Sport Psychology: Does Mental Practice Really Work? (Part 1)

Thanks to brain research we know that it is sufficient to think of a movement (e.g. the service in tennis) to activate almost the same areas of the brain that are involved in the actual movement.

In addition, we also know that the repeated use of "information highways" in the brain (associated neurons) is a central feature of many learning processes.
So one could conclude: Mental practice must be working.


But is it really that easy?
After all, an extremely important component is missing: Feedback from the environment. Was the imagined movement really successful?
So how effective is mental practice in comparison to physical practice?
Let's take a look at the research...