The State of Flow & Federer
Federer's Match Last Night At the US Open Was Perfect
Last night I was jumping around the channels, and I came across the Federer – Tsonga Match. It was in a rain delay, and I assumed it would be played on Friday. I was wrong…
I got to watch the last set…which seemed to last a mere few minutes. Federer was cranking in his serves; good enough to win 78% of his service points. His forehand was magnificent, but more importantly Fed was dictating play with his backhand.
In short, Federer put on a clinic. It was not that Tsonga was bad; rather Federer was too good. I haven't seen him hit with such grace, power, and accurracy in years. Fed is my Michael Jordan, so I notice these things!
Federer Was In A State Of Flow
In his seminal work, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Csíkszentmihályi outlines his theory that people are most happy when they are in a state of flow— a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. It is a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter (Csikszentmihalyi,1990). The idea of flow is identical to the feeling of being in the zone or in the groove. The flow state is an optimal state of intrinsic motivation, where the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing. This is a feeling everyone has at times, characterized by a feeling of great absorption, engagement, fulfillment, and skill—and during which temporal concerns (time, food, ego-self, etc.) are typically ignored (wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihaly_Csikszentmihalyi).
When you are a state of flow, everything slows down. The tennis ball is the size of a basketball, and you move with the grace of a gazelle. Your breathing is slow and rythmic.
How Do I Get In Flow?
In Steve Pavlina’s article “7 Rules for Maximizing Your Creative Output,” his recommendations for entering into this highly creative “flow” include:
- Define a clear purpose or goal.
- Identify a compelling motive.
- Architect a worthy challenge.
- Provide a conducive environment.
- Allocate a committed block of time.
- Prevent interruptions and distractions.
In conclusion, if you want to play great tennis you need to get into flow. It will take a intention and practice. When accommplished, you can create magic…as demonstrated by Federer last night.
