What's actually happening when you go "unconscious" ?

[thelongbomber]

I have been very interested in this one aspect of snooker for a long time. Getting into the state of "flow" and being in the zone. Some things that happen, I already know about:

1. The crowd/spectator/opponent disappears
2. You don't hear anything
3. You start to see tiny details like marks on the table
4. You aren't thinking about your stance or grip

What I would like to hear your thoughts on is:

Do you end up thinking more about the cue ball and how you control it, or are you still thinking about potting the ball? I believe that when we play well, we are almost exclusively cue ball focused and the balls just go in, but I can't be completely sure. When we are NOT in the zone, can we get into the zone, by simply focusing on the cue ball?

What your thoughts on this?

[Cmbrstefan]

Feels real strange on this post.
Last night on my practise session, I tried something different other than to play on curing and aiming.

When standing I would pick a point that I would like to hit on the OB. O would only focus on that point and got down to the shot, when I feel all is on aim only then I would lookat the CB to see the contact point. Breath calm down and take the shot.
During that time iI did not think of grip, stance and other. I could feel the muscles movements and even mistakes.

But after a few shots my brain starts again grip stance sight and then for sure missing.

So my thought would be to get in the zone is to focus relax and breath concentrating on what you are doing and doing after. Just like meditation

[cyberheater]

I've have achieved unconscious flow on the snooker table a few times in practice. When suddenly the mental effort and thought processes required in potting a ball evaporate and all I'm doing is looking at the ball and allowing my consciousness is doing the rest. It's effortless.

Of course after a few shots my conscious mind says 'what's going here' and the flow stops.

When flow occurs. I'm not thinking about ghost balls or potting angles. I see the object ball and I instinctively know what the potting angle is without even thinking about it. Even long difficult shots. And they always go into the heart of the pocket. Almost like watching someone else playing.

I'm convinced it's like walking. You don't think about how to walk. You are only concerned with your destination. Flow in snooker is like that. At least for me on the rare occasion that it happens.

[vmax4steve]

Paul Newman explains it very well

"You don't have to look, you just know" That maybe a little simplified but what the flow or the zone is, is a time of no thought, relaxation to the point of letting what you know you can do take over while forgetting the anxiety of needing or wanting to do it.
We all know how to play snooker, we just let our thoughts get in the way most of the time.

[Stupree]

What's actually happening when you go "unconscious" ?

The 'Inner Game' series talks about Self 1 (the portion of you that gives yourself information ) and Self 2 (the portion of yourself responsible for the action) or as I refer to the as 'Self Say' and 'Self Do'.

What happens during most of your play and practice is that Self Say is giving you a running commentary such as "remember to keep your grip loose", "C,mon you should have potted that", "Behind the line of aim, step on to the line, drop your head down straight", and "lucky *******, he leaves me awkward cueing every time". All of these can be helpful or be a hindrance to your game but all cause Self Do to take action resulting in making subtle and at times large changes to your technique, speed, and rhythm around the table that can be harmful.

When you manage to silence Self Say you leave Self Do to do what it does best and perform. Even without Self Say's critique you are able to make the necessary adjustments and will correct faults without conscious processing. It is incredibly powerful when you manage to put a sock in Self Say and enjoy playing in the zone.

My advice is to practice as if your life depends upon it and play like nothing in the world matters!

[j6uk]

oh on not flow, mrT's gonna make a come back.

[j6uk]

Do you end up thinking more about the cue ball and how you control it, or are you still thinking about potting the ball? I believe that when we play well, we are almost exclusively cue ball focused and the balls just go in, but I can't be completely sure. When we are NOT in the zone, can we get into the zone, by simply focusing on the cue ball? no

i'm the other way around, and i don't understand that anyone could play to a very good level consistently if there focusing more on the cue ball than the object ball. that would be far too much guess work going on.

[itsnoteasy]

I'm only focused on the object ball when I play well, what I'm doing with the cue ball has been decided when standing up , in fact everything has been decided when standing behind the shot so I can give the pot my full concentration, the white will go where I have decided before I got down it doesn't need any extra thinking about.

[alabadi]

I'm no expert and there are many better players on here who can say how they play, however i feel to play well thinking should be avoided, and for me the main focus is hitting the spot i have selected on the OB. the cueball should take care of itself.

if your judgement is correct for the shot the cueball will end up where it should, trying to focus on the cueball will end up messing the pot.
this is an issue i have found effecting my potting, i pay too much attention to the cueball because of this i possibly take my eye off the contact point even if it is for a split second it still causes me major problems.

one other matter, its not possible to tell yourself to focus, focus is a natural thing so if you have to contentiously think of it your not really focusing you are thinking about it, if you get my drift.

like many who have been in the zone, if you asked them what you were thinking about they will tell you nothing, everything is just flowing

[Ramon]

I have been very interested in this one aspect of snooker for a long time. Getting into the state of "flow" and being in the zone. Some things that happen, I already know about:

1. The crowd/spectator/opponent disappears
2. You don't hear anything
3. You start to see tiny details like marks on the table
4. You aren't thinking about your stance or grip

What I would like to hear your thoughts on is:

Do you end up thinking more about the cue ball and how you control it, or are you still thinking about potting the ball? I believe that when we play well, we are almost exclusively cue ball focused and the balls just go in, but I can't be completely sure. When we are NOT in the zone, can we get into the zone, by simply focusing on the cue ball?

What your thoughts on this?

I assume you're a coach. may I ask you something? If you look at The top players ,,,95 percent of them, playing fast. They are fast players .. I wonder why that is??? maybe you have time to answer this question. I appreciate it very much. Thanks,

[ace man]

I don't remember anything in particular, so no idea what I'm thinking about during those rare times when everything seems effortless. That's the whole point, isn't it?
One thing I'm certain about is that my pace around the table definitely quickens.

[DeanH]

I don't remember anything in particular, so no idea what I'm thinking about during those rare times when everything seems effortless. That's the whole point, isn't it?
One thing I'm certain about is that my pace around the table definitely quickens.

yep me to, not running round but a quicker step
Not that I noticed it, others have mentioned it.

[alabadi]

yep me to, not running round but a quicker step
Not that I noticed it, others have mentioned it.

yep I agree with this, I have been told when I am playing well I play faster, all I can put this down to is when you are in full flow the quicker you spot things and therefore less time is spent thinking about each shot and this eliminates any doubt.

anyone who has played this game for a while knows the longer you spend on a shot the more doubt creeps in and in effect makes you more in decisive which ultimately creates anxiety.

free flowing snooker is what we all seek but is achieved scarcely consistently

[j6uk]

ive played many free flowing players in the past. they've knocked in a nice long red and followed that with a flowing forty but then ooh just over cut a cutback black, ive cleared to the blue with an 80. the next they missed on 17, ive gone fifty odd then berried the white. next their flow was nowhere to be seen and they couldn't pot a ball.
i knew exactly how they felt because i'd had that done to me on many times before.. you can be flowing, flying, buzzing, what ever you wanna call it but once that pressure comes on a big fat ? mark with be hovering over your head for everyone to see, then we see how you play, you want be thinking about flow and you'll be fully conscious that's for sure
this is when all that studying and good training kicks in.

[magicman]

There is a psychologist called Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced 6 cent mick hay lee) who is famous for his years of research on 'flow'.

He describes it like this - 'The flow state is an optimal state of intrinsic motivation, where the person is fully immersed in what they are doing. This is a feeling everyone has at times, characterized by a feeling of great absorption, engagement, fulfillment and skill - and during which temporal concerns(time,food,ego-self) are typically ignored. He describes 'flow' as being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement and thought follows inevitably from the previous one. Your whole being is involved and you're using your skills to the utmost.'

Csikszentmihalyi characterized 9 'component states' of achieving flow. To achieve a flow state, a balance must be struck between the challenge of the task and the skill of the performer. If the task is too easy or too difficult, flow cannot occur. Both skill level and challenge level must be quite high. If skill and challenge are low then apathy results. Other 'component states' include immediate feedback, merging of action and awareness, concentration on the task at hand, paradox of control, transformation of time, loss of self-consciousness and the trait of an autotelic personality. (This is a person who performs an act because it's intrinsically rewarding rather than achieving an external goal - Like dishing up a tough clearance for the challenge of doing it rather than winning the frame. We have to learn to enjoy a situation others would find miserable!)