Motor and visual imagery in sports

Abstract

Mental practice routines play an important role in many different sports, not only for the acquisition of motor skills but also for preparation prior to competitive events and rehabilitation after sport injuries. Imagery techniques in sport are used for different purposes, as outlined by the Model of Imagery Use in Sports [Martin et al. (Sport Psychologist 13:245-268, 1999)], to improve skill acquisition, motivation, and sport confidence and to reduce anxiety. Individual differences in imagery abilities have to be considered to understand the possible effects of mental practice in the sports context. It has been revealed that a differentiation of expertise levels (experts and novices) and skills (closed and open) is important for the categorization of imagery effects in sport. Experts are more experienced in processing movement sensations compared with novices and can, therefore, generate kinesthetic imagery more easily. Open and closed skills differ in their predictability of the environment. Compared with closed skills, open skills specifically require the ability to imagine external events and changes to the environmental conditions. It has been shown that different forms and functions of imagery prove to be effective for the above-mentioned functions depending on the characteristics of different sports and the expertise level of athletes.