“A key basketball skill is imagery. The best players “see” situations before they happen so they can be prepared.” Dr. Jack Ramsay

Specific basketball strategies during training and competition can promote focus, discipline, confidence, and physical expertise.

An effective sports psychology for basketball strategy involves imagery where the athlete plays a basketball mental film of playing a game, performing in competition and overcoming challenges.

Imagery can be used together with other mental skills such as motivation, mindset, and positive self-talk to boost basketball performance.

Great athletes know how critical basketball mental imagery is to athletic success.

When Scott Brooks took over as the head coach for the Washington Wizards, he used visualization within the team’s daily routine just like he used to improve his mental game skills on the basketball court. He was a big believer in visualization techniques and mental game performance.

You must believe in the power of visualization to improve your mental game in basketball.

Types of Imagery

When it comes to mental game imagery, there are two different approaches.

1. Internal Imagery – The internal approach involves seeing yourself from inside your body looking out as if you were performing in a basketball game.
2. External Imagery – The external approach involves observing yourself from outside your body like on video.

Sports psychology research indicates that one method is not better than the other. Most basketball athletes have a dominant perspective with which they’re most comfortable. Use the perspective that’s most natural for you and then experiment with the other perspective to see if it helps you differently.

Mental Imagery and Improved Performance

Most athletes have probably heard about the power of positive thinking, but the power of positive mental imaging is even more significant.

To do something victorious in a game, you must first see yourself doing it.

In addition to positive thinking and self-talk, richly visualizing specific scenarios can significantly facilitate improved performances.

Vividly imagining succeeding, or adaptively coping with specific adverse events, seems to aid in success even more than statements like “I think I can.”

How Does Mental Imagery Work?

The key to successful mental imagery is “feeling” the task as you see yourself performing it.

Think of how you could improve your performance by combining physical practice with mental imagery training. When you see Olympic athletes image their performance moments before they compete, you often see them physically mimicking the performance as they want it to be.

By including the sense of feeling into your imagery, you can improve the athletic experience in your subconscious mind.

Adopting an approach to a single practice is beneficial. Not only do you see yourself performing; you see yourself playing virtually perfect. As accurate as your ability to see an excellent performance, your mind will help your body execute it.

Just like your physical skills, imagery takes practice to make it useful. The more you practice, the better you will get at it. The better you get at it, the more it will help you reach your full potential in basketball.

*Download the free mental game assessment and get started on Improving your Mental Game in Basketball.