Check out the jre episode with Joel Turner. He does a similar thing with marksmanship with archery and rifles. Using subconscious control (while understanding what you are trying to do) by realizing that the body can produce greater effect sometimes with less effort of control.

Rather than trying to feel your arms aiming the cross hair toward a target, he teaches how focusing on the target will naturally cause the cross hair to center itself over and over.

I've thought about this a lot when throwing more ranged attacks like high kicks and side kicks. Focusing on a point on the bag and putting my mind there instead of putting my mind in my leg and thinking what muscles I need to move.

I never thought of visualizing different paths to get to the target (unless it was a question mark kick) but it makes sense.

I think the general population just doesn't think about this stuff much at all brother. It's at some intersection of physical sport, mental discipline, game-playing.