The Effect of Controlled Movement Imaginary on Performance in a Modified 7-Metre Shot Test of Elite Female Handball Players

Movement imagery may have a favourable influence on subsequent movement performance. As a result of creating a multi-modal movement image in the mind, there are activated specific brain centres that are identical for both movement planning and actual movement action. The objective of this experiment was to find out whether a single ideomotor intervention can influence the accurate execution of a known movement skill. The research sample consisted of adult female handball players who participate in the highest Czech handball competition. The selection was intentional to ensure the homogeneity of the sample in the level of mastery of the tested handball movement skill, namely shooting/throwing from 7 meters. A modified test was used, which was unknown to the probands. The research sample was randomly split into experimental and control groups. Testing included a pretest and a posttest. It was repeated twice over the period of 2 months. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to statistically evaluate the data and substantive significance was assessed using Hedges’ g. Players assigned to the experimental group performed significantly better in the posttest on both measures of the modified test (1st measure p=0.03, g=1.14, 2nd measure p=0.01, g=1.33). It has been found that a one-time ideomotor imagery intervention can affect the accuracy of a modified 7-metre shot test.