MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE TO MEASURABLE DESCRIPTION: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY AND FLOW IN GOLF

Abstract

Descriptions linking flow experiences and spirituality are quite common in reports of sporting experience by athletes. Both spirituality and flow seem to have transcendent qualities, however, we have a limited empirical understanding of their relationship in sport. This study aimed to examine spirituality as a potential correlate of flow in golf. To investigate this, 93 competitive golfers completed two measures of flow, the Zone Test (ZT) and Dispositional Flow Scale (DFS), and two measures of spirituality, the Spirituality in Sports Test (SIST), and Spiritual Well-being Scale (SWBS). Because researchers have not used the ZT and SIST extensively and they have had limited psychometric validation (Dillon & Tait, 2000), their reliability and validity were assessed. The ZT and SIST were found to have satisfactory internal consistency and validity. The measures of spirituality were not significantly related to the measures of flow, suggesting no relationship between spirituality and flow. Golfers who indicted a religious affiliation reported significantly more spirituality than golfers who identified no religious affiliation, however, there were no significant differences between these groups on flow. Golfers of higher ability reported significantly more flow than golfers of lower ability. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research on spirituality and flow.