Enhancing forehand acquisition in table tennis: The role of mental practice

The goal of the present study was to determine whether mental practice is an effective preparation for performing a forehand task in table tennis and whether mental practice is more effective with an external focus on the movement technique. Attentional focus studies suggest that when acquiring a goal-directed task involving the wielding of an implement, mental practice should be focused on an external effect of the movement directly related to the movement technique (e.g., the trajectory of the racket) rather than on a more distant effect, such as the anticipated trajectory of the ball. Results showed that the mental practice group that focused on the trajectory of the racket was more effective than the control group receiving the same scripts but not benefiting from a previous phase of mental practice. Also, mental practice on the trajectory of the racket was more effective than mental practice on the trajectory of the ball.