Unlocking Your Flow State (The Secret To Playing Your Best Games More Often In Hockey)
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What do you think makes players like McDavid play so well consistently?
Well, obviously he has world-class abilities.
But...
What if there is a bit more to the story?
What if he has a skill that people don't really talk about?
I might be wrong on this, but I wrote this Identity Letter anyway...
Flow State
I have been doing a lot of research on the "flow state" recently.
It's the state that these players are in when they are making these plays:
It's an endlessly interesting topic for all people who want to perform at their best (not just hockey players)
But for hockey players, it might be the most important mental skill you develop.
Why is it so important?
Well because it's the state you must be in to play your absolute best.
In my career, I never had an amazing game performance without being in the flow state.
And in those great games, it felt like I was in the flow state pretty much the entire game.
I know what you are saying now:
What Is the Flow State?
If you don't know what that flow state is, I promise you that you have felt it before at some point.
Most likely you have felt it before during your best performances.
It's that state where:
You feel a deep sense of unbreakable confidence.
You stop questioning yourself
You stop overthinking and trust your instincts
You are light on your feet
You feel secure with your future.
It's that moment where skill becomes art and you no longer care what people think.
You feel as if you don’t exist and can’t think of anything you’d rather be doing.
The famous author, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Author of the book Flow: The Psychology of Happiness: The Classic Work on How to Achieve Happiness.) describes the flow state as:
“A state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it”
He also said:
The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times . . . The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile”
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
George Mumford, the guy who:
Worked with Michael Jordan to transform his mind and leadership (and the bulls)
Kobe Bryant and Shaq (and the Lakers)
Just came in and helped Mcdavid and the Oilers in their legendary 2024 playoff run where they just about won the cup in game 7 after an amazing comeback.
The way he describes flow is:
"… you are flooded with consciousness and are fully and wholly concentrated on the here and now. This is the experience every athlete has when he or she is fully in the Zone. Sometimes we call this 'being on fire.' All distractions are burned away. This is pure performance at its best."
- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete
I know for me this hits home so deeply.
The moments I remember so deeply from my hockey career were the moments where I was so deeply connected with what I was doing that I felt as if I was "one with the game".
I know it sounds a little strange.
And if you are new to my work, then this might sound a bit woo-woo.
But I promise you that there is real science behind this stuff and people are using this stuff to take their game in all sports to another level every day.
Not just in hockey, but in all areas of life.
Flow & Presence
Flow is very similar to presence.
But they are not the same thing based on how I define them.
Here is how I break down the skills that lead to flow.
Keep in mind, that this is my framework for doing it (The Identity Development Model), not the only way.
Notice how flow and presence are NOT the same thing.
Most people assume that these are the same, and I also did too.
"Presence comes from an open state of focus. You release your mind from attaching to any given thought and become one with life itself."
- Dan Koe (Author of: The Art of Focus)
Flow is a little bit different.
Flow is what you are really experiencing when you find yourself:
Having the best games of your life.
Making moves you never thought possible.
Feeling untouchable during that practice.
Flow is that feeling when you are taking actions without thinking, trusting your instincts.
Flow feels like magic.
It comes more consistently, the more and more you have mastered the other 3 pieces of Mental Software before it (Focus, Presence, and Awareness).
What Would Your Career Be Like?
Now…
Imagine if you could be in that flow state all of the time…
Think of what your career could be like.
Think of where you'd be if you'd been in that state your whole career so far.
Crazy right?
Now of course you MUST have the skill to play well at the level you are at.
But if you do have the ability, but can't seem to express it, entering the flow state might just be the missing link.
The question then becomes: Why am I not getting into flow and how do I get into flow consistently?
Let's break it down…
3 Reasons Why You Are Not Getting Into Flow
Most players struggle to get into flow consistently, even though our bodies are wired for flow (more on this another time).
Here are the three main things players run into
1) Mental Distractions
Your mind is pulled to something other than the task at hand.
When this happens we have lost focus and presence.
"The real key to high performance and tapping into flow is the ability to direct and channel these strengths and skills fully in the present moment—and that starts in your mind. The flip side of this equation is also true. No matter how strong or skillful you might be, your mind can also impede that talent from being expressed, and it often does so in insidious ways if you don’t take care of it."
- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete
2) Overemphasis on Winning
When we thinking too much about winning, we are thinking too much about the future.
When we are thinking ahead, we are no longer tapped into what is happening right now.
"If you focus too much on winning or try too hard to be spectacular—which is something most people tend to do—you actually take yourself away from doing the things you need to do to get the results you want, and that includes experiencing flow."
- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete
3) Lack of Present-Moment Awareness
This is just simply not paying attention to what is happening.
I know it feels like I just said the same thing in all three points, but they are slightly different - and the details are really what make the difference when it comes to the mental game.
"Flow is your ability to stay in the present moment. It’s a very particular state of mind. The ability to stay present is what fosters the Zone experience."
- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete
So now you know what not to do... the next question becomes:
How do I get into the flow state more consistently?
3 Ways To Get Into Flow More Consistently
The 100% honest truth is that I don't know the FULL answer to this.
If anyone truly did and could make anyone get into a flow state on command, then they would be teaching every player on the planet.
And if they could teach it to every player, then there would be no real need for mental coaching.
But of course, this is not the case.
So thus I still have a job haha.
What I have done is figured out a way to help players increase their ability to get into the flow state more consistently, and for longer.
I have a much more indepth program for this stuff that includes several different mental techniques -> It's inside the Mental Mastery Academy
But if you want the basic version, here is where to start...
1) Basic Meditation Practice
The easiest place to start is with meditation.
It's the basic act of directing your focus (or as many people call it: mindfulness.
You can practice meditation right now by simply directing your attention at your breath
Just take a minute now and try it.
That's the basic skill.
Now you can go as deep as you want with that using many techniques - I teach over 15 of them here specifically for hockey players
It's simple:
"The more you practice mindfulness, the more readily you set yourself up to experience conscious flow... having a mindfulness practice is like watering your garden: it’s the only way to make things grow." Practicing mindfulness helps athletes stay connected to the present moment, which is crucial for entering the flow state."
- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete
2) Letting Go of Perfection (and Winning)
The next place to look is at letting go of the desire to be perfect.
Too many players (most players) are in a constant state of worry and fear that they might mess up.
The reality is you will mess up.
The best shooters in the world don't score on at least 4/5 shots (less that 20% shooting percentage).
So accept that you will not be perfect now.
The best players do not win every game (look at Mcdavid and the oilers).
So accept that you will not win every game.
"If you focus too much on winning or try too hard to be spectacular... you actually take yourself away from doing the things you need to do to get the results you want, and that includes experiencing flow."
- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete
3) Letting The Software
One way I like to describe getting into flow is by letting the software run.
"Pure performance is, ultimately, a leap of faith... Do your diligence, your right effort, and then take that leap. Release control of the moment."
- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete
To understand what I mean, think of using your laptop.
When you click play on a video, you just have to let the software run, and the video will play.
Sometimes we click the video 100 times and then cause the video to crash.
Interfering with our Mental Software is very similar.
To interfere with our mental software, I mean we start trying to talk or "think" our way through it.
Think of when you walk down the stairs.
You don't have to think about it.
Yes, it helps if you pay attention to what's happening, but all you really have to do is let the Software run that your brain has developed to walk down the stairs.
An example of someone who doesn't have good software is a baby learning to talk.
Or a person learning a new skill in hockey.
That is why it is so important to work on constantly programming and expanding your skill set to that you can let your software run.
Hopefully, that makes sense now.
Microflow and Macroflow
Now one last concept before we go.
When it comes to getting into flow more often, we want to think of flow like a spectrum.
Microflow
On one hand, we have the lowest form of flow called Microflow. This is when you make a surprise move that you were not expecting and impress yourself.
Macroflow
Then you have the highest form of flow called Macroflow. This is when you have a game where you just trust yourself and play your game. You are making plays every shift and it feels like you might get 5x the points you usually get.
It's unlikely that you will spend every game in Macroflow. There has never been an athlete who has spent every game in Macroflow.
But the best players have both the skills and the Macroflow ability to play at an elite level in most games.
The more games you can stay in a season in Macroflow, the better.
So start the process of using the above steps we laid out.
Then, if you want more help - we have a free Mental Mastery Academy that you can join right that has full free training on mastering your mental software + many more resources on the way!
When it comes time to perform, whether in a game or during practice, the goal is to let the mental programming run its course.
Overthinking can hinder performance, but with the right mental software, you can trust your training and let your skills shine naturally.
Understanding and reprogramming your mental software through the various tools I will show you in the academy can elevate your game to levels you never thought possible.
Stay tuned for more details on the course launch dates and prepare to transform the way you perform, not just on the ice, but in every area of your life.
See you at the next level,
Corson
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