Table of Contents
What is The Flow?
Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi first proposed "The Flow". He defined flow as a special mental state. When you are extremely focused, you are completely immersed in it, your efficiency and creativity are improved, and you forget time. , forget hunger, and even forget all irrelevant body signals.
Csikszentmihalyi interviews pianist Entering the flow state is "I will enter a state of ecstasy. At that time, I can't feel myself. It seems that I don't exist at all. My hands seem to have nothing to do with my will. I sit there, With reverence and tranquility, the music just flowed out of my hands naturally."
Combining many studies, there are several necessary conditions for entering flow: top technology and strength, concentration, clear and challenging goals and good physical condition. The feeling of entering flow includes:
- Complete immersion: Losing yourself, approaching hypnosis, extreme amplification of sensory awareness
- Automatic operation: no thinking is required for any action, the body acts naturally
- Not aware of other things: Extremely high concentration, making it difficult to detect other feelings and being very sensitive to time.
- Extreme euphoria: a trance-like state full of pleasure and positivity
What is The Zone?
Athletes have a special state where their performance and competitive ability are beyond their original level. This is also a mysterious extreme state: "The Zone". His state is very close to "The Flow". Research points out that for athletes to enter The Zone, they must meet many conditions, including the amount of sleep, mood, nutrition and training, which all have a chance to affect whether a player can enter The Zone. Many players fail to reach this level once in their career, but they may be able to enter The Zone. Zone once or twice is considered lucky.
In 1999, Young, JA and Pain, MD first proposed the concept of "The Zone" in "Athletic Insight". The definition of The Zone is the state where athletes perform to the extreme.
James Barraclough, a sports psychologist at the University of Manchester, defines it as arousal. The subject of the study at that time was David Beckham in the 2001 World Cup preliminaries. At that time, his devotion and concentration met the criteria for awakening. Barraclough believed that awakening is between subconscious sleep and continuous panic. In these two extreme states, athletes can enter awakening. But once you are "popped out" due to tension or anger, it is basically impossible to return to awakening.
Andrew Caruso's 2005 study pointed out that The Zone is a state of extreme balance between excitement and consciousness, and is a state of highly focused relaxation.
If you look at it from comics, it's like the selfless realm of "The Prince of Tennis" or the zero realm of "Lightning Thunder".
What are the benefits of flow?
1. Have clear goals
The prerequisite for entering flow is to have a clear goal, so entering flow can complete the task or goal without distraction.
2. Improve concentration
After entering the flow, almost all trivial matters and distracting thoughts disappear, and only complete "engagement and concentration" can inject all the energy into the task at hand.
3. Improve operational quality
Improved concentration, even a state of total concentration, means a significant improvement in the quality of your execution. This applies to any field, including musicians, professional athletes, and even general work.
NBA players entering The Zone
Bill Russell
Let's bring the scene back to the NBA, and we can also find that The Zone's status will appear on the court from time to time. Legendary center Bill Russell said that he had a "magical feeling" occasionally. "Suddenly everything seemed to be in slow motion. I could feel what the next offense was going to be like, where there would be gaps. When the opponent had just dribbled the ball to half court, I can tell my teammates that the ball is coming," Russell said. "My premonitions are very accurate and I can sense my teammates and opponents."
Michael Jordan
In the 1992 NBA Championship, Michael Jordan hit six consecutive three-pointers. When he hit the sixth one, he shrugged to Magic Johnson through the broadcast booth, as if to say, "I don't know what happened, I just did it." At that moment, Jordan was engulfed in his own feel and ability, letting his body naturally dominate the game.
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony scored 62 points against the Bobcats in January 2014, setting a career high. However, in a post-game interview, Anthony could not tell what happened. "I just had a feeling. It's hard to describe specifically, but I was very focused. Only a few people know the feeling of this zone." What's interesting is that when Anthony kept scoring, he had no expression on his face, no smiles and no dialogue, and seemed to enter a trance.
Further reading:Ultimate Score Kaleidoscope Carmelo Anthony Knicks Classic Battles/Top 5 Peak Moments
Kobe Bryant
When it comes to the miracle of the modern NBA, it is definitely Kobe Bryant's second-highest 81 points in history against the Raptors in 2006. Lamar Odom, who was also on the court at the time, noticed a sign, "He was very silent, but you could feel that he was very angry." Kobe also said after the game that it was difficult to explain what happened, "I didn't realize what was happening, it was a bit like I flipped a switch and it turned into something special, but I'd be lying if I said I understood what was happening."
In addition to 81 points in a single game, Kobe seems to know a thing or two about opening the door to The Zone. In 2003, Kobe set a record by hitting 12 three-pointers in a single game, and hit 9 consecutively in the process. Kobe said in an interview after the game that it is difficult to describe, "I just fixed my feet in a good position, looked at the basket, and made the shot. I thought I would see if I could make another shot. In the blink of an eye, I made several shots in a row. That’s when I knew I was in rhythm.”
Further reading:Boss miracle! Black Mamba Kobe Bryant’s crazy records at a glance
Regardless of Anthony or Kobe's model, when a star suddenly becomes calm and silent, it is best not to disturb him first.
Kevin Durant
However, not every player is in calm killer mode. Kevin Durant will usually score goals calmly and calmly, but when he enters the zone, he will fall into a berserk mode. "I have never seen KD beating his chest and roaring. Talk trash as soon as the ball hits the ball," Thabo Sefolosha said after KD scored a career-high 54 points.
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is the holder of almost all three-point shooting records in the NBA. He once scored 62 points in a single game and broke into The Zone many times. "I only felt that my eyes were only on the basket, and then my confidence exploded. Then I prepared, shot, and shot in one go." ." Curry believes that The Zone is the feeling of having everything under control, "You will be very intoxicated, and then everything will come to you at your fingertips."
Further reading:A list of Stephen Curry’s crazy records in the field of top marksmen
Klay Thompson
Curry's prodigal brother Klay Thompson also entered The Zone many times, including setting an NBA record with 14 three-pointers in a single game, hitting 10 consecutive three-pointers, and scoring 60 points in 29 minutes, but he couldn't figure out what was going on. , "To be honest, I had no control over what happened in those nights. I just played the game my way and waited for things to fall into place."
Anthony Morrow
Anthony Morrow is one of the very few role players who can enter The Zone. He scored 42 points in a single game in 2012. "Honestly, I don't know what I am doing, but there is a force that guides my body to do something extraordinary." With normal movements and accuracy, I just went with the flow and tried to concentrate on this unprecedented rhythm.
Damian Lillard
In the 2022-23 season, many players broke out in the universe and set career scoring highs, including the birth of two players in the 70-point club.Damian LillardI think I entered the attack mode proactively, "I just felt very good and smooth, and the whole feeling was very bright, but after the competition, I was a little at a loss. I don't know if I was over-excited or something."
Another one also scored 71 pointsDonovan MitchellThe description is even more mysterious. He told it in a Star Wars way, "It's a bit like feeling the force. There is a feeling flowing through my body, and the movements are made naturally."
How to get into flow?
The state of The Zone is too mysterious and rare. Most players and sports reporters are unwilling and difficult to discuss it in depth. However, with the gradual development of psychology and scientific research, we may be able to peek more and more into the state of The Zone. How to open the door.
Psychologists have basically become an indispensable role for professional players. They can not only help players relieve stress, but also use meditation or concentration training to help players.
However, most players believe that there is no way to enter The Zone through training. "It is impossible to find the switch. When you enter, you will not notice it at all. You only realize what I just did when you come back to your senses." Curry said. Durant also believes that it is a moment that cannot be grasped. "It does not necessarily happen when you are in the best condition. Sometimes it is just a moment, and then you are completely focused on it without knowing it."
When all athletes, trainers and psychologists talked about how to enter The Zone, they all mentioned one key: basic movements and techniques. "If I have to talk about a starting condition, I would think of it as proficient basic movements. When these basics are all It becomes natural, and the next step is to wait for God’s blessing,” Curry said.
