Of course practicing helps just like in any sport, but there are also TECHNIQUES that make any skill easier to do correctly or to improve more quickly.

At each move or whenever you the board is not completely clear say these words:

"Fix the board in my mind: King is there/F8, my Queen is there/H7, that/G8 is empty, that/D3 is empty".

Don't let naming the squares get in the way of visualization -- both are useful, but practice naming and finding the squares separately if it isn't completely easy or interferes with SEEING in your mind.

It's fine to name them or merely say "there" and "that" or "next to Pawn"

Don't mention pieces that are gone generally; that is covered by EMPTY and saying where pieces moved to NOW.

Do include "EMPTY" in your list both to see open lines and to firmly fix where pieces can now move, as well as to stop "interference" from the real/computer board with the one in your head.



This is NOT as good as eventually being able to "just do it" but it's a technique anyone can do IMMEDIATELY, even a beginner, to improve right now and work towards better visualization through automatic methods.

With this method you can continue to look at the actual (or computer) board and just update empty squares and pieces standing on news squares of the BOARD IN YOUR MIND.

At any stage or whenever needed, repeat the process to update the board in your mind. 

A beginner may need to do this after each full move, or even after each half-move at first, while someone with a bit more skill may do it only every 2, 3 or more moves, but just repeat it or use it whenver vision isn't as clear as you wish it to be.