Getting in the Zone II

[Indiana James]

I think I confussed things by adding alot of other tidbits. To be good you have to practice. Getting in the "Zone" is different than that. Anybody can get "In the Zone." It doesn't guarentee you'll be the best. It only guarentee's that you'll shot YOUR best for that given moment.

Here's what I think it is. Simple being present. So before I shoot, I take in all my senses. I hear everything, see everything, feel everything. In addition, I clear my mind of thought. Sometimes a deep breathe or rolling the shoulders helps clear the mind. This is the preperation I use and it helps me get to the "Zone," but doesn't always guarentee it.

Does anybody else have a technique they use to get into the zone more often?

Maybe Brain Enos or KDJ?

Indy

[racerba]

I get in the zone during my final walk through. I try to block everything and everyone out while I am walking through the stage for the last time before I'm up. That way, the last thing that goes through my mind is the way I'm running the stage. I let my abilities take care of the shooting while I worry about the sequence of the stage. I know I'm in the zone when, at the end of the COF, I don't remember the details of what I just did. All I know is that everything felt good, and I ran the stage the way I planned it.

I agree that being in the zone does not make you the best, just the best that you can be.

[kdj]

Since this topic contains the only time on this forum that my name will be mentioned next to Ghost Dog's without an inequality between them, I was forced to think about the question .

I clearly can't shoot for beans (given the standards I apply to myself) so why do I have any thing relevant to say here? I suppose the answer is that I do often display a state of complete absence of thought in all aspects of life so I must know something about not thinking . I've actually been spending a fair number of neuron firings on issues very close to this question recently, so this gives me an excuse for a long rambling post that will probably help me even if it doesn't do much for any one else.

Anyway, slightly more seriously, it is interesting to examine why this state, herein called "the Zone" but which I'd more normally term "mushin" or no mind, is so easy and natural for me in other environments but doesn't show up in my shooting. The mind is the same, the body is the same, the technical components are simpler, the stress level is less (there's little likelihood of injury in a USPSA stage whereas people do occasionally end up in the ER if they screw up in an advanced Aikido practice) so there's no obvious reason.

I think it boils down to two elements: Technical Familiarity and Recognized Stress. Or to put it in a more memorable form: Competence and Confidence.

In all circumstances in an Aikido dojo, the techniques I'm attempting to perform have decades of familiarity and I can leave them completely to my subconscious. As far as shooting is concerned, we're talking about months and almost everything requires my conscious to be involved (or at least I think so which comes down to the same thing). If one is not sufficiently familiar and comfortable with all of the necessary actions, to the point where they don't require conscious thought, there's no chance of achieving mushin, the best one gets is obviousness (and I think there is occasionally confusion amongst beginners ) but the results aren't the same!

The second factor is the degree that one doubts the outcome. Again, in the dojo, even in the most extreme circumstances (say multiple attackers with very sharp bits of metal being waved around), I have no reason to doubt that I will perform the exercise adequately, so the stress level is actually low, and the confidence to "get out of the way" and let things happen is high. On a shooting stage, the desire to achieve something (not look a complete idiot, shoot an M class score, do better than Rob, ...) is much more present and with much more doubt about accomplishing it. Hence, once again conscious involvement and no mushin.

There are specific techniques that help a beginner to achieve this state in Aikido practice (use of Tanden, focus of intent, body tension release, ...) and they help when shooting a stage but ultimately being able to achieve the state of mushin comes down entirely to contextual competence and confidence.

In other words, practice, practice, practice and then care only about the action and not the result.

Given that I know this, we shall now see why I can't bring it out on demand in a match ... oh, yeah ... that trigger time issue.

Maybe I should shut up and go practice some more

Kevin

[ong45]

When i shoot my best, i am aware of a lot that is going on. These include but not limited to:

How my hands feel, grip and position

Trigger awareness and whether or not my trigger finger is loose.

What i see and trying to transition sharply.

My overall relaxation. This one is kinda tricky because contrary to conventional wisdom i am a death gripper. I just try to be relaxed everywhere else.

It is very difficult for me to shoot on"automatic" , it would be nice though not to have so many things running through my head

James

[Flexmoney]

Reading Kevins's post...it reminds me soo much Lanny Bassham's With Winning In Mind. (Steve Anderson has it in his store if anybody wants a copy.)

Bassham talks about three aspects of the mind...the conscious, the sub-conscious and the self-image. KDJ touched on all of these.

- Technical Familiarity = Competence = Sub-conscious skills

- Recognized Stress = Confidence = Self-image (I've always called this "set-point"...like a thermostat)

- Conscious thought...only room for once thought at a time in the conscious mind.

Bassham talks about having these three things in balance to perform your best.

[short_round]

With Winning in Mind is okay. I finished reading it the other day. His definition of the self-image and it's importance in performance is interesting as it relates to the conscious and sub-conscious. His directive affirmation method seems appropriate to address that model of thinking.

I am finding that WWIM probably has more value in the pre and post shooting times as a framework. Since IPSC is freestyle and the courses different for each competition (except classifiers) the "rehearsal" that WWIM talks about is not entirely helpful to me.

"Create the conditions favorable" -benos to me is more powerful.

From our Kyudo friends:

The proper mind is described in Kyudo as "If the mind is proper then the conduct of shooting will be correct. If the conduct of shooting is correct then the release will be correct, too." If you ask what proper mind is, the answer will be "Mushin" (absolute mind) and "Kyoshin" (emptied mind). Mushin is also considered to be a force that works freely, responding as necessary.

and

... spiritual force with absolute mind requires self-restraint, calmness and patience. As a result, concentrated mind is developed ... Once the mind's eye is opened, one can cope with anything with "Fudoshin" (firmness) or with "Heijyoshin" (uninfluenced mind). Then impurities of the mind such as doubtfulness, anxiety, timidness, fear, and low self-esteem, will be naturally removed.

If someone is using the Directive Affirmation I think they should be careful. If someone were to sincerely reprogram themselves as the first B shooter at the nationals and it does not happen then a self-image conflict is just waiting to happen.

"to train one's mind up to the stage of no desire of hitting the target" to me seems more healthy and consistent.

[kdj]

One has to be a little careful when appplying Kyudo concepts to USPSA style shooting since there is still a very definite performance goal in the shooting sport and for true Budo, it's only about the path and there is no goal

Having said that, I agree that mushin and fudoshin (strange translation in the quote though!) seem to have much better applicability than self programming, at least from my world view.

I think short term rehersal (i.e. "that visualization thing") seems a better fit than the longer term self image programming.

But like everything else, some tools work very well for some and not so well for others.

Kevin

[short_round]

for true Budo, it's only about the path and there is no goal

Is it really so different when you shoot each shot as it should be without any concern for the score, the time, or your placement?

[kdj]

Probably not if you can truely achieve that. Very few people, even real Masters, achieve perfection though so there's probably some leakage

Kevin

[short_round]

there's probably some leakage 

Tell me about it. If mine was a bucket with a few holes that would be something, but right now it has no bottom.

[Flexmoney]

If someone is using the Directive Affirmation I think they should be careful. If someone were to sincerely reprogram themselves as the first B shooter at the nationals and it does not happen then a self-image conflict is just waiting to happen.

I don't think that is a proper use of the Direct Affirmation stuff from WWIN. Sure Lanny talks about picturing yourself as the Olympic Gold medal winner...but he was in the hunt. That was a realistic goal for him. It didn't conflict with reality...which, to me means it didn''t conflict with the Self-Image.

I don't equate the Affirmation stuff with the Self-image. I also don't see them as self-programming.

I look at the Affirmation stuff as a tool for goal setting. The goals need to be challenging, but reachable.

[ajm]

Folks,

I do not often post and when I do it is probably not to point or timely, however, there is a book, The Evolution of Consciousness, which does the best job I have found of putting Zennish thinking into a western frame that is more easily comprehensible. (Digression, there are great similarities in the effects of meditation and "biofeedback' in the first the practicioner learns to be quiet enough to hear him/herself, in the second we amp the self enough to be heard over the noise of life). Similarly, Ornstein in Evolution is able to use brain mapping and developmental science to explain in more western terms, the issues associated with trying to get your consciousness to do something quick and important like pointing a gun when that is not the niche that it developed in response to. Etc. Anyway a good book, very simply written that bridges for me the satroi and neuroanatomy.

To the point of this thread, by the time that you have practiced enough to not be dangerous in a match you have actually created multiple focused shooter groupings of neurons, the dominant one is the one that is "the Zone" and calling that grouping into play is more art than science, requiring for most folks, a ritual, either physical or mental/verbal to "bring on line" that set of programming (to mix about 5 anologies all at once). For each person, developing the ritual and using it in practice and in matches consistently is important in creating consistency and improvement.

ajm

[Dalmas]

I thought I was mentally strong until I had gun and brain malfunctions on the last two stages of day 1 (of 5) at the Europeans. My confidence in my self and my equipment was out the door, I had developed a mental program but not for losing confidence in the one I had.

Eventually I adjusted my program on the eve of the 4th day and came out the old self again on day 5 and shoot pretty good - I was back in focus. One thing I changed was the sentence I say to myself at LAMR...

I relax my shoulders and say "Don't try, Just do"

It has strengthen my mental toughness

[Steve Anderson]

To get in YOUR zone, you must define YOUR zone.

Is your zone smoothly shooting great points? No problem, you must forget about time and never, ever care about it, for this will disrupt your zone.

Is your zone aggressively shooting fast, down a few? No problem, order that up and go get 'em. However, you may throw a mike and disrupt your zone.

The zone is different for everyone, and is really just your point of focus.

Lanny Bassham is right, only one thought can be in your conscious mind during performance, and you will get whatever you think about.

On goals, you can have any goal you want, or you wouldn't think about it. (think about that a little and then think about your goals) Using our earlier example, I doubt that many B class shooters have a goal to win a major match. They don't think about it because it's not a good goal...and, it's not a good goal because they don't think about it.

We shoot how we expect to shoot, not how we want to shoot. - Lanny Bassham

Performance is always equal to self image. - Lanny Bassham

I just got a fresh box of "with winning in mind", available at andersonshooting.com- Steve Anderson

[Steve Anderson]

Another thing...

Your performance is comprised of three things:

Conscious skill - what can you do while focusing?

Subconscious skill - what can you do on autopilot?

Self image - what kind of a shooter are you?

These three components should all be the same size, and then should all grow together.

Something as simple as rain can affect your self image... "i hate shooting in the rain, I'm a terrible rain shooter"

I used to have a problem with new challenges at matches. My self image was that of a practicer (surprise!) so anything I hadn't practiced went poorly. Not because I hadn't practiced it, but because my self image told me I wasn't good at things I hadn't practiced. This is mostly gone, but it still creeps up occasionally.

Self image is one reason Robbie wins matches. It's like him to win the match, so when he is losing, his performance is in conflict with his self-image, and his subconscious orders a change in performance to get him back in his comfort zone.

This is why the best athletes tend to dominate, without too much variation in the results. It my also be why we (US Open shooters in general) can't beat Eric G. It's like him to kick our asses is open, and we all know it. Therefore, if one of us manages to get ahead, it's a unique situation that our self-image is not prepared for. It's not like us to beat Eric G., so we are uncomfortable in that position. Our subconscious orders a change in performance to get us back in our comfort zone, which is dictated by our self-image.

Remember, we don't shoot how we want to, we shoot how we expect to.

One thing I hate to hear from shooters on the line is this:

RO: Are you ready?

Shooter: I guess. Let's just get it over with.

A good performance never follows that statement. Ever.

SA

[Steve Anderson]

One more thing.

Feast or forget.

When you do something well, enjoy it, savor it, relive it in your head all day. You will get more of it.

When you tank a stage, forget it. Do not talk about it. Do not tell the story over and over all day. You will get more of it.

Whatever you talk about and think about is what your subconscious thinks you want.

SA

[schoonie]

Steve,

That's pure Lanny, don't enforce the negative, embrace the positive!!!

How do you ignore the desire to figure out the errors in a blown stage in order to learn from them?

I can't get away from that examination. If I don't re-run the stage in my mind and figure out what didn't go as planned I am less able to get back into the groove. It's like a subconscious chalderon of thought boiling away that will not calm down until it gets it's due attention.

[benos]

The zone is a magical-like state characterized by precise, effortless activity, and appears when all forms of trying have ceased. Even the subtle realms of will involve effort, and all types of effort prevent the appearance of the zone.

Now we’re left with the paradoxical question – how do we get into the zone? I don’t believe we can get into the zone. The zone overtakes us, when the conditions are favorable for "it" to occur. So we can’t talk about entering the zone, we can only talk about what prevents the zone from overtaking us.

If I say that any form of effort obscures the zone, and you wonder whether or not that’s true, your job becomes one of examining what is meant by “effort,” and how that relates to you.

Effort implies struggle, and struggle indicates a lack of complete understanding. When we are uncertain, we doubt. Although we’re not normally aware of when we are uncertain, trying is doubts constant companion, and, trying is mentally oberservable.

So at all times while dry-firing, practicing, or before shooting a stage in a match, examine your mind for trying. What are you trying to do? Are you trying to get a fast draw, not drop too many points, call your shots, shoot A’s, or not shoot yourself or the range officer? All those indicate uncertainty, do they not?

But it’s impossible just to not try. So you must replace trying with doing, which comes from knowing. But you won’t do that until you’ve examined sufficiently, thought about things sufficiently, practiced sufficiently, turned over every stone and looked in every nook and cranny for traces of doubt, uncertainty, and trying.

You must study your draw until you have no doubts about it.

What are the quickest, most consistent and efficient movements required to produce perfectly aligned sights, every time? Do the same with the mag change. Just understanding these two activities may take years of work.

Now down to the fundamentals: You must know where each shot went at the instant if fired. If you are not absolutely without doubt about that statement, you need to keep training and investigating until you are. How and what do you need to see in order to always be certain of each shot? (“Shot certainty” has nothing to do with whether or not it was a good or bad shot.) And it’s not just “what” you need to see, because what you see visually is not unrelated to your mental state, right? If you’re rushing, not only are you uncertain about what you should be doing, but you’re probably not going to see or hit much.

Think of how examining the activities of practicing and competing relate, and how they don’t relate. There are many things you can train in practice, which demand duplication in competition. In a match, however, how do you know what will be the fastest, most consistent way for you to shoot the stage? Not being uncertain may take years of experience. And not just experience in matches, but experience in all levels of matches. What doubts lurk at the Nationals but not at your home club?

In all realms, study and train until you replace doubt with certainty. Then when the going gets tough, stay true, and the zone may overtake you. (If it’s in the mood.)

be

[Steve Anderson]

Schoonie,

I think about mistakes (opportunities for improvement)on the drive home.

SA

[JerryDGeek]

Not to be undermining BD comments, 'cause he's The Master and everything he has to say is emminently applicable and to the point. Sometimes, though, he's more Zen than we are and it needs some interpretation for the benefit of those of us who don't quite get it. We need more concrete techniques as an elementary step to The Zone.

Speaking as a lowly B-shooter, here are some guidelines which have helped me:

(1) Relaxation:

Don't start the stage in the Gunfighter Position, leaning agressively forward and arms bowed ready for that super-fast draw. Instead, start with the standard position of feet shoulder-width apart and perpendicular to the first target OR, if the stage requires a fast jump-off, you push-off foot slightly foward. But by all means relax that tension in your shoulders. If necessary, 'shake it off' by flapping your hands in the air. There is very little muscular tension which will help you in the start. A uniformly relaxed position will more likely help you in all stages, because you become accustomed to starting every stage either prepared to shoot, or prepared to run,

(2) Negativity

You don't do well by focusing on what you generally do wrong. You win it by focussing on what you do RIGHT. Go with your strenghts, accent the affirmative, all that stuff. It is not usually a good idea to try to do better in your weak areas (draw, first shot, whatever) in a match ... training and improvement in technical areas should be reserved for practice sessions. Shooting a match? tell yourself "I can do this" ... and then do it!

(3) Drive the gun

this is a catchphrase that means little to most people. But it's real-time meaningful and immedialy reinforcing. At a certain level of expertise (dependent upon the shooter), you discover that you only have to let yourself that you're going to do THIS next, and then get out of the way so your body makes it happen. Like driving a car, this is an elementary skill, but too often we over-think a stage and don't take advantage of this natural skill. Just strap in, shut up, hold on and drive. You know how to do the rest.

(4) Call your shots

After a few tens of thousands of shots, you know when you gun isn't 'on' because you're mucked up the technical part of the job. Maybe you were a tad bit off-balance when the shot broke. Whatever the reason, if you need to make up a flubbed shot, jost do it. Don't beat your self up, don't waste time agonizing over it, and for goodness sake don't beat yourself over it. Just do what you have to do, get the hits, and move on.

(5) get the first hit

Nothing blows you away like getting behind the stage. When you make a mistake, you feel that you need to move faster than is humanly possible to make up the time. then you make more mistakes, because you're rushing the stage before you have the "I can do this faster" feeling, and because you're still dwelling (read: beating yourself up) on the major muck-up on the first target. Not necessary. Get the first shot solid, it not only builds confidence and puts you in the right mindset for all succeeding targets, but you avoid the countervailing "Jeez, I started out with fivteen points down" negativity.

Have you completely mucked up the stage? Then get the hits, shoot for "Fast A's" instead of allowing yourself to go so fast that you're willing to accept "C" or evern "D" hits. You shouldn't find yourself in this position, but if you do ... surviving a stage is typically salvaged by taking the extra few hundredths of a second to avoid dropping points. Again, this is from the viewpoint of a "B-shooter", but when the stage si trash anyway, you're too deep into it to permit yourself any points-related penalties. Acquiring penalties by pushing too fast is NOT an excuse for penalizing yourself with D-hits or, worse, miss-penalties.

(6) speed up as you go

If you're in the Zone, you almost immediately realize that "I can go faster". cultivate that awareness, and as soon as you recognize it ... go faster. If you think you can do it ... you can.

(7) Shoot first, THEN index

This is a really stupid thing to say, but this is another B-shooter thing: having said "speed up", it is necessary to re-enforce the warning that you can't do 'better' by letting your muzzle move faster than your trigger.

(8) Take the hard shots first

Sticking with the "speed up as you go" thingie, realize that usually your first shot is taken in an imperfect condition. Your balance isn't right, your position isn't right, you flubbed your draw. Whatever your own personal list of possible muck-ups, it's reasonable to accept that your first shot is going to take a little more time than the rest of your shots. So give yourself permission to focus on the most difficult shot (whether its' from the starting position, or from a new position into which you have just moved) and USE that extra-time-penalty to get your first hit solid. Not only does it use the time, but it helps with your self-confidence issue (and you NEVER want to do anything that is going to undermind your self-confidence!!!!!)

Eventually, you will realize "I can go faster" and this may be your first clue that you are in the Zen Zone. Then you can let lose the Dogs of IPSC, shoot really fast and accurately, and win the match. Because, it's easy and you KNOW it.

At least, that's the game plan.

[weebles]

i am in obviously a different sport...

where you have an 1 hour and 45 minutes to shoot 60 shots...

fast is not the key...

anyways, i think the mental game is the same

i find..... fitting into your gun is the best thing to do first.

after you've somewhat got used to your gun,

routine...

when it comes to competitions,

i tend to

not clear my mind...

but instead...

get a song in my head...

and relax...

don't rely on your mind, rely on your routine, so you don't do something wrong.

relax is the biggest... if you're tense, your muscle tension is there.... therefore making you jerk after you pull the trigger