Mental practice & Mental rehearsal

Mental practice

In 1972, Corbin defined mental practice as the repetition of a task, without observable movement with the specific intent of learning’. It is to enhance performance in the absence of a physical activity.

There is some agreement that mental practice frequently has a beneficial effect on other the learning of a new skill or the betterment of performance of an existing skill.

Mental practice has been found to improve both cognitive and psychomotor performance.

The use of mental visualization in sports, mental practice was used in the context of sports psychology as a possible means for improving performance on a wide range of sport related task.

The mental practice most helpful to improve riding skills, is the mental practice of those skills in the midst of being improved or attempted for the first time.

Mental practice is most famous for the gains achieved in terms of muscle memory and the mental organization of sub-skills needed to successfully achieve a new skill.

Mental rehearsal

Mental rehearsal is one aspect of imaginary. It means the mental practice of performing a skill as oppose to actual practice. This is sometimes called mental practice and is a strategy adopted by many sportsmen and women.

It is a strategy for practicing something in mind before actually performing the task.

By mentally rehearsing it form mental image of the skill or event that the people are going to perform. No physical movements are involved in mental rehearsal. Some performers find mental rehearsal easier than other but the ability can be improved with practice. Mental rehearsal appears to be particularly useful in therapy settings with patients who are unable to engage in large amounts of physical practice because they lack endurance.

Mental rehearsal is used either to learn a new skill or to improve existing skills. There are a number of ways in which metal rehearsal is used including skills practice and rehearsal, practicing for events, competition practice, practicing ‘What if….?’, scenarios, replaying performance and performance routines.