Mental Imagery
and the improvement of basketball shooting performance

An action research project

by Rob Fisher

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Division and Curriculum Area High School - Junior girls' basketball team

Starting Point

The initial focus of this project was to identify how Ms. X (the teams' coach), through the use and teaching of mental imagery techniques, could improve her team's performance. Specifically her team's shooting performance in basketball. Ms. X had been introduced to mental imagery techniques while an undergraduate Physical education student but had not had time to look into it further. Mr. Y was introduced to Action research while enrolled in EDUC 801B - The improvement of teaching with Tom Russell. Mr. Y's role in this project was to introduce the process of action research to Ms. X, act as a critical friend, assist Ms. X with her inquiry, and to act as a personal researcher and find literature regarding mental imagery and other topics as the need arose.

Data

Transcripts of interviews between Mr. Y and Ms. X.

Mr. Y and Ms. X watched students in game situations.

Game shooting records [stat sheets]

Videotapes of students shooting in practice situation. Students previewed the tape. Students were able to respond and look at their own technique to see whether it had improved. This also gave them a chance to label where a particular spot on the court they felt most successful shooting.  

Student questionnaires

Discussions between Ms. X and her students

Breakthrough

Survey responses from students indicated that they were having more confidence in their shooting ability. They indicated they were gaining confidence to play and to shoot more and to shoot better in a game situation.

94% of the players surveyed said that they felt that mental imagery techniques and training they received during this project helped them be better basketball shooters.

Practices (change of)

For Ms. X

Ms. X indicated that she felt by having the opportunity to discuss with her team the mental imagery strategy, and by encouraging its use, it gave her a more personal rapport with her team. Being able to talk with her students and then asking them to evaluate their own use of imagery improved communication between coach (Ms. X) and players.

For students

Gave students more opportunity to think about the game of basketball when they were not on the basketball court and in day today situations. Implemented the use of mental imagery which was a tool for providing mental preparation for their games.

For both

Doing activities as a group (team) outside of the usual practice game routines. For example eating lunch, playing with a pinata, attending a church service.

Findings/New knowledge

Mental imagery research indicated that there were lots of readings to support positive gains for an elite group of athletes, but not with a novice group.

Gains in shooting performance (of our group) can not be made on the grounds of just using mental imagery with novice players as the skill development variable can not be isolated allowing measurement of effects of mental imagery alone.

We can however look at student perceptions of effectiveness, of mental imagery, in improving basketball shooting performance.

There was the following change of focus throughout this inquiry. At the beginning of the inquiry the question Ms. X was exploring was "Does mental imagery help improve the students' shooting technique?"

Now, upon conclusion of this project, Ms. X's concern is "Does mental imagery really improve technique, or does mental imagery give the players the confidence to shoot more frequently in game situations?"

Validation

Through discussion between Mr. Y and his EDUC-801 classmates, and between discussion between Mr. Y and Ms. X.

Through a follow up questionnaires to be given to the students

Further questions/next steps

How else can Ms. X improve her teams shooting in basketball?

What will Ms. X do next year to improve the use of the mentalimagery process with her basketball team? How important is winningbasketball games to the student players, to Ms. X?

How can Ms. X continue to provide a positive atmosphere andclimate with her teams? What do the players on Ms. X's team think isfun in the context of being on a school basketball team?

Do the students have any intentions of using mental imagerytechniques in future basketball sessions or on other team sessions?Students will complete a questionnaire so that they can actually write down what they did for mental imagery. Students will tell the preparation, where they were, how they designed MI, and whether they were playing against another team or just by themselves. The details of the MI that they created on a personal basis will be fully described by the players.

Action researchers

Mr. X is Rob Fisher, currently an M.Ed. candidate at the Faculty of Education at Queen's University, Kingston. He can be reached via e-mail at 7rcf@qlink.queensu.ca

Ms. Y can be contacted through Mr. X.