VISUALIZATION: PART 2

USING MENTAL REHEARSAL FOR ATHLETIC SUCCESS

Research on the use of mental rehearsal (picturing yourself executing moves in your mind just as you might actually do in a real practice or competition) has shown that athletes who do this routinely alongside their actual practice show stronger improvement than athletes who limit themeselves to the practice alone.

The following is an interesting example of how mental rehearsal can prove to be quite valuable, as related by former top college gymnast Cathy Johnson, during a period when she was unable to actually train due to an injury.

I had begun using visualization to learn and improve my skills ... to develop kinesthetic feelings associated with my movements ... and to create a competitive atmosphere in my workouts.

   
   I remember when I learned a new skill (a double-vault, one flip backwards and two turns going around my axis): I visualzed it and I worked in practice, and after some time I succeeded in making a perfect movement.  I knew it because of the wonderful feeling it gave me. Anyway, right after my first good double vault, I injured my wrist and had to rest for 2 weeks.  However, I remembered this wonderful kinesthetic feeling and during those two weeks I practiced the double vault in my mind, both waking and in my sleep.

   After two weeks, when my wrist had healed, I went back and said to my coach that I was going to do a double vault. His answer was, "No, no, there's no way you could do a double vault.  You have not even worked out for two weeks."

   I insisted and told him that I could do it, and then I went out and did a perfect one. He looked very surprised and said, "That must have been luck; you can't do that again." I told him that I could, and went back and did another one.

   My coach asked he how this was possible as I had not been practicing for two weeks, so I told him that I had been practicing in my mind. I had the feeling inside; I knew what this movement was supposed to be like, and that I could even practice it in bed.

   I used visualization to go through my routines every night. In my mental rehearsal, I figured out the problems, saw and felt the differences between good and bad performances, and rehearsed the ideal performance. I saw myself from an observer's point of view, like watching a movie ... and made corrections. Then my images became more internal.  Then, when I was actually in competition, I just remembered "trigger points" and the rest came by itself.

Also, I was able to say to myself in competitions: "I just have to do what I know I can do - just another repetition of what I have done many times every day."

I think I have developed the mental "strength" which I will benefit from in the future.  I have learned that if I have the right goals, good self-confidence, and a positive attitude - everything is possible.

(From: Mental Training in Gymnastics, Lars-Eric Unestahl, Editor, Veje Publications, 1983)

NOTE: Carol Johnson earned 2nd place in 2 events in the 1978 NCAA Nationals, a rather remarkable achievement considering that she has only one arm. A movie ("Lefty") was later made about her life and accomplishments by the Walt Disner Corporation.