Effect of motor imagery training on tennis service performance in young tennis athletes

Abstract

The objective of the study was to analyse the effect of motor imagery training on tennis service performance among tennis athletes. Participants were twenty-eight young male tennis players, randomly divided into two groups: imagery training (ITG, n = 14) and control group (CG, n = 14). It was a controlled and randomized experimental investigation, lasting eight weeks. the CG watched videos about the history of the Olympics, while ITG did motor imagery training. the tennis service performance was obtained by the product between accuracy and stroke velocity [accuracy x mean velocity of all strokes (km/h)]. the effect of group vs time interaction (p <.01) was identified for all performance indicators [accuracy, running speed and performance (precision x speed)], with improvement only in ITG (p = 01). It concluded that motor imagery training would be considered an effective strategy to enhance the tennis service performance among male tennis players.