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“It’s simple to talk about, it’s not easy to use!”: Exploring applied sport psychology practitioners’ understanding and application of the Integrated Model of Flow and Clutch States
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

“It’s simple to talk about, it’s not easy to use!”: Exploring applied sport psychology practitioners’ understanding and application of the Integrated Model of Flow and Clutch States

Joseph Greer, Scott G Goddard and Christian Swann
Sport, exercise, and performance psychology, Vol.First online, pp.1-22
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000419
Appears in  Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Published (Version of record) Open CC BY V4.0

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Abstract

applied practice excellent performance psychological states practioner perspectives
Psychological states underlying excellent performances (such as flow) are highly relevant to applied sport psychology practitioners. The Integrated Model of Flow and Clutch States was developed in sport and outlines the contexts, processes of occurrence, experience, and outcomes of flow and clutch states within excellent performances. As such, this model has potential to inform applied sport psychology practice. However, the integrated model was only developed based on athlete perspectives, meaning there is limited understanding of its practical utility for providing applied sport psychology practitioners with evidence-based strategies to facilitate flow and clutch states or excellent performances. Therefore, to begin addressing this research–practice gap, we conducted semistructured interviews with 12 applied sport psychology practitioners (five female; M age = 42.83 years; M = 15.5 years of applied experience) to explore their understanding of the integrated model and their perceptions of its utility. Through a codebook approach to thematic analysis, we identified that practitioners reported putting the integrated model into practice by using it to guide strategies and approaches for facilitating flow and clutch states. While practitioners’ awareness and understanding of the integrated model varied, it was generally perceived as being valuable for applied practice. Nevertheless, practitioners expressed mixed perceptions regarding its utility, along with philosophical considerations related to its use, while also acknowledging risks such as disruption of those states. Furthermore, practitioners identified several gaps and areas for refinement, including the need for clearer practical guidance and practitioner-focused resources to enhance its utility and better support the model’s translation into practice. These findings highlight the applied potential of the integrated model in supporting practitioners to facilitate flow and clutch states while demonstrating the need for ongoing collaboration between researchers and practitioners to refine and enhance its utility for performance contexts.

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