Zen and the Art of Disc Golf

[Jah Plastifari]

I recently watched a TV show about the power of the brain. They showed a pistol marksman who was hooked up to an EEG showing his brain waves. His pistol had an infrared device attached so they could detect where he was aiming. When his brain was producing beta waves (which are normal for an alert human) his aim was very erratic, he then "switched" to alpha brain waves (which are indicative of a trance like meditative state) and his aim was dead on.

The production of alpha waves is believed to preclude what is commonly known in sports as being in "the zone." I have been able to reach "the zone" playing basketball, and I think I have been able to do it several rounds in the past playing disc golf. It helps putting the most for me, I focus on one link, my mind goes blank or has a song playing in it, something "clicks" on the left side of my brain, I putt and it goes in. Before I saw the show on TV I had no idea what I was doing, now after a little research on the web, I believe that producing alpha waves is what is causing my great putting. I am a good putter without doing this, but when I am able to reach "the zone," I rarely miss inside 40', and I make quite a few out to 60', which is the limit of my putting stroke.

It isn't easy to do, and there have only been 3 or 4 rounds where I was able to do it for an entire round. I have just started playing seriously again, I am playing in my first tourney in four years this weekend, and now that I have some idea of what is happening, I am going to try and "make" it happen. It may not work, but I will give it a shot and report on my results next week.

Try a web search for "alpha waves sports performance," and you can find better explanations of what I was trying to describe above.

Has anyone else had similar experiences, or is this a bunch of hogwash? I open it up for discussion.

 

[AdamCaudle]

Sounds pretty believable to me. I know what the in the zone feeling is.

 

[sidewinder22]

Ride the donkey, feel the flow!

 

[jdggna]

I'm curious...how are you planning on "creating" these waves? To me it sounds like its more of a "relax and let it happen" thing.

 

[jdggna]

Never mind...found a site that talked about it. For those that are too lazy to search:

Deep breathing and closed eye visualization seem to be the most practical when already on the course.
Yoga and meditation as well if you plan on making more of a lifestyle change.

 

[Apothecary]

Ride the donkey, feel the flow!

:clap:

 

[Jermy]

I know that feeling your talking about! Its definitely something real! I always feel like i'm able to attain that "in the zone" feeling more often in competitive play.
When i'm playing with more pressure i'm always trying to visualize the shots alot more, especially in the putting. Theres that moment right before I throw where i'm super confident about the disc going in and stop thinking and throw it often hearing chains soon after.
Its some really interesting stuff thats for sure, the brain is a powerful thing!

 

[ZBoazMobster]

The mind is a powerful thing. I suspect that being 'in the zone' is not so dissimilar from a type of extended 'fight or flight' response. Watched a linedrive to Johnny's head yeasterday. You'd have sworn there was no time to react. I yelled 'HEADACHE' so late, I was literally waiting for my words to reach him 200 ft from me. After talkin' with him, he said everything was 'perfectly clear'. In the time the disc had to travel 10 feet @ full speed, Johnny had identified the disc, the thrower, and stooped just enough to avoid being hit.

 

[bazillion]

Last time I was "in the zone" I got a ticket for parking by a fire hydrant ...

 

[Technohic]

I often get in the zone, up until the point where I, or someone else comments about me being in said zone, then it just goes down hill from there.

 

[Frank Delicious]

Telling yourself to relax and get in the zone is easy, doing it is a whole other thing.

 

[okiebullgod]

I just bought two $130 dollar batteries when I decided to, "Get in the Zone".

 

[Fender088]

I believe in the zone, because I've experienced the zone in multiple sports. Basketball, soccer, and more recently disc golf. Like a lot of you said though, once you think about being in the zone or someone comments on you being in the zone, you usually shank the next drive and your round ends up being normal. I think it's easier to stay in the zone in the other sports I mentioned because you're playing so quickly that you often don't have time to think about how well you're doing. You reflect on it later. Disc golf is different. You have a lot of time to sit and think about your last shot or your next shot. For this reason I think it takes a lot of mental strength to stay in the zone.

 

[Olorin]

The production of alpha waves is believed to preclude what is commonly known in sports as being in "the zone."

Regarding your use of "preclude", as the giant Fezzik said to Vizzini, "that word -- I do not think it means what you think it means." Check out this definition. Maybe you meant "precede"?

 

[Jah Plastifari]

Regarding your use of "preclude", as the giant Fezzik said to Vizzini, "that word -- I do not think it means what you think it means." Check out this definition. Maybe you meant "precede"?

Inconceivable! Please don't let the people at Mensa know about this mistake, they may kick me out.

I agree that it is hard to stay in the zone, if you can get there at all. It would be cool if it is just a mindset that can be turned on at will. I doubt it, but I am going to play with the idea.

I am not a SNAG (sensitive new age guy for those born after 1970), I don't meditate, sit with a pyramid on my head, or wear crystals. Watching the TV show just really piqued my curiosity about the subject.

 

[DGChronicles]

my friend showed me something that helps me focus and get into "the zone". he just crouches down like a ball golfer reading a line on a put and takes a few breathes and focuses on the shot. it really works well for me, just calms me down and helps me zone out.

 

[Three Putt]

Isn't there a bad baseball movie where the pitcher "clears the mechanism" or something and everything goes quiet, focusing him only on the batter? For Love of the Game maybe? Anyway, it's a concentration trick they use in a movie.

 

[garublador]

Isn't there a bad baseball movie where the pitcher "clears the mechanism"

IIRC, there was something about that in "Bull Durham," but I'm not sure it's the same thing you're talking about. There was an episode of "Scrubs" about it, too.

 

[Jah Plastifari]

I think the key is to clear you head and let your body take over. I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm playing a practice round and and put one within 25' it's a piece of cake to walk up, pick up the disc, and throw it in the basket. Give me the same putt in a tourney after bogeying the hole before and the longest hole on the course coming up next, and it's hard to clear your head of bad thoughts and make the putt.

What I am going to try this weekend is listen to a song that gets "stuck" in my head every time I hear it before the round and see if I can keep replaying it in my head instead of over thinking what I am doing. The song I picked is "Sheep Go to Heaven" by Cake.

If that doesn't work maybe I'll buy some women's underwear and try to breath through my eyelids like in Bull Durham.

 

[Jukeshoe]

Fans of Robert Jordan will know this technique as "the flame and the void."

Jukeshoe: <----------Neeeerd!