The power of visualization

Practice makes perfect is a phrase that every athlete has heard at some point in their career. When you hear it, you probably think of heading out to the batting cages and taking some cuts, or working on turning a double play. 

But what if I told you that visualization can make just as much of an impact on your game? That's right, mental visualization is a powerful tool that can help you improve your skills, boost your confidence, and ultimately help you perform better on the field.

Visualization involves creating a mental image of yourself performing a skill, such as hitting, pitching or making a play on defense. Many studies have proven that our brains cannot distinguish the difference between what we vividly imagine and what we physically do. So if you want to get extra reps, enhance your muscle memory and improve your focus, visualization will 100% do that for you.

You can use visualization to help you succeed in situations you might find yourself in during a game such as a tough defensive play, hitting the ball into the gap, or a particular hitter you might be facing on the mound. 

Think of it as you’re seeing yourself succeed before you succeed, as you create a positive memory in your mind. By visualizing yourself in difficult situations and succeeding in them, you’ll also be able to step up at critical times with the confidence and feeling that you’ve been there before.

So, let's dive deeper into the importance of mental visualization and how you can use it to take your game to a whole new level. The goal here is to have the intention of what you WANT to have happen in real life. Create mental experiences in your head that resemble actual physical experiences that you want to see in the future.

Here is an example visualization process below:

1. Get in a comfortable position and close your eyes

   • Take a couple deep, slow, meaningful breaths (Big League Breaths as I call them!) to quiet your mind and sink into the present-moment

   • Imagine a scene of a future desired outcome that you want

   • Step into it

2. Have the scenario include as many senses as possible (this will make it more effective)

• Visual (images)

• Kinesthetic (how the body feels & the bat/ball/glove in your hand)

• Auditory (sounds of the crowd and your teammates)

3. Repeat

• By using your mind, you can call up these images over and over, building confidence and enhancing a new skill through repetition, just like you would any other physical skill.

Remember with the power of visualization, everything happens twice: First in your mind and second in real life. By practicing visualization just as you would practice any other skill, you will find yourself more comfortable in any situation. 

Better yet, there are only so many physical reps you can take at a given time because of time constraints on the field, weather, etc. I encourage each and everyone one of you to think about how you can incorporate even just a few minutes of visualization into your routine on a daily basis.