Visualizing yourself (imagining) and affirming yourself to react quickly is key to any sport for speed and success! I could go on for hours on the importance of and science behind beliefs when it comes to physical activities, however I’ll be brief. Negative and positive self talk are crucial to developing reflexes and speed.

If you are about to get into sparring match, and tell yourself “Oh golly… I’m so slow… I’m going to get pummeled in the face”,  then surely; you will get pummeled in the face!  On the other hand, if you enter the match affirming to yourself that you are the fastest, squirreliest S.O.B. out there, and picture yourself dodging / blocking every strike and kick, you will do exactly that! Run every positive action and reaction / reflexes through your head, and you’ll already be set up mentally to respond to them with the Speed of Self. The response will be fresh in your mind, and your muscles will simply have to follow your thoughts, rather than having to “remember” first how to respond; or worse, having the fresh negative thoughts that they are too slow to react! If that’s the case, your muscles will simply follow your negative self talk belief and they will be too slow.  Before you go into a match or a sporting event requiring reflexes, you must affirm how incredibly fast you are and how much speed you have! It doesn’t matter if you aren’t – don’t believe it.  You must shut out the negative thoughts, replace them with positive thoughts and believe that you are fast with insane reflexes.  You’ll be fast. Try reciting some of these before a match to improve your reaction speed: Say them out loud, think them, and completely embrace them as you begin to believe them.

I am incredibly fast.
I have lightning-fast reflexes.
I possess cat-like agility.
I am the fastest person alive.
I move faster than anyone here.
I see moves clearly before they come.
I am incredibly focused.
I am sharp and intense.
I move incredibly fast.
I respond perfectly to everything instantly.
I see everything before it even happens.
I move with the speed of an Olympic sprinter

Here’s an example of the clear differences between positive and negative self-talk / affirmations in performance.

Negative self-talk

Situation:         Third attempt in qualifying after repeatedly missing
Thoughts:        “I have to get this… what happens if someone beats me or I miss.”
Feelings:          Nervous / anxious, depressed, frustrated
Behavior:         Afraid of mistake, tentative movements, tries too hard and misses

Positive self-talk

Situation:         Third attempt in qualifying after repeatedly missing
Thoughts:        “I’ve got this.  I’m composed.  Focus on throwing.  Good form.”
Feelings:          Confident, focused
Behavior:         Good technique, flow, efficient and effective, makes shot

Down with the negative, up with the positive. Affirm yourself and you'll be fast!