The Effect of Mental Imagery on Free Throw Shooting Percentage

Mental imagery is a cognitive process involving the internal simulation of sensory experiences without external stimuli and is commonly used in sport performance preparation. When structured and deliberately practiced, mental imagery can enhance skill acquisition and performance outcomes PURPOSE: This study investigated whether PETTLEP-guided mental imagery (Physical, Environment, Task, Timing, Learning, Emotion, Perspective), performed without any physical practice, could enhance free-throw accuracy. METHODS: Twenty collegiate baseball players were randomly assigned to a PETTLEP imagery group (n=10) or a control group (n=10). Over two weeks, the experimental group participated in five guided mental imagery sessions, each lasting five minutes, while the control group received no physical or mental practice. Free-throw accuracy was assessed pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: The experimental group improved free-throw accuracy from a pre-test average of 45% to 58%, while the control group declined from 49% to 42% over the same period. A two-sample t-test assuming unequal variances revealed a significant difference in free-throw improvement between the experimental group (M = 12, SD = 26.16) and the control group (M = –6, SD = 17.76), t(16) = 1.77, p = .045 (one-tailed). The effect size was large (Cohen’s d = 0.80), indicating a meaningful performance benefit from PETTLEP-guided mental imagery without physical practice. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that participants who practiced PETTLEP-guided mental imagery significantly improved free-throw shooting performance compared to those who did not practice mentally or physically. The large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.80) indicates strong practical significance, suggesting that PETTLEP imagery can be an effective standalone training method for improving sport-specific motor performance. The structured PETTLEP framework may have contributed to these improvements by closely simulating the motor, environmental, emotional, and cognitive elements of actual performance, promoting neural activation similar to physical execution. These results provide support for the PETTLEP model as a viable tool for motor skill acquisition when physical practice is limited or impractical.