It can be beneficial to athletes if they practice visualization on daily basis. Practicing it on simple things, such as exercises, grocery shopping, food preparation. That way they can attain confidence in the technique itself and can ease the use of it for bigger actions and events.
I had problem with imagining a good execution of future plans. Instead I was imagining everything I could think of that can go wrong. Superstition came along. I was afraid that if I imagine a good execution, I would fail for sure. I got rid of this thanks to my practice of yoga. The integral approach I follow acknowledges visualization a lot. Before the yogic practice there is simple visualization/preparation for the practice that follows. Before every static posture and some of the more complicated dynamic techniques, a visualization is a must. It is crucial so you can check in advance if the body has no problem performing. Also you make sure to guide your mind and focus it on what you are doing at the moment.
PS. Thank you Adam Szuster for the article on Aphantasia.
It states a new somewhat revolutionary insight into imagery and visualization.