A Sample Exercise in Visualization: A Technique for Athletes

With races being decided by hundredths, even thousandths, of seconds, tennis matches coming down to the best serve, or basketball games coming down to free-throws, any truly competitive edge will be harnessed, especially as the skill levels of the athletes and programs rise. At any level of sports, however, visualization can be used by anyone -- coaches, parents, kids -- interested in improving performance. All it takes is being armed with the knowledge of how to do it and the discipline to do it.

Recognizing that any conscious movement of the human body requires the collusion of the brain and the muscles in their communication with one another via a series of neural pathways, the athlete can use visualization to achieve quick gains in improvement. The actual process of visualization is described in the exercise below.

To prevent exclusion of anyone by sport or age, let's discuss how you might go about visualizing to improve your performance in the familiar schoolyard game of kickball. When you are doing this alone, it is best to close your eyes to improve concentration. When you are guiding someone in the process, make sure the atmosphere is as quiet and conducive to concentration as possible.

It is also extremely beneficial to be in a totally relaxed state, preferably lying down with hands at your side, but as stated earlier, it can be done anywhere you have a few uninterrupted moments. Breath deeply and try to let your body go totally limp. Every movement your body makes in your mind needs to be in slow motion in order to achieve maximum effectiveness.

Here we go. In this example, you are at the plate, ready to kick the ball. For simplification of the example, we'll say you like to kick with your right foot.

The ball is rolling toward you very slowly. Your torso is slightly tilted forward and your knees are bent slightly with the majority of your weight in your left leg, which is in front of your right leg. You rock side to side on your heels a little, waiting for the ball to reach its spot. Feel the flexing of your gluteus on the left side each time you put your full weight on the left leg.

As the ball rolls closer, you are watching it to time your approach. Finally, you begin the kick. All your weight is fully in the left side of your body. You step forward with your left foot, digging powerfully into the ground as if to put a large hole into the dirt. Feel the hard ground under your foot and the tight contraction of your gluteus and left thigh. With that left foot firmly implanted, your concentration now shifts to your right leg.

Use your right gluteus to swing the right leg backward. All your strength is focused in the right leg. Force it forward with your toes headed toward the underside of the kickball. As your leg is making its way toward the ball, you are focusing to put every bit of your strength into your leg to make it move as fast as you possibly can before your toes sneak under the ball.

The top portion of your foot makes contact with the ball and you follow through the kick with your right leg still propelling forward. The ball lifts and makes its journey into the outfield. As your right leg begins to come back down, your torso begins to turn toward first base. Your left foot turns toward first base just as your right foot touches the ground, while simultaneously, you focus every ounce of your strength into that left leg which digs hard into the ground and then pushes your body away from the ground as powerfully as you possibly can.

Your right leg lifts and 'grabs' the air, pulling your body to the space in front of you. While your right foot makes its descent, your left leg is now 'grabbing' the air, pulling your body toward it. As soon as your right foot hits dirt, focus on implanting it powerfully in the ground and then forcefully push it away from the ground with all your strength. You repeat this until you reach first base.

Try this exercise while not reading, paying attention to what each muscle is doing during each movement. What are your abs doing? How do you best utilize them to give you even more strength in the kick and in the run?