How Great Athletes Find “The Zone”: Part I

Being in “the zone” is a universal phenomenon experienced by almost all elite athletes. So what is this “zone”? How can athletes find it? And how does it affect athletic performance? Not surprisingly, sport psychologists have been asking these questions for many years; and luckily, they have come up with some interesting and helpful conclusions about this “zone” and how it influences athletes.

In the simplest terms, the “zone” (or “flow” as some sport psychologists’ call it), is generally described as “the pinnacle of achievement for an athlete”, and characterizes “a state in which an athlete performs to the best of his or her ability” (Young & Pain 1999). It combines a balance of excitement and awareness, and is often associated with a relaxed yet focused high-level performance (Caruso 2005).

Ravizza (1977, 1984), Loehr (1986), Garfield and Bennett (1984), Jackson (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996), and Young (1999a, 1999b, 1999c, 1999d) are just a few of the researchers who have investigated the characteristics and dynamics of the zone. Obviously, the undeniable impact that flow has on an athlete’s game makes it a popular area of study. In the most recent examination of flow by Jackson and Csikszentmihalyi (1999), 10 essential elements of the zone were identified. Weinberg and Gould (2011) do an excellent job of summarizing each element. They are as follows:

1. Balance of challenge and skills: For flow to occur it is imperative that an athlete believes that he or she has the skills to successfully meet the physical, technical, and mental challenges faced (see Image 1).

Image 1. Flow Model (Kimiecik & Stein 1992)

2. Complete absorption in the activity: The participant is so involved in the activity that nothing else seems to matter.
3. Clear goals: Goals are so clearly set that the athlete knows exactly what to do. This clarity of intention facilitates concentration and attention.
4. Merging of action and awareness: The athlete is aware of their actions but not of the awareness itself.
5. Total concentration on the task at hand: Performers report that they feel like a beam of concentrated energy. Crowd noise, opponent reactions, and other distractions simply don’t matter. The focus of attention is clearly on the task at hand.
6. Loss of self-consciousness: Performers report that their ego is completely lost in the activity itself.
7. A sense of control: This element of flow refers to the fact that the athlete is not actively aware of control; rather, they are simply not worried by the possibility of lack of control.
8. No goals or rewards external to the activity: The athlete participates purely because of the activity itself, without seeking any other reward.
9. Transformation of time: Athletes in flow typically report that time seems to speed up, although for some it slows down. However, most individuals in flow report transformations in their perceptions of time.
10. Effortless movement: This element refers to the fact that the athlete is performing well but yet is not really thinking about it and doesn’t appear to be trying too hard.

An athlete in the zone is not only able to suppress and ignore negative thoughts, but they are also found to have higher self-esteem and confidence (Carstedt 2003). Clearly, achieving flow or being in the zone gives an athlete a remarkable advantage. The ability to repress negative thoughts and focus on the task at hand is a crucial part of performing at an elite level. Getting in – and staying in the zone is a skill that all athletes should master.

In this article we discussed what the zone is, what athletes experience while in the zone, and how it affects athletic performance. In Part II of Finding The Zone, we will discuss how one can get in the zone as well as factors that prevent and disrupt athletes from getting in the zone.

References:

Carstedt, R.A. (2003) Critical Moments During Competition: A Mind-Body Model of Sport Performance when it Counts the Most. New York City, NY: Psychology Press

Caruso, A. (2005) Sports Psychology Basics. Ann Arbor, MI: Reedswain

Jackson, S.A., & Csíkszentmihályi, M. (1999) Flow in Sports. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

Kimiecik, J.S., & Stein G. (1992) “Examining the Flow Experiences in Sport Contents: Conceptual Issues and Methodological Concerns”, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology Vol. 4 Issue 2, p. 147

Weinberg, R.S., & Gould, D. (2011) Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

Young, J.A., & Pain, M.D (1999) “The Zone: Evidence of a Universal Phenomenon for Athletes Across Sports”. Athletic Insight Vol. 1 Issue 3, pp.:21-30

What is Competitive Stress and How Can I Beat It?

“All of us get knocked down, but it is resiliency that really matters. All of us do well when things are going well, but the thing that distinguishes athletes is the ability to do well in times of great stress, urgency and pressure.” — Roger Staubach

We’ve all been there – the referee makes an unfavorable call; your opponent is faster than you; your pitching is off; the ground is wet, but what separates elite athletes from mediocre athletes is the ability to perform at a higher level despite the obstacles and adversity they may face. There are a million excuses for not performing your best during a competition, but professional athletes make no excuses. Simply put, if you want to become a professional, you’ll need to learn how to deal with stress and pressure effectively.

So what exactly is competitive stress? Generally, sport psychologists define it as “an athlete’s perception of the imbalance between the environmental demands placed on him or her and the athlete’s response capacity and resources for meeting those demands” (Gould and Rolo 2004). For example, a hockey player may face a situation where he or she needs to score a crucial penalty shot to win a tournament for their team. If the player perceives the demands as exceeding his or her capabilities, the result is increased competitive stress. This increase in stress can lead to apprehension, loss of confidence, tension and inability to concentrate. Luckily, because competitive stress is one of the most studied areas among sport psychologists, there are many strategies and techniques athletes can learn to cope with their anxiety during competition.

A study of the Women’s National Soccer team (Holt and Hogg 2002) revealed that players typically use four coping strategies during competition. Other sport psychologists (Van Yperen 2009, Scanlan and Passer 1979, Kristiansen and Roberts 2010, and Anshel et al 2000) have noted these strategies in their research and agree that they can be employed by any athlete in any sport to help manage stress.

Problem-focused coping: involves strategies to manage or alter the problem that is causing stress through behaviors such as information gathering, goal setting, time management skills, and problem-solving. Problem-focused coping can also include what you do before the game to manage stress. Many athletes report that having a good warm-up/start and communication between their teammates helps them manage stress.

Emotion-focused coping: includes the strategies of regulating emotional responses resulting from a stressor through actions like meditation, relaxation, and cognitive efforts to change the meaning the individual attached to the situation. The use of social support like encouragement from teammates or family may also help the athlete de-stress.

Avoidance coping: involves physically or mentally disengaging from the stressful situation. This is typically done by ignoring or blocking irrelevant distractions like parents, coaches, and fans.

Appraisal coping: involves efforts to modify the way you think. People may alter the way they think about a problem by altering their goals and values. Athletes may use positive self-talk, or mental images of past successes to cope with their anxiety.

It is important to note that dealing with competitive stress is a complex process for elite athletes that does not simply involve one coping style employed for all situations. Athletes will often use a combination of the above four strategies, which is why it is important to experiment with different methods of coping. Identifying the strategies that work the best for you will help you improve your performance and mental toughness.

EXACT Sports knows that a player’s success not only depends on their physical and technical prowess, but also their mental aptitude and behavioral characteristics, which is why we work hard to teach and develop these effective ways to cope with competitive stress along with the other mental characteristics needed to excel in your sport.

References:

Anshel, M. et al (2000). Coping style following acute stress in competitive sport. Journal of Social Psychology, 140 (6), 751-773

Gould, D., & Rolo, C. (2004) In C. D. Spielberger (ed.) Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology. (441-447), Academic Press.

Holt, N. L., & Hogg, J. M. (2002) Perceptions of stress and coping during preparations for the 1999 women’s soccer World Cup finals. The Sport Psychologist, 16, 251-271

Kristiansen, E., & Roberts, G. C. (2010). Young athletes and social support: Coping with competitive stress and organizational stress in “Olympic” competition. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20 (4), 686-696

Scanlan, T. K., & Passer, M. W. (1979) Sources of competitive stress in young female athletes. Journal of Sport Psychology, 1, 151-159

Van Yperen, N. W. (2009). Why some make it and others do not: Identifying psychological factors that predict career success in professional adult soccer. The Sport Psychologist, 23, 317-329

Mental Game in the Majors: Evan Longoria

We know how important the mental game is in all sports, but we never really see a true example of someone using mental training in their game, and then be willing to talk about it at the same time.  Evan Longoria is the perfect story of how the mental game can take you from average to great.  Not recruited by one division I school out of high school, he was barely recruited by division III schools.

After high school Longoria enrolled in community college, and was such a standout that he was offered a scholarship from Long Beach State University, and was moved over to third base.  The most important thing that happened was when Longoria was introduced to Ken Ravizza a Kinesiology professor who preaches mental preparation and structure.  He teaches players how to deal with, not dwell on, failure.  Ravizza says the essence of his teaching is learning to be “comfortable being uncomfortable”.

Ravizza taught Longoria to have a “focal point” where he can focus after he makes a bad swing or feels like he has lost control of his emotions.  All Longoria does is step out of the box and look at the top of the left field foul pole.  If he feels he should have hit a pitch that he missed he will step out of the box and undo his batting gloves to “release” the pitch, and then step back in.

In the video at the end of the post Evan Longoria’s teammate Carlos Pena says, “His ability to be in the present moment makes him one of the best.”  That ability to clear your head and play in the moment makes a great player.  You often hear about players having short memories, and Longoria is the perfect example of this.  He plays the game from pitch to pitch, playing in the moment.  All of these techniques have lead to Longoria becoming a superstar in Major League Baseball.  The video continues on to discuss Longoria’s visualization techniques as well as how his almost zen like attitude has made him one of the best to play the game.

Batting .347 with an On Base Percentage of .407 and Slugging .621 it seems that Longoria is continuing to impact the league on what many view to be the best team in the league right now.

E:60 Evan Longoria from E60 on Vimeo.

A Strong Mental Game and The NHL Playoffs: An Example

The NHL playoffs have begun, and are moving along at quite an exciting clip.  We have seen series that have gone to game seven, and some that have been shorter, but all have been incredibly competitive as always.  One game that jumps to mind when it comes to the mental game that we strive to teach here is Game 5 of the Blackhawks vs. Predators series.

In what was an incredibly riveting game, the Blackhawks jumped out to a 3-1 lead early in the second period.  Most fans were happy, and thought the Blackhawks could wrap the game up easily.  Then came the storm that was the Nashville Predators; half way through the third period the Predators had stormed back to tie the game as well as take a 4-3 lead.

Mentally how do the Blackhawks respond?  When something like this happens players begin to think, “how could this happen to us?” and begin to hang there heads low.  The Blackhawks began to make mistakes, Marian Hossa receives a 5-minute major for boarding.  With the Blackhawks on the Penalty kill, they have to buckle down mentally, and play the best five minutes of defense they can.  Because of there strong mental game they were not only able to kill the first minute of the penalty, but score the game tying goal to take the game to overtime.

With the Predators still on the power play, the Blackhawks had almost 4 minutes of penalty time to kill, and that is exactly what they did.  With Marian Hossa being out of the penalty box for only seconds the Blackhawks make a play and Marian Hossa is there to put home the game winner.  This game makes it clear how important the mental game is.  The Blackhawks were able to clear there minds of mistakes made, and make plays to win a momentum changing game.

Is your ability to clear your mind and be ready to play in any situation where it needs to be?  Contact us to get yourself on the road to a better mental game!