Directions to the Zone?

[Patrick Johnson]

Maryjane and Jaegermeister.

I'm not a Jaegermeister guy, but a smoke is still (even at my advanced age) a semi-reliable way for me to create that combination of focus and enjoyment that are conducive to finding The Zone. Problem is it's a crap shoot, just as easily creating more distractions than it eliminates - and it tends to vanish as quickly as it came, in a puff of smoke.

Being a dedicated student of the game I won't give up on this method but I'd like to find a less "artificial", more long-lived and dependable way (that I can also recommend to young players).

What about exercise and being in shape? Has anybody found that's conducive (please say no)?

pj
chgo

 

[pt109]

Start with an anchor

Elaborate please.

pt..<..interested

 

[Ghosst]

Elaborate please.

pt..<..interested

An anchor is an image, a specific memory, a song, a trinket, a pattern of behavior. It's something you use to pull your mind back to a defined state, in the pursuit of the zone it's often something that reminds you of being deeply relaxed and yet focused.

Here's a brief article on it.

Fran's post had a similar thread to it, using "something" (because it's specific) to get a person to relax into that state of mind in order to perform better.

It also happens on assembly lines when people are in effect hypnotized by their repetitive actions and lose touch with the world but perform their task with amazing efficiency because they are in their "zone" where the conscious mind, instead of judging right and wrong, or good and bad, takes a back seat and lets the body perform its actions without oversight.

I often start with progressive muscle relaxation before I go out and combine it with self-hypnosis or guided meditation.

The image I use for the guided meditation won't be the same as yours. The idea is that once you have yourself completely at ease and fully relaxed you either see, smell, touch, hear, or taste something in that state that serves as your anchor. That anchor, as long as you keep it the same each time becomes a reminder for your mind of that state. The more you practice it, the easier it becomes to invoke the state of relaxation just by using that anchor.

 

[Okie]

An anchor is an image, a specific memory, a song, a trinket, a pattern of behavior. It's something you use to pull your mind back to a defined state, in the pursuit of the zone it's often something that reminds you of being deeply relaxed and yet focused.

Here a brief article on it

Fran's post had a similar thread to it, using "something" (because it's specific) to get a person to relax into that state of mind in order to perform better.

It also happens on assembly lines when people are in effect hypnotized by their repetitive actions and lose touch with the world but perform their task with amazing efficiency because they are in their "zone" where the conscious mind, instead of judging right and wrong, or good and bad, takes a back seat and lets the body perform its actions without oversight.

I often start with progressive muscle relaxation before I go out and combine it with self-hypnosis or guided meditation.

The image I use for the guided meditation won't be the same as yours. The idea is that once you have yourself completely at ease and fully relaxed you either see, smell, touch, hear, or taste something in that state that serves as your anchor. That anchor, as long as you keep it the same each time becomes a reminder for your mind of that state. The more you practice it, the easier it becomes to invoke the state of relaxation just by using that anchor.

Can't send you green rep but I can tip my hat! Excellent post!

It is my uneducated opinion that our minds react to our five senses much better than the spoken language used in conscious thought.

 

[RRfireblade]

The zone is like a fog. It sneaks up on you before you really notice and then your in it. Your playing well but you really don't know why, your not really conscious of your actions or your control. Things seem to happen just by thinking they will and then it's gone. Now you've had a taste and you are constantly looking for it but it consistanly eludes you should you dare to actively search for it. The only way to find it is to forget about it and hope it finds you again.

I don't like the zone, not at all in fact.

When I find myself lost in the "Zone" I force myself to find out precisely why. See through the fog and break free of it.

This scares the 'zone' and it will likely visit you less but at some point, you no longer need it.

 

[pt109]

An anchor is an image, a specific memory, a song, a trinket, a pattern of behavior. It's something you use to pull your mind back to a defined state, in the pursuit of the zone it's often something that reminds you of being deeply relaxed and yet focused.

I knew I would find that interesting...I did something I called my mantra.
When I would get a little excited or desperate, I would repeat to myself..
...hit the ball with the cue, hit the ball with the cue....

If I started to jump or lunge I would tell myself....
..whatever moves is what makes the cue move...

'Anchor' is a good name for it

 

[Saturated Fats]

Shot one?

I do something similar to kinnister's shot one for about a rack or two . That normally gets me at least half a chance to play halfway decently.

What is "shot one"?

 

[Taco]

What is "shot one"?

Straight-in shot from four diamonds along the rail. Replace the OB with the CB hitting center ball.

 

[Ghosst]

...normally gets me at least half a chance to play halfway decently.

A half of halfway is a quarter. But if you're the horse, does it make you a quarterhorse?

I knew I would find that interesting...I did something I called my mantra.

Mantras work well also but I personally have a more difficult time with them as I spend more effort on understanding the words and less time feeling them bring me back to where I want to be. I prefer something quiet, concrete, and innocuous for myself, but that's just me. It's also easy to knock yourself out of the zone, it's a two-edged sword. The most important thing is that you remain calm and relaxed; without that you're stuck up here at street level.

 

[C.Milian]

Yes! Proper warm-up is critical. I stress this when I teach. Problem is sometimes (when your distracted for example) it takes longer to warm up and sometimes it seems impossible. Also, it's easy to slip out of stroke, but not so easy to get back in.
One thing I do that helps sometimes is to try and remember how it felt the last time you were in the zone. The confidence you felt, the excitement and the almost giddiness that comes when you feel like you can't miss!

Donny Lutz
PBIA/ACS Instructor

One of the best ways to warmup is to select a shot the require a full stroke. I saw a player throw a few balls mid table and stroked 10-20 of them in just to get started. This allows you to get things in motion and visualize a lot of distance between object ball and pocket. Often times, we throw balls on the table and some of them land easy and a few will land somewhat difficult. It'll get you started, but I think you'll be more prepared for match type mentality if you select the right shots to warmup with.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Here's a cartoon of Patrick discussing how he gets into the zone (for entertainment purposes only):

http://goanimate.com/videos/0a0A4yqhknUY/1

 

[Taco]

One of the best ways to warmup is to select a shot the require a full stroke. I saw a player throw a few balls mid table and stroked 10-20 of them in just to get started. This allows you to get things in motion and visualize a lot of distance between object ball and pocket. Often times, we throw balls on the table and some of them land easy and a few will land somewhat difficult. It'll get you started, but I think you'll be more prepared for match type mentality if you select the right shots to warmup with.

I have the opposite experience. I let my stroke out warming up and then, in real life, I'm faced with more delicate finesse shots and that letting-my-stroke-out practice doesn't come into play. What really throws me off is if the first rack is a safety battle. All that work getting into stroke is forgotten by rack two. Everybody has different experiences and that's mine.

 

[C.Milian]

I have the opposite experience. I let my stroke out warming up and then, in real life, I'm faced with more delicate finesse shots and that letting-my-stroke-out practice doesn't come into play. What really throws me off is if the first rack is a safety battle. All that work getting into stroke is forgotten by rack two. Everybody has different experiences and that's mine.

I didn't mean to say throw balls out there and let your stroke out. I'm talking about the fastest route to getting warmed up, and you can do it playing certain shots. Even if you are finessing balls you need your joints and muscle warmed up. Once it is warm, I don't think you can get it to ice down by rack two.

It takes me about an hour to lube my entire body and I hardly shoot anything hard.

 

[Taco]

I didn't mean to say throw balls out there and let your stroke out. I'm talking about the fastest route to getting warmed up, and you can do it playing certain shots. Even if you are finessing balls you need your joints and muscle warmed up. Once it is warm, I don't think you can get it to ice down by rack two.

It takes me about an hour to lube my entire body and I hardly shoot anything hard.

Thanks. I'll try that.

 

[Maniac]

It takes me about an hour to lube my entire body and I hardly shoot anything hard.

If that's you in your avatar, I think I could lube your entire body in about 5 minutes :wink::grin::grin::grin:!!!

You set yourself up for that one. I hope you don't mind the funnin' with ya!!!

Maniac (too old to be much of a threat anyways )

 

[FranCrimi]

Fascinating, Fran (hmm... a new nickname?). Do you know how to go about inducing alpha waves on command?

pj
chgo

Relaxation exercises, meditation. Even a nap. But I wouldn't recommend falling too deeply asleep. Sports Psychologist Jim Loehr recommends a 7 minute nap before performing. You're actually asleep for only a few of those 7 minutes but you do wake up feeling pretty relaxed and refreshed.

 

[Maniac]

Sports Psychologist Jim Loehr recommends a 7 minute nap before performing. You're actually asleep for only a few of those 7 minutes but you do wake up feeling pretty relaxed and refreshed.

MINUTES ???

My naps go on for hours :grin:.

Maniac (a benefit of being retired)

 

[manwon]

The Zone. For such a popular place it's awfully hard to find. I usually just find myself there like I was beamed down, and then some time later just kind of wake up, with no idea how it happened or how to make it happen again. It's clear that the ability to play at that higher level is within me, but equally, maddeningly clear that I can't summon it at will.

I find myself in The Zone more often now than before, and I've discovered and worked on some simple focusing techniques to make it more likely to happen - but I still have to try to coax it out of its hiding place rather than go directly to it.

From what I gather, that's true of everybody else too, but I'm hoping some of you are better at it than I am, or at least have some tips and techniques to share that I haven't thought of.

So spill it - how do you get there? Is it all about focus, or are there other identifying features of being in The Zone that might be followed like breadcrumbs to its secret location?

pj <- waiting, like Smorg, with bait on my breath
chgo

Dead Stroke is an amazing state of mind, over the years I have read and heard many so called techniques that can help one fall into it more often. I suspect that moving outside your comfort zone when practicing is the best way to stimulate the part of our brain that makes it occur. If you right handed practice shooting with your left hand, this is also something that will not hurt anyones game and will also help develop different parts of the brain where billiards is concerned.

In the end any practice method billiards related that stimulates the brains right and left hemispheres is practice well spent.

 

[C.Milian]

If that's you in your avatar, I think I could lube your entire body in about 5 minutes :wink::grin::grin::grin:!!!

You set yourself up for that one. I hope you don't mind the funnin' with ya!!!

Maniac (too old to be much of a threat anyways )

Yeah thats me, and I'm easy. :wink:

 

[grindz]

I'm not sure if this helps, but one time when I visited this place
I was afraid to miss a shot for fear of losing the match. I'm not
sure if I scared myself there.... but it was cool.... no conscious
thought, just visualization and execution, no score, no past, no
future, just present, and pure 'feeling'.

I wish I could remember it better.... but it's a blur. I do know
there are no words there (for me) so maybe eliminating the
self talk, and concentrating on the visual is a key?!

td