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Title: VISUALIZATION AND SPORTS PERFORMANCE

Author: The Alpha Athlete

Article:
To the same extent that attending to the health needs of the
body are the foundation of a good training regimen, mental
focus, concentration and visualization are the keys to success.
Most people are familiar with the saying that sports is 90%
mental and 10% physical. Why is it then that so many athletes
fail to give attention to mental training? That 90% figure
should be pretty hard to overlook yet it often is. By studying
trancendant athletes and sports stars, it becomes apparent that
the common edge they have over competition indeed does begin
mentally.

<b>The Theory in Action</b>

Jerry West, the NBA Logo, had such a penchant for hitting buzzer
beaters he was nicknamed 'Mr. Clutch'. In one memorable game in
which his team was trailing the Knicks with a few seconds left
in an NBA Finals game, West took an inbound pass and shot from
60 feet at the buzzer. Knicks guard Walt Clyde Frazier recalls
thinking: "The man's crazy. He looks determined. He thinks it's
really going in!". Of course, it did go in, sending the crowd
reeling and the game to overtime. One time, when asked about his
ability to frequently hit the big shot, West revealed the root
of that confidence Frazier witnessed. West explained that he had
already made those shots time after time in his mind. Jerry
West, like so many other legends the such as Michael Jordan,
Larry Bird, Phil Jackson, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky and
countless others, realized the power of visualization.

<b>What is Visualization?</b>

Visualization is known as guided imagery, meditation, and by
many other names. A popular visualization for athletes is the
mental rehearsal of sporting events while 'intending' a desired
outcome. Amazingly, research has revealed that visualization can
actually enhance performance to nearly the same extent as
physical practice. A study conducted by Dr. Blaslotto at the
University Of Chicago is an intriguing example.

The goal of Dr. Blaslotto's study was to determine the effects
of visualization on sports performance. As a performance measure
for this experiment, the researchers chose 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 third group, who neither physically practiced or visualized
shooting free-throws, showed no increase in percentage.

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

The second group, which practiced daily by visualizing shooting
and making free-throws, collectively improved thier 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 <a
href="http://www.peaksportsnetwork.com/index.cfm?affID=taathlete"
target="_blank">mental training</a> is actually as impactful a
tool in performance enhancement as physical training.

<b>How does Visualization work?</b>

With each experience, a <a href="/blog/definitions-terminology/"
target="_blank">neural pathway</a> 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
explained, "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. <h2>How do I learn how to Visualize
effectively?</h2> Learning how to visualize effectively can
range from simple to very challenging depending on the
individual and whether or not guidance is available. Just as
with a physical training regimen, the athlete can benefit
greatly from a coaching. At this link you will find <a
href="http://www.peaksportsnetwork.com/index.cfm?affID=taathlete"
target="_blank">effective, proven, mental training regimens
which help to develop mental toughness, elite concentration and
assist in visualization techniques</a>. Many of these strategies
are catered to specific sports.

Adding a mental training regimen to physical and sport specific
training can greatly increase confidence, consistency, ability
and success. Success in sports is often determined by inches and
mental training could be the key to that edge you need.

About the author:
The theme of this website is to give an athlete the education
and resources to obtain that needed edge over competition, while
optimizing overall health and well-being holistically.
Contributors to the Alpha Athlete.com consist of professionals
in the areas of nutrition, personal training, coaches and sports
and fitness enthusiasts.

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