5 Keys to give your team balance and an advantage:
Key #3 — Visualization (Creative Synthetic Visualization-CSV)
The formula for CSV is “imagination times the vividness will become reality in the subconscious mind.” Have your team members get into a relaxed state with their eyes closed and picture in their mind’s eye the skill or situation that they wish to improve upon. Be sure to emphasize that they always visualize in the first person. When they visualize have them be precise and meticulous in the body motions and outcomes. It is imperative that they visual doing the skill correctly and successfully. You can start with simple skills then move to more complex skills as you become better at visualization.
There is a part of the brain that is called the Reticular Activating System. You can think of this system as your mind’s eye. When you visualize your brain accepts your visualization as a real physical action. Therefore letting you improve at a physical skill through mental practice.
As a practice session with your team, have them sit eyes closed and relaxed. Then have them visualize being in their kitchen at home taking a lemon out of the refrigerator, taking the lemon to a cutting board, cutting it in half, taking one half of the lemon, putting it in their mouth squeezing and biting down at the same time. As you watch them go through this exercise, you will see some of them wrinkle their nose, winch and make a funny face, and other various physical reactions. What you have just taught them is that they can become a visualizer very quickly. Often people struggle and claim that it is hard to visualize. This exercise usually lets them know that they can do it.
Visualization is just one more way to practice and you don’t need a court, nets or balls and the athletes will benefit and become better players.
There have been many studies done that have shown that people can improve physical skills with mental practice.
There have been many books written about CSV and I recommend that you find one or more and read them in order to teach your team about this skill. JS