So, I decided to watch Monday night football yesterday. After trying Channel 7, I remembered Monday night football was on ESPN. I spent about three hours watching the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets butt helmets. It was not a pretty game except for a cornerback, Revis, a few throws by Sanchez and a couple of catches by the visiting teams ends. When the final whistle blew, the Jets had won 24-6.  I made a mental note not to watch a coach’s post game interview,   if  it followed a game played by a couple of teams who had no ability to play well – especially of neither team was my team. It might be dangerous to my mental health.

For some reason, certainly not logical, I stayed in my chair and watched Rex Ryan come before the media to give his reaction to the game. What he decribed was mind bending. He noted that his team played well – yes they had started slow – but took off and was very pleased with their performance. Let me repeat, the Jets, who Mr. Ryan had crowned as Super Bowl winners, had just beaten a very poor team who had lost their starting quarterback. Now, either Rex needs a better optical perscription, he is using some kind of substance that creates hallucinations, he is struggling with a mental disorder or he is a liar. By the way, more than one causation can be true at the same time.   It’s only fair to give Rex Ryan a break – his team had lost the last three games. Maybe just winning one game made him drunk and delirious.

As he was talking, I wondered if I had to much to drink when I was watching the game. I checked my mug – herbal tea. I drank a pot of peppermint herbal tea. Wow, that stuff is sure powerful. We know that politicians are the great spin doctors. Rex should run for President. If he lost, he would still move his stuff into the White House. By the way, I know this article is focusing on one coach. But, I’ve seen so many make me feel nuts.

How is distorting the view of a football game by a team’s coach helpful to his players and to the audience that is watching and listening? Maybe it helps the coaches with their concussion symtoms. The previous day, I had watched a tape of two coaches getting into a fight with each other after the game was over. Maybe the coaches need to be side lined and examined. I know players are checked for drugs. What about the coaches? I suggest random testing of coaches for drugs, alcohol, psychological testing. If they don’t pass, please stop them from giving post game interviews.

At The 2007 Bob Hope Pro-Am Dessert Classic

Jesper Parnevik hit an extremely large number of golf balls with one club. He was clearly trying to work out something that he didn’t like in the morning practice round. Jesper looked frustrated with each shot, even though from this amateur golfer’s point of view, they seemed to be flying beautifully. At some point, Jeff Sluman, who was practicing at the next driving range tee, came over to where Parnevik was swinging. They talked and laughed. It seemed to break the ice surrounding Jesper’s head. Parnevik loosened up as the two men were gabbing. It was evident that there was a long standing camaraderie between them.

I got an opportunity to ask Jeff Sluman about the interaction between him and Jesper. “Did you give him some needed advice?” Sluman shook his head and said, “No. You can’t talk to Jesper about his game. He won’t listen. I just get him to relax by making him laugh. You see, his father was a comedian and he loves to laugh. It takes the pressure off of his game and he plays better. I’ve known him a long time and I see when he’s getting twisted up.”

Schienberg: “Yes, I can see you are good friends. While I’ve got you, I’d like to ask you about the mental aspects of your game?

Jeff Sluman: Sure. Give it a shot. I’m not a deep thinker.

Schienberg: How have you changed emotionally while playing golf?

Jeff Sluman: I’m a much more relaxed player today. It’s become my personality. I had been a fiery guy when I was young. I’d get frustrated; loose my cool and my stroke. Now, I concentrate on being calm. It does not take any effort now to remain tranquil even when things don’t go so right on the course. It just didn’t help my game nor did I like being that person who lost control and got so upset.

Schienberg: What do you think about re-doing golf swings?

Jeff Sluman: I don’t think it is a great idea to do major changes in a golf swing. Every player has the swing that fits his makeup – both physically and mentally. A tweak here or there is one thing, but it is more likely to create bigger problems if large changes are undertaken. I’ve known more players to get injured and screw their brains around when they change their swing so much. If things are not going well for me, it usually means that I’m not following my pre-shot routine – even if I think I am. So, I become more diligent about it.

Schienberg: Tiger’s not here. How does it affect you?

Sluman: Not very much.

Schienberg: Let me put it differently. What’s it like to play with Tiger?

Sluman: Well, let me put it this way. Tiger is focusing on Tiger. He’s not interested in what you are doing. He is totally focused on himself and his play. I try to do the same thing, but it is very different with him in my pairing. It is almost impossible to ignore what he is doing. In part, it is his personality, charm, complete composure and ability to make remarkable shots. It’s like you just feel compelled to be a spectator even though you are playing the game

By Paul Schienberg, PhD

Sport psychologists have been able to derive several guidelines for athletes interested in implementing imagery techniques. The most important of these are discussed below.

Practice Imagery on a regular basis. More coaches and athletes should believe that psychological skills such as imagery require the same practice that physical skills require. Proficient use of imagery requires a commitment throughout the training season. It will only be effective if it is practiced at other than competition times. It would be best to have it be a part of daily practice.

Use all Senses to Enhance Image Vividness. The more senses that gets employed into the imagery, the more effective it will be. Draw from senses other than sight to increase the quality of the imagery. In skiing, familiarization with an upcoming race course; experience the kinesthetic feeling of passing through a touch gate, sense the wind and listen for the ski edges to slash through the snow.

Develop Imagery Control. It is important that athletes control the content of their images. Negative images can have a detrimental effect of performance. It is important to know the extent to which athletes are able to influence the content of the imagery. With practice, most athletes can learn to control the content of the imagery.

Use Internal and External Perspectives. Some athletes imagine themselves from the perspective that they are inside their bodies actually experiencing the imagined sensations. Others imagine themselves from the perspective of watching their performance on a movie screen. Some sport psychology research suggests that an internal-imagery perspective is superior because of the importance of kinesthetic awareness in sport performance. Other research suggests the use of external imagery with tasks in which perception and decision making are important.

Facilitate Imagery Through Relaxation. Imagery combined with relaxation is more effective than imagery alone. Relaxation strategies (passive progressive relaxation or deep breathing) before imagery rehearsal, clears athletes’ minds of distractions. Therefore, it allows them to concentrate on their imagery. This is especially true with athletes who are new to developing their skills.

Develop Coping Strategies Through Imagery. Positive imagery is, for the most part, preferred over negative imagery. But, sometimes negative imagery can be helpful. If an athlete only has positive imagery, he may be setting himself up for failure. Athletes need to learn to cope with adversity as well as success. Coping imagery can help turn a poor performance into a successful one. Negative images should not be used before a competitive event or too frequently.

Use Imagery In Practice and Competition. Imagery rehearsal should be used in practice as well as before competition. It helps athletes get in the right “zone”, both mentally and physically. This can create focus for practice goals and when an athlete does not feel motivated to practice. The image of losing to a rival can also create motivation in practice sessions. When a coach is teaching a new or different offensive or offensive maneuver for his team, the athletes should imagine the correct flow of movement of the team’s play.

Use Videotapes or Audiotapes to Enhance Imagery Skills. Athletes can find videotapes and/or audiotapes helpful to develop and reinforce constructive imagery. Success tapes can be made from clips of an athlete’s actual performance in practice or competition. Favorite music can be dubbed into the tape to be used as a trigger for excellent performance in the future. If it is inconvenient to use a videotape, the music on a portable headset can help as a trigger for feelings of success.

Use Triggers or Cues to Facilitate Imagery Quality. Triggers are words or phrases that help them to focus on appropriate cues during imagery. Triggers can also include specific sensory experiences, such as how a technique or movement feels. The trigger must be able to conjure up the appropriate image.

Emphasize Dynamic Kinesthetic Imagery. Have the athlete focus particular attention on the kinesthetic feel of a movement. The athlete should actually try moving during the imagery. For example, the golfer can actually swing a club while imagining the ball traveling through the air and landing near the hole.

Imagine In Real Time. The large amount of imagery should happen in real time or actual conditions of play.

Use Imagery Logs. Imagery logs can help assist the athletes in monitoring imagery practice and progress. It should be noted which images were helpful. It can also be used to help identify which triggers are better at getting into the imagery.
Source: “Imagery Training for Peak Performance” by Daniel Gould, Nicole Damarjian and Christy Greenleaf.

Some people do not know what it means to “visualize.” They become worried because they can’t “see” a mental image or picture when they shut their eyes and try to visualize. You do not have to mentally picture an image. While one person can see a clearly defined image, others report not seeing anything at all – are just thinking about it – imagine looking at it – become aware of a feeling impression. These are all more than acceptable. Your way is your process of imagining. Do not feel inadequate!

If you still are unsure about what it means to visualize, read slowly through the following exercises.

1. “Relax. Think of your locker room. Remember some familiar details of it, such as the color of the lockers, how bright or dark they are, the size of the room, the tile on the floor, the length of the benches, where the showers are. Now, imagine yourself walking into the locker room and taking a seat on the bench in front of your locker. Can you see? What do you see?”
2. Recall a pleasant event that has occurred recently. It is best if there was a positive physical sensation involved: a dinner plate, a beautiful painting, watching a baseball you hit sail out of the park, diving into the cool water of a swimming pool, etc. Remember the details of the experience so that you can re-experience the visual sensation.
3. Imagine a heavenly setting in nature like the wild grass in a meadow, looking at the mountains surrounding the lake as your sailboat moves with the wind, the valley below as your bicycle reach the summit of the hill you just climbed. It could be a place you have been or would like to go. Think about the details of the scene.

Regardless of the process you employed to bring these scenes into mind, it is your way of visualizing. We can categorize two different approaches to visualization. In the Receptor Approach, one simply relaxes and allows the visual images to come up in its “natural” state. In the Active Approach, the person willfully selects and creates what we wish to imagine down to the finest details. It is good for you to be able to activate either approach.

Although “visualization” and “imagery” have been used interchangeably in athletics, they are quite different. Visualization refers to the sense of sight. So, when you see a picture in your mind, you are visualizing. Imagery indicates a use of all the senses. If you are imaging there is a picture in your mind, a smell in your nose, a feeling in and about your body, sounds in your ears, and tastes of flavors in your mouth. Imagery is thought to be of greater benefit because it incorporates all the sense. Visualization is easier for most athletes. It will take a lot of practice to become an efficient imager.

Let’s practice mental imagery. First, as is always the case, get yourself into a relaxed state of mind. Imagine you are at your favorite baseball field.

See

1. The white clouds floating along the blue sky
2. The marked line running down the first and third base lines
3. The dirt going around the infield
4. The two dugouts
5. The crowd circling the entire field
6. The umpires behind home and at each of the other bases
7. Team mates and opposition players

Hear

1. The shout of strike by the umpire
2. The ball hitting the catcher’s glove
3. The cheering of your team as you cross the plate
4. The screaming of the crowd as your hit sails out of the park

Smell

1. The tar on your bat
2. The cut grass
3. The smell of your glove

Feel

1. The ball hitting the sweat spot on your bat
2. Your hand touching the base as you slide in
3. The excitement as you step into the batters box
4. Your leg muscles as you stride to hit the ball

Taste

1. Swigs of Gatorade as you take your seat in the dugout
2. The salty perspiration as it drips down into your mouth

Use these senses to develop an image of you running down a long fly ball in the gap between centerfield and right field. See, feel, and hear yourself racing across the outfield grass with grace, reaching out your left arm as you track the flight of the ball, leap up the outfield wall and feel the baseball fall into you mitt just as it is about to disappear. Hear the roar of the crowd as you look in your glove and show the white ball to the umpire. Sense the excitement, as you become aware that the cheering fans are looking at you.

As you performed this exercise which sense was easier to use when creating the image? Which sense was more difficult to use? You might want to try the exercise a few times before deciding. The most accessible sense is the one you ought to predominantly use while imaging. If the hitting instructor is trying to teach by using a not so accessible sensation, let him/her know what works better for you and ask him to include it in describing the skill to you.

Go back to that great moment when you were playing the sport. As you review the action, does it seem like you are watching a video of it or are you looking through your own eyes as the action unfolds. If you are watching a video, it is called imaging externally. Imaging internally is the term used to identify seeing things through your own perspective. Research has showed that internally imaging is more powerful than external imaging. Again, it is important to practice from both points of view.

&npsb Hopefully, you have developed a small sense of competence in this mental technique. If you are frustrated, do not give up. Frustration will get in the way of relaxing. As you already know, relaxation is the first step in the imaging process. Until you get some direct tangible evidence of its power, you may remain a doubter and somewhat resistant to the process. Just stay with! The results will enhance your performance. We will get into more detail about it, in our next article on Creative Visualizaiton.

In order to perform an action at a high level, it is necessary to visualize (imagine) yourself going through the motions. Watching others do a sport well can be very helpful in the implanting of a visual image. If you watch children play, they are often imitating professional sports figures. One well-known professional athlete told me about watching TV as a child when Sandy Koufax (pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers) wound up to throw. He stood in his living room and performed the same motions – from the wind-up to the follow through. He did this for every pitch. Not only were his muscles learning the motion – also his mind was developing an image of what it looks like for a left hander to throw a great curve ball and strike batters out. He could here the crowd roar as the catcher threw the ball down to third base. Sometimes he closed his eyes in class and visualized the same behaviors. Little did he know, he was creating and practicing a visualization that would have huge payoffs in performance later on in life.

This article will illuminate the way in which athletes can learn to use creative visualizations in ways that enhance their performance. Creative visualization uses your imagination to create what you want in your life. Anyone can visualize or imagine. It is a natural ability that we are born with. It uses a basic human energy whether you are aware of doing it or not. Athletes have used this power of creative visualization in an unconscious way. When an athlete is having difficulty with a sport, some negative concepts might be getting in the way of success. After a problem has persisted for a while, he may automatically and unconsciously expect and imagine lack, limitations, difficulties and problems. So, what we are going to describe and teach is a conscious approach to the use of this incredible power for positive results.

The ability to create an idea or mental image is imagination. First, we are going to help you construct a clear image – something you want to occur – in your athletic life. You might imagine hitting out of a sand-trap and coming to a stop close to the hole, taking a toss from your shortstop and throwing to first for the double play, beating the opposing guard and tackling the quarterback, hitting a back-hand across court against a powerful server, etc. Second, you will continue to focus on that idea or picture regularly, giving it a positive charge until it becomes a reality that you can observe.

Imagine you are having a difficult interpersonal situation with a coach that is very aggressive. It is important for you to create a more harmonious condition. The initial step of the method is to relax into a deep, quiet, meditative state of mind. The second step is to imagine you and the coach are communicating in an open, honest and easy manner. Third, get a sense that your mental image is possible – experiencing it as if it is already occurring. Last, repeat these steps as often as possible. If you are sincere about your desires to get a better relationship going with your coach and open to change, you will notice the relationship is improving, the coach is becoming an easier person to get along with and the problem resolving itself completely.

An important point should be made here. The technique of creative visualization CANNOT be used to control the behaviors of other people or make them do something that they don’t want to do. An athlete cannot make an opponent miss a foul shot, hit the tennis ball outside the court, drop a fly ball, miss a putt, etc. Creative visualization works to eliminate our barriers to achieving what we want for ourselves in life. An athlete must have the desire to enrich their experience and knowledge as well as a mind open to trying something new in a positive way.

Understanding certain interconnected tenets of creative visualization is important. Some of these may seem a little odd. Try to read them without judgment.

1. The Physical Universe is Energy. The tangible world is made up of energy – not matter.
2. Energy is Magnetic. Energy of a certain type is attracted to a similar energy.
3. Form Follows Idea. Thought is a form of energy. Before we create something, we have a thought about it. “I will lob the ball.” The idea is like a plan, which directs physical energy and creates behaviors. As an athlete if you hold an idea close to you for a long enough period, it will manifest itself in a physical form. This is true whether it is a positive or negative idea. If you hold the thought “I can’t hit a second serve with power”, you will always have that problem. The opposite is true as well.
4. The Law of Radiation and Attraction. The translation of this law is that we will bring into our lives whatever we think about most, believe in most, expect and/or envision will happen. If an athlete is negative and fearful, insecure or anxious, that very kind of experience or situation will be attracted into his/her life. If that same athlete changes thoughts into a positive attitude, events and people of a more positive nature will surface.
5. Using Creative Visualization. It is important to start using creative visualization at specific times for specific goals. Do it before the game begins as part of the getting ready process. Maybe another good time could be the morning of the game. Also, select a highly identifiable goal. K.I.S.S. stands for “keep it simple stupid.” The more complex and general we make our goals, the harder they are to achieve. It may take some discipline. But, keep your goals within range and you will likely find success. The success will breed more success.

Summary: Part I is an overview of some basic principles that govern create visualization. As an athlete, we hope you have gotten a taste for the potentials of this technique in the enhancement of your performance. In the two parts to come, you will read about this technique in greater detail and offer opportunities to try it out under our guidance.