Emotion Wheel Flow

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FLOW:  Flow is the ultimate Goal for all competitive tennis players, earning it the sweet spot on the FBTL Emotion Racket.

Definition: Flow is the emotional state of being fully immersed, focused, and engaged, where a player reaches and sustains their IPS, their Ideal Performance State, performing at or near their best with a sense of effortless action.

Similar Emotions: Zoning, Treeing, Playing out of your mind, shots coming off your racket only a pro can hit, yet you're hitting them. Intentionally!! And for a brief moment in your tennis career, You got it going on!

Vibes: Flow feels like a relaxed, a trance-like feeling, a highly-focused meditative state, where everything seems slowed down, allowing you to play free and instinctively with full commitment and belief, with a heightened awareness of everything around you.

Purpose: Flow is the goal, allowing players to stay fully immersed in the moment, eliminating distractions such as the crowd, score pressure, or self-doubt. This heightened focus reduces match stress while maximizing performance, reducing anxiety and over thinking in our performance.

How to make Flow happen: Here are several key triggers or conditions that can help create a Flow state for a tennis player.

1) Have clear goals: Setting specific, achievable goals for each match or practice session helps focus the mind.

2) Skill-Challenge Balance: The challenge presented by your opponent should be well-matched to your skill level. If the challenge is too easy, boredom ensues; if too difficult, anxiety arises. A balanced challenge will keep you engaged and motivated.

3) Minimize Distractions: Using the FBTL Power of Daily Routines section, you can reduce external and internal distractions, allowing you to maintain deep consistent concentration throughout play. 

4) Physical Preparedness:  Being in peak physical condition, well-rested, and properly warmed up ensures  the body its best chances to perform at its best. 

5) Most important, an attitude of gratitude. Enjoy yourself!! A deep passion for our sport combined with a strong drive to improve and succeed will naturally lead to the flow state. When players are driven by internal rewards, they are more likely to become fully absorbed in their performance.

Short Term Effects of Flow: 

Enhanced performance, heightened focus, reduced anxiety, improved reactions, increased enjoyment

Long Term Effects of Flow: Increased confidence, enhanced skill development, improved resiliency, sustained motivation, and a competitive edge competing at or near your emotional best

Strategies for Management:

1) Develop pre-match rituals to enhance relaxation and concentration

2) Goal-setting: Setting specific, achievable goals short term as well as process-oriented longer-term ones 

3) Match Environment:Keep yourself fully engaged no matter what the circumstances all while continuing to block out distractions that adversely affect your focus and performance. 

SEEK THE FLOW STATE: GET IN THE ZONE!!! 

 

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