Mental imagery and stress management can greatly improve an athlete’s performance. But what is it?

Imagery is when a person imagines themselves performing abilities. It helps create or recreate an experience in the brain that assists in calming nerves and anxiousness. In other words, it is a way to help prepare for competition without the extra negative energy so you can perform at an optimal level.

Let’s use tennis as an example. Tennis requires a high level of anticipation, accuracy, a lot of practice, and concentration. It requires proficiency on the technical, physiological, tactical, and mental side, and is a sport that relies heavily on mental imagery. By applying tools of mental imagery, an athlete can imagine places, sounds, and actions before they even step onto the court to help improve focus and confidence.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not. If you wish, think about it as some sort of magic remedy or an edge on your competition. You could even look at it as a performance enhancer - a legal one, of course. If there was any hope of making this strategy your own secret weapon, the bad news is, mental imagery is fairly common and used by countless high-performers. The good news, however, is that you can customize it as your own and fit the strategy to your specific needs.