10-08-2015

Posted by IBA

Visualize to Succeed

Visualize to Succeed

          Want to know how to accelerate your progression? Visualization!

      Visualizing has been proven to be nearly just as good as actually practicing. For example, Australian psychologist Alan Richardson conducted a study on a basketball team in which he divided students at random into three groups:

  • The first group practiced free throws every day for twenty days.
  • The second group practiced free throws on the 1st day and 20th day only.
  • The third group also practiced free throws on the 1st and 20th days only, but also spent 20 minutes a day visualizing.

                The results were surprising! The first group that practiced every day improved 24%. The second group that did not practice at all did not improve. On the other hand, the third group that visualized every day improved 23%!! So there you have it: visualizing proved to be nearly as effective as the actual thing.

                Your mind can’t tell the difference between your visualizations and actual training, so you’re truly strengthening the neural pathways in your brain for a particular skill. Alan Richardson’s study shows the importance of visualization for training, and it very well applies to tunnel flying!

                Tunnel time is expensive, so make the most out of it! Spend some time visualizing before you head out for the tunnel. If you’re unsure about how to perform the move you will be practicing, be sure to check out the tutorial videos on the IBA website. They have plenty of how-to videos that can point you in the right direction.

 

To wrap this up, here are a few tips to make the most out of your visualizations:

  • Alan Richardson noted that the most effective visualization takes place when you feel and see what you are doing: try to feel the wind, and see yourself in the tunnel! This might take a little practice at first but the more you do it, the easier it will be.
  • Try visualizing the move right before you go to bed. Your mind will be more likely to study it while you’re sleeping. Plus, who doesn’t love flying in their dreams?

Give it a try, I highly recommend it. It’s been really useful in my own progression, and I hope you get to benefit from it as much as I have.

 

Brought to you by Tony Dickey of flyvento.com

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The IBA distinguishes between the sport of indoor skydiving (engaged in by patrons with IBA accounts seeking approval of flight skills though the IBA's Flight Progression System) and recreational flying (engaged in by entertainment customers who do not intend to pursue approval of skills). While indoor skydiving is safe for all ages, the inherent risk of the activity is necessarily greater for those engaging in the sport of indoor skydiving, particularly as they progress through more sophisticated maneuvers.