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by Alan Goldberg
See your way to faster, mentally tougher swims.
• Are there certain opponents who always seem to psych you out no matter what you do?
• Do you tend to fall apart and get distracted in races when other swimmers start to pull away from you?
• Are there certain points in your race where the pain and fatigue always seem to get the better of you, tricking you into believing that you just can't swim hard anymore?
• Do you tend to get too nervous before those really big meets?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then there is a very simple, yet powerful tool that you can add to your mental toughness toolbox. That "power tool" is visualization, or mental rehearsal. If you use it, it will certainly help you stay in control and swim faster when it counts the most.
When visualizing, the athlete mentally previews the entire event in as much detail as possible-from pre-race ritual and start through the last turn, finish and post-race celebration. It's a vivid pre-creation of the whole race-seeing, hearing, feeling and even smelling what you think you'll experience as if you were actually there.
You can actually begin to pre-program your mind and body to perform a certain way during the race by mentally experiencing the roughness of the blocks underfoot; hearing the starter; getting a clean, quick start; feeling yourself slashing through the water; hitting all your turns; maintaining the feeling of a perfect stroke; building to a strong finish; then feeling the exhilaration of a great swim.
Regular use of this kind of mastery imagery during the days and weeks before an event is a wonderful way to boost your confidence and keep you cool, calm and collected under pressure.
Two-time Olympian backstroker Tripp Schwenk began using this kind of imagery when he was 12. By the time he was 15; he was using it regularly before each race and was able to get within 1- or 2-tenths of a second of his actual time whenever he mentally rehearsed.
When he set an American record in the 200 meter backstroke in 1995, Schwenk's race and time were exactly as he had mentally practiced it-stroke for stroke with the exact splits and perfect feel!
Most swimmers don't realize that mastery imagery is just one of many ways that you can use visualization to take your performance to the next level. This mental "power tool" can also be used directly to help you stay calm under pressure, avoid psych-outs and intimidation, and improve your ability to weather those familiar rough spots during your races.
Use Imagery in Practice to Strengthen Your Overall Mental Toughness
Remember the old adage, "Practice makes perfect"? Well, that's not exactly true. Just going through the motions in the pool and putting in "dead yardage" won't exactly get you anywhere.
The more accurate version of this saying is, "Perfect practice makes perfect."
What's perfect practice? It's practice that closely simulates all of the mental and physical challenges that will be present in that all-important meet. When you mentally and physically "practice" meeting these challenges successfully, you will be much better prepared to handle them effectively under big-race pressure.
How do you do this?
Use your imagination to "see" tough opponents in the lane next to you while you're training. Feel yourself swimming smoothly and powerfully, hear your teammates and the crowd going crazy as you "race" that pesky rival.
Regular use of this kind of in-pool simulation will raise the quality of your training and mentally prepare you to swim your best.
Similarly, you can use in-pool visualization/simulation to help you get through those bothersome rough spots in your races. Let's say, for example, that you typically die on the last 75 of your 200 when your arms and legs start feeling like lead and your stroke suddenly abandons you. Pick specific points in practice when you are especially tired, then mentally turn them into important race situations. Experience yourself in the finals of that big meet in the last 75 of your race.
As you feel the actual pain and fatigue from this particular set, work on staying long, smooth and powerful. Use your imagination to fill in the details of this "race." Consistent practice of this kind of imagery/simulation will help you stay calm, composed and strong through those tough spots.
Use Visualization/Imagery to Stay Relaxed
If you want to swim fast when it counts the most, then you need to learn to stay calm and relaxed before you swim. Relaxation is a critical mental skill that forms the foundation of mental toughness. You can use visualization to help you do this.
Pick a safe, relaxing place that you can go to in your mind. Your "safe place" can be real or imaginary. Experience yourself there in exquisite detail for five to 10 minutes at a time. Regular mental practice of hanging out in this safe place will then make it available for you whenever you find yourself in a stressful meet situation.
You can also spend some of your mental practice imagining yourself staying calm at the big meet right before your main event. By mentally practicing remaining calm, you will be more likely to do this when it counts.
