EUAN WALSH
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THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENA OF PURPLE PATCHES IN ELITE-LEVEL SPORT
6 min read
Euan Walsh
The margins in elite-level sports are minuscule. Unobservable drops in concentration, motivation, or confidence, among other psychological factors, can have significant implications on a team or athlete's success.
There is reason to believe that those performing and succeeding at the elite level in sports are not vastly more talented, physically capable, or technically gifted than their peers who operate at a lower level.
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But what happens when the minds of these athletes, over as little as a few matches, or as lengthy as an isolated season, temporarily align, enabling them to, for a brief period, fulfil their potential?
The term given to the unexplainable upturn in an athlete's form, where each play appears to be completed with effortless perfection, is a 'purple patch'. A purple patch refers to this temporary alignment, where an athlete's mind and body synchronise, allowing them to perform with heightened proficiency.
In sports such as football, it is not uncommon to see players who had the perceived talent to perform on the world stage end up operating at a level with a lesser reputation, presumably due to psychological challenges.
These athletes, capable of producing moments of greatness and showcasing their world-class ability in occasional glimpses across a campaign, are not necessarily less technically competent than those playing in the top tiers - but they lack the psychological skills to display their ability consistently.
It is a sensation many of us who don't compete for sporting glory at the highest of levels, will have experienced within our daily lives.
There are flittering weeks, months, and years where confidence or presence doesn't seem like something that needs to be desperately found within us but a subconscious non-sought-after state of bliss.
This temporary coolness, clarity, and conviction enable us to effortlessly perform at a greater level, whether in our personal lives, where we're seemingly able to connect with others to a heightened extent and articulate our thoughts perfectly, or in our professional lives, where for periods we can concentrate for longer, solve problems easier, and find the motivation to delve deeper.
Once this aligned consciousness leaves us, we're left wondering: Was that assured, competent version of ourselves real, or just a fleeting illusion of what we could be?
What causes a purple patch?
Despite the self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and internal questioning one may endure, athletes, like anyone in their field, are as great as their most triumphant moments.
But once alignment, presence, and ease gradually fade into insecurity, the mind of an athlete can race as they desperately fight to return to the version of oneself experienced during their purple patch.
It becomes a problematic paradox: If a purple patch is experienced through a lack of excessive thought, how can an athlete think or intentionally manoeuvre themselves back to a place of no thought? The forceful pursuit of form juxtaposes the natural ease of their younger self.
Fortunately, science-based research demonstrates several psychological, environmental, and physiological techniques an athlete can deploy to experience a purple patch and even sustain their heightened form as a base level of performance.
Purple patches for athletes participating in team sports are generally a result of a combination of external factors, such as tactical compatibility and opposition deficiencies, and physical and mental factors, such as fitness, confidence, and general feelings of wellness.
Tactical Compatibility and Team Culture
An athlete could incorporate physical workouts and mental resilience training among several other prominent sports psychology practices to maximise their performance. But it may be ineffective if they're operating in a tactical system or playing opposition team styles that do not emphasise their most dominant attributes.
A relevant example of tactical compatibility can be seen while observing Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch, who's finally demonstrated the potential he's always threatened to show through manager Arne Slot's tactical tweak of his position.
For an athlete to enter a purple patch, they must also operate within an environment and culture that's conducive to their growth. This doesn't have to mean using the world's greatest training facilities, after all, athletes of varying abilities can maximise their potential.
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What is considered conducive to growth, in many cases, is subjective; each athlete responds differently to contrasting leadership styles, routines, and support systems but the potential is generally discovered in environments that appropriately balance challenge with capability. An athlete must not find their environment too graceful or too perplexing to meet their potential.
The Mind, Body, and Soul Connection
While an athlete often has at least some say in the club they choose to represent, they have no control over the juxtaposing tactical systems, management styles, or team cultures deployed by a club during their stay.
But even when subject to enduring unfortunate external circumstances that aren't conducive to an athlete's growth, they're still capable of maximising their performance relative to their environment.
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This is where research-based sports psychology meets ancient spiritual practices to help athletes experience purple patches. Studies show that humans are at their most proficient, creative, and content during periods when they experience flow states.
Flow states are transcendent-like psychological experiences whereby an individual, or in this case an athlete, experiences complete concentration as they lose track of time, space, and self-consciousness in pursuit of a particular goal or outcome.
It is understood that for athletes to access flow states, they must cultivate a sense of awe in their surroundings. If their playing environment isn't enthralling, challenging, or pressurised enough, the athlete is unlikely to experience complete concentration.
It is why the most prolific athletes perform better on matchdays than during training sessions. There is a sense of urgency, investment in outcome, and passion that cannot be replicated in moments with lower, less meaningful stakes.
However, athletes cannot rely on passion, challenge, and urgency to enter flow states that enable them to experience purple patches. Feelings of awe must be combined with sufficient mindfulness, mental resilience, confidence, and clearly defined goals.
Psychologist Albert Bandura's theory of self-efficacy outlines the connection between an individual's belief in their abilities and actual outcome is among the predominant reasons why modern-day athletes use visualisation to enable them to enter flow states.
Visualisation is an ancient spiritual practice that is now used in sports psychology fields. Athletes are encouraged to spend time visualising their idea of success, in contrast to ruminating over any loss in form, to help the subconscious mind believe in its possibility.
Meanwhile, Manchester City's Erling Haaland attributed mediation as one of the most significant factors behind his record-breaking 36-goal Premier League season. The benefits of meditation, such as improvements in quality of sleep, reduced anxiety levels, and increased presence in high-pressure scenarios enable athletes to enter flow states on demand.
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Athletes Must Experience Physical, Cultural, and Mental Wellness
It is without question that many athletes have experienced purple patches without conscious efforts to improve their spiritual and mental health. In many cases, positive environmental, cultural, and physical factors combined with existing high levels of genuine confidence are enough to send athletes into purple patches.
But as elite-level sports become more nuanced and the deployment of sports psychology techniques is becoming increasingly sophisticated, many athletes must consciously consider their mental and spiritual wellness to experience the highest level of performance.