Professional athletes talk about it all the time, “Getting into the ZONE.”  That magical feeling you as an athlete get put into when everything you do on the playing field turns out to be awesome!

Madison Bumgarner was just in that zone during the baseball post-season.  Did you watch him?  He was untouchable.  In the 2014 World Series, he went 2-0, 1 save, 21 innings pitched, 17 K’s, 1 walk, 1 meaningless earned run, an ERA of 0.43, and a WHIP of 0.48.

Yeah, Bumgarner was in the zone.

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to be in the zone though.  It can happen to you at any level.  I’ve been in the zone.  I can’t necessarily describe how you can tell when you are in the zone, but the best description of being in the zone is a lot like pornography – you know it when you see it.

Everything just seems to be clicking for you.  You might even have a few lucky bounces your way.  It is just your day.  Here are a few personal examples:

  • In one high school basketball game I played against Olentangy, I scored 30 points shooting 10-12 from the field (1 three pointer), and 9-9 from the free throw line.  Not bad for a 6′ 1″ shooting guard.
  • Basketball can have great examples of being in the zone.  In college I was playing a pickup game and the guy guarding me was some frat boy who disliked me (I know shocker).  I lit him up.  Hitting four consecutive long jumpers in his grill and the last one he tried to block my shot giving me a high five in the process.  Get off my court and sit down.
  • I was playing a flag football game 4×4 and caught everything thrown my way.  No bobbles, just sure handed grabs.  I think I caught three touchdowns as we blew this team away.
  • On my birthday last year, I played someone in racquetball who statistically was a lot better than me.  Maybe he had an off game or maybe I was in a zone, but I was tracking down everything and hitting winner after winner.  Trust me, that doesn’t usually happen in my racquetball games.  But, I ended up crushing him.

Those are some of my examples, so what are yours?  Have you been in the zone?  If you are asking me how to get there, my answer is

I HAVE NO FLIPPING CLUE!

I have some thoughts though.  I don’t think there is one secret key to getting into the zone.  I think it is a healthy mix of a few things that individually don’t quite cut it, but together might make magic.

  • You have to at least be talented at what you can do.  I’m not saying the benchwarmer can’t get in a zone, but the chances of that happening on the rare occasion you see the field is slim.
  • You have to embrace competition and appreciate the moment.  I don’t mean be an uber competitive a$$hole, but be competitive where you love competing in your sport.  But, you also appreciate the fun, the hard work, and the mano e mano that is happening between you and your opponent.
  • You have to always be working at your craft and working hard.  I’ve gotten in the zone in sports that I’ve played before, a lot, and pretty good at.  You don’t just walk out on the court and start hitting jumpers.  That comes with practice and years of taking shots.  Even for a rec stud player like myself.  Just like I can’t enter a bowling alley and bowl a 300.  I stink at bowling.  You want to put yourself in a position to be in the zone, practice your craft so when it comes up in gametime, “You’ve lived it before so you’ll have a good chance to execute it.”
  • You can’t force the issue.  Unfortunately, you can’t force yourself into the zone.  You have to be relaxed when you play anyways, but let it come to you.  The zone doesn’t always happen to people, but when it does as Lloyd said to Harry in Dumb and Dumber, “Just go man.”  Let it flow.

I wish I could give you better advice then that, but that’s all I got.  I hope you do get to experience being in the zone.  It is a fun place to be in.  I guarantee you will remember exactly what happened, where it happened, forever.  Anybody who says, “I think I’ve been in the zone, but let me think about it,” has NOT been in the zone.  Once again, trust me on that.

Please share your experiences being in the zone in the comments box below.