SQUASHSKILLS

GUIDE TO
VISUALISING YOUR
SUCCESS
 WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO VISUALISE
SUCCESS?

‘Imagery’ is a psychological technique which has been shown to be highly effective when
used by athletes, allowing them to remain more confident when competing, and better
control their thoughts and concentration through taking the time to visualise optimal
performance and success.

Many world-class sportspeople routinely use visualisation processes as part of their training
and competition, and such elite stars as Michael Phelps, Rafael Nadal, Johnny Wilkinson,
and Kobe Bryant have all gone on record in interviews to talk about how valuable the
technique has been for them.

It isn’t just for professionals however. Whatever the level you compete at, incorporating
some properly constructed and implemented mental skills training can really go a long way
to help you play your best squash.

We’ve often discussed on SquashSkills the importance of a strong mental game for
maximising your performance. Especially in matches with very closely matched participants,
any small advantage gained can potentially provide that crucial edge that is the difference
between winning and losing.

With imagery, the aim is to essentially mentally simulate a peak level of performance –
thinking about all of the movements, thoughts, feelings, and sensations that go into such a
performance, and vividly imagining them and rehearsing them through in the mind. When
utilised correctly, imagery has been demonstrated to help enhance focus, boost self-
esteem, reinforce confidence, and improve the general psychological state.

An athlete can use this technique to 'experience' the process and desired outcome of a
match, or simply to rest in a relaxed feeling of calm and well-being. By imagining a scene,
complete with images and feelings of a previous best performance or a future desired
outcome, the athlete is aiming to simply 'step into' that feeling and experience it vibrantly in
the mind – the power of the mind in this mental visualisation process can in turn help you
further excel in your physical performance.

One of the great things about imagery and mental rehearsal is its simplicity and the fact that
you don’t need any space or special equipment – you can even do it in the comfort of your
armchair or bed! Outside of using the technique as part of your pre-match routine, one of
the most commonly recommended times for reinforcing your imagery rehearsal is as your
lay in bed at night before you sleep – concentrating on visualising your perfect performance
through imagery techniques can serve the dual benefit of training your mental skills, while
also relaxing you and distracting you from the stresses and strains of the day.
 HOW TO CREATE YOUR SCRIPT

To create your imagery/visualisation ‘script’, take the time first to just sit somewhere quiet for
10mins and go through your memories of your very best performances – times on court when
you’ve been completely in the zone, and everything just flowed. It may be from within an entire
match, a single game, or even just a one off rally that really stands out.

Once you have that image in mind, go back and further examine it not just in terms of the visual,
but in respect to the environment of the court – think about what you could hear, what you
could feel, what was going through your mind. Really immerse yourself in it.

Now write down in detail exactly what you can

recall from your chosen experience with those
aspects in mind – what you remember seeing in
regard to the court (e.g. what clothes you were
wearing, who your opponent was); what you
remember hearing (e.g. the acoustics of the court,
any ambient background noise); what you were
thinking/feeling (e.g. your points of focus, your
mindset, your level of confidence). Really recreate
the scene in as much detail in your mind as you can
and transport yourself back there. You can print out
this PDF and use the blank page at the back for your
imagery notes.

From here, also note your thoughts/feelings on not

just the process but also the outcome – the joy of
success, the intrinsic satisfaction of performing at
your very best, and all of the positive feelings
associated with it.

You should now have a short ‘script’, with prompts

relating to the memory of your favourite
performance. It’s a good idea to go back and update
this after every new ‘best’ performance that you
have to keep it fresh and relevant.
 USING YOUR SCRIPT
The best time to use your imagery script and get the most benefit from the visualisation method,
is in your pre-performance routine before a match. You might need to experiment as to exactly
when the process works best for you – be that at home before your journey, in the car once you
arrive at the squash club, or in a quiet corner before or after your warm-up.

Take the time first to just sit comfortably and breathe. Take 10 long, slow, deep breaths, and then
spend a minute or so reading back through your script and bringing up those memories as vividly
as possible.

Now shut your eyes, and continue the long, slow,

deep breaths. Put yourself physically into the image
in either first person or third person perspective,
and really try and feel that you’re back in that
moment of peak performance. Picture it like a
scene from a movie almost, but with all of the
thoughts, sounds, and feelings present as opposed
to just the visuals. Try slowing down the image in
parts, really highlight any particularly vivid
moments. Spend about 5mins doing this.

The next step is to try to start transferring the images in your mind to your upcoming game, and
picture yourself playing with that same flow, freedom, and confidence against your impending
opponent – switching in the environment of where you’re about to be playing. Spend another
5mins or so enhancing/amplifying the images to where you’re playing at your absolute peak,
moving hitting with rhythm and energy, maintaining a positive mindset and body language, and
overcoming anything your opponent can throw at you.

Some practitioners of imagery like to take it further and incorporate elements from elite
performers into their routine for added focus – for squash, this might be modelling yourself
moving with the smooth efficiency of Paul Coll, slotting the ball in with the calm precision of Ali
Farag, or dominating the centre of the court like Mohamed El Shorbagy.

As with physical skills, mental skills take time and effort to develop and optimise. Practicing your
mental skills prior to integrating them into competition can really help you be able to use them
more effectively, whether that be before a training session, as part of a spare 10mins of
mindfulness you have free somewhere in your daily routine, or even at home in bed before you
sleep. Using the strength of your mind you can call up these images over and over, enhancing
the skill through focused rehearsal and repetition in a similar way to your physical practice.
NOTES FOR YOUR MENTAL IMAGERY
SCRIPT
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