Visualization

Part of a solid pre-shot routine is visualizing the shot and the target. But how can we get better at visualizing?

Imagined movement recruits much of the same motor cortex activity as the movement itself. In sports psychology this is called functional equivalence. Of course, there are limitations to what we can achieve with visualization. We can’t create skills that we don’t have. But we can make execution match our capability with more consistency. And visualized repetition has been repeatedly shown to have benefits to performance. At the forefront of numerous studies backing the findings, Feltz and Landers in 1983 wrote up a meta-analysis of the effects of mental practice on motor skill learning in the Journal of Sport Psychology.

As a bonus, when we visualize, we are also working on maintaining attention. This is why visualization and meditation are complementary skills in a mindfulness practice.

Practice

A great way to practice visualizing is just to imagine throughout your day. Yes, taking ten or fifteen minutes to dedicate to visualization is great. But we can be just as successful by periodically visualizing when we have a few seconds. This is also a nice mental reset as it pulls your attention to something you enjoy.

As your ability progresses add additional elements to your practice. The PETTLEP model described below provides a good framework.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have a vivid image when you are visualizing. Vividness may increase over time with practice. More important than ‘seeing’ the image clearly is being focused on it and being able to add to it over time.

Finally, just like your technical practice, work your weaknesses. Struggling to chip? Visualize the feel and ball flight of your best chips.

PETTLEP Model

Holmes and Collins create the PETTLEP checklist to facilitate building a visualization practice that transfers (as opposed to imagery that relaxes). Each of the PETTLEP elements can be used to enhance the quality and complexity of our practice.

• Physical - Visualize while you are holding your club, in your golf stance to improve muscle activation
• Environment - Imagine you are hitting at the course, in detail (sounds, smells, weather, etc.)
• Task - Rehearse the skill in detail–what’s the club, what’s the shot, bonus points for including pre-shot routine–representative of your current ability
• Timing - Actual swing tempo
• Learning - Update your visualized execution as your skill improves
• Emotion - Try to replicate your on course feelings
• Perspective - First-person generally outperforms third-person

The model is helpful in and of itself but it should also give you ideas for how to mix up your visualization sessions. As always, experiment. I find it easier to visualize myself in third-person (maybe because that’s what the videos show). PETTLEP is oriented toward ideal transfer of skill from visualizing. As we develop our ability, we should scale in complexity to promote learning; don’t start with the most complicated exercises as that is a slower path to learning. This is also where the model can help. If aspects are easier than others when visualizing, you know what is going to take more practice.

Summary

Visualization can improve performance, attention, and build confidence. These efforts complement each other so well.

Everything in life is perception. So it shouldn’t be surprising that what we think about, what we imagine, can become real. From a skill development perspective, we are reminding ourselves of ideal performance. This lends itself to building confidence because we better believe that we can execute a skill and have a desired outcome.

This simple practice can make you just a little better every day.