Imagery / Mental Training
Systematic internal rehearsal of movements and situations, incorporating multiple senses, as close to the real environment as possible (PETTLEP Principle).
Intended for
Consolidate movement patterns, prepare for game situations, build confidence in new environments.
Who does the evidence apply to?
Many studies with adults and elite athletes; work with adolescents exists but is on a smaller scale.
Boundaries
Doesn't replace physical training. Only works with a clear, practiced imagination – vague 'thinking about it' isn't enough.
In athlete speak
Your mind rehearses the scene before it happens. The more clearly you see, hear, and feel it, the more familiar the real game will feel.
Accessible doesn't mean inaccurate: We simplify the language, not the message.
For Parents
What we know
Mental practice improves performance in addition to physical training.
What we don't know
Optimal dose and duration, especially for young people.
What that means in practice
Short and specific is better than long fantasy journeys.
Sources
- Simonsmeier, B. A., Andronie, M., Buecker, S., & Frank, C. (2021). The effects of imagery interventions in sports: a meta-analysis. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology.Meta-AnalysisPopulation: Athletes, predominantly teenagers and young adultsDOI 10.1080/1750984X.2020.1780627
- Holmes, P. S., & Collins, D. J. (2001). The PETTLEP approach to motor imagery: A functional equivalence model for sport psychologists. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.Specialist LiteraturePopulation: Applied Sport PsychologyDOI 10.1080/10413200109339004
Content on this method
Sitting on the bench
The game is on, you're sitting and waiting.
Return after injury
Released, but the mind holds back.
First touch in eight minutes: free counter, you alone against the goalkeeper – and the ball goes over the bar.
What's happening in your head?
Build yourself a routine that works even in unfamiliar sports halls
Pre-Performance Routines aren't superstition. They're a blueprint for the last 30 minutes.
Self-confidence is a collection of evidence
Not "believe in yourself", but: gather evidence your brain can't argue away.
Nervous before the game: A routine that can help you
A routine for the last 30 minutes before throw-off – works at home and away.
Self-confidence in handball: What you can do when you doubt yourself
Self-confidence isn't a feeling you either have or don't have. You can collect evidence for it.
What mental training can do – and what it can’t
Honest classification: where research shows stable effects, where it's thin, and where mental training is simply the wrong tool.
These contents are knowledge and training offerings from sport psychology. They do not replace psychotherapy, medical treatment, or professional sport psychological support.