Dynamic motor imagery, but not pre-execution movements, enhances serve tennis performance

Pre-serve preparatory movements including imagery and air movements are commonly observed in tennis players during both training and competition. The present study compared the effects of pre-performance explicit dynamic motor imagery (MI) and slight preparatory movements in young regional-level tennis players. Twenty players (M=12.94 years) with 4 to 6 years of regular practice completed four counterbalanced experimental conditions, namely Control (neutral counting task), Dynamic MI (external visual imagery combined with slight movements mimicking the serve), Slight movements and Slight movements plus countdown. Each session included a standardized warm-up followed by 10 second-ball serves performed in match-like conditions. Serve success percentage, serve speed, technical quality and efficiency were used as performance indicators. Results revealed significantly higher performance in the Dynamic MI condition compared with the Control and both Slight movement conditions. However, performing slight preparatory movements in isolation did not enhance serve performance compared to Dynamic MI. These findings suggest that combining imagery with congruent movements may facilitate motor preparation in young regional-level players, whereas movements performed without structured imagery may be insufficient to support performance gains. Overall, these results highlight the importance of explicitly guided dynamic MI when preparing the tennis serve in youth athletes.