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Chapter 4 - Cognitive Strategies _________________________________________________

Motivational Tapes ____________________________________________________________

Some individuals find it useful to buy commercially produced motivational tapes. Several tapes now on the market utilize sessions to enhance relaxation and motivation. You can also purchase tapes that are designed to help your selfconfidence. If you decide to use a commercial tape, make sure that the motivational sessions are preceded by a three to five minute relaxation procedure. There is considerable research that indicates that suggestions that are pained with relaxation are more effective than suggestions alone. Also, try to find tapes that contain words or phases that will meet your specific needs. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Commercial tapes are generic in nature. Thus, they seldom meet the specific needs of each individual. It goes without saying that tapes developed specifically for enhancing athletic performance are your best bet. If you want my opinion, and you’re going to get it whether you want it or not, you’ll be better off making your own tapes. It’s a lot cheaper, and you can design the tapes to meet your specific need. Like I said before, you know what turns you on better than anyone else.

Covert Training _____________________________________________________

Another way to enhance your mental powers is to paint pictures in your mind or engage in covert training. You don’t have to belong to Shirley McClain’s fan club to do this. It’s not that metaphysical. Actually, what I am talking about here is simply human imagery or visualization. In recent years, psychologists have identified human imagery as one of the most promising techniques for enhancing performance. There is a good reason imagery is such a hot item…namely it works like r-e-e-a-l well. In point of fact, some research indicates that mental imagery is just as effective in facilitating performance as physical practice. Covert training is actually no more than mental training. It’s a method in which no overt response is necessary. With this method, the individual mentally or covertly visualizes as vividly as possible the behavior that he is trying to perfect. For instance, if you were trying to improve your piano playing, typing skills, or maybe even your golf game, you would lie down, close your eyes and induce deep muscle relaxation. Once you are totally relaxed, you would then visualize yourself performing the behavior you are trying to improve. By mentally rehearsing the aforementioned scenario, you are preparing yourself for the real life situation. There are a number of reasons this is effective and I am going to tell you what those reasons are.

Internal and External Imagery ___________________________________________________________________________________________

One thing that should concern you is how to visualize. In recent years, sports psychologists have identified two types of mental imagery as it pertains to physical performance and mental conditioning. These are known as internal and external imagery. Generally speaking, internal imagery is kinesthetic imagery in which the athlete perceives his or her task at hand from within one’s body. In this type of imagery, the individuals see the event as if they were looking through their own eyes, but do not see their own bodies. For instance, if you were using internal imagery to visualize yourself squatting, you would see the rack, the bar, and the weights. If you were very good at the technique, you would probably also be able to feel yourself performing the lift. External imagery, on the other hand, is more visual in nature. In this type of imagery, the individuals see themselves performing as if from afar, or as if they were viewing their own performance on their own screens. Naturally, the question now is which technique is the best one to use? Well, actually there is no clear cut answer to that question. There is some research which seems to indicate that internal imagery is superior. In all candor though, the research in this area is riddled with considerable methodological inadequacies. In other words, it stinks. Perhaps the best study in this area was conducted by B.D. Hale in 1982. Hale brought a number of world class athletes into his lab and wired their biceps to an electromyography


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