Time slows down. The club feels weightless in her hands. Every shot lands exactly where intended, and even mishits somehow find their way. It’s as if the golf ball obeys an invisible command, dancing along perfect lines that only the player can see. This is the elusive “flow state” – a magical zone where athletes perform at their peak without conscious effort.
For Nelly Korda, this mystical state of mind became a powerful ally during her historic 2024 season. It’s like being “in your own little bubble,” as she describes it. Yet as she returns to Shadow Creek to defend her T-Mobile Match Play title, she knows the danger that lies in chasing that feeling too eagerly. The world’s top-ranked player must now wage a mental battle between embracing success and staying grounded.
Nelly Korda: Finding balance in the flow state mindset
“You definitely get into a flow state where kind of thinking is clicking, getting the right bounces, just everything is kind of going your way,” Korda explained during her pre-tournament press conference. Her remarkable 2024 season showcased this phenomenon perfectly. She won seven LPGA Tour events, including four consecutive victories in the spring.
Despite battling a neck injury that forced her to miss tournaments and facing a summer slump, Korda’s flow state carried her to historic heights. “The people in my life make me feel like the luckiest person in the world,” she reflected on her journey. Her ability to find this mental zone helped her reclaim the World No. 1 ranking and maintain it throughout most of the year.
The T-Mobile Match Play stood out as the third win in that incredible streak. After barely making the match play portion, she found her groove at exactly the right moment. This perfect timing allowed her to dominate the competition, including a decisive 4&3 victory over Leona Maguire in the final match.
Dec 16, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Nelly Korda lines up her putt on the fifth green during the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
But golf’s cruel nature never stays hidden for long. Even during her dominant 2024 campaign, Korda experienced the opposite of flow. The sport’s unpredictable nature showed itself when she faced a brutal stretch of missed cuts mid-season, including shocking scores at major championships. These dramatic highs and lows have shaped her current mindset.
“I’ve also been on the other side of that where at the beginning of the year everything was flowing and middle of the year nothing was going my way,” Korda admitted. This roller-coaster journey taught her a valuable lesson about mental preparation. The experience transformed her, and she now approaches competition with equal confidence and humility.
The defending champion’s current mindset reflects hard-earned wisdom. “You kind of just have to appreciate when you are in that flow state but can’t get too comfortable,” she emphasized. “If you get comfortable, I mean, it’s golf. It’s going to humble you really fast.” This delicate balancing act didn’t come easily for Korda. She learned it through triumph and heartbreak, with each experience molding her approach to the mental game.
How past struggles shaped Nelly Korda’s mental approach
Korda’s journey through these mental extremes began spectacularly last season. From March to April 2024, everything clicked perfectly. She tied Nancy Lopez’s LPGA record with five consecutive victories and set a new standard for consistency.
Then came the collapse. During the U.S. Women’s Open, she shot a shocking 10-over-par 80 in the opening round. This included a nightmare 10 on a par-3 where she found water thrice. It was a stark reminder of golf’s unforgiving nature, even for the world’s best.
These contrasting experiences have shaped Korda’s approach to her title defense this week. She’s started 2025 strongly with five straight top-5 finishes dating back to last August. Yet she remains wary of complacency, knowing how quickly fortunes can change. Today, Korda begins her T-Mobile Match Play title defense with this balanced mental approach. “Sometimes you just kind of get into the flow state, everything clicks, all the hard work you put in is finally paying off,” she reflected. “Golf is a grind and it’s just always up and down and just have to appreciate the ride.”
The golfer will have to pass through strong competitors like Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko, and Charley Hull while staying put in the magical zone. As she navigates the challenging Shadow Creek course this week, Korda will aim to recapture it. But this time, she’ll do so with a wiser perspective – embracing success while never forgetting golf’s capacity to humble even its greatest champions.
The post ‘Can’t Get Too Comfortable’: Nelly Korda Battles Maintaining ‘Flow State’ as She Aims for Repeat at LPGA’s T-Mobile Match Play appeared first on EssentiallySports.
