Although many types of relaxation techniques are available, definitive data are needed to examine their effectiveness. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of a 6-week program of visuomotor behavior rehearsal, and a control on slow fire, timed fire, rapid fire, and composite (total) pistol-shooting performance of 15 male and 15 female undergraduates. A 3 treatment (Transcendental Meditation, Visuomotor Behavior Rehearsal, Control) × 2 (Trial 1, 2: Pretest, Posttest) randomized design was used to examine the data. The visuomotor behavior rehearsal group showed a consistent increase from pretest to posttest on all four types of pistol-shooting performance. Results were discussed in relation to cognitive and somatic types of relaxation and their effect on specific sport skills.
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