EFFECT OF MUSIC-BASED IMAGERY IN COMBINATION WITH SERVING SKILL TRAINING ON THE ACCURACY OF SERVING IN SEPAK TAKRAW ATHLETES OF MAE FAH LUANG UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Music-based imagery is the effective sport psychological skill training that is accepted to improve athletic performance because it can create the correct sport skill experiences in mind. Moreover, physical skill training could perform following the mental training for improving athletic performance better and faster than only mental training. So, the purpose of this research was to examine the effect of music-based imagery in combination with serving skill training on the accuracy of serving in Sepak Takraw athletes of Mae Fah Luang University. The subjects consisted of 7 male Sepak Takraw athletes of Mae Fah Luang University who were participated the seven-institution sport competition. Music-based imagery in combination with serving skill training was assigned to all subjects for 50 minutes (3 times per week for 4 weeks) including music-based imagery training for 30 minutes and then 20-minute serving skill training immediately. The accuracy of serving was tested before and after 4-week serving skill combined with music-based imagery training. Data was statistically analyzed at the 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that the accuracy of serving was statistically significantly improved (p<0.05) after 4-week training. Relaxation music would calm subjects’ mind down so, they could perform imagery training effectively. This kind of training would be better than imagery alone because athletes could transfer the skill in their mind to the skill in a real situation because the serving skill training was performed after music-based imagery training immediately. It could be concluded that the serving skill combined with music-based imagery training might be able to shorten time of improving serving skill.

(Journal of Sports Science and Technology 2015;15(1): 223-230 )