Comparative Effects of Motor Imagery and Video Observation on Free Throw Performance among U19 Moroccan Basketball Players

This study aims to examine the comparative effects of three mental training methods: motor imagery (GE-IM), video observation (GE-V), and their multimodal combination (GE-VIM) on free throw performance among 56 Moroccan U19 competitive basketball players, within an experimental protocol designed to replicate certain physiological demands of competition. A control group (GC) received no mental intervention. Physiological fatigue was objectively controlled by using the Whoop 4.0 heart rate monitor at both measurement time points (T1 and T2). Performance was evaluated using the standardized FRB test before and after a ten-week intervention and analyzed through repeated-measures ANOVA, paired t-tests, ANCOVA, and a priori power analysis (G*Power 3). Results demonstrated a significant time effect and a significant Time × Group interaction. The experimental groups improved significantly in free throw accuracy while the control group declined significantly. Post hoc comparisons, adjusted for pre-test differences via ANCOVA, confirmed that all three experimental groups significantly outperformed the control group (all p < .001), and that the multimodal group (GE-VIM) additionally outperformed both GE-V (p = .028) and GE-IM (p = .007). The comparability of heart rate between the groups confirmed the equivalence of fatigue conditions, thereby supporting the ecological validity of the experimental protocol. The absence of significant trial-related interactions suggests that perceptual-cognitive interventions mainly influence general performance stability rather than intra-set adjustment dynamics. The results emphasize the importance of systematically incorporating mental preparation into youth basketball training programs, particularly in the Moroccan context.