There is overwhelming scientific and anecdotal evidence which demonstrates the undeniable fact that visualisation can improve your sports performances – there are hundreds of scientific studies which have shown its effectiveness.
In my own research, the feedback I’ve received from athletes is that they improved their performance from 10% to 50%! Read more about this here.
Visualisation works because it has a measurable, physiological effect on our body. When you visualise doing a movement, play, stroke, shot, or performance, there is a measurable response by the specific muscles used in that activity in response to your imagined movements.
In fact, neurologically, your body can’t tell the difference between a ‘real’ experience, and a vividly imagined one.
Because there is this muscular response to visualised activity, it makes it possible to ‘program in’ desired shots, strokes, plays, movements, behaviours, and even emotional responses prior to doing them. In other words you can ‘groove in’ to your body at a cellular level, a ‘muscle memory’ of what you want your body to do.
Further, visualisation allows you to practice your techniques perfectly – without error, and so ‘groove in’ the optimum neural pathway for future successful performance.