Visualize Your Matches

Visualize Your Football

Visualize matches, specific drills, techniques and game situations.

When you visualize an action in your mind, you activate many of the same areas of the brain that are involved when you actually perform the movement. Repeated mental practice can help reinforce movement patterns and contribute to muscle memory and automaticity.

Visualize the same action several times. With repetition, the movement can become faster, more natural and more automatic. The goal is for the work you do in your mind to become visible in your performance on the pitch.

Make It Realistic

When you visualize, make the experience as realistic as possible.

Use all your senses. Feel the ball at your feet. Smell the grass. Hear the sounds around you. Imagine the movement of your body and the environment around you. Make it feel as though you are actually standing on the pitch.

For some players, it can help to visualize while wearing their football kit or while standing with a ball at their feet. Find whatever helps you create the most realistic experience.

Visualize Success

Always try to visualize yourself performing the action successfully.

Imagine yourself executing the perfect feint or skill move, leaving your opponent behind with confidence. See yourself accelerating away from your marker, driving forward from the halfway line towards goal. Feel your speed as you move into space, with no defender able to catch you.

Now see yourself striking the ball with perfect technique. Feel the contact as you hit it cleanly and powerfully. Watch the ball fly beyond the goalkeeper’s reach.

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLL!

Hear the crowd cheering. Feel your teammates around you, celebrating and congratulating you. See the proud expression on the face of your parent, guardian or coach.

Enjoy the moment. Then do it again.

Feel Every Movement

Pay attention to every detail of the movement.

Feel every step you take. Feel the ball with every touch. Be aware of your body position throughout the entire action.

For example, when striking the ball, feel yourself placing your plant foot in the correct position. See the angle and distance between your plant foot and the ball. Visualize your kicking leg moving through from back to front, and imagine making perfect contact with the ball.

Feel your body as you perform the action. Notice your balance, posture, movement and timing.

Visualize Step by Step

Visualize everything step by step, with complete concentration and awareness.

Repeat the process several times. The more consistently you mentally rehearse an action, the more familiar it can become.

Also visualize different match scenarios. Imagine receiving the ball under pressure, beating an opponent, making the right pass, finishing a chance or reacting quickly after losing possession.

By mentally rehearsing different situations, you can become more familiar with them. This can help you recognize situations more quickly and react more instinctively during a match.

Focus on One Specific Action

Choose one specific action that you find difficult or that you want to improve.

It could be a particular skill move, first touch, pass, shot, cross, defensive action or finishing technique.

Close your eyes, take your time and visualize yourself performing that action perfectly, confidently and successfully.

See it. Hear it. Feel it.

Then take that image onto the pitch.