Mental rehearsal and skill acquisition in sports

Mental rehearsal is thought to have positive effects upon the learning and retention of gross motor skills such as those demanded in many sports. A field study using 30 participants from the sport of lawn bowls failed to demonstrate a statistically significant benefit from the use of mental rehearsal in the performance of their skill. As minimal instruction, training and control accompanied the field experiment a more stringently run study was conducted to establish the extent to which mental rehearsal may effect the acquisition of motor skills.