Mental Rehearsal for Athletes: What Research Says About Practicing in the Mind

Most athletes know the feeling of being "in the zone," but fewer realize that some of that preparation can happen entirely in the mind. Mental rehearsal — also called motor imagery — is the practice of simulating movements and sensations without physically performing them [1]. It is widely used in sport sciences to improve learning, performance, and motivation [2].

Mental imagery is a dynamic mental state involving the cognitive visualization and rehearsal of motor movements or positions without overt motor output [3]. It is known to have numerous benefits for skill acquisition within athletic performance and is often incorporated into elite athletic training programs [3]. For those who want to try a structured approach, Hypnothera's guided mental rehearsal for competition offers a practical starting point.

The idea is not mystical. The brain appears to treat imagined movement and real movement as closely related processes, and researchers have been mapping that relationship for years [1]. What follows is a look at what the evidence actually says — and how you might apply it.

What Mental Rehearsal Actually Is

Mental rehearsal goes by several names in the research literature, including motor imagery and mental practice [1]. At its core, it is the mental rehearsal of actions without engaging in the actual physical movements involved [1]. In sport sciences, imagery entails the mental rehearsal of a given situation to improve an athlete's learning, performance, and motivation [2].

This is not daydreaming. It is a structured cognitive process where you simulate the sensations, actions, and experience of performing a skill [1]. The practice has practical implications for skill learning and skilled performance in populations such as athletes and surgeons [1].

One of the reasons mental rehearsal works is that the mind has a remarkable capacity to simulate sensations and actions [1]. When an athlete mentally rehearses a dive, a sprint start, or a tennis serve, they are engaging cognitive systems that overlap with those used in actual movement [1]. This does not replace physical practice — but it appears to complement it in meaningful ways [3].

How the Brain Responds to Mental Rehearsal

When researchers look inside the brain during mental imagery tasks, they find activity in regions typically associated with physical movement [2]. A meta-analysis of nine studies with athletes found significant activation in the premotor cortex, somatosensory cortex, supplementary motor areas, inferior and superior parietal lobule, caudate, cingulate, and cerebellum during both visual and kinesthetic imagery tasks [2].

These are not passive visual areas. The premotor cortex and supplementary motor areas are involved in planning and executing movement [2]. The somatosensory cortex processes bodily sensation [2]. The cerebellum coordinates timing and precision [2]. The fact that mental rehearsal activates these regions suggests the brain is doing something that closely resembles physical preparation, not just picturing an image [2].

This neural overlap is one reason researchers consider motor imagery a window into consciousness and movement planning [1]. It is also why the practice has drawn attention from both cognitive neuroscientists and sport psychologists [1].

Visual and Kinesthetic Imagery: Two Modes, One Network

Not all mental rehearsal is the same. Researchers distinguish between two main modalities: visual imagery and kinesthetic imagery [2]. Visual imagery involves seeing the movement in your mind's eye — watching yourself perform from an internal or external perspective [3]. Kinesthetic imagery involves feeling the movement — the muscular tension, the body position, the rhythm of the action [3].

A scoping review of mental practice in athletes identified visual versus kinesthetic imagery as one of five key themes that shape how mental practice is applied [3]. The review analyzed 19 studies and found that these two modalities are often discussed as distinct approaches [3].

However, the neural evidence tells a more nuanced story. The meta-analysis by Filgueiras and colleagues found that visual and kinesthetic imagery share similar neural networks, involving many of the same brain structures [2]. The authors concluded that combined interventions — using both visual and kinesthetic imagery together — are beneficial to athletes, whereas using only one modality in isolation may be less efficient from a neuropsychological perspective [2].

In practical terms, this suggests that the most effective mental rehearsal may involve both seeing the movement and feeling it. If you only visualize the motion without sensing it, or only feel it without a clear mental picture, you may be leaving part of the benefit on the table [2].

Five Themes That Shape Effective Mental Practice

The scoping review by Desai and colleagues identified five themes that recur across the mental imagery literature in athletics [3]. These themes offer a useful framework for thinking about how to structure your own mental rehearsal.

• Open vs. closed events. Some sports involve open events, where the environment is unpredictable, like a soccer match. Others involve closed events, where the setting is controlled, like a golf putt. The type of event may influence how imagery is best used [3].
• Internal vs. external imagery. Internal imagery means experiencing the movement from your own perspective. External imagery means watching yourself from the outside, as if on video. The choice between them may affect how vivid and useful the rehearsal feels [3].
• Level of expertise. The effectiveness of mental imagery may depend on the athlete's level of expertise. More experienced athletes may be able to generate richer, more detailed imagery because they have a deeper motor memory to draw from [3].
• Visual vs. kinesthetic imagery. As discussed above, these two modalities engage overlapping neural networks and may be most effective when combined [3][2].
• Psychological effects and physical factors. Mental imagery is not only about movement. It can also influence psychological states such as anxiety and motivation, as well as physical factors related to performance [3].

What the Evidence Says About Performance Benefits

The research on mental imagery in athletics is broad enough that a scoping review was able to identify 19 studies meeting strict inclusion criteria from an initial pool of 1252 citations [3]. Numerous studies have shown that mental imagery can improve performance, decrease anxiety, and shorten the learning curve in elite athletes [3].

It is worth noting that the evidence is described in terms of association and improvement, not guarantees [3]. Mental rehearsal is a support tool, not a replacement for physical training. The studies suggest it can help, but they do not claim it will work the same way for every person or every sport [3].

The field also faces challenges. Researchers have noted that contemporary work on motor imagery is hampered by semantic, conceptual, and methodological issues that can make it difficult to compare findings across studies [1]. This means the evidence is promising but still evolving [1].

For athletes dealing with clinical anxiety, performance disorders, or other mental health concerns, mental rehearsal is not a substitute for professional support. If those challenges are present, consulting a qualified professional is the right step.

How to Start a Mental Rehearsal Routine

Based on the themes identified in the research, here is a practical framework for building a mental rehearsal habit. These suggestions are educational, not prescriptive — adjust them to fit your sport, schedule, and experience level.

• Pick a specific skill or moment. Choose one movement or scenario to rehearse — a start sequence, a key technique, or a pressure moment in competition [3].
• Combine visual and kinesthetic elements. See the movement clearly in your mind and also feel the bodily sensations associated with it [2].
• Match your perspective to the task. For closed events like a free throw, internal imagery may work well. For open events like a match, you might rehearse responding to an opponent's moves [3].
• Account for your experience level. If you are newer to a skill, your imagery may be less detailed. That is normal. It may improve as your physical mastery grows [3].
• Keep sessions short and consistent. The research does not prescribe a specific duration, but consistency matters more than length. A few minutes daily is a reasonable starting point [3].
• Use it alongside physical practice. Mental rehearsal complements physical training; it does not replace it [3].

Key takeaways

• Mental rehearsal is the simulation of movement without physical action, and it is widely used in sport sciences to support learning and performance [2].
• Visual and kinesthetic imagery activate overlapping brain networks, and combining both may be more effective than using either alone [2].
• Five themes — open vs. closed events, internal vs. external perspective, expertise level, visual vs. kinesthetic modality, and psychological effects — shape how mental practice is applied [3].
• Studies suggest mental imagery can improve performance and reduce anxiety in athletes, though the evidence is still evolving [3].
• Mental rehearsal works best as a complement to physical training, not a replacement for it [3].

If you want to experience mental rehearsal in a guided format, Hypnothera offers a session designed specifically for athletes preparing for competition. Try the competition mental rehearsal session

Sources & Further Reading

1. Moran A, Guillot A, Macintyre T et al. (2012). Re-imagining motor imagery: building bridges between cognitive neuroscience and sport psychology. British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02068.x
2. Filgueiras A, Quintas Conde EF, Hall CR (2018). The neural basis of kinesthetic and visual imagery in sports: an ALE meta - analysis. Brain imaging and behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-017-9813-9
3. Desai V, Stambulic T, Grounds R et al. (2025). A Scoping Review of Mental Practice in Athletes: How can Surgeons Learn?. Journal of surgical education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2024.103336