by Garret Kramer
We often hear it from successful athletes at the conclusion of an awesome performance: “Man was I in “the zone” today.” And while “the zone” seems to be this magical place that spawns great play, I am not sure if I have ever heard it clearly described or demonstrated. Since so many athletes have recently come to Inner Sports in search of this elusive state of mind, I am going to take a shot, in this blog entry, at putting this hard to define viewpoint to words. I say hard to define because like the concept of Truth, with “the zone,” I believe that we are actually trying to explain the unexplainable. Words can never mimic the feeling of “the zone,” so as you read along here, the best we can both do is to use the words as an echo of that feeling.
“The zone” is not about some heightened state of focus or concentration, it is the heavenly place where external limitations cease to exist.
Let’s start off by explaining what “the zone” is not. “The zone” is not the intellect. When an athlete is in “the zone,” the last thing he or she cares about is thinking or analyzing. “The zone” is not about trying hard. When an athlete is in “the zone,” there is no conscious effort or grind. Lastly, “the zone” is not about some heightened state of focus or concentration. When an athlete is in “the zone,” there exists such clarity and vision that focus becomes a mere after thought.
The word then that I believe is most synonymous with the notion of “the zone” is…freedom. When an athlete operates from a perspective of freedom, they don’t think for they know, they don’t grind for they allow, and they don’t focus for the feel. Freedom truly means that an individual is performing with a complete and utter understanding that external circumstances have zero ability to regulate his or her life. So moved, an athlete exists at the height of consciousness with the perceptual field wide open. From here, the outside world can’t touch a player and thus it becomes impossible to fail. “The zone” is the heavenly place where external limitations cease to exist and regardless of any outcomes (as labeled by the outside world), an athlete is free to get on the field and just let go.
The only way to find “the zone” is to understand that there is nothing actually required on your part.
Now, finding “the zone” is a whole other matter. First, it is essential to understand that once you believe that there is something you have to do in order to find it, you are lost before you start. I have often heard coaches instructing players to be more intense or to concentrate, only to watch their performance go straight down hill. I have also spoken to many athletes who say that on days when they aren’t in “the zone,” they try so hard to get there that they ultimately trip over their own two feet. Believe it or not, the only way to find “the zone” is to understand that there is nothing actually required on your part. Just think for a second about the best performances, or experiences of any kind in your life. Did you truly try to focus, grind, or exert willpower to find this mystical place? My bet is a resounding no.
“The zone” exists in the depths of every athlete’s soul.
Therefore, at the risk of touching on the spiritual side of sports, to all players who are out there searching for “the zone,” my heartfelt suggestion is simply to stop. Realize that your search is truly leading you further away from what you seek. “The zone” exists in the depths of every athlete’s soul, and will only emerge from clarity, quiet, and the free will that we all possess. “The zone” is athletics’ version of Truth or even Spirit, a level of awareness where all is right in the world, and thus the game and life just flow.
So, while I know that my words here have failed to do it justice, I simply hope that the feeling is enough to give all athletes a glimpse of “the zone’s” capabilities, and what we must understand, and not do, in order to find it.