A comparison of imagery use in high level shooters and circle defenders in netball: a qualitative study.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the influence of playing position on athletes’ imagery use. Eight high level netball players (4 shooters, 4 circle defenders) participated in semi-structured interviews that explored their use of imagery prior to and during training and competitive performance. Inductive content analysis of the data suggested that shooters used CS and MS imagery more than circle defenders. CG imagery was used more by defenders than shooters. Overall, MG-M was the most used imagery type irrespective of playing position. Although shooters and defenders employed MG-A imagery to the same extent, it served different functions. There were also differences in imagery use for specific quarters during netball competition, and in the factors that contributed to imagery being more effective in some situations than others. The results are discussed in terms of future research and practical implications.