Hypnosis and Sports Performance: A Case Study

Australian psychologist Alan Richardson tested three basketball teams on their ability to make free throws. He told the first group to spend twenty minutes a day practicing free throws. The second group was not to practice at all. The third group spent twenty minutes a day visualizing that they were shooting perfect baskets, but never stepped on a court. Of course, the group that did nothing showed no improvement. The first group improved 24% but through the power of imagery alone, the third group improved an astonishing 23% almost as much as the group that physically practiced.