Psychological States underlying Excellent Performance in Professional Golfers: “Letting it Happen” vs. “Making it Happen” (original) (raw)
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Psychology
Previous research has highlighted the role of internal states in the experience of flow in the sports performance context. This systematic review investigates the relationship between psychological correlates, personality dispositions, traits and internal states (motivation, goals, focus, and arousal) with the experience and occurrence of flow in professional athletes. There have been identified 17 studies published between 2012 and 2017 updating and extending Swann, Keegan, Piggott and Crust's (2012) systematic review. The results indicate that specific psychological correlates, personality traits and dispositions, and internal states are strongly correlated with the appearance of flow. The present study adds to the current research on the sports' flow experience highlighting the importance of constructs, such as confidence, anxiety, commitment, motives, goals, attention, optimal focus and arousal, and the "letting it go" state.
Journal of Applied Sport Psychology
This study investigated the psychological states underlying excellent performance in 26 athletes (M age = 29 years, SD = 7.7) across a range of sports (team, net/wall, sprint, endurance, adventure) and standards (world class to recreational). Participants were primarily interviewed on average 4 days after excellent performances. The data were analyzed thematically. Distinct states of flow and clutch were reported, each of which occurred through separate contexts and processes, while athletes also transitioned between states during performance. These findings extend current knowledge of the psychology of excellent performance and are discussed in terms of implications for future research and applied practice.
Understanding Flow Experiences in Professional Athletes
European Journal of Education Studies, 2020
The aim of this research is to determine the optimal mood of the professional athletes and to examine the direction of these variables. While 506 participants from different branches who are doing sports in a professional sense are selected through sampling for the purpose of the research, the data is obtained by Dispositional Flow-2 scale. The scale form is developed by Jackson and Elkund (2004), adapted by Asci et al (2012) in Turkish and determined by Dasdan Ada et al. (2012) through validity and reliability studies, consisted of 36 items and 9 sub-dimensions. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t test, one-way analysis of variance Anova tests were used in the analysis of the data. The internal reliability coefficient for the entire DFS-2 was determined as .94. According to the findings, significant relationships and differences were determined based on the fact that professional athletes constantly display optimal mood level at average values, sports branch, duration of d...
Taking a Swing at Sport Psychology: A case study of an athlete participating in Golf
Objective: To show that describing and structuring an athlete's subjective experiences can be instrumental in better understanding the elements contributing to and deterring from optimal performance. Design: A single case study. ABSTRACT: This project is the result of research done in the field of Sport Psychology as part of the author's post graduate studies. The author has participated in various types of sport in her life but found golf to be the most challenging, not only from a skills perspective but specifically from a psychological perspective. In no other sport has she experienced her emotions and unconscious world to become so obvious and transparent, and have such an influence on her performance, as in golf. When her studies called for a research project in sport psychology, she saw that as the perfect opportunity to explore the inner workings of the pro-golfer and find out if top players shared her experiences and how they mitigated the challenges posed by this mystical game. This project summarizes and integrates recent empirical and theoretical research on sustained performance and performance enhancement in sport and draws comparisons between these findings and the impressions of a pro golfer actively participating in golf. The need to view performance as a multi-faceted construct made up of cognitive, psychological and physiological aspects was emphasized as well as the importance of understanding the theories behind these factors. Influences on performance enhancement and detraction were separated into two categories, namely internal and external. The theoretical contributions, research into and intervention strategies relating to these elements were identified and discussed. It should be noted that there is no finite list of elements influencing performance in sport; the elements discussed were chosen to explore some of the elements identified by the research participant involved in the case study. It was concluded that the professional golfer makes use of similar practices as is evident and recorded in academic studies in the field and has experienced similar feelings as the author but has managed to mitigate the influence of it on his game by employing various mental and bio-mechanical methods on a regular basis. The author was particularly fascinated by the research participant's recollections of play while in flow state and feel that more research in this field would benefit the understanding of this furtive state which could potentially enable the attainment of flow state more easily and therefore potentially enhance performance in all spheres of life – not just sport.
Flow in Sport, Exercise, and Performance: A Review with Implications for Future Research
2013
AbstractThe broad definition of flow is a person's sense of joy, creativity and an experience of total involvement in life. Such an experience fosters the development of a conscious state where optimal human functioning flourishes (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). Qualitative and quantitative research on the topic has led to a definition of flow that includes nine sub-experiences that constitute the conscious state of flow. While based on the nine components of flow, often flow reflects a diverse experience based on the person's level of ability (expert vs. amateur), activity, and cultural background. Research within the area of flow and its applications is still young. Several areas within flow research need further exploration. This systematic review provides an in depth discussion of the theoretical foundations of flow, current research, and recommendations for expanding flow theory and research.Keywords: Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, engagement, flow theory, sport psychologyIntroduc...
Effects of Flow States on Elite Athletes in Team Sports: A Systematic Review
REVISTA FOCO
The flow state has materialized as a condition of possibility for the search for the best performance in sports, both individual and collective. The objective of this systematic review of studies was to identify which form the “state of flow” influenced the sports performance of team sports athletes. Up from references to selected databases (for example, Web of Science Core Collection; SPORTDiscus (EBSCO-Host); PsycINFO and Pubmed), the results showed that 1946 articles were obtained, with the exclusion of duplicate studies (n = 407). Among the 46 articles that emerged from the analysis, the data excluded 37 studies, and considering an amount of 9 articles which were included in the final section of the systematic review and carried out in the period from 2015 to 2020. As a result, the flow state enhances a full absorption involvement of team-sport athletes. Emotional states tend to be part of an athlete's success. Knowing the three essential fields that comprise this scope (flo...
A systematic review of the experience, occurrence, and controllability of flow states in elite sport
Objectives: This study aimed to provide an up-to-date summary of the literature on flow in elite sport, specifically relating to: (i) how flow is experienced; (ii) how these states occur; and (iii) the potential controllability of flow. Design: Systematic review. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of SPORTdiscus, PsycINFO, SAGE journals online, INGENTA connect, and Web of Knowledge was completed in August, 2011, and yielded 17 empirical studies published between 1992 and 2011. The primarily qualitative findings were analysed thematically and synthesised using a narrative approach. Results: Findings indicated that: (i) some flow dimensions appear to be experienced more consistently than others; (ii) key factors were consistently reported to induce or inhibit flow occurrence; and (iii) the perception that flow experiences could be controllable to some extent, and are not merely 'coincidental'. Additionally, it is appears that physiology is also relevant in flow, and these experiences may be psychophysiological.
Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2015
Objectives: Research to date has identified a range of factors suggested to facilitate flow states in sport. However, less attention has focused on how exactly those facilitating factors influence the occurrence of flow. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the specific ways in which such facilitators influenced flow occurrence in European Tour golfers. Design: Qualitative design. Method: Ten full-time golfers from the European Tour (M age ¼ 37; SD ¼ 13.08) participated in semistructured interviews investigating the occurrence of their flow states. Data were interpreted using an iterative process of thematic and connecting analyses. Results: Ten facilitators of flow were identified, of which commitment and the caddie have not been reported previously. Twenty four connecting links were identified in the data, through which the caddie, effective preparation, and high-quality performance appeared to be most influential for flow occurrence. Confidence and concentration also emerged as key constructs underlying the flow experience in this setting. Conclusion: A central contribution of this study is the identification of ways in which facilitating factors could influence flow occurrence in elite golf. This process adds detail to understanding of flow occurrence, and moves beyond simply identifying factors which are associated with the experience. As such, connecting analysis is proposed as an additional strategy for qualitatively investigating flow occurrence in sport. Results are discussed in relation to previous literature, and recommendations are identified for researchers, athletes, coaches and practitioners.