ABSTRACT
Have you ever imagined yourself in your ‘mind’s eye’ hitting a great golf shot or making a perfect pass to a team-mate before actually playing it? If so, you’re in good company because many world-class athletes use their imagination to rehearse exactly what they want to do next in sport situations. For example, just before he scored a last-minute drop goal against Wales to help Ireland win the 2009 Six Nations rugby championship, Ronan O’Gara revealed that,
‘I picked out three numbers in the stand behind the posts. I can still picture them perfectly. That was my target. I visualised the ball going through and kept that image. I played it in my mind a few times . . . this is what it comes down to now. One chance.’1
