What separates the good athletes in the sports world from the great ones? Sure, things like hard work and talent all come into play, but all athletes possess talent to some degree and we all understand the importance of hard work. So what is it that the great ones are doing to gain such a competitive advantage above the rest? Are they just that much better than everyone else, or is there more to it? The answer lies in creative visualization..

We’ve all heard the saying that sports are, “90% mental – 10% physical”. Could it be that there is actually truth to this tired old sports phrase? The answer is an astounding YES! Unbeknown to many athletes and fans alike, sports legends such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Phil Jackson, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky and countless others have utilized the power of visualization throughout their career. This practice, along with hard work and dedication, has helped them dominate the competition and become icons in their respective sport.

“Creative visualization (sports visualization) refers to the practice of seeking to affect the outer world via changing one’s thoughts… Creative visualization is the technique of using one’s imagination to visualize specific behaviors or events occurring in one’s life. Advocates suggest creating a detailed schema of what one desires and then visualizing it over and over again with all of the senses (i.e., what do you see? what do you feel? what do you hear? what does it smell like?). For example, in sports a golfer may visualize the “perfect” stroke over and over again to mentally train muscle memory” (Creative Visualization – Wikipedia).

How does Visualization work?

“With each experience, a neural pathway is formed. Neural pathways in short, are clusters of neurons in the brain that work together to create a memory or a learned behavior. Dr. Blaslotto at the University of Chicago explains, “As your brain conceives of an act, it generates impulses that prompt neurons to ‘perform’ the movement being imagined by transmitting those impulses from the brain to the muscles.” This in turn creates a habit, or neural pathway in the brain, programming your body’s actions as if you physically performed the activity” (Visualization and Sports Performance).

“Dr. Blaslotto (mentioned above) performed a study to determine the effects of visualization on sports performance. As a performance measure for this experiment, the researchers chose to examine the free throw percentage of a group of basketball players. First, to establish a basis for the study, the current free-throw success rate of each of the subjects was tested and recorded. Three groups were then established, and the athletes were assigned to one of the groups at random. After 30 days of testing and retesting, the results were as follows:

• The 3rd group, who neither physically practiced nor visualized shooting free-throws, showed NO increase in percentage.

• The 1st group which physically shot free-throws for an hour daily, collectively improved thier free-throw shooting by 24%.

• The 2nd group, which practiced daily by VISUALIZING shooting and making free-throws, collectively improved their free-throw shooting by a SHOCKING 23% without having physically shot a basketball!

Another similiar study was done by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation exploring the effects of visualization on muscle strength. The results of that study also astonishingly revealed increases to muscle strength through visualization, further reinforcing the fact that mental training  is actually as impactful a tool in performance enhancement as physical training” (Visualization and Sports Performance).

My Personal Experience

I have personally experimented with creative visualization in preparation for the Regional ELITE Combine held at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ back in 2009. Without getting into too much detail, I can tell you that my results were incredible! I met and/or exceeded many of my goals and expectations for  the workout, including clocking the fastest 40-yard dash time for a quarterback in the country that year at 4.55 seconds. As a result, I was 1 of only 7 quarterback in the nation to get invited to the ELITE National Combine to workout for scouts and representatives from a number of NFL teams.

The mind is a POWERFUL tool, and I would recommend any serious athlete to incorporate this practice into their off-season training, as well as their in-season game preparation. For further information regarding the practice of mental training, I recommend reading the book “Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life” by author Shakti Gawain.

WR Michael Crabtree Credits Visualization For Touchdown

In closing, I want to leave you with one more example of the power of visualization. This is a post-game interview with Michael Crabtree after scoring the game-winning touchdown on the final play to beat Texas. When asked by the reporter to describe the experience of scoring the touchdown, Crabtree replies, “I dreamed it in my head!”