How do you achieve and maintain the "zone"?

[asintu]

I'm sure most of you experienced the (energy/focus) "zone".
Sometimes you step on the court and you're "on fire", sometimes you need 30-60min of warmup to get "pumped up", sometimes it lasts for 4 hrs. , sometimes it goes cold after 1 hr. etc.

I think achieving this state has to do with a combination of things like sleep, food (timing), fluid intake, relaxation etc.

I was wondering if we can devise a plan of attack on how to achieve this state the moment we step on the court and also very importantly how to maintain it throughout the match.

For example, i dunno, eat lots of carbs 1 hr before the match and througout the match drink water and eat chocolate or bananas or drink sugary drinks.

It would be great if everyone shares their experiences of how they got in the zone and also how/why they got cold.

[jackson vile]

This is something that takes a lot of time and real strength to achieve on a consitant basis, good luck

[asintu]

This is something that takes a lot of time and real strength to achieve on a consitant basis, good luck

there's gotta be a way/formula for each individual.

[serveitup911]

It is all mental. A great book is The Mental Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey. It helped me a lot.

[jackson vile]

No actually it is biochemical and you can read some of Berry Sears books, that is dedicated to a diet for this very subject.


Has a web site and many books, also there are other books for this, you could also get a glucose monitor to see where you are at when you are in or out, but this is further complicated due to the fact you won't know what your insulin leves are at and further more you insluine sensativity will change with different diets, events in a day, and the season.


Many variables, some people do better with more carbs some with less, as stated many things can change this at any time, however he does cover all of this.

[devilish_duke]

I think it's pretty mental actually. The way i settle into a zone is to keep repeating the routine i do for shots (loopy and all) and eventually your mind settles into the groove and doesn't think about anything but the ball's trajectory. Works for me.

[asintu]

I think the biochemical part plays a more important role than the mental aspect. I consider the biochem. part the base and the mental aspect an opportunity to take your "zone" "rating" from 80-90 to 100%.

[scez]

It cant only be food. I had a club championship tourny right after my 2 hour clinic and I was really tired. I played horrible and pushed my entire first match and won 6-2. Then in my second match still tired I was pushing a little harder and won 6-4. But then in my third match, now I have been playing for 5 hours I played some of my best tennis ever. Blasting serves, winners from the baseline. It was probably because I wanted to get home quickly to play poker :p I then won the finals the next day even though I felt extremly sick while playing, luckily the other guy made a lot of errors.

[chess9]

For me, it's a state of heightened relaxation. I'm very calm, but also very focussed and fluid when I'm playing my best. The other 99% of the time I just schlep through....

-Robert

[jackson vile]

For me, it's a state of heightened relaxation. I'm very calm, but also very focussed and fluid when I'm playing my best. The other 99% of the time I just schlep through....

-Robert


I hear you on that one brotha:rolleyes: