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What state do you have to be in to practice mental imagery?
Relaxed
What is part one of concentration?
1. Focusing on relevant environmental cues
• Selective attention and allows players to block out irrelevent cues
What senses are involved in mental imagery?
Can involve all 5 senses
What is part 2 of concentration?
2. Maintaining attention focus over time
• Maintained concentration without allowing lapses in concentration to occur
What are some routines in mental imagery?
- Focus on key factors and reduce distractions
• Pre-performance warm up eg being accustomed to conditions, field, waves, crowd, et
What is a broad internal focus?
• Used to focus Thoughts & feelings
• Eg a bowler preparing to run in to bowl at wicket
What does VMBR stand for?
Visuo-Motor Behaviour Rehearsal
What is broad external focus?
• Focus outwards on an opponents actions
• Eg opponent make a fast break
What is part 3 of concentration?
3. Having Awareness of the situation
• Size up game situation, opponents, other envionmental factors and bring about the most appropriate response.
What is narrow interanal focus?
• Focus thoughts to mentally rehearse actions
• Eg diver
What is narrow external focus?
• Focus on only a few external cues
• Eg focusing on ball to take an uncontested mark
What does mental imagery aim to do?
- Aims to attain optimal arousal and concentration levels by athletes imagining themselves performing the skills before actually doing them.
• Allows athlete to create, modify or strengthen pathways for muscle coordination used in performance
4 possible types of concentration
1. Broad Internal Focus
2. Broad External Focus
3. Narrow Internal Focus
4. Narrow External Focus
What is "future orientated thinking"?
• Distractions caused by thinking "What if?"
What is simulation?
- Simulation replicates conditions of actual performance eg. Crowd, temperature, time of day, clothing, umpiring, full contact, etc
• Kinaesthetic, auditory, tactile, visual
• Superior to imagery but greater effort to create
What is VMBR
- Extension of imagery and is linked to simulation
• Combines psychological aspect of generating a mental image together with feedback from the performance of the physical skill
• Imagery techniques MUST be learnt prior to attempting VM
How can you improve concentration
• Overlearning of skills = autonomous stage
• Simulation
• Routines
What is 'energising mental imagery'?
Visualising something that is uplifting and energising to the athlete
What are the 4 parts of the choking process?
1. Conditions leading to choking
2. Attentional changes
3. Physical changes
4. Performance impairment
What is Mental Imagery?
Use of thoughts and images seen through the mind's eye and mentally practising actions to be done
What is choking?
Sense of increased pressure cause concentration to falter = choking
• A situation where performance deteriorates because a heightened sense of pressure or importance is placed on an upcoming event or action
How does mental imagery improve performance?
- Improving neural pathways b/w brain & muscles
• Provide a mental template of rehearsed sequences that can be modiied if required
• Practice and prepare for events they are likely to encounter
• Pre-experience achievement of goals - builds confidence
What are the 3 phases of VMBR?
1. Initial optimal arousal phase to enter conducive mental imagery zone
2. Visulaising perormance through varous tecniques
3. Performing the actual skill under game or simulated conditions
How else does mental imagery enhance performance
- Slow down complex skills so key components can be isolated to correct and improve on
• Identify potential technique problems
• Works with other physio and psycho skills to allow athlete to respond appropriately and confidently