Beneficial Effects of Motor Imagery and Self-Talk on Service Performance in Skilled Tennis Players

Abstract

This research aim to investigate the effects of motor imagery (MI), focused on the trajectory of the ball and the target area, and self-talk (motivational function) before the actual strike on the performance of the service in skilled tennis players. Thirty-three participants (6 females and 27 males, Mage = 15.9 years), competing in regional to national competitions, were randomly divided into three groups: Control, MI, and MI + self-talk. They performed a pre-test (25 first service), 20 acquisition sessions (physical trial, physical trial + MI and physical trial + MI + self-talk), and a post-test similar to the pre-test, in match situations. The percentage of the first service, their speed, and the efficiency scores, evaluated by experts, were use as dependent variables and indicators of performance. While there was no difference in service speed ( p > 0.05), this study showed an improvement in the first service percentage and efficiency (all ps < 0.01) in the participants of the MI and MI + self-talk groups. Additionally, analyses revealed greater efficiency when MI was combined with self-talk compared to other conditions. It, therefore, seems advantageous for skilled tennis players to use MI and motivational self-talk before performing the first service balls.

Does Motor Imagery Training Improve Service Performance in Tennis Players? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…RoB-2 assessments were conducted on four RCTs [ 23 , 40 , 41 , 42 ], while ROBINS-I assessments were employed for five non-RCTs [ 22 , 24 , 25 , 43 , 44 ]. Out of these trials, only three displayed a low risk of bias, while six demonstrated an overall moderate risk of bias or some concerns, as illustrated in Figure 2 .…”

“…Among these RCTs, only one reported their randomization sequence generation method [ 23 ]. In contrast, the randomized procedures in the remaining three papers were not comprehensively described [ 40 , 41 , 42 ]. A visual depiction of the findings of ROBINS-I assessments is shown in Figure 2 B.…”

“…The participants’ ages ranged from 9 to 18 years old, and the sample sizes of the research groups varied from 12 to 48 individuals. Out of the nine studies, one focused on females [ 43 ], five examined males [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 40 , 41 ], and three investigated mixed gender [ 25 , 42 , 44 ]. The length of motor imagery programs was documented in nine studies, with an average of 10.9 ± 8.0 weeks (range: 4–24).…”

The effect of the combined self-talk and mental imagery program on the badminton motor skills and self-confidence of youth beginner student-athletes

“…and MI was more effective than either S.T. or MI in reducing state anxiety and increasing the S.C. and archery performance of 45 Malaysian national archery athletes [ 59 ]; it was also found that the combination of motivational-ST and MI, performed before serving, was beneficial for 33 skilled tennis players [ 60 ]. It was found that the MI intervention and the combination of MI and S.T.…”

Effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on professional tennis players' match statistics: A large‐scale population‐based study

“…The results of this study indicate that strategies aimed at restoring service performance in professional tennis players during and after the COVID-19 pandemic are urgently required, especially in male and lower-ranked players. The training strategies for improving service performance that have less pandemic-related restrictions may be useful for players and their team, for example, mental training programs, 4 including video modeling training, 5 perceptual-cognitive skills training, 6 imagery training, 7 and deepening the understanding of useful strategies for improving service performance during the match, such as pacing strategies. 8 The present study is the first to use large-scale population data to examine the impact of temporary tours withdrawal on the performance of professional tennis players.…”