Netball
allows little
time for conscious
thought while
you are playing
in the heat
of a game
- and this
means many
of your actions
are performed
on auto-pilot,
using the
muscle-memory
and experience
from training
and previous
games.
All
your netball
movements
are controlled
by your powerful
subconscious
mind, which contains
all your
netball memories,
knowledge and experience - and
as most champions
know, this
is the power
behind most
great performances.
As
a mental
trainer,
for the
past few
decades
I have
worked
with a
vast number
of players,
teams and
coaches
from all
over the
world, teaching
mental
toughness
and peak
performance
- to boost
their competition
performances,
and overcome
various
issues,
slumps
in form,
and other
challenges they
encounter.
Regardless
of the position
you play,
your subconscious
mind is responsible
for all your
best performances
on court.
You
may even
click into "The
Zone" while
you are out
there - the
mental state
which delivers
the highest
pinnacle
of netball
performance.
When
you are
in the
zone,
everything
flows
instinctively
- you
feel
like
you "cant
do a
thing
wrong".
The
subconscious
is an amazingly
powerful
mechanism
which works
almost exactly
the same
way as a
computer
- and it
knows exactly
what you
need to
succeed on
court, every
single time
you go out
there.
The
Power of
Visualization
Visualization
is one
of the
most powerful
mental
training
methods used
to transform
performance
at intermediate
and elite
levels
of netball
right around
the world.
This
involves
regularly
and realistically picturing in
your mind
the exact
way you want
to perform
an element or
routine.When
used correctly, visualization
has shown
time and
time again
to bring
major improvement
to almost
any area
of a netball
performance.
Though
netball
is quite
different
to basketball,
it's
interesting
to know
about
the visualization
experiment conducted
on basketballers
at the
University
of Chicago, to
show
just
how effective
visualization
can be.
In
the study,
players
were tested
on their
free-throw
ability, and
then randomly
placed
in one
of three
groups.
The
first group practiced
shooting
free throws for
an hour each
day. The
second group visualized
shooting
free throws
daily. The
third group didn’t
play at all.
After
30 days,
all the players
in all three
groups took
another free
throw skill
test. The
players in
the group
that had
practiced
daily improved
by 24 percent.The
players in
the group
that hadn’t
practiced,
did not improve.
The
players
in the
third group,
those who
had ONLY
visualized,
improved
by 23 percent,
nearly
as much
as those
who had
physically
practiced!
So
just imagine, by
applying
visualization
to your netball, how
much you
can improve
by using
visualization
as well as
practicing
your netball, at
the same
time!
However there
are several
aspects
which need
to be done
correctly in
order to
extract
the best
results.
For
instance, the
correct level
of relaxation
is required
to ensure
the conscious
mind is relaxed, as
this opens
up the link
to the powerful
subconscious
mind.
Also, the
mental
images
need to
be powerful,
emotionally
charged
and realistic in
order to
make an
impression
within
the subconscious,
and this
process
needs to
be used
regularly
to create
a new "program" within
the subconscious
mind.
Unfortunately
regular doubts
and negative
thoughts
can create self-sabotage, and
cause players
to unknowingly visualize
themselves
to fail.
Under
the pressure
of a game,
these thoughts
can affect
confidence,
cause missed
opportunities,
slumps
in form, fear
of success
or failure, etc
etc.
When
players experience
problems, most
players just
assume that more
and more
training will
always fix
it -
but the only permanent way
to ensure
success is
to work
at the very
source of
your 'netball
control-center',
your subconscious
mind.
The
mind
controls
the body,
not the
other
way around.
So
when we add mental
training to
our physical
training
using powerful
techniques
like visualization
- it helps
us to break
through the
barriers and
move to the
next level.
It
also helps
us to create
a mindset
of success -
an expectation
and inner
belief that
you will
perform strongly
each time
you take
to the court.
When
mental training
is used correctly
to boost
performance,
it delivers
consistently
strong results
in players
of all levels, every
single time.