Confidence and Pressure
How Do I Use Visualisation to Prepare for Competition?
Rhema Adelaja · National Champion & 4x DUX
Visualisation means rehearsing a skill or moment in your head. Start with slow breathing. Write a short script, then picture one skill step by step, using sight, sound and feel. Keep sessions short, add them to your week, and focus on what you will do, not the result.
The answer
- Relax first. Slow your breathing for a minute before you start.
- Pick one skill or one moment, such as the start of a race, a serve or a first touch. One thing, not the whole game.
- Write a short script of what you will do, step by step, so you do not skip parts.
- Picture it from the inside, as if you are doing it. Add what you would feel in your body and what you would hear, not only what you would see.
- Focus on your actions and cues, not the result. The result is partly in other people's hands; your preparation and your next action are yours.
- Keep it short and put it in your week, like a training session. Many athletes find it easier to repeat when it has a set time, for example right after your Gear Shift.
- Be patient. Clear pictures can take time to build, so stay with it before you decide it is not for you.
For information only. This is general information for student-athletes, not medical, legal, financial or professional advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your own situation. Terms
Rules and amounts change. Check the official source before you act. Last checked: 16 October 2026.