# Finding the "Zone"



## Looney Bin (Feb 9, 2009)

I always loved this.






Its always seemed very closely related to hyperfocusing. Which is sometimes attributed to my ADD.

I typically use visualization techniques. It's something to occupy my mind to keep other things from creeping into my shot process.

It can still be difficult to keep my mind there, but alot has to do with other things going on in life.


----------



## Looney Bin (Feb 9, 2009)

Before a shot I will sometimes say" Be the arrow" its adopted from multiple other sports I played growing up. It essentially triggers me to start a process were I imagine the X and an arrow hitting it dead center. Then basically rewinding thru the shot in my mind to see myself executing the perfect shot.

I used it a lot growing up playing golf and many other sports, but golf was a big one to use its in because its not a reactionary sport.


----------



## super trucker (Nov 1, 2013)

I have started shooting a adult class to help with the basics of tournament level shooting. One night in my rush to not be late I left my sure loc home, I borrowed one from the instructor and it had some huge mag lens in it. I had no clairifier so I couldn't see the broad side of the wall just colors. I went to shoot my best score that night all because I wasn't worried about the x. I'm finding that my mental state is my limiting factor. Sometimes you just have to tell the brain to step aside and let the shot sequence take over.


----------



## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

montigre said:


> 1) What do you guys do to help facilitate getting into the zone and
> 
> 2) How do you maintain it throughout a competition?
> 
> Thanks for any insight that can be provided.


I strongly suspect that the people who *really* know the answer to this are not the kind of people who spend a lot of time posting on ArcheryTalk.


----------



## WVaBuckHunter (Sep 30, 2010)

Being "in the zone" has been studied in every sport, and is a phenomenon that nobody seems to understand. It is something that most athletes experience at one time or another. When I played baseball, we had our conference tournament and I went 11 for 12 at the plate with my one out for the whole tournament being a deep fly ball down the right field line. I was "in the zone"over a 3-4 game period. The funny thing is, I had been in a "slump" of sorts just prior to that tournament.

I have had the same type of experiences with archery, and now that I think about it, it seems to usually follow a day or two of poor shooting. Maybe I don't try so hard because I'm not expecting a good outcome? Maybe I'm more relaxed because I'm not putting pressure on myself? I don't know for sure, but Id like to be the one to figure out how to get in the zone whenever I want, and stay there!


----------



## hooks (Mar 22, 2005)

WVaBuckHunter said:


> Being "in the zone" has been studied in every sport, and is a phenomenon that nobody seems to understand. It is something that most athletes experience at one time or another. When I played baseball, we had our conference tournament and I went 11 for 12 at the plate with my one out for the whole tournament being a deep fly ball down the right field line. I was "in the zone"over a 3-4 game period. The funny thing is, I had been in a "slump" of sorts just prior to that tournament.
> 
> I have had the same type of experiences with archery, and now that I think about it, it seems to usually follow a day or two of poor shooting. Maybe I don't try so hard because I'm not expecting a good outcome? Maybe I'm more relaxed because I'm not putting pressure on myself? I don't know for sure, but Id like to be the one to figure out how to get in the zone whenever I want, and stay there!


So one shouldn't depend on being in the "zone" for shooting a winning score?


----------



## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

But there seem to be those who can access this state almost at will. A key may be in the ability to get out of its way, but not knowing where that key lies within oneself makes it appear to be an impossible task. 

Stash, I can only hope that you're mistaken and some archery maestro will feel like tossing a few "pups" a bone..... :smile:


----------



## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

Looney Bin said:


> I always loved this.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That has to be my favorite scene from the movie!! 

But, do you remember what you did to recapture it when you first realized you could willingly slip into that state..not after you had been successful with it for a while? What is that transition that took it from an accidental occurrence to a planned result of your actions?


----------



## Blue X (Dec 22, 2007)

Imagine this,

You train every day and you keep track of your scores. You will find a wavelength with crest and valleys to your shooting.

Lets say you crest with high scores every 5 weeks is your cycle, you would take the week of "6 weeks before your tournament" off and start training up the following week. This would put you shooting your highest scores at the peak of your shooting cycle.

Learn your form and your shot sequence and your shooting wave length and you can take time off between tournaments and still be shooting your best when it is important to you. 

Nobody can be game on for ever with out getting burnt out. Life has many other things that need accomplished also and you need time to live outside of and around archery. The time off is just as important and the time your game on. But if you know your form and your shot sequence and your shooting cycle you can be game on when it counts.

Blue X


----------



## jrdrees (Jun 12, 2010)

I burn a hole through the target where I want to hit, I'll stand in my ready to draw posture, hand on my release in my release pouch and stare at my POI. To my neighbors and family it must look like a baseball pitcher sizing up a batter, when I feel like I own the spot I begin my drawing and firing process, but only after it is me and the spot. I've been working on my "firing" process, kind of talking myself through the steps, but I want it to based on feel, not words/commands... sometimes I skip steps though when I get excited so I end up talking myself through most of the main points. When it works I don't realize anyone else is there until after the shot breaks and I take that first breath....


----------



## reylamb (Feb 5, 2003)

I have had the opportunity through my job to meet and talk with pro athletes from various different sports. So far, not one has been able to explain how to get "in the zone." They all say, it just happens from time to time.

If they could force themselves into "the zone" they would never have off days....


----------



## N7709K (Dec 17, 2008)

I find something outside of archery to put my mind on- girls, music, work, etc. When the entire process goes to the subconscious half and all I have to do is somewhat aim it's easy to shoot good scores/good shots. When you get your shot down you just need to run your shot, you know you won't miss. 

If I have to think about something archery relate i'll think about where my release hand ends up after I stroke a 10... Focus on that at the rest takes care of itself. One thing that helps make the "best days" a little easier to repeat is taking film of your form and shot on one of those days- when things start on the down swing compare footage and look for subtle differences.


----------



## Mestang99 (Jan 10, 2013)

For me it is to make sure I am in the moment. Confidence is the biggest key, I believe. I have felt "In the Zone" and feel that I am pretty much able to get there during almost any competition. Here is the kicker... I can't stay there for the whole thing. If I set small goals it is easier to get in, but if it is too easy or you meet the goal too quickly I am out... Lately I have been making my goals too big. An example is a 60x at Nationals. After the first arrow misses the spot I am out and have a hard time finishing. I like local tourneys and leagues as they are a great place to get a lighter level of competition where you can work on goal setting. Right now I am fighting equipment confidence issues as things have happened during big competitions this year that I could have never anticipated... That makes "Zone" shooting difficult as I am constantly checking and worrying about my equipment. My goal for this month is to get my equipment bullet proofed and if I find any tips on popping back into the "Zone". I will let you know. 

Have you ever heard the Pro's or your friends talk about "Going Dumb"? I find that is another gateway you should look into. Once you get your shot confidence you will find yourself shutting your brain off. I think there are two methods people use. One is the "going dumb" and the other is keep it busy like Jacob was talking about. Jesse Broadwater focuses on his kids. You just need to find the method that works for you.


----------



## WVaBuckHunter (Sep 30, 2010)

reylamb said:


> I have had the opportunity through my job to meet and talk with pro athletes from various different sports. So far, not one has been able to explain how to get "in the zone." They all say, it just happens from time to time.
> 
> If they could force themselves into "the zone" they would never have off days....


Exactly. Being extremely focused, or shooting real good is one thing, but being "in the zone" is something else completely, I believe. In the zone, is when you are on another level than you are usually on, even if you're usually really good. When you get in the zone for the first time, you probably didn't even realize that you could be that good, but for some reason, that day, you were. The key to unlocking true potential would be to find that "zone" whenever you want and to stay in it. If that was an attainable thing to do, then Jordan would've scored 63 every night, or Willie Mays would've hit 3 home runs every game, and we as archers would shoot clean rounds every time.

It has been studied, and to my knowledge, no one has ever been able to figure out why we sometimes get in the zone. It sure is a great feeling when we are there. 

Maybe it's just as simple as odds? If you play enough games, shoot enough tournaments, then eventually you are going to reach the zone. On the flip side of that, you are also going to have days where you can't seem to hit what you are aiming at. Neither of these things are the norm, nor are they a good indicator of your average scores, but they can show just how good you CAN be, but on the bad days, it is rather frustrating.


----------



## hdracer (Aug 8, 2007)

montigre said:


> 1) What do you guys do to help facilitate getting into the zone and
> 
> 2) How do you maintain it throughout a competition?
> 
> Thanks for any insight that can be provided.


For many it seems like the "zone" is a mystical place where only the elite can enter. I think that it is something different for each of us and far less dramatic than the vision portrayed in the above video. When practicing with the JOAD kids it is noisy, distracting, and at times, very difficult to tune out. But repeatedly shooting with the talkers, the gabbers, laughers and whatnot has giving me a way to tune them out...not completely but enough that during the shot they do no distract me. Is that my "zone"? Hard to tell. But shooting under extremely quiet conditions is more difficult than in a noisy environment.

An elite archer, one with 2 Oly gold medals and a couple World Championships, says that you can not be in the "zone" for more than a short period of time. Trying to stay in it for a full shooting session or competition is impossible. It wears you down trying to concentrate all your focus on the target for 4-5 hours. You need to be able to step into the zone on the line and back out when your finished shooting that end or arrow. Like being in a noisy room with a door to a quiet room. Step into the quiet room when on the line but back out when finished.

Running your shot sequence thru your head when you straddle the line will help. It will push all the little distractions away from your conscience mind and allow your subconscious mind will take over the shooting actions (assuming you've been shooting long enough to have that close to being automatic). Think about your form and making good shot vs focusing on the "X".


----------



## Looney Bin (Feb 9, 2009)

WVaBuckHunter said:


> Exactly. Being extremely focused, or shooting real good is one thing, but being "in the zone" is something else completely, I believe. In the zone, is when you are on another level than you are usually on, even if you're usually really good. When you get in the zone for the first time, you probably didn't even realize that you could be that good, but for some reason, that day, you were. The key to unlocking true potential would be to find that "zone" whenever you want and to stay in it. If that was an attainable thing to do, then Jordan would've scored 63 every night, or Willie Mays would've hit 3 home runs every game, and we as archers would shoot clean rounds every time.
> 
> You said this perfect^^^^
> 
> ...


I am of the belief you can utilize certain visual and mental techniques to increase your chances of ending up in the zone, but I have never figured out how to get there at will. Being a top competitor in anything is learning to perform when you don't have your "A" game with you and crushing the competition when you do.

Figuring out which type of technique to use is very dependent of how you take in information and learn. Then tailoring the technique to your style. I'm a visual and feel learner so visual and feel techniques work extremely well for me.


----------



## subconsciously (Aug 22, 2009)




----------



## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

Sorry for not getting back to this thread earlier--I had a very busy archery day today--teaching beginners classes in the am followed by a coaching seminar that ran through the afternoon. 

You have all brought up most excellent points and I could and probably will take pearls from each of your posts and create my own process to run along side of my shot routine my next future practice sessions and see where it leads. 

While I do realize that you cannot remain in the zone for an entire competition, I've seen shooters step in and out of it, in a way that appeared to be at will at some of the larger competitions I have been at and was simply amazed at the sheer intensity and depth of their experience for those periods of time. You could actually feel their level of focus coming off of them like some electrical force field or something. Of course, when I had the opportunity to ask them about it after the rounds, none could describe exactly what was done to trigger it. 

Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread. You've all given me a nice plate of goodies to work with and it is greatly appreciated!! I'll report back in a couple of months.


----------



## hdracer (Aug 8, 2007)

montigre said:


> While I do realize that you cannot remain in the zone for an entire competition, I've seen shooters step in and out of it, in a way that appeared to be at will at some of the larger competitions I have been at and was simply amazed at the sheer intensity and depth of their experience for those periods of time. You could actually feel their level of focus coming off of them like some electrical force field or something. Of course, when I had the opportunity to ask them about it after the rounds, *none could describe exactly what was done to trigger it*.


That's a good point. Is it something that can be learned or is it something within the individual that occurs naturally? Is it a conscience thought or something imbedded that is an automatic response to the competition? If it can be learned then we all have a chance to get into the "zone". If it is embedded or comes naturally then we may all be searching in vain.

I tend to think it is a combination of both based on our individual ability to concentrate and focus everything on one task for a very short period of time. I joke that I may have adult ADD with all the random thoughts that pop in out of my head no matter what task I'm working on. It is slightly better when shooting as, at least for the time it takes to shoot a group of arrows, all I see is the target center. BTW, this seems to have improved after switching from an "up pin" to a ring in my scope. Too much of my attention was being focused on the pin movement.


----------



## gobblinfool (Dec 6, 2004)

For me it wasnt how big the target looked, but the ease of how the release went off and the rythm that I had for every shot...shot a vegas 299 with 21xs using a 23 size arrow, at vegas in 2007 I shot a 296 w/22xs...13 of 15 in the second half of the game...its all mental, but the mental comes from rehearsal


----------



## TCR1 (Dec 22, 2004)

reylamb captured it best for me. Which isn't very helpful to you. I grew up competing in team sports with the exception of pole vaulting (which is fairly obvious to be an individual event). Archery was my first foray into individual sports/competition without any team component whatsoever. I don't really know how to explain it, but as an athlete, I've always just snapped into a high level of focus at the sound of a whistle or the call of the word "go". I can't recall the first several minutes of any competitive event I have ever participated in. I have heard this sharpened focus called the champions edge. In part, I think that this ability comes from years of highly intense/focused training across many disciplines. So much to the point that we react to the pertinent sounds just like Pavlov's dogs. Given the large number of competitions you have participated in, I'm not sure that this applies to you, but hearing many people talk about their "practice" doesn't bring to mind the intensity of my "training" in other disciplines. There is a subtle but real difference between the two, at least in my experience. I must confess that I shoot archery for fun (so what am I doing here?). I don't train my archery skills regularly (I did at one point). I shoot and practice my current state from time to time.

I might also offer some insight as to what has taken me out of the state of focus required for optimal/"trained" performance: focusing on self, focusing on aspects of training during competition. As an example, a wide receiver shouldn't be thinking about how to plant his feet correctly to run an "in" pattern during a game. The play should get called at the huddle, the ball should be snapped, and the receiver should be watching the ball into his hands without really knowing what he did before then. It should all be conditioned into him through proper training reps. Archers have this if they diligently train their shot process, but most do not. They skip steps or settle for decent end results in training.

I like Looney's post too. I always trained to make my worst better than my competition's best. Hard to lose that way


----------



## Perentie (Jan 8, 2014)

Unless I am missing something it really falls back to a basic thing that the military does to its special forces. Repetitive re-drilling of the same exercise so that basically all thought is removed from the action it becomes instinctual.

Very similar in fashion to the blank bailing practice method. Do it for months on end so that good shot execution becomes automatic and you aren't 'thinking' about it. If I recall correctly they do the same thing for snipers. Once a ranging is in they do not even have to look at ballistic charts, they know themselves, the bullet (fit/finish and grains measured and hand loaded to a precision that all of the rounds are exactly the same), their weapon. that without any thought they know either the correct clicks to adjust the sight, lead, and elevation to 'aim'. 

Granted the training is grueling and the ONLY focus is that one thing until it becomes second nature then they can focus on other things, but keep a regular practice to keep that 'automation' available.

Some are able to 'aquire' this zone, some are not, those that are not able to are washed out of the programs. Is it attainable for everyone? Possibly, the question becomes how hard are you willing to be able to get to that point? I think it would be easier with a good solid coach on hand 24/7 vs. doing it alone. 

TCR1 alluded to getting into this 'zone' through intensive training in his respective sports.


I would love to hear the thoughts from someone who trains military snipers and Special Forces on this subject. Maybe some of their methodologies that could apply, not even sure any of them frequent this forum or are into competition archery.


----------



## TCR1 (Dec 22, 2004)

Perentie said:


> Unless I am missing something it really falls back to a basic thing that the military does to its special forces. Repetitive re-drilling of the same exercise so that basically all thought is removed from the action it becomes instinctual.
> 
> Very similar in fashion to the blank bailing practice method. Do it for months on end so that good shot execution becomes automatic and you aren't 'thinking' about it. If I recall correctly they do the same thing for snipers. Once a ranging is in they do not even have to look at ballistic charts, they know themselves, the bullet (fit/finish and grains measured and hand loaded to a precision that all of the rounds are exactly the same), their weapon. that without any thought they know either the correct clicks to adjust the sight, lead, and elevation to 'aim'.
> 
> ...


I agree. I would love to hear from someone like that, but I am guessing that even if they were on here, they would have to discuss training methodologies very vaguely.

I recently went to a formal defensive handgun course, and though it was short relative to the training military personnel get, they did not accept poor execution of any portion of a repetition, and they taught the movements in pieces, slowly assembling them. That is the advantage of having a high quality and demanding coach/trainer present during training. After the fact is helpful, but immediate correction cannot be beat as the standard of excellence is maintained before something is allowed to happen out of sequence. That is what I meant by people settling for missed steps during their practice and such. That stuff doesn't cut it if you really want to be a machine.


----------



## Perentie (Jan 8, 2014)

TCR1 said:


> I agree. I would love to hear from someone like that, but I am guessing that even if they were on here, they would have to discuss training methodologies very vaguely.
> 
> I recently went to a formal defensive handgun course, and though it was short relative to the training military personnel get, they did not accept poor execution of any portion of a repetition, and they taught the movements in pieces, slowly assembling them. That is the advantage of having a high quality and demanding coach/trainer present during training. After the fact is helpful, but immediate correction cannot be beat as the standard of excellence is maintained before something is allowed to happen out of sequence. That is what I meant by people settling for missed steps during their practice and such. That stuff doesn't cut it if you really want to be a machine.


That is the key right there to take someone from one level to the next. I have seen the same thing in martial arts (not so sure about how the strip mall martial arts folks work), you do something the exact proper way every single time. Doing this while tired, after a long run with a pack, cold and freezing. Mainly once the initial proper setup is there then the coach sets in motion stressors to bring out flaws in the execution, points them out and has them corrected immediately. Then repeated ad nauseum.

This is an explanation in how the more seasoned top level archers are able to handle the mental game. They have repeated the proper execution countless times under duress. Why veteran soldiers are worth more than raw recruits, why special forces are worth more than the average infantryman. The high level stress training, nothing less than perfect execution is tolerated.

They still plan and think out their moves ahead of time, are intimately familiar with their weapons. Never think they are mindless machines, the execution of the movements and shots are controlled and precise but are allowed to think about other things while they perform automatically. What would be a distraction for most people becomes something easily ignored. 

Most of us civilians would not be able to handle the rigors required. 

I do think it is doable, and I think this method would work. Problem is finding the right teacher/coach to do it, and then totally commit to it.


----------



## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

If find "the zone" to be something completely different.
To me, it doesn't require I I intense focus, and is absolutely NOT tiring.
It's what happens when you can "let go" as Obi Wan would say. Just get out of your own way and just shoot. Much like Pagett's article on spectator shooting. It doesn't happen when you micro manage everything. You have practiced enough, your body knows what to do.
If you skip a step in your shot routine, do you let down? Or does it bug you enough that even though you may have come back and "fixed" it, it's still in the back of your mind?
When "in the zone" for me, shooting is easy, and very relaxing. I'm not concentrating all that hard, and I'm enjoying watching myself shoot a great score.
Sometimes impossible odds can help bring it on.
One tournament (team), my partner misfired an arrow right after I had an unexpected shot as I didn't reset my hinge enough to engage the clicker. 
I knew we were done, 1st place could NOT be had after a bad arrow AND a miss. Maybe the pressure was off a little, but there was still a top 3 to be had.
Suddenly, I couldn't miss. I wasn't trying super hard, just went up there and shot. We still wanted to win, and there were other teams that were quite good. I hate losing a single game... Even if we are far from contention, or if the game in question will have no effect on the final results... I want to win. So it's not like I didn't care, but I wasn't going to kill myself to take 3rd. My partner was having an off day, but it didn't matter. I was on fire... I was " in the zone"! And I stayed in that zone for the rest of the day! I was almost laughing between arrows because it was SO easy.
Now I don't pretend to be able to turn that on and off, but I think a larger part of it is just getting your mind out of your way, and let your body shoot.
Watch Reo shoot in a match that he loses... And one he wins. He looks like he couldn't care less where the arrow goes... virtually never fazed. Even the last Vegas shoot off, where he let down a couple, and seemed like he couldn't get his release to go, he was always super calm and didn't look like he was super focused. Never like he was excited. Never like he couldn't shoot that way for the next hour straight. To ME, THAT is the "Zone".
It's effortless, relaxing, and fun to watch. Now if I could only get out of the way starting with the first arrow LOL!


----------



## butadol (Dec 26, 2013)

I want to start off and say I have nowhere near the experience as all of you, nor do I pretend to be a great shooter. I am very new into target archery, but I have read everyone's posts here and I wanted to let you on to my own conclusions. 

What everyone is saying more or less;

The "Zone" is a mental state. 

Being in the "Zone" produces better than normal results. 

Nobody knows how to achieve the state of getting into the "Zone" on command, it just happens.

If the above statements are correct it seems to me that we are chasing an objective that cannot be controlled. This is great in my opinion. It is the basics of setting goals for ourselves. We know the "Zone" can be achieved, but to do it consistently there is no way to get there. Efforts to do so are futile. Yet, when we do get there we unlock our true potential, be it in Archery, our Job or in life. 

This is why I think this is great, we do not need a state of mind to perform our best, we can make it habit. 

Say you are 290+ 45+x 5 spot shooter but, when you are in the "Zone" you shoot a 300 58x game. Now you have a goal, you know you can shoot that, but mentally you think you have to achieve being in the "Zone" to do so. 

Why?

You, the person behind the bow just shot that score! You do not need a special state of mind to get there. You know your potential. 

now you work, and work, and work to shoot that score while not being in the "Zone" and you achieve it one time, through focus and execution. It will be easier to repeat that as a "normal" score. 

Then you have another in the "Zone" game and you get you 300 60x. You now have a new goal, you have proven that physically you can shoot that score. Then repeat the process. 

Once you get to the level shooting normally that you have proven you can shoot while in the "Zone" it is now how you shoot normally. 

I do not focus too much on getting into the zone, but when I get there I now have a new goal to achieve. My goal is to bridge the gap from normal shooting to "Zoned" shooting. 

Eventually you will get to the point where these pros are. What seems to us that they are in the 'Zone" may only be normal shooting to them. They may think being in the "zone" as the ease of the round, or true spectator shooting. They then have new/different goals for themselves. 

All I am saying is why focus on chasing the unicorn that is getting into the "Zone" consistently or on command? The focus should be on shooting as well as you do while in the zone when you are not....

Just my 2 cents, but I love this thread. I love learning from the experience of others.


----------



## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

montigre said:


> Okay, I have been shooting for a little while now and have probably logged a couple hundred competitions under my belt from the weekly local stuff up to nationals. Through my practice, I have determined that "my personal zone" is that background sounds become very distant and the target face suddenly appears grossly ginormous (the 10 ring takes up the entire space of my 29mm scope housing) and I know without a doubt in the world that there is no way in hell that I could ever miss a target that size, and I don't....
> 
> To the best of my memory, this has occurred on only 3 occasions--2 in practice at my home range and once during a national competition where I came in 2nd behind a shooter who shot a new event record.
> 
> ...


hi there montique......best question i have seen in some time here on AT... i will give my opinion..THE ZONE as you call it ,does apply..here is my .02 its like runners high, or a switch that some or very few can just flip on ! its like i know my wife is talking but i do not hear a word..like a very real day dream..im in the zone.my mind is seeing one thing the X.. nothing else seems to matter , you know other things are happening but its almost in slow motion...you think about nothing its gonna happen .... the X ITS MINE... its a state of mind..... its a self hypnosis state or a sub conscious state due to self hypnosis...that puts you there.. its pretty cool ...its almost like a out of body experience.its seen more by people who have a bad case of sleep apnea, they cant tell what or if anything its real or not...they are dead asleep snoring eyes closed, but they some how know every word said . and even swear they are awake the whole time and can repeat word for word even hallucinate ...its wild some never know whats going on till its real bad they find them self being woke up by a co worker or police while dead asleep at a car or a work sight...the heart even stops for great lengths of time making the person super tired all the time, and they cant figure out why.till the doctor puts them on a sleep study.. its wild..... but ive seen others swear its due to to much lsd in the 60s and they recall a trip or a grand hallucination they had and can trigger it to happen the eyes water and poof..... ive seen some that are even able to read whats on your mind or tell you what card is what while its face down ... while in this state , but ive not seen this for years...its like you out side freezing cold, but you think beach...and you bring on memories of a warm hot sunny day you had ..and poof you are not shaking any more.sorry i got off topic...some .....wish i would bottle that stuff...mike


----------



## Deadeye32 (Aug 27, 2012)

I felt like i was in the zone once. Could hold my pin rock solid on a quarter at 40+ yards. The next day i was back to usual pin float,etc. I dont know how i did it but i want it to happen again!


----------



## Strodav (Apr 25, 2012)

Excellent thread with great comments. Just marking it with this reply so I can get back to it easily.


----------



## BearArcher1980 (Apr 14, 2012)

When I have gotten into "the zone" as it has been coined here and shot perfect games I seriously wasent thinking about my score. My first 300/60 I didn't realize I did it till my buddy pointed it out to me during a league shoot.
I was told by one of the best archers in the pro class, you only have to be serious for 2-4 minutes at a time. The rest of the time have fun, laugh and enjoy the situation and people. Once that arrow passes the 10' line its gone. Don't think about it. Its hard I know, especially during a big tournament.
All the times I have shot perfect games was when I had a bunch of friends around and was having a blast not thinking about my score. Just shooting and going through my shot process the way it was ingrained into my muscle memory by Alan.
When I start to have a bad day is when I over think things. If I miss one part of my routine I stop and start over. Everything the same every time.
I wrote down my shot routine in very detail to when I blink and rake a breath and exhale and followed it over and over at 10'. I do that alone for at least an hour a day every day. One day work on making sure my grip is perfect and how that feels in my hand. One day my release and how it feels when it breaks etc.
That has been the best thing for me.
Everyone has bad days, I had two back to back at Nationals this year but finished 12 places higher than last year. I ended up in the championship flight instead of the 4th flight.
I have watched my buddies shoot over and over and has been stated before, they go to a different place and just shoot letting that muscle memory take over.


----------



## jack mac (Feb 8, 2011)

This always helps me
Caddyshack - Be the ball, Danny! (legendado): http://youtu.be/LGKkmpbhv9k


----------



## davesf (May 18, 2014)

We know how to train into the zone..

The zone is a combination of conditioning the mind and body so thoroughly on a skill that we perceive and move instinctually, then letting go and relaxing into presence. 

I am no expert archer (yet), as i just took up the sport. However, i think im reasonably good at finding my zone of peak relaxed connection and presence. 

There are hundreds of books and teachings explaining how to relax the mind and find presence, inspired by the common elements of yoga and Buddhism. "The art of learning", "the power of now", "search inside yourself", "mindfulness made easy" are just a few of them. In fact, archery itself is such a practice.. As in "zen and the art of archery" and Japanese kyudo.

They all talk of connection to the quiet inner (wordless) self. Some use the word God. The word we use is not important, it is the state of watching ourself perform without decision or thought. I focus on my breath and remind myself "I am". 

One sure fire thing which keeps me OUT of my zone is to focus on future goals. When I fixate on a future goal, whether it be the grocery list or hitting the X, my mind and body become robotic and lose presence. 

A man walking up a hill enjoys the climb, but a man lost in thought about the summit trips on a rock he did not see.


----------



## Covurt (Nov 14, 2012)

The Zone = The Moment


----------



## dingbat (May 18, 2014)

"The Zone" that we're talking about actually has a root in psychology, and it's called State of Flow, and is generally attributed to completely focused motivation. I'm sure most of us have experienced this outside of athletics. It's really common for those who play video games, or may be academically inclined with studying, or artists, the list goes on and on. State of flow is actually a necessity for our brains.

Sounds like a lot of us are incredibly interested in learning how to "turn on the Zone" at will, and there's endless articles and studies dedicated to studying the state of flow. I grabbed the below directly from the Wikipedia article dedicated to flow state.

"Flow theory postulates three conditions that have to be met to achieve a flow state:

--One must be involved in an activity with a clear set of goals and progress. This adds direction and structure to the task.
--The task at hand must have clear and immediate feedback. This helps the person negotiate any changing demands and allows them to adjust their performance to maintain the flow state.
--One must have a good balance between the perceived challenges of the task at hand and their own perceived skills. One must have confidence in one's ability to complete the task at hand."

Cool stuff!


----------



## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Here are some thoughts on the subject from an old thread:



lft_arw said:


> I wonder how many involved within this thread think that being in the “Zone’, or “Window of opportunity” or having “It” believe it’s a phenomena or an out of body experience? Well I will tell you how you can learn to recall that mental state at will with a little (I mean a lot of) work. First of all I would like make several statements and even ask a few questions to prep this.
> How many of you remember what the range looks like that you shot your best scores at? How many can tell me what the environment that you shot in smelled like, Example: was there grass, trees, old musty building, etc.?... How many can tell me what you felt like, Example: energized, sleepy, calm, light hearted, humorous, serious, etc. How many can tell me your mental state at the time, Example: confident, doubtful, score based type thinking, performance based thinking, etc. Ok… enough questions to all. I hope you get the idea … Now, a few statements to all who care to read on. I have never shot better scores than when I started to keep a journal! I have never placed in a tournament that I didn’t believed I could truly win! After a successful tournament I knew I could have trained smarter! Ok, enough of that junk…once again I hope you all get the idea.
> 
> Making it happen mentally for you:
> ...


----------



## Reverend (Nov 2, 2004)

Great thread. 
Here's a nice little article on the subject. 
http://blogs.hbr.org/2012/03/how-to-get-into-your-zone/


----------



## Labs (Jun 3, 2004)

For what it's worth here are my $.02 on this subject...

Personally I relate best to the zone through my past playing basketball. I see the "zone" on two levels, so to speak.

When I shoot a free throw, I give very little thought to the whole process other than dribble three times and shoot. I can not recall hearing anything, thinking about anything in my shot process (hand placement, follow thru, arc or release etc.)...it's just dribble 3x and shoot the shot. I can do this over and over without thinking. On average I would expect to shoot in the 80-90%range. Now the "higher level zone" is when I do the same thing as above it's just that it seems every shot goes in with very little effort. These days were few and far between but there were spurts where it seemed effortless and everything I shot would go in. 

Shooting my bow has to become as simple and "second nature" like as shooting a basketball. A pressure free throw is very similar to a shoot down shot with a bow...everything is tighter, means more and gets much tougher to just do it...we tend to over aim the bow or start to aim the free throw neither of these are a good thing. 

Getting to this effortless state of shooting is the key and that is what I am working towards...will I get there??? certainly plan to try but it's not easy.

Good Luck!


----------



## dua lam pa (May 29, 2014)

Access to Success is thru the mind 




Flo


----------

