Visualization can be a game changer for athletes.
Unfortunately, most athletes are not consistently nor effectively using this simple but powerful strategy.
The problem is you either don’t realize the impact or you don’t know exactly what you should be doing.
The good news – that changes today.
The Power of Your Mind
There is an abundance of research highlighting the positive effects of visualization, but the story of Major James Nesmeth is by far the most compelling:
Major Nesmeth was an average American golfer and generally shot in the 90’s.
However, his golf game was put on hold as he left for the Vietnam war.
Unfortunately things took a dark turn, as he was captured and became a prisoner of war. He was imprisoned in a small cage, 4.5 ft long and 5 ft tall – preventing him from standing or doing any physical activity.
As you can imagine the conditions were less than ideal and took an incredible toll on his body and mind.
At first, he just sat there and hoped he would be saved. But eventually he needed to do something with his mind to help dissociate from where he was and prevent his spirit from being completely depleted.
So, he started visualizing playing 18 holes, and often 36 holes of golf at his favorite course. He would close his eyes and vividly imagine walking through each hole and playing every shot out in his mind.
The more he practiced visualizing, the more real the sights, the sounds, and the feeling of playing became. It was like he was literally there playing.
This went on for 7 years!
This in and of itself is an amazing feat to survive for that long under those conditions.
But the best part was after being released and coming home – all he wanted to do was go play golf at his favorite course.
Of course, he took a week or so to get some proper food in him and get adjusted back to life at home.
Then without actually swinging a real club in over 7 years, he plays his first round.
He shoots a 74 – his best round ever and gets a hole in one!
*Note this is based on a real person, but the story has been told so many times and is all over the internet with different variations.
That is the power of your mind.
By consistently mentally rehearsing, you can improve your performance without actual in-person practice.
We see this effect with athletes returning from injury. They come back better than before they were injured – because they lean into consistent and effective visualization.
To be clear, you will get the best benefits by combining visualization with actual practice.
Here are the 5 key to effective visualization:
1. Vividness
This is all about the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and even taste. In addition, you need to tap into how you want to feel emotionally when you play your sport.
You want to visualize from a first person point of view and in real time. You are trying to make it feel as close as possible to you actually being there and playing your sport.
The realer it feels, the better.
Visualization itself is a skill you will get better at with practice.
It also might be better for you to focus more on the sounds and physical feeling than the visual images.
Regardless, don’t make the mistake of over focusing on what you are doing and not how you want to emotionally feel while you do it.
2. Prepare for Stress
One of the secret weapons of visualization is to actually prepare for potential distractions or stressors – like pressure or adversity.
This is what Todd Herman calls the “positive power of a negative script”. It is more formally known as coping planning – where you plan how you will respond to stressful situations.
Simply put, you want to visualize a situation where you might start to feel frustrated, anxious, or distracted, but you are able to quickly reset, get centered, and move forward.
This does not mean you visualize yourself making a mistake or a bunch of negative things happening, it’s about the moments after. It is your response when you feel yourself being pulled away from the zone or your intended mental state.
By mentally rehearsing for these potential stressful situations, you will be well prepared to respond effectively when they do arise.
This can be the difference in:
- Getting derailed by adversity vs bouncing back
- Choking under pressure vs performing at your best
- Losing control of your emotions vs staying composed
3. Do + Feel = Process
The fundamental idea of visualization is to imagine how you want to show up and play.
Unfortunately, most athletes focus too much on what they want to do and the results, and they miss how they want to feel while they do it.
The majority of your visualization should be about the process, not the results.
It is all about what you do and how you do it that leads to the results. You can and should visualize the intended results, but the benefit is in rehearsing the process.
The process is made of two key components: your actions and your emotions. In other words, what you do and how you feel while you do it.
Mentally rehearsing the way you want to feel is the most important part.
If you do visualization of yourself making a play and achieving a result without any emotion – you will be just going through the motions and missing a key ingredient.
But when you fill your visualization with how you want to feel while making that play, now you are tapping into the full power of your mind.
Think of it this way, you might not do the play exactly as you visualize, but you will want to feel exactly as you visualized. The mental state comes first, the actions comes second.
4. Consistency
Another major mistake athletes make is only doing visualization on game days.
If you only visualize two times per week you are missing out on the massive benefits of the compound effect.
It’s like going to the gym to get stronger twice a week versus five times – the difference is huge over time.
I recommend you visualize 4 to 6 times per week for 5-10 minutes per day while you are in season or approaching an upcoming competition.
This consistent visualization will benefit your practice habits, but it also helps you stop putting games on pedestal.
When your mental preparation for games is much greater than practice, you are making them bigger than what they are.
Although practices and games are different, they are more similar than you think. Whether it is a practice or a game your job is to play with confidence, learn from your mistakes, and keep moving forward.
By mentally rehearsing on both practice and game days it will help you keep perspective and perform under pressure.
5. Setup & Timing
High quality and vivid visualization is a mentally demanding task.
This is why it is recommended to only visualize for 5 to 10 minutes per day.
Similarly, you want to be mindful of the setup and timing to ensure optimal results.
A common mistake athletes make is doing their visualization laying down in bed before they go to sleep. This can work for some and it might spill into dreaming about it, but the problem is you will likely be too tired, the quality will suffer, and you might fall asleep without even finishing.
Instead, you want to find a time that works for you. It could be in the mornings or closer to your practice or game – pick a time when you are mentally fresh and that works for you, then stick to it.
I recommend 3 hours to 30 mins before your practice or game.
Two setup tips to consider are finding a quiet place and getting into a comfortable position. You could listen to music during the visualization if it helps, but we recommend not to so your full attention is on the task at hand. Secondly, most athletes sit up straight while doing their visualization, but you could lay down – just don’t fall asleep.
An important piece to optimize your visualization is creating a script. Here is the general template of the scripts we use with our 1-on-1 clients:
STEP 1: Take 3 deep breaths.
STEP 2: Reconnect to your why – going back to when you first fell in love with your sport.
STEP 3: Coping planning – key #2 from above where you prepare for 3 potentially stressful events and how you will respond.
STEP 4: Action planning – key #3 from above where you review your process on key plays you want to make (this is the majority of the visualization).
STEP 5: Past success – if you have previous success you can relive some of the key moments to reinforce what you are capable of doing.
STEP 6: Take 3 deep breaths.
Some athletes enjoy listening to a visualization recording. This walks you through the different steps and gives you prompts to keep you on task.
We have pre-recorded visualization scripts for hockey forwards, defense, and goalies. We will be adding to this library for other sports – so if you want one for your sport send us an email at info@cepmindset.com
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In summary, follow these 5 keys for effective visualization:
- Make it Vivid
- Prepare for Stress
- Do + Feel = Process
- Consistency – 4 to 6 Times per Week
- Create a Personalized Script and a Routine that Works for You
I hope you found this helpful – please share it with anyone you think would be interested.
If you’d like help creating your personalized imagery script or a personalized recording to listen to like we do with our 1-on-1 clients, then just click the button below to get started.
Nicholas Santino is a Senior High-Performance Coach, PhD Candidate, and the official Mental Performance Consultant for Elite Prospects. From his specialized psychology research program, to his PhD studies, Nicholas has gained a tremendous foundation of knowledge and appreciation for the human experience. His passion for psychology has accumulated to a commitment to studying and applying positive psychology and stoicism. This commitment has led Nicholas to conduct many research studies focusing on understanding why and how some people thrive and prosper while others do not. His admiration for evidence-based solutions has propelled Nicholas to produce studies revolving around mindfulness, grit (perseverance and passion), performance, quality participation, social relationships, and well-being.
A Native of Quebec, Sara was part of the St. Lawrence University Women’s Ice Hockey team that competed in the NCAA Division 1 hockey league ECAC. During this time, Sara helped her team appear in four ECAC Hockey Tournaments and two NCAA Frozen Fours, and was a four-time member of the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Squad. Following her career at St. Lawrence University, Sara played one year of professional hockey with Lugano, where she truly honed her skills in understanding the intricate connection between mindset and performance.
Blair has over 13 years of experience as a Professional Dancer, Assistant Dance Captain & Cast Manager, as well as an additional 17 years of training. Over the last 3 decades, she has lived and experienced first hand the highest of highs & lowest of lows that come with pursuing a career in the Performing Arts.
Natasha Habert draws from her training in sport and performance psychology, personal experiences as a competitive athlete, and deep passion for consistent high performance. She is a lifelong athlete and high performer, excelling in volleyball as both a player and coach.
Luciano’s hockey career is highlighted by his time playing college at the University of Victoria and two professional seasons in Europe. Throughout his career, he struggled with performance anxiety, a lack of consistency, fluctuations in confidence, and being caught in the results trap. This eventually led him to deviate from the main reason why anyone should play sports – for the enjoyment of the game. As a former athlete, Luciano has a unique understanding of the psychological pressures and struggles that athletes experience.
Alexis Woloschuk is a name synonymous with mental fortitude in the world of professional hockey. Throughout her career originating playing boys hockey, going to an academy away from home, playing her four years at Boston University and 7+ years in pro hockey she’s learned the importance of resilience, confidence, and dismissing both fear and other’s opinions. With a blend of relatability, confidence, and an acute understanding of playing to one’s potential, Alexis helps athletes reshape the way they perceive and harness the power of their minds.
Sean Mahoney is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and a Master’s candidate in the Sport and Performance Psychology program at the University of Denver. For as long as he can remember, Sean has been fascinated by human performance and how to gain an edge over the competition. For most of his athletic career, he focused on the physical aspect of performance but neglected the mental. Because of this, he struggled with performance anxiety, focus issues, and limiting beliefs pertaining to confidence and self-doubt. His lack of focus on optimizing his mental game prevented him from reaching his full potential.
Savannah Fitzgerald is earning her M.A. in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology Option at California State University, Fresno. Possessing an internal motor that fires her rage for success, Savannah forged this attribute over five years while competing as an NCAA D-I water polo player and swimmer. Combined with her opportunity to represent and compete for the United States, she feels that sport has significantly impacted her professional development. Due to her personal experience playing at all levels, Savannah’s passion for mental performance began when she struggled to overcome pre-competition nerves and post-competition processing. When she discovered a world out there that people were referring to as ‘sport psychology,’ she felt like a piece of her brain was unlocked. Reality shifted as she stumbled into a space consisting of the most beautiful blend of elite performance, mental well-being, and athletics.
Gabe is currently completing his Master’s in Counselling Psychology at the University of Victoria. Although Gabe played several years of high-level baseball, including a stint in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League (BCPBL), he chose hockey as his sport to pursue at the highest level possible. Gabe went on to play four years of junior hockey with the Richmond Sockeyes in the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) while also coaching minor hockey. Prior to junior hockey, Gabe played 3 years in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) where he experienced the pressures and expectations of moving on to the next level. During those three years, Gabe constantly compared himself to others and struggled with coping when things did not go his way. Over time, he learned how to focus on his own process and path to the next level, while also developing strategies to improve well-being.
Louie is a mental performance coach from Toronto, Canada with a professional hockey career spanning over 14 years. Being a standout player at the University of Michigan, Louie was a Hobey Baker finalist and a 1st team All-American, which led him to getting drafted by the Ottawa Senators and playing in renowned leagues across the globe, including the DEL, SHL, and AHL.
Mia Landry is a former varsity hockey player at Brock University, where she competed at the USPORT level and was part of the 2021-22 OUA gold medal team. Mia currently represents Canada on the Women’s National Ball Hockey team and is pursuing a Master of Kinesiology Sport Psychology at her alma mater. Her research focuses on areas such as team cohesion, group dynamics, leadership styles, and sports culture.
As a former member of McMaster University’s women’s soccer team, Emilie intimately understands the demands and challenges athletes face on and off the field. Although she encountered many challenges as a high-level athlete, particularly struggling with self-doubt and overthinking, Emilie was able to make a remarkable transformation when she began to embrace the principles of sports psychology.
Max is currently attending William James College, where he is earning a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Masters Degree in Professional Psychology. During his time as an undergraduate student, Max was inducted into the International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi), and played on the Quinnipiac University men’s club ice hockey team.
