The purpose of this study was to survey the effects of different mental practice methods in the acquisition, retention, and transfer of a motor skill in male students. The research method is quasi experimental. Subjects were 36 Tehran middle school male students, who were all novitiate in the criterion skill (Basketball penalty shoot). They were selected randomly and were assigned into 4 groups with the same homogeny according to their pretest scores and based on their ability in mental imagery. Then they were taught how to perform the criterion skill. They exercised for 8 weeks; 3 sessions per week with 30 trails exercise in each session. A basketball shoot test was used to obtain the scores of pretest and their progression (acquisition, retention, and transfer) in the criterion skill. The scoring of the test was like the one in AAHPERD basketball shoot. To analyze data Kolomogorov-Smirnov test, paired T test, one way ANOVA and Tukey follow up Test were used. Results showed meaningful relation between the training methods and the acquisition, retention, and transfer of the motor skill in the subjects. By using Tukey Test, significant differences were seen among the different composed physical-mental methods of practice, which showed the priority of internal imagery was better than others.