Dice Setting, Setting the Dice

Dice Setting, Setting dice - craps dice control

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The Zone: Entrance & Departure

From Users of the Online Dice Control Library

One of the attributes which make for a good pilot is the ability to modularize one's life, sometimes referred to as shoe boxing or pigeonholing. Aviation is properly described as "hours of sheer boredom interspersed with seconds of stark terror". When "in extremis", you cannot allow the terror in even a little while you are executing your established and well-practiced emergency procedures. Time for terror later while at your leisure, after the emergency.

For me, the Zone is a space - a separate room or different direction to face. It is ALWAYS there; its existence does not depend upon me. To enter it I must simply enter it. As pertaining to craps, I enter the zone automatically as soon as I focus my sight upon my target area at the end of the table. (I face the "direction" of the zone and the zone envelops me - I am in it.) When I move my eyes off of my target after the dice have landed; I am facing in a different direction than the zone - I am back in "the normal world" and no longer in "the zone".

Because the zone always exists, I do not have to expend any energy to create it before entering; I merely have to enter. Likewise I needn't expend any energy to maintain it, as it exists as a location separate from and not dependent upon me. I must "move" something in order to pitch the dice; therefore I am not expending any more energy to enter the zone than I would be expending anyway. The zone is therefore not draining of my resources.

Dr. Heller* alluded to this "aspect" when he recommended that we all develop both a verbal and physical "cue" (making a circle with the thumb and finger of the off hand) for entering our "calm spot". He did not speak about leaving the zone afterwards (in my recollection); but departure is logically the reverse direction from entry; i.e. by removing the finger from the thumb.

This "methodology" (or perhaps philosophy - actually a belief!!) is readily adaptable to other endeavors. I first learned to do this while pitching softball (fast pitch) as a teenager. Later I adapted it to throwing darts and to spot bowling. If I shot pool (billiards) I would also apply it there.

It is an automatic procedure for me now - something that happens on its own. I subsequently never have worries or anxiety about whether or not I will be able to "enter the zone" or how deeply I will be able to get into it. It does not depend upon me to exist or a matter of something that I achieve. Therefore there is no performance pressure associated with entering it and no possibility of entry failure!! The zone is there, I simply choose to "step into that space" while I am throwing (actually I face in the zone's direction) and leave (face away) when I am finished. If you face in the direction the wind is blowing the rain, the rain will automatically strike you in the face with no effort on your part. If you then turn away, you will no longer be getting wet (assuming that you have properly dressed for the weather - prepared for the occasion).

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