The ball is hammered high in the air and then the stampede towards him begins. The opposition. His own team. A horde of players all thundering in his direction. Yet Stuart Hogg has been here before. He has visualised it before the game. And now, as the crowd holds its breath as he leaps into the air, he knows the ball is his. And then he is off, breaking his way down the field, setting off yet another attack.

To play at the pace and with the precision with which Hogg is blessed does not come easy, of course. It requires clarity of thought. That treasured ability to remain calm in the midst of chaos.

The Scotland, Glasgow Warriors and Lions full-back has, he admits, had to work at it. In that regard, he is certainly an example to those around him.

Stuart Hogg reveals his passion for sports psychology and how it has improved his game

While Hogg is a fan, he says not everyone in club and country dressing rooms shares his view

Earlier this week, Warriors assistant head coach Jason O'Halloran revealed his concerns that some Scottish players were reluctant to utilise sports psychologists - and that it was having a detrimental effect. Hogg is not among their number.

On Wednesday, Sportsmail was invited along for the ride as the 25-year-old tested out his driving skills in the Land Rover Experience near Dunkeld in Perthshire. As he made his way over the demanding terrain, Hogg recalled those dark days when his fledgling rugby career threatened to go off-road - and how an intervention from Gregor Townsend got him back on track.

It was back in 2014, the year after he first toured with the Lions in Australia, and Hogg was very much considered the up and coming star of Northern Hemisphere rugby. Warriors, under Townsend, were on the rise, too.

As is so often the case, that is when the rug is pulled from underneath you.

To be fair, it was Hogg's own doing as Ulster's pursuit of him became public knowledge after an ill-advised trip by the player to Northern Ireland. Townsend had no option but to drop him and he would miss that season's Pro12 final.

However, there was to be a positive to be taken from it. Enter Steve Black, one of Europe's leading sports psychologists who worked with England World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson.

'You learn from your mistakes,' said Hogg. 'I tried to leave the club a couple of years ago and ended up working with Steve.

'Gregor first mentioned him to me after I did a bit of a daft thing and Steve helped me get things straight in my own mind.

'I was younger and he helped me sort things out. He helps me with the mental side of the game - helps me focus - and he has been fantastic for me ever since.

'He has helped make me a better player. He is the most positive man in the world. It is like talking to a mate as everything is informal but it is important.'

Hogg has been using Black - who worked with Newcastle United under Kevin Keegan - ever since. Given the difference it has made to his career, it's little wonder O'Halloran is an advocate.

The Glasgow Warriors full-back revealed Gregor Townsend mentioned psychology to him

'I am a big believer in sports psychology and I believe it has made me a better player and a better person,' continued Hogg. 'Jason is a Kiwi who has worked in New Zealand so when he said we in Scotland are a couple of decades behind them when it comes to sports psychology then he should be listened to as he knows what he is talking about. We have a fair bit of work to do in that department.

'It has certainly helped me and will continue to do so. Steve is only a phone call away for me which is always good to know. When I was on the last Lions tour before I got injured, we talked and he is a great help.

'In the Scotland camp, Gregor brought in Damian Hughes as the sports psychologist who is excellent but I still put in my phone calls to Steve.

'To be honest, I haven't even scratched the surface with this yet. I am excited with what I can still learn. It works for me. Some boys believe in it, others don't. It is up to the individual. I believe it helps me as a player so I am going to stick to it.

'Gregor (Townsend) is into it, too, and hopefully in the future we can get everybody into it because I firmly believe me using Steve Black has helped me a lot.

'I will be talking to him to catch up soon as obviously I wanted to do everything I can to help Glasgow to win the Pro14 title which I believe we can achieve.'

There is a sense that Scotland players struggle to accept criticism from outside influences

O'Halloran also claimed that some Scottish players struggle to accept criticism from coaches - and, again, Hogg backed him up.

'Early on in my career I would not take it and I would view it as a personal attack,' said the man from Hawick.

'I have grown up a little bit and understand it is just a way to make you better. In rugby, you are never the complete player and you always have stuff to improve on.

'In saying that, I am always one of the boys who will sit down and speak to the coach as much as I can so I can see where I can improve. I sometimes challenge the coaches, as well. If there is an area that I potentially disagree with, I am not going to sit back.

'I will challenge them and hear their point of view. I want to try and get the best out of myself. Using Steve has helped me take positive criticism and work towards getting better.'

Townsend has proven a crucial figure for Hogg on and off the field during his rugby career

Hogg is keen to play for Warriors, ironically against the Ulster club he could have signed for, in Belfast on Saturday and will use Black's techniques the night before to get him into the correct mindset.

'I will put on my headphones and listen to some music Friday night if I am playing and visualise what I want to do in the game the next day,' he said.

'For instance, I will visualise getting up and making catches in the air. Other times it will be making line-breaks or offloads. It is little things, achievable goals, that change week to week, based on who I am playing against.'

As long as he possesses that clarity of thought, one can only visualise great things ahead for the flying full-back.

Stuart Hogg is a Land Rover ambassador. Visit @LandRoverRugby #WeDealinreal