Clean Run - October 2013 - 52

the three cs of Visualization

Confidence: Visualization can be used to build our confidence away from competitions. We need to be confident
that we can perform well in order to be the best teammate possible for our dogs. We need to believe in ourselves and
in our teammates. We need to be able to go to competitions and run courses just like we would in our own backyard.
The old adage “compete like you train and train like you compete” comes to mind. Our dogs read our emotions and
the more consistent we are the better it is for them. The only barriers to doing this are mental ones.
Capability: Visualization can be used to achieve fluency; we can practice handling maneuvers without actually
going on to the agility field. We can use visualization to complement our physical training time. In addition,
visualization allows us to improve the human side of the team without putting unnecessary strain on our dogs.
Any repetitive skill can be improved through visualization: footwork, motion, or timing. We just need a clear picture
of the outcome we are looking for.
Concentration: Staying focused and “in the zone” in the heat of competition is important. We need to be able
to ignore outside factors and stay on top of our game. Visualization can help keep us centered on the execution
of the physical performance, rather than worrying about things that are outside of our control.
In this article we’ll review how to
make use of visualization as part of
your agility preparation.

Being “in the Zone”

Mental training is beneficial primarily
because we don’t execute maneuvers in sports using the conscious
part of our brain. When we become
fluent at a sporting event, we rely
solely on the subconscious part of
our brain to guide our performance.
Things simply happen too fast for
us to consciously think about every
action and reaction. The term “in the
zone” is commonly used to describe
this subconscious state. Thus, in
agility, our handling maneuvers—the
front crosses and rear crosses, and
our dog’s reactions to them—are
so well-rehearsed that we perform
them automatically without conscious mental effort. Visualization
plays an important role in program-

ming our subconscious brain to be
ready for the performance, both at
the competition and in training. The
mental rehearsals provided by visualization trigger the same neural
pathways in the brain as the actual
physical performance.

What is VisualiZation?

Visualization involves recreating a
sporting performance in our mind,
engaging all of our senses, but
without making any physical movements. In agility, visualization is a
lot more than just remembering the
course; it involves seeing, feeling,
and hearing the entire performance,
in every detail. The more vivid and
realistic we make our mental images, the more effective the visualization. The images we create can be
from an internal perspective, where
we see the performance through
our own eyes or they can be from

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an external perspective, where we
see the performance like watching
a video of ourselves. Often people
find it easier to create these images
in one perspective over the other.
Visualization should not only be
used in competition, it should also
be part of your practice routine. As
will be described below, you can use
visualization as a practice tool when
you are travelling, injured, or when
you don’t have time to go out and
practice with your dog.

Practice
Makes Perfect

Visualization does not come naturally to most people; however, with
practice everyone has the ability to
develop strong visualization skills.
The key to practicing visualization is
to be consistent. Make time for short
practice sessions each day (approx.
10 minutes), rather than one longer

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Clean Run - October 2013

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