{"id":2599,"date":"2012-07-30T14:28:00","date_gmt":"2012-07-30T14:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports_psychology_blog\/?p=2599"},"modified":"2025-06-12T07:29:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T11:29:39","slug":"my-top-three-uses-of-mental-imagery-for-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/my-top-three-uses-of-mental-imagery-for-athletes\/","title":{"rendered":"My Top Three Uses of Mental Imagery for Athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Mental-imagery.jpg\" alt=\"Mental Imagery\" class=\"wp-image-6252\" title=\"rodgerspic\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Mental-imagery.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Mental-imagery-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Use_Mental_Imagery\"><\/span>How to Use Mental Imagery <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/my-top-three-uses-of-mental-imagery-for-athletes\/#How_to_Use_Mental_Imagery\" >How to Use Mental Imagery<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/my-top-three-uses-of-mental-imagery-for-athletes\/#There_are_three_main_uses_of_this_skill_when_I_work_with_athletes\" >There are three main uses of this skill when I work with athletes:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/my-top-three-uses-of-mental-imagery-for-athletes\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/my-top-three-uses-of-mental-imagery-for-athletes\/#The_Confident_Athlete\" >The Confident Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>You (or your athletes) probably use mental rehearsal everyday to help you perform or learn new skills, whether you are aware of it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mental game coaches simply structure mental rehearsal for athletes to help athletes get the most out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I feel that many mental game experts over emphasis the use of mental rehearsal as the Holy Grail in performance enhancement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, many years ago a mental coach named Chuck Hogan based his entire program on using mental imagery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I believe you or your athletes can benefit from visualization and rehearsal, but it\u2019s a small part of my mental training programs with athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mental rehearsal, also referred to as imagery, guided imagery, mental practice, or visualization, is the covert rehearsal of a task with no physical movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you see, feel or imagine a shot, pass, pitch, or routine before you perform the physical movement, you are using mental rehearsal or visualization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You probably imagine or rehearse your performance instinctively without even thinking about it&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I was an athlete in high school and in college, I would naturally \u201crehearse,\u201d or see the play in my mind before execution. My coach did not tell me I should do this or how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Understand that sports psychologists today teach athletes many mental skills beyond visualization and goal setting. However, I find it does apply in certain circumstances&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How can you use mental imagery to help you perform?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"There_are_three_main_uses_of_this_skill_when_I_work_with_athletes\"><\/span>There are three main uses of this skill when I work with athletes:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Mental preparation for a self-paced task. The most common use is for athletes who perform stop-and-go sports, such as golfers, tennis players, and baseball players. For example, a pitcher should have a clear mental image of the pitch he or she wants to throw prior to execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Mental imagery for strategy rehearsal or race plan. Another important use is to review a game plan or strategy prior to competition. For example, I ask my motocross racers to do their \u201cmental laps\u201d prior to the start of the race. I also ask my gymnasts or skaters to mentally review their routines prior to competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. Guided mental imagery programs. Another use of mental rehearsal is when developing custom imagery programs for my athletes. Here, you would develop a script that would help you learn or ingrain a mental skill, such as how to refocus when distraction or how to let go of mistakes. The script would be recorded for you and thus becomes a type of guided imagery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind that every athlete is different in how you use and experience mental imagery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll want to use your dominant learning style when you use imagery, such as visual or feeling-oriented images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll want to rehearse your skills in real time and make it first person, just like you are actually performing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And of course, you want to control the mental movies in your head&#8211;you don\u2019t want to see a bad result in your mind before you execute a pitch, shot, or routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mental imagery is important to your overall mental training plan, but should be a small part of the total package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your Mental Coach,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Patrick Cohn<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>p.s. If you\u2019ve mastered imagery and want to move forward with your mental training, check out The Confidence Athlete CD programs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-series\/\"><strong>The Confident Athlete CD Program<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>p.p.s. If you\u2019re a coach, and want to start a mental training program with your athletes, check out my latest and greatest program, Athlete\u2019s Mental Edge workbook system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalgamecoachingpro.com\/athletes-mental-edge-workbook-system\/\"><strong>Athlete&#8217;s Mental Edge Workbook System<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-use-mental-imagery-for-greater-success-in-sports\/\"><strong>How to Use Mental Imagery for Greater Success in Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-olympians-use-mental-imagery-to-improve-success\/\"><strong>How Olympians Use Mental Imagery To Improve Success<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-imagery-can-improve-athletic-performance\/\"><strong>How Mental Imagery Can Improve Athletic Performance<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete\"><\/span>The Confident Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"The Confident Athlete Audio\" class=\"wp-image-16347\" style=\"width:198px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me help you put a <strong>stop to the confidence leak<\/strong>. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and <strong>how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was <strong>developed for any athlete \u2013 junior to professional \u2013<\/strong>that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program if you want to bust a slump or just wanting higher or more consistent levels of self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0b39f7aa\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-a74417ae gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-461ab57c gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Use Mental Imagery You (or your athletes) probably use mental rehearsal everyday to help you perform or learn new skills, whether you are aware of it or not. Mental game coaches simply structure mental rehearsal for athletes to help athletes get the most out of it. I feel that many mental game experts over emphasis the &#8230; <a title=\"My Top Three Uses of Mental Imagery for Athletes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/my-top-three-uses-of-mental-imagery-for-athletes\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about My Top Three Uses of Mental Imagery for Athletes\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142,40],"tags":[477,721],"class_list":["post-2599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","category-mental-preparation","tag-mental-imagery-in-sports","tag-mental-rehearsal-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.6.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How can you use mental imagery to help you perform? 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