What are the two ways athletes can enter the 'zone' of selflessness they reach?



People who are absorbed in sports, esports, music, etc. often experience extreme concentration that makes them feel like time has stopped. A psychologist at Southern Cross University in Australia explains how to enter this state, known as the 'zone' or 'land of selflessness.'

Let it happen or make it happen? There's more than one way to get in the zone

https://theconversation.com/let-it-happen-or-make-it-happen-theres-more-than-one-way-to-get-in-the-zone-149173

◆ Two types of 'zones'
In the fields of sports science and psychology, multiple studies on 'zones' have been conducted so far, but these studies have assumed that 'there is only one type of zone'. This is because it is based on interviews conducted months or years after athletes and others have made achievements, so the memory of small zone differences has faded.



So a team of psychology researchers at Southern Cross University, including Christian Swan and Scott Goddard, interviewed athletes within hours to days of their extraordinary performance.

As a result, it was found that there are two types of zones, 'flow' and 'clutch'. Swan et al. Described the difference between the two zones as 'the athlete's testimony describes the flow as'Letting it Happen'with a margin, and the clutch intentionally raises the gear at the very moment. It is described as 'Making it Happen.'

◆ Zone 1: Clutch
According to Swan et al., Clutch occurs when important results are imminent under certain circumstances where pressure is at its limit. For example, the clutch is at the end of the race where the personal best is being updated, the dash to get on the final bus, and the drive before the deadline.



To get into this clutch, you need to realize that you are on the verge of achieving your goals, realize what you need, and deliberately raise the level of power you exert. If you compare this to a marathon, it's like spurting during a race, saying, 'To update your personal best, you have to run the last 1km in 5 minutes.'

The legendary shot ' The Shot ' shot by Michael Jordan, the 'God of Basketball', on May 7, 1989, is also said to be a performance that was demonstrated in the clutch state.

◆ Zone 2: Flow
Contrary to the clutch that arrives under pressure, the flow is high performance when released from pressure. The point of the flow is the situation such as novelty, exploration, and experiment. For example, playing on a golf course for the first time or running on a new route.



What is needed for the flow is not a concrete goal, but an open goal such as 'how far you can do', 'how much you can score', and 'how fast you can run'. In this way, playing with unrestricted goals frees you from pressure and unnecessary expectations, gives you more leeway and confidence, and makes it easier to get into the flow.

Some athletes experience both of the two zones in a single play. For example, Shura Kitata, who won the 2020 London Marathon , ran in a flow state from the beginning to the middle of the race, and is said to have been in a clutch state at the end of the race when his personal best update was imminent.

in Science, Posted by log1l_ks