Mental imagery is defined as seeing something in your mind, typically a projection of how you want an event to progress. Repetitive mental imagery improves sports performance. Studies show that visualization positively impacts athletes in many sports, including gymnastics, figure skating, diving, and dart throwing.
Whatever physical training you do, you can also perform in your mind. This mental visualization is among the sports psychology skills that several high-level coaches implement in their athletes’ training regimens.
An optimal time to use imagery is in the morning and the evening before bed. This timeframe helps imprint the image into your subconscious as you’re in an alpha or theta brainwave state where the mind is more suggestible. Some athletes also incorporate mental imagery right before practice or competition.