What is the longest that you have stayed in the zone?
- Thread starter Bluewolf
- Start date
Well that would depend on which zone your talking about. Now the zone I'm most familiar with is the one where everything is coming naturally. Then, usually on a relatively easy shot that I expect the 'zone' to take care of, and #$%^#$%#%^%^. This particular zone usually last less than two games. If I could only get it through this thick skull of mine that you can't count on the zone making the shot. You have to do it.
Deadstroke is a wonderful thing you experience when your mind shuts down and you can make everything. You usually don't remember playing. You remember winning but cannot remember specific shots. The first couple of times you go into deadstroke is weird because it almost feels like a blackout.
All this time I was under the impression that Deadstroke is The Zone. But now that I am playing a couple of hours every day I notice, and what I think laura is talking about, different levels of play. When I practice I get around an hour to two hours at a time (except weekends 4+ hours). When I play (using a rating scale of 5 where 5 is the best of my talents) the first hour I would say that I play around a 4. Two hours into a match I may drop to a 3 or even a 2. 3 hours into I will pick back up to a 4 or a 5. Rarely do I go into deadstroke in that slump hour. It really does not matter how much I concentrate, that hour goes to hell. I know it is because of my loss of concentration and taking shots for granted. Which I believe stems from only getting an hour or two of practice a day.
Johnny "V"
All this time I was under the impression that Deadstroke is The Zone. But now that I am playing a couple of hours every day I notice, and what I think laura is talking about, different levels of play. When I practice I get around an hour to two hours at a time (except weekends 4+ hours). When I play (using a rating scale of 5 where 5 is the best of my talents) the first hour I would say that I play around a 4. Two hours into a match I may drop to a 3 or even a 2. 3 hours into I will pick back up to a 4 or a 5. Rarely do I go into deadstroke in that slump hour. It really does not matter how much I concentrate, that hour goes to hell. I know it is because of my loss of concentration and taking shots for granted. Which I believe stems from only getting an hour or two of practice a day.
Johnny "V"
Wild Eight
Chalk is Free
Never
Never been in the zone. I am lucky if I chalk the right end of the stick most days. I just play this game cause I love to hate it.
Never been in the zone. I am lucky if I chalk the right end of the stick most days. I just play this game cause I love to hate it.
ramdadingdong
Banned
bigfoot said:
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Hey big foot, we are not talking about the 60's, we were all in the zone for a decade. They say if you can remember the 60's, then you were not there. tee hee hee....
Fast Larry
ramdadingdong
Banned
Bluewolf said:
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When I was doing all of my high runs, like running 5 racks in a row of rotation call shot, 75 balls I was in the zone every day. I would practice going in and staying there. Every day I would try to extend the time in there. I had that where I could play 2 to 2 l/2 hrs deep in the zone. I could not extend it beyond this limit. It seemed to be a wall. I wonder if that is possible. Mosconis 526 was conducted in 2 l/2 hrs, I think you just are pulled out, and you then miss is what happens.
That is why nobody ever ran a 1000 because nobody can stay in that long. I had a discussion on this with Mike Sigel once and he told me I was right, he totally agreed with this. He fully believed he could run a thousand if he could stay in long enough.
I think the brain has some self defense automatic defense mechanism that when to much in put comes in too fast, or too much emotion, or too much intensity for too long, to keep from frying wires and circuits, it begins to blow fuses and throw breakers, what is does is say, OK, thats enough, we are turning this program off and mentally its shuts you down. It stops transmitting data. input on what to do ceases.
That is why you can see a player who was playing fast and then freeze over a ball like a deer froze in the road by head lights. The guy just stands there, he can't move. Why, no data is being transmitted, and he does not know what to do so he is frozen in place. He is coming out and does not realize this. He now has to take over and think and he blows a straight in shot. This is why most really big high runs ended around 200, that was the limit of their zone. My high run was 274 and I came out and missed a straight in 2' shot wonder dog could have made with his nose.
I had hit 2 l/2 hrs, my wall, my run was over. Mosconi got to 526 because he ran balls twice as fast as I did, he ran around the table when he got on a run, just like he knew he was fighting a time clock.
I can now go in and out at will by command. I teach that now to my most advanced students. I am the first to figure this out and how to control it. This came from 45 years of studying the subject. If you want it, come get it.
Fast Larry
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In The Zone
> My longest duration of this phenomenon has been 8 hours,missing no more than 2 balls per set in 10 consecutive races to 13,including 2 sets in a row where I didn't miss even a safety attempt. During this lengthy engagement with a close friend and fierce competitor,he had a high run of 6 racks,so he was playing pretty sporty too,but I put together a LOT of multiple rack runs,with a 5 rack and a 4 rack run in the same set. The only person that saw the whole thing was an old timer that used to go to tournaments with us,keeping score with his own system. According to him,I broke and ran out 2 or more racks after a miss by my opponent 18 times in these 10 sets. I don't remember much of it,I didn't even know we played that many sets until he paid me off,and I thought he overpaid me. I wish I could accurately describe the feeling after I left the room that day,its effects diminished the next day,but I was still feeling pretty close,and was reaping the benefits of knowing I have that kind of game inside me months later. Tommy D.
> My longest duration of this phenomenon has been 8 hours,missing no more than 2 balls per set in 10 consecutive races to 13,including 2 sets in a row where I didn't miss even a safety attempt. During this lengthy engagement with a close friend and fierce competitor,he had a high run of 6 racks,so he was playing pretty sporty too,but I put together a LOT of multiple rack runs,with a 5 rack and a 4 rack run in the same set. The only person that saw the whole thing was an old timer that used to go to tournaments with us,keeping score with his own system. According to him,I broke and ran out 2 or more racks after a miss by my opponent 18 times in these 10 sets. I don't remember much of it,I didn't even know we played that many sets until he paid me off,and I thought he overpaid me. I wish I could accurately describe the feeling after I left the room that day,its effects diminished the next day,but I was still feeling pretty close,and was reaping the benefits of knowing I have that kind of game inside me months later. Tommy D.
CaptainJR said:
Here is the way I understand it. The player plays until they are 'in stroke', their shooting is on, their position play is on. Every thing is on. As opposed to the zone, my understanding is that the person can stay in deadstroke longer than the zone.
The zone is an altered state of consciousness, where those who have gone deep into the zone often do not remember all of those great shots they did in that state and sometimes do not even realize that the match is over. I have never been in that state for more than two hours.
There has been some debate among people in pool about whether they are the same or different, but from what other players have told me, I have been in the zone but never in deadstroke: a period of time where I was so in stroke I could not miss, vs that altered state of the zone, which seems in many ways almost like a trance.
Perhaps the confusion comes from the fact that the player plays at peak in either state, but I do believe that a person can be in 'deadstroke' for longer whereas the zone appears to have time limits. Coming out of the zone, also, I have found myself to be either so exhausted I could barely stand up or I was in a daze.
It seems to me that a person can be 'in stroke' for an entire tournament, but not so with the zone. IMO, for that reason, deadstroke is the preferred state, and appears to result from a player playing for an extended period of time and getting into 'stroke'. This is what I have heard from those who have experienced this and it would indeed be interesting to hear the comparison from those who have experienced both who post here.
Laura
Bluewolf said:
Laura,
I used to play in a lot of weekly tournaments and gamble quite a bit. About 5 years ago I went to my Wednesday night tournament, didn't miss a ball and won undefeated, next night, Thursday Tourney, won undefeated, didn't miss a ball. Played a set on the Friday night and won $200, didn't miss a ball. Saturday Day time tourney, won undefeated and didn't miss a ball. Sunday Tourney rolled along and half way through the tournament I missed a VERY easy 4 ball in the side, and then went on to miss several more in my next few matches and got beat in the final.
For me it was without a doubt, almost 5 days straight of being in the zone and not missing a single ball.
I always wonder if I let that amazing few days go to waist by not playing some really high dollar sets, but then again, if I did, maybe I would have come out of the zone a little sooner!
FYI, I have been in the zone a few times since then but usually for one night or two days max.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Shane Sinnott
www.platinumbilliards.com
1-888-612-7665