Visualisation

What is it?

It is the process by which you can create, modify and strengthen pathways important to the co-ordination of your muscles by training purely within your mind. 

The driving force behind visualisation is your imagination. So it is important for you to exercise this part of your brain when using visualisation and not to rely soley on your senses, there needs to be an integration of both in order to achieve an effective outcome. 

What can you use it for?

• To feel and practice moves and routines within your mind.
• To prepare for events that cannot be easily replicated within a practice session.
• To experience achievement of goals.
• When lack of equipment or an injury prohibits normal training. 
• When you do not have time to physically practice skills and techniques.
• To practice repetitive skills - this forces your mind on the imagery of the skill and increases concentration.

Imagery and visualisation should be vivd.

A strong and potent image will be more effective and "real" than a weak one, forcing your mind and its neurons to solidify the responses that correlate with this image, in turn allowing them to be reproduced with precision and accuracy. 

Using all your senses in an image, such as touch, sound, smell, taste and body position is called kinaesthesia, and should be combined with visual imagination to create highly 'real' images.

Observing detail of sensations such as the feeling of the grip of a bat, the texture of clothes, the smell of sweat, the feeling and flow of a hitting the ball, the sound of a large crowd, or the size and shape of a stadium in which you will compete will all aid in producing a more real perception. These can be observed in detail in reality, and then incorporated into imagery later to make it more vivid.

Imagining yourself within your body feeling and sensing all that is going on around you, rather than looking on at yourself from a remote position, will produce a more concrete realistic and involved image. 

Start generally and use imagery more systematically.

Learn basic skills in a low stress environment.This means that you can be more confident of the effectiveness of these skills when you need to put them to the test. Initially start using only 5 minutes of imagery a day, perhaps when you have just got into bed, or when you wake up in the morning. Similarly, start using imagery in a quiet, relaxed environment in which there are few distractions. Slowly experiment with using it in increasingly disturbed situations until you are comfortable with using imagery in the most distracting environments such as high level events. 

It is important too to use imagery systematically: get into the habit of practising techniques in your mind before executing the in practice, and of using stress management imagery routinely. A habitual routine use of imagery will bring its benefits almost automatically when you are under stress.

Types of visualisation.

Motivational Specific (MS)

• Involves seeing yourself winning an event.
• Leads to improved motivation and effort during training.
• May facilitate goal setting.
• Not directly related to performance benefits.

Motivational General Mastery (MGM)

• Involves seeing yourself coping with difficult situations.
• Important in developing expectations of success and self confidence.

Motivational General Arousal (MGA)

• Imagery that reflects feelings of relaxation, stress, anxiety or arousal in sporting competition.
• Can influence heart rate.
• Can be used as a 'psych up' mechanism.

Cognitive Specific (CS)

• Imagery that involves seeing yourself perform a specific skill.
• If learning and performance are the desired outcomes, CS imagery is the most effective choice.

Cognitive General (CG)

• Imagery that involves strategy and game plans related to a competative event. 

Where do you start?

To be effective, like any skill, imagery needs to be developed and practiced regularly. There are four main elements to this:

Relaxation

Having a relaxed mind and body so you can become involved in the imagery exercises, feel your body moving and experience any emotions generated. It may help to use a relaxation technique prior to imagery training.

Realism

The imagery created needs to be as realistic as possible. Create imagery so realistic you believe you are actually executing the skill. In order to obtain the most realistic imagery possible, you must incorporate clarity, vividness, emotion, control and a positive outcome into your imagery

Regularity 

Spending between 3-5 minutes on imagery has proven to be the most effective. It should be included in- and outside of training for about 10-15 minutes per day.

Reinforcement

Repeat the process constantly, as this is essential to defining proper visualisation. This can be further reinforced by writing the imagery down and rehearsing it, videotaping it and watching it, record yourself dictating it, then replay it. Do not forget to constantly add in vital pieces of sensory information for the optimal effect.

What is focus and flow control?

• Focus is complete attention to the execution of a skill.
• Flow is the state of being completely engrossed in the execution and performance to the exclusion of everything else.

Qualities of flow.

All of your attention is focused on:

• the skills or routine being performed; or
• on the input from your senses relevant to the sport.

You are fully focused on the activities being performed and: 

• not aware of your own awareness, consciousness of self or ego
• not evaluating the quality of execution of skills during performance
• not concerned with distractions
• not making any conscious decisions in your mind or reasoning with words - you are trusting your body

You are in complete control of your actions and reactions.

You feel like you are in an altered state of consciousness.

How to achieve flow.

You perceive that your skills are good enough to match the perceived difficulty of the contest.

The competition is not so easy that you become bored and do not concentrate.

You have distraction under control.

You are paying full attention to the performance, with no analysis of errors or technique.

You are relaxed and alert.

You are thinking positively, and have eliminated all negative thoughts.

It is allowed to develop, and it is not forced.

You have practised and trained attention.

The Zen Approach

Perhaps the most systematic approach to achieving focus and flow so far is that used in oriental martial arts, such as Karate or Kendo. These adopt a Zen approach to concentration where the fighter is in a state of almost pure flow. In these sports the competitor seeks to lose all distractions of ego, analysis and from surroundings, immersing him or herself completely within the activity. 

In order to do this it is not what you must do, but what you must not do:

• want to win
• show off
• frighten or terrify the opponent
• be reactive to the environment (you must take initiative)
• try so hard to achieve the correct state of mind that you distract yourself (over arousal)

We hope this has been enlightening and will help you improve your cricketing technique and skills. If you would like more information about anything we post, please do not hesitate to contact us.