Peak Performance in Sport

We often hear athletes talking about playing “in the zone” or being on autopilot during an athletic performance. Many athletes don’t know this, but the “in the zone” performance is what sport psychologists call being in flow. Flow is an effortless, automatic performance where everything goes perfectly and you play your best.

When athletes have a flow performance it helps to increase their motivation in sport. When we play well, we want to continue to achieve that level of performance again. Flow also increases your enjoyment in your sports.

Flow Characteristics

-Challenge that develops skill

The activity has to be challenging enough that your skill set is challenged. Playing an easier opponent won’t increase the chance for flow, playing an evenly matched opponent will increase the likelihood of getting in flow.

-Clear Goals

When in flow, athletes have a strong focus of what they are trying to accomplish. For example, a basketball player might stay focused on staying low on defense or making the extra pass. A strong focus on how to accomplish goals keeps attention where it should be during a performance.

-Become one with the performance

Athletes in flow are totally submerged in the activity. When they step on the field or court, “park” or set aside non-sport thoughts and concerns. Let the activity become what you are aware of and put everything you have into the performance.

-Total concentration

            In flow, one is present in the here and now and clueless to distractions.

-Loss of ego and self-consciousness

Athletes’ ego is detached from performance during flow. They do not judge themselves or criticize themselves after mistakes. They bounce back easily from an error.

How can an athlete maximize flow?

1.     Develop action oriented goals.

2.     Maintain proper focus.

3.     Be in the here and now.

4.     Forget time (focus on each play individually).

5.     Understand your arousal needs for performance (relaxed vs. pumped up)

6.     Train for flow (practice skills so that flow can occur more frequently).

As an athlete you can practice a wealth of mental skills to increase your chances of getting into a flow performance more frequently. Flow cannot be controlled or forced. An athlete cannot just wake up and say, “I am going to play in flow today.” If you want to increase flow performances, then you have to train for flow.

Throughout this blog we will discuss many mental skills that can help to increase an athletes chances of getting into flow. The more an athlete practices these skills, the more mentally prepared for performance that athlete will become. Each aspect of mental skills training that will be posted on this blog can help to increase the chance for flow. Remember, in order to increase flow you have to train for flow. Practice!

If you are interested in reading more about flow check out this book!

Jackson, S., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Flow in sport: The keys to optimal

            performance experiences and performances. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Campbell Query

Bowling Green State University