Your 'A' Game
This is you performing at ‘your’ individual best, you are focused completely on your process with no distractions and as a result you start to drop into a state of hyper concentration known as the Zone or Flow State where you find yourself driving unconsciously as if you are on autopilot.
You are not thinking where to brake, how to brake, where to turn or where to pick up the throttle, you find yourself observing your driving, you are just witnessing what is happening with no judgment or interference with the process. You will realise that:
You are performing at a higher level – time is coming to you, you are not chasing it
You are using less physical and mental effort
You are not making mistakes
Your are driving more instinctively, you are naturally adaptive to changing handling and track conditions
Your reactions are faster - they are not filtered by your thinking mind
And… most importantly, it is enjoyable!
You generally only know you have been deeply in the Zone when it is over, and a deep experience of the Zone is quite a rare occurrence. The Zone is quite a broad spectrum and our goal is to touch the beginnings of the Zone as often as possible.
Please Note: the Zone is not dependent on ultimate skill level - you can still experience the Zone with poor technique.
How do we access the Zone? First of all we cannot go out with the intention of driving in the Zone… the Zone cannot be chased down consciously as it is a product of the unconscious mind… it can only be ‘attracted’ and the way we attract it is by concentrating on our B Game.
Your 'B' Game
Your B Game is essentially your individual process of driving – ‘Your Method’ - the technique you have practiced the most, the sum total of the Neural Pathways that you have built up through purposeful practice. This Method should have been tested over and over again under pressure in training to ensure that it is robust.
If your B Game is robust and you focus intently on your Method and the Task In Hand with no distractions, your driving will naturally start to flow and you will begin to touch the Zone. You have to trust that it will happen and stay with the process – being with what is happening in the moment as the corners and laps unfold.
If on the other hand your B Game is not robust and pressure to perform starts to build, you can very easily:
Start to think about where to brake, how to brake, where to turn or where to pick up the throttle
Start exerting greater physical effort , i.e. gripping the steering wheel harder
Start getting mentally tired and frustration can start to build
You will then find that your are:
Less instinctive and adaptive
Making more mistakes
Performing at a lower level
Not enjoying it!