ABSTRACT
Visualization appears to be most effective where the following are observed: a skill, technique or desired performance is selected; visualization is preceded by relaxation, bring the technique to be worked on into clear focus and so on. Visualization requires commitment. As John Ravey and Deirdre Scully suggest, if the athlete attempts to visualize a 'new' skill before physically practising the skill, the lack of a prototypic standard against which to evaluate what imagery is appropriate to the task, means superfluous and interfering actions are just as likely to be practised as relevant ones. Mental rehearsal involves running through the desired performance in imagination prior to competition. Of all the types of visualization this is the one most utilized by athletes. In addition to mentally rehearsing the desired performance, it can prove useful to prepare, through visualization, for unpredictable events and conditions. This requires imagination in considering possible eventualities and what the best solutions might be.
