it that you’ve already successfully swam this race you’ll be calmer, more confident, and appropriately focused—a state of mind that in and of itself will help you to perform your best. Also, the more you feel yourself swimming (rather than imagining your race like you’re watching a video of yourself), the easier it will be to create this Déjà vu experience. So go start mentally rehearsing your future success now!

Make it Great!
Dr. Aimee