I am a believer. My coach at Clemson would always speak of visualization during training, during lifting, during jumping and I’ll be honest, I overlooked it.
It wasn’t until my senior year of college (he had been preaching to me for 4 years) that I was NATURALLY visualizing. Not my reps in the weight room, or my plyometric jumps, or even my high jump approaches. I had visualized “being a BADASS” to the point that I knew that no matter what happened, no matter how hard my competition trained, I would win in the end.
I was extremely visual to the point that I fell into a natural rhythm with my visualization. I could do this to the point that even my competition knew, and they accepted defeat by me.
Pretty Awesome right?
Your mind is INCREDIBLY powerful! It seriously controls how your world works…but it’s also stubborn as hell too. What I mean is if you can get into a successful, positively driven mindset, you will be successful. BUT, on the flip side of things… if you get down in the dumps, doubt yourself or your ability, you will fail.
You will not succeed. Sorry but that’s the God honest truth.
Fun Fact: A study was done with foul shooting at the professional level where three groups were tested.
One group practiced shooting foul shots for countless hours over a 5 week period
One group didn’t practice at all over a five week period
One group visualized shooting perfect foul shots and never missing for an hour a day for a 5 week period
Who performed the best? I think you can guess the answer to that.
The visualization group won by a LANDSLIDE and if you keep telling your mind that you CAN do something…guess what!! Your stubborn noggin’ will start to believe it!
As I mentioned, I personally visualize a successful goal with absolutely everything I do. That’s my visualization technique, and while it has been successful for me, it may not be what you need. Some people find more success from altering their visualization technique, so you need to find out what method works best for you.
Don’t overlook your mental capacity and brain power when it comes to your athletic future. Especially if you plan on playing college athletics. If you are seriously trying to impress college coaches, you have NO chance of getting them to BELIEVE in your talent if YOU don’t believe in it yourself!
A recommendation, Anthony Robbins’ “Awaken The Giant Within”
Who is he: Anthony Robbins is a motivational speaker targeting “Success, and being successful within whatever you do.” He is responsible for getting professional tennis player Andre Agassi from being 32nd in the world to the #1 spot within a year’s time; AFTER Andre had mentally given up and began doubting himself in the mid-1990s.
What is the book about: Mentality Training, Confidence Training, Time Management.
Why do you want it: It will only change your life for the better and get you to BELIEVE in accomplishing all of the goals you have for yourself.
Please let me know your great mentality training tactics, what type of visualization tactics you use, and if you grab Tony’s book, let me know what you think about it!
Also, if you are still in the hunt for the right vertical jump training program for you… give Become a Freak V2 a shot, it’s Risk Free, and the gains you will gain will help you accomplish your goals.
Rock On’
Adam
Adam Linkenauger is a vertical jump coach in Roanoke, Virginia, owner of Vertfreak101, aka Freak Athletics llc, a 7x ACC Champion High jumper, an ACC Record Holder, A Clemson University Record holder, and the 2009 Powerade Ion 4 National Dunk Contest Champion. Adam Linkenauger has appeared in numerous publications, including Sports Illustrated, ESPN, ESPN2, theacc.com, and also NBC, CBS, and Fox affiliated Networks.