How to Get in the Zone: Flow and Clutch States

People are often said to be “in the zone” when they have performed exceptionally, whether in sport, music, video games or running.

For many decades, researchers have attempted to establish what the zone is and how people can access it. The prevailing assumption has been that we experience a single kind of zone.

Our research involving athletes indicates, though, that there may be two distinct types of zone.

The first is a “flow state”, in which athletes say they are effortlessly “letting it happen”. The second is a “clutch state”, in which they report “making it happen” by deliberately and forcefully raising their performance at a crucial point.

Here is how to work out which zone you need - and how you may reach it.

Flow and clutch states

A great deal of research and media coverage on the zone draws on interviews with athletes conducted months, or even years, after the performance in question.

That means our knowledge has relied on memories that are old and potentially diminished. Consequently, people may recall their experiences as one unified zone.

In our research, we spoke to athletes within hours or days of outstanding performances, enabling them to explain their experiences in considerably greater detail.

They regularly described distinct ways of being “in the zone”, at times using them in different stages of the same challenge. As one polar explorer said: “They're definitely two different states.”

A marathon runner told us:

It was like two different races.

In a flow state, you are entirely immersed in the activity. You carry out the task with ease - almost as though on autopilot - and it seems that everything falls harmoniously into place.

By contrast, athletes described the clutch state as “making it happen”: consciously increasing their effort and focus during significant moments in a performance.

This is the state associated with clutch performance, a phrase commonly used by sports fans and the media. One example is Michael Jordan’s celebrated buzzer-beater in the 1989 play-offs, from around the 2:00 point in the video below.

Which zone should you aim for?

We would all like to be in the zone more regularly. Since research now suggests there are two types of zone, the first step is identifying the one you want to enter.

Clutch performances arise in particular high-pressure circumstances, when an important result is at stake. This could mean working towards a deadline, running to catch the final bus home, or approaching the end of a race with a personal best at stake.

Flow occurs where there is room for novelty, exploration and experimentation. You might be playing a golf course for the first time, following an unfamiliar running route, or facing a blank page to brainstorm ideas. With no pressure or expectation, you are free to explore.

Both zones may also appear during the same event. A runner, for instance, might experience flow at the beginning or through the middle of a race, then recognise an opportunity to beat a personal best or win. They can then switch into a clutch performance near the finish, as Shura Kitata did when he won the men’s 2020 London Marathon in a sprint finish, from roughly the 2:05 timestamp in the video below.

How can you get into each zone?

Research indicates that the kinds of goals we choose have an important part to play in entering either zone.

Clutch performances happen when we recognise that an important outcome is on the line, know what is needed, and increase our effort. You have probably experienced this yourself - perhaps staying up all night to complete an assignment, working late to meet a major deadline, or pushing yourself to achieve a personal best.

The crucial element of clutch performances is a precise goal and a clear understanding of what you must do to meet the challenge. For example: “if I can run this last kilometre in under five minutes I can break my personal best”.

Once the challenge has been established, it is fairly natural to raise our effort and intensity to achieve that goal.

Reaching flow, however, requires a slightly different approach. We need to create opportunities to explore - situations in which we are not constrained by pressure or expectations.

An important aspect is choosing open goals, such as “see how well I can do,” “see how many under par I can get”, or “see how fast I can run the next five kilometres”.

These broad, non-specific goals reduce pressure and expectation. They allow confidence to develop gradually and make it more likely that you will enter a flow state.

Christian Swann, Associate Professor in Psychology, Southern Cross University and Scott Goddard, PhD candidate, Southern Cross University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

An earlier version of this article was published in November 2020.