Q: “I’m working my way through your Speed Secrets book. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. I’ve just completed the chapter on Mental Programming and I have a couple of questions regarding mental imagery. When you wrote the book (or at least my edition), it’s evident that home sims were in their infancy. I have a cheap sim set-up; the wheel is not great and the brake pedal doesn’t feel at all like my race car (BMW 116 Trophy). Given the shortcomings of my sim set up, is there a downside to practicing with it? Is it better to replace the mental imagery exercises with sim sessions, or should I do both? (I’m just about to go out to my garage to sit in my car and try a metal imagery exercise; I’m going to visualize lapping the next track I’m racing at.)”

A: Given the shortcomings of any sim set-up, is there a downside to practicing with it? No, as long as you consider and keep in mind the differences. The pedals and steering are going to feel different, but if you factor that into your practice time, and are able to adapt to the differences when in your real car, it’s way better than not using a sim at all.

Is it better to replace the mental imagery exercises with sim sessions, or should you do both? You should do both. While similar in many ways — you are programming your brain with both — they work differently, and can actually compliment each other.

There is research that suggests/says that when you use your imagination, as you do with mental imagery, it can build stronger connections in the brain than you would with a sim. In a way, using mental imagery stretches your mind more than many repetitions on a sim will. Also, the number or scenarios your brain can imagine is unlimited, whereas the sim can only do what it’s been programmed to do.

Going back to your first question: mental imagery is also a bridge between a sim that does not match your real car, and the real car. Without using mental imagery, everything you do with your sim will be programming your brain in ways that are different from real life.

The take-away? Do both, sim training and mental imagery. One builds on the other, in both directions.