Imagery

Question 1

What is imagery?

Answer 1

Imagery is creating or recreating images in your mind, rather than physically practising
a sports skill or technique.

Question 2

What are the 4 types of imagery?

Answer 2

1)Visual
2)Auditory
3)Kinaesthetic
4)Cue words

Question 3

What is visual imagery?

Answer 3

You concentrate on the different things that you can see during the movement.

Question 4

What is auditory imagery?

Answer 4

You concentrate on the different sounds that you associate with a sporting movement.

Question 5

What is kinaesthetic imagery?

Answer 5

You concentrate on the feel of the movement.

Question 6

What are cue words?

Answer 6

Single words that are a form of self-talk and used to trigger a desired response by an athlete. Eg. ‘believe’, ‘relax’, ‘focus’ and ‘strong’

Question 7

What are the most effective imagery types?

Answer 7

Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic.

Question 8

What is imagery used for?

Answer 8

-reducing anxiety and stress – imagining emotions associated with relaxation can
help an athlete to control anxiety, arousal and stress levels, especially when used
along with other techniques such as breathing exercises

-influencing self-confidence – through imagery, the athlete can experience feelings of success and come up with strategies for being successful in performance. Levels of self-confidence will increase

-imagining goals – imagery can be used to create a mental experience of you
achieving your set goals

-mental rehearsal and pre-performance routines – imagery can be used as part
of all types of pre-performance routine as it helps the athlete to mentally rehearse
the action before performing it physically