By Tom Graham-Marr and Eric Martin
(September 8, 2025)

As the athletes took their positions perched above the water at the 2008 Olympic 200-meter butterfly final, Michael Phelps seemed completely focused, yet calm and serene. As he hit the water, Phelps quickly realized that his goggles were broken and that it would not be long before they would fill with water, rendering him blind. Understandably, most would panic at such misfortune on the world’s biggest stage. However, Phelps remained composed and instead of panicking, started to count his strokes for the remainder of the race, allowing him to monitor exactly where he was in the pool. This exceptional handling of these circumstances resulted in not only a gold medal and world record but would be a key part in helping him surpass the achievements of his fellow American swimmer, Mark Spitz, by winning a record eight gold medals in a single Olympic Games (Shrivastava, 2023).

Many wondered how Phelps overcame this challenge that would have been overwhelming to others. In post-race interviews, Phelps indicated he had visualized this exact situation in practice many times, creating his ideal response that led to the successful outcome in case this worst-case scenario occurred. Phelps’ ability to achieve this feat was a result of the same contributing factor that led to continual success throughout his career: He understood the mind’s potential in elevating his performance. On this occasion, it was his mastery of visualization that solidified his position in the history books (Visualization – the secret, 2020).

Visualization involves the process of imagining an action, behavior, or performance (Hagger et al., 2020). As demonstrated by the story of Phelps, visualization is a tool that can be used by elite swimmers. However, its applicability extends far beyond the pool. From team games like soccer, where icons like Rhonaldinho used mental rehearsal CDs before games (yes, compact discs), to the comparatively solitary sport of gymnastics, where legendary athletes like Simone Biles used detailed visualization for their routines, visualization can be relevant across many sports (Predoiu et al., 2020; Today, 2024). Anecdotally, Visualization can be a powerful skill in boosting performance. How does visualization work and how can athletes implement it to improve performance?

The Inner Workings

According to neuroscience, when an athlete imagines themselves completing their sport, the brain regions that are activated mimic those that would be triggered during a physical performance. Due to this prior visualization, the brain can communicate with the body more efficiently and with a greater neural strength than would otherwise be possible without visualization (Johnson, 1982). Additionally, with detailed visualization, an athlete can activate areas of the brain that control emotion and problem-solving. By doing so, they not only see the situation play out but can predict the challenges that may occur or the emotions that may be felt, allowing them to better handle these challenges if they arise (Moran et al., 2011). This is an example of what Phelps did when he visualized his calm and focused response to his challenging situation at the Olympics.

Advantages of Visualization

For coaches, helping athletes implement visualization comes with a slew of benefits, with five main advantages commonly noted. Regular visualization can:

• Improve muscle memory. Through activating the same pathways in the brain that fire when we physically perform a task, visualization allows athletes to gain repetitions without having to physically practice them. This could be especially useful for athletes who are exhausted after a training session but want to get some extra work in without inhibiting recovery.

• Benefit confidence and focus. Through creating a sense of familiarity and control over a situation by mentally rehearsing it, athletes can go into game-time situations with confidence and a sharper focus on the task at hand.

• Handle extreme emotions. When athletes rehearse the emotions that may arise in game situations, they can develop strategies to better cope with these extreme emotions.

• Bolster motivation. Athletes imagining themselves achieving their goals or overcoming challenges can boost their motivation in both training and competitions.

• Improved decision-making. Through imagining many different scenarios within their sport, athletes can plan responses to a range of situations, which allows them to react quickly to similar events that may occur within a training session or competition.

Guidelines for Implementing Visualization

As a coach, there are many ways in which you can implement visualization into your practice to see your athletes get the most benefits. Firstly, it is important to provide athletes with clear guidance to help them visualize effectively. Think about these things as you begin to plan when they will engage in visualization.

• Find the ideal location. Encourage athletes to complete their visualization in a comfortable and quiet spot without distractions that may hinder their concentration, especially when they are just starting to develop their visualization skills.

• Encourage relaxation. Prior to beginning the visualization exercise, encourage your athletes to take a few deep breaths, as this will allow them to fully engage with the exercise.

• Keep the situation realistic. Ensure athletes imagine themselves realistically performing their sport, according to their current skill level (e.g., no slam dunks for middle school athletes).

• Incorporate all their senses. Visualization is most effective when a situation is imagined with the inclusion of all their senses. Encourage athletes to think about what they are feeling, hearing, seeing, and even smelling when they are visualizing. This will add depth to the experience, making it more powerful.

• Include emotions. Ask athletes to include a range of possible emotions they may experience within their scenario, so that if they arise during their actual event, they can handle them effectively and properly.

• Emphasize positivity and success. Request athletes to imagine themselves performing to the best of their abilities whilst feeling confident. Seeing themselves succeed in their imagination will help them feel more capable and prepared during the actual event.

• Advocate for regular practice. Like any skill, visualization needs regular practice to improve. Suggest that athletes incorporate visualization into their weekly schedule to strengthen the effects and help them create a plan for when to incorporate their visualization.

As a coach, you could host a team meeting to introduce visualization, explain its benefits, and provide an overview of techniques so athletes can practice on their own. Then, for those athletes who are interested in the practice, you could conduct individual sessions to identify specific areas each athlete would like to improve upon. During these sessions, guide them through a visualization practice, emphasizing each key element, so they feel equipped to use this tool independently.

When to Implement Visualization

Visualization is a unique tool as it can be used for different reasons throughout the competitive season. The following ideas outline when you can implement visualization as a coach and how you can maximize benefits at those times for the best impact.

• Pre-season. Visualization can be used before the season begins to give an athlete an idea of their goals and how they will achieve them. For example, a soccer player can think about their role for the upcoming season, see themselves doing well in that role, and help them see how their role can help the team moving forward.

• During training. Visualization can be used to prime athletes for their training before a session, as well as within a training session to be used to correct mistakes or strategic errors. For example, tennis players could visualize their serve ahead of a shot, especially helpful after a missed serve. They would imagine feeling relaxed, tossing the ball high, and snapping their wrist to connect powerfully with the ball.

• Within a competition. Much like in training, visualization can be used to reset during a competition. This readjustment can aid in calming nerves, help raise confidence, and consequently benefit consistency. For example, after a false start, a sprinter may take a deep breath and momentarily close their eyes. They would visualize staying calm in the blocks, hearing the gunshot of the starter, and being explosive off the blocks. Mentally rehearsing these steps would help them reset nerves, refocus, and ultimately execute properly following the disruption.

• After a competition. Following a competition, athletes can mentally replay their performance to solidify aspects that went well and amend difficulties they faced by imagining challenging scenarios and picturing how they could respond in a more facilitative way. For example, after struggling with putting, a golfer could spend time before their next round visualizing the perfect putt from the same positions they previously struggled with, which would help reinforce correct technique and bolster confidence.

• During an injury. When an athlete is unable to physically perform their sport, visualization can allow them to be engaged with their discipline until they recover. For example, an injured gymnast may mentally rehearse their floor routine, with special attention to the feelings of their movements. When they return, they would experience a better level of confidence as well as better timing of their routine due to their use of imagery while sidelined.

Closing Remarks

An aspect of sports performance that is often neglected is the role that the mind plays. Through teaching your athletes about the benefits that the mind can have in their sporting success, you, as a coach, can give them an edge over their competitors. Visualization should be an important tool in their sports psychology tool kit due to its range of benefits, wide applicability, and scientific foundation. With visualization, you are giving athletes a lifelong tool they can use to overcome the challenges not only associated with sport, but also for challenges in their lives outside of sport.

References

Hagger, M. S., Cameron, L. D., Hamilton, K., Hankonen, N., & Lintunen, T. (2020). The Handbook of Behavior Change. (pp. 479–494) Cambridge University Press.

Johnson, P. (1982). The Functional Equivalence of Imagery and Movement. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A, 34(3), 349–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/14640748208400848

Moran, A., Guillot, A., MacIntyre, T., & Collet, C. (2011). Re-imagining motor imagery: Building bridges between cognitive neuroscience and sport psychology. British Journal of Psychology, 103(2), 224–247. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02068.x

Predoiu, R., Predoiu, A., Mitrache, G., & Firanescu, M. (2020). Visualisation techniques in sport – the mental road map for success. Discobolul – Physical Education, Sport and Kinetotherapy Journal, 59(3), 245–256. https://doi.org/10.35189/dpeskj.2020.59.3.4

Shrivastava, T. (2023, October 2). From Goggle Mishap to Gold Medal: How “What-If” Training Transformed Phelps at the 2008 Olympics. Medium. https://tilak.medium.com/from-goggle-mishap-to-gold-medal-how-what-if-training-transformed-phelps-at-the-2008-olympics-9c36715790bc

TODAY. (2024, August 7). Simone Biles practices visualizations with her therapist before competitions. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0gYKNOYjVc

Visualization – the secret. (2020, November 2). Visualization used by Michael Phelps. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-mm90LFPqU