Subconscious Mind in Petanque

Blog posted and still under development.. thank you for your patience as I correct and add photos to a very long blog.

The subconscious mind is what we call instinctive actions and is part of every sport. If you had magical powers and you had to bake a pie, you would think of it and "Poof" the pie would be there. Without, these magical powers you would have to instruct the mind of all the work of gathering the material for making a pie, preparing it and even calculate the time needed to cook.   Blog stats (below) same every year.

When you instruct the mind to do an action (make a pie) it is all "conscious" instructions . In the case of a sport it is instructions to the muscles that perform the sport action. After many times doing the same action and the making corrections with  the same instruction to the mind, the athletic has began to develop what can be called "Muscle Memory". Actually we remembering how to do the action correctly and the subconscious does those actions. Braking a car is often given as an example of the instinctive action in time of danger. We don't think but when it is finished we are surprised how fast it happen.

This blog is intended for coaches whom are beyond teaching new members the sport (level 1 "Club Coach) or helping correct a fault created from wrong actions during the delivery. (Level 2 or "Corrective Coach"). As the coach's student moves into competition and works with more mental problems of stress and concentration we find a Level 3 or "Competitive Coach" with efforts to change "Muscle Memory" into productive results.  

This information does not hurt to be known by a learning athletic but a major problem in knowing about the athletic's conscious and subconscious interaction during a performance; is that the athletic must continue to allow the subconscious mind to have control and it's "Muscle Memory" to be performed. Athletics will say that this is done by allowing the action to be performed in what is a "void of thought" or a "Zen moment". It is hard to control actions done in the uncontrolled "Subconscious" time of an action or performance. But it is possible.

Every sport is different, from the wrist movement of throwing a dart to the arm movement of Petanque or Lawn Bowls or Curling. These three last sports have the same physical movement in their beginning of action; but each is a little bit different as the muscle movement change and complete the actual action. Also the time between beginning the performance's action and when finally the athletic sees the result of their action can become a major problem. For this reason, in making corrections to an athletic's performance a "Level 3 coach" must be aware that attempting a change by conscious instructions to the muscles; also comes a lost of the "subconscious control" which is so important in a correction or in doing the new corrective action.

In some sports we do not identify the actions of the subconscious mind because the sport is what is called  an "open sport"; where the actions are performing and may be more difficult to divided into two seperate mind actions. 

subconscious mind 
explained on Youtube

 In an "Open sport" like Soccer or Hockey we are always "Open" to what is or has just happen around us. We are making adjustments for those actions in our sport as we encounter them. An example is when a opponent player is approaching on your left so you move the ball or puck to your right side. In seeing the player we have a "Open Sport" awareness and the subconscious action is done instinctively as you move away from that danger. This happen so fast you did not realize you (or the subconscious mind) had done it but after years of playing and many games experience your subconscious mind knew the necessary corrective action.

 Until you are in the top percentage performancer of your sport and against similar fellow  players and involved in  a national and international competition; you may not know or even think about these Subconscious" actions. Because Petanque is a "Closed Sport" and you are alone with your performance; the rules are made to remove distractions from others players thus allowing you  to develop actions and unique "Subconscious" abilities faster. 

In Petanque, it still means a lot of practice as your self-development progress through practice of that "Shooting Takeouts" or  a "Pointing with an Effect". Finally, you become aware that each Petanque shot you perform is begans  without any conscious thought. Most of the time a "Closed" sports has a Preparation routine  for the conscious actions and a "Performance" routine which you spend endless hours of actual action for perfection. Eventually you think the shot and "Poof" it is done in a fraction of a second.

If for a minute. we look at this idea of our brain is a bio-computer which is controlling our actions and keeping us alive with breathing and even actions of preventive security; we find a good website description of (Conscious and Subconscious)  interactions during times of danger or sudden changes.  The data collected by the subconscious is so important, and it is difficult to instruct the mind to use the necessary collected data.

 When you have made a decision and finish thinking on how to do the action; these actions are done by the "Conscious mind" because you are doing that action step by step with controlling instructions to the muscles.  Your actions remain conscious mind action even as you remember the past action and your "Thinking" of the result and how to better developed the success. For an action like jogging, we decide consciously to run and instruct our feet to start running, but in time of danger while jogging, like a person running toward us; the survival instinctive, or the subconscious mind becomes aware of the need to modify the action. You step to the side while still jogging but avoid the danger.

If an object was to be thrown at you and being hit would mean death or an injury; the subconscious mind would make us move out of it path. More serious than stepping aside for another jogger. When the "Subconscious Mind" activates an action it is usually  done "instinctively" based upon previous experience or training. Call "survival instinct" the mind has developed muscles actions in response to a dangers. These actions may not have been learned from practice but the memory of a previous occurance in the past. At these times, we are always surprise how quickly we reacted or how much strength we really had at these times.  Also, after the action has finished, we are not aware of having been in a "void of thought". Emotions happen and our reactions is to analysis what had just occured. This "Subconscious Analysis" is again the "subconscious mind" collecting data so as to performed instinctively again if a similar danger occurs. If we had taken the time to think of the danger, our waste of time meant the danger would have overcome us before we reacted. 

So, we think and do actions with the "Conscious Mind"  which become memories of that action step by step; and later  when we want an action performed again  we allow the "Subconscious Mind" to do the action with a thought. ("Run")

With the Internet we can find instructions on most everything and the work of these two parts of our mind is discussed and used by  Thinkability.com  which instructs and consulting readers into a  better performance through mental displine and analysis. Theyalso make us realize the important some people may be auditive while others are visual; and each individuals will express and develop mental abilities differently, 

Myself, I think in images so in transmitting an instruction to the subconscious, I see the image of what I want done and then let the subconscious do that action. If I want to correct an performance error I don't tell myself "Don't twist the wrist", which is a verbal command (auditive) to the mind but see the action . Both types of individual  Of course, a lot of hours of practice and "Muscle Memory" building has gone into an ability of creating an subconscious action.  If we realize that these two types of thought are real and for some individuals either of the two  types of Actions performed by an athletic are possible: we begin by a development and practice of an action and then by using the subconscious mind we create the action by calling on our "Muscle Memory.

  Instinctive Performance and Mental Training are not easy but by using Conscious actions to build certain Subconscious actions we can bridge this divide.When asked by a student, "What is the most important mental attitbute of an athletic?" The answer was " Focus" and although in this blog which discuss "Muscle Memory" and the Subconscious control of those performance; we forget the many aspect of "Subconscious interferences" in our sport. The mental inbalance of emotions and mental strength. Actions of staying in focus, called "Restarts" deal with many mental strain during a game and especially major Competitions.

Instinctive or Subconscious actions, what are they?.  We have seen that when driving a car and a child runs out in front of the car, we don't have the time to tell the mind or our muscles what to do. We "think" the action "Brake" and before we know it, the car has stopped before hitting the child. The Braking action was finished and we seem to be in a "void" or unaware of our actions.  As if in seeing the "Danger", and thinking "Stop"; the subconscious mind has reacted to our thought  and we "put on the brakes".

 Do you remember when first learning to drive how hard and badly your applied the brakes. The teacher probably bounced ahead and said "Gentle". We all now  see "Instinctive " actions performed every day and think nothing of it.  This Car driving example is interesting  because  we value the life of the child, but if a squirrel or wind blown piece of paper had been the object passing in front of us, we would react differently. Ofcourse, the subconscious mind does not wait to give us the possible control and choice of stopping slowly; but analysis the situration and reacts differently if it would have been a dog or a squirrel. 

 However because we know that a "too quick a stop" would have injured  the  baby in the "car seat"; the Subconscious made a different action  as is needed. This same  subconscious action is open to a level of control in our sports. If in petanque you were throwing a "Takout Shot" and someone stepped into your line of shot; you would stop the throw or modify it direction to not cause an accident. The subconscious was not trained in these action, it is based upon "danger" or "Survival" instinct which is not learned.

 The usage of the subconscious mind in our sport is hidden from us, the athletic, because  at the finish of that performance (Ex: a "Petanque take-out" shot is immediately finished); and we can  see the actual result of the action. In other sports like "Lawn Bowls"  there may be between 14 to 16 seconds before the bowl comes to rest near the "Jack" (target ball); and the athletic sees the results of their delivery. At this time the athletic would create a routine of activities to join these 14 to 16 seconds.

 The Lawn Bowls blog of "Three subconscious mind exercise" of December 28 2012; was first, an attempts to identify the presence of the Subconscious mind in the athletic's actual Bowl delivery.  But also then offered  a sort of exercises to communicate to the "Subconscious mind" what had been expected. Also, we discover that the subconscious mind can be changed and the "Muscle Memory" modified. Through learning to communicate by a single thought, the athletic can modify the "Memory performance" if such a communication (thought) is learned and done properly.

 However, like a new employee doing work for the boss, the subconscious mind with too much instruction can become confusion and create results that are not wanted. To some referred as "Conscious/Subconscious conflict" because we don't often try or have success in modifing the Subconscious actions.

Searching through my150 blogs about Lawn Bowls and the use of the Subconscious mind, that December 28, 2012  blog is interesting because the "Three Subconscious mind Exercises" can be applied to any sport to identify the subconscious mind. However,  the idea of concentration and occupation of thought for several seconds as is done in Lawn Bowls can bet creative in the changes in the performance especially if apply it to any other sport. 

 Recently, as I was working with a Petanque player who was "in" and "out" of the "Subconscious Zone" with his successful "Petanque Take-Out Shot"; I had to accept that this player was not interested in elite  classification  (Gold, Silver). His  only want was a satification in Social Petanque. "Acceptance by peers"  Too much information and even to suggested his method of communicating with the subconscious to inprove his performance was not his expectation or want to change his "Take-out" shot. Like getting a driving license, some only want to drive a car and others go to a Level 4 or 5 and drive an large Van. The player who wants to don international level competition has a greater expectation of his performance.

 This blog is intended to help athletics in their personal development of "take-out" Shots and after being aware of the Subconscious mind's ability; to be able to advance to the next level; of using the "Instinctive Zone" of the mind in being aware of the Subconscious presence.

In every sport the subconscious mind is present in our performance but in Petanque, your shot action is so fast that immediately after the release of your ball; you see the result. In Lawn Bowls and even Basket ball the delay between the action and the result can allow the athletic to feel the "void of thought" which occured when the subconscious mind was active.

 So the first step is to feel or be aware of when your subconscious mind is doing it thing; and expand your ability to give control of your actions to the Subconscious. Then as per the "Three subconscious Mind Exercises" blog; learn to communicate and even change those action of the subconscious mind to a better working result..

In the Petanque "Take-out Shots", the successful strike of the 3 1/2 inch "target" ball is usually self-ego  satification that the player does not feel the presence of the "Zone" void. In order for the precision in the "take-out" shot to be developed, the Petanque shooter needs to be precise. If the target ball is 3 1/2 inches large you can miss by 2 1/2 inches on either side and still have made contact. Also if your line of Shot is correct you can miss the distance by several inches and still remove the target ball.

  When I say "Precision Shooting" I refer to decision to strike the "target" in such a way that the resulting damage of  the target ball leaving from the pointing area; has not distributed the other balls. Unlike Lawn Bowls or Curling where each team delivers a bowl (or stone) to the pointing area in alternative sequence; in Petanque the opponents continue to play if they do not have the closest ball. In such "take-out" shot also removes your own ball as "shot"; they you must play again.

 "Precision Shooting" means communicating to the subconscious mind of the angle of contact and expecting that the subconscious will success. Otherwise, each take-out shot requires two balls. (the shooting shot and the replacement ball to recapture the shot). The game becomes the success of not leaving the opponents a surplus of balls to play after you  have played all your team's balls.

Secondly, if your "Take-out Shots" of the opponent's ball has resulted in your ball leaving the Point area or gain the point; they you again must play a second ball to have the "Point". Shooting to hit the "target" ball at an angle and to allow the thrown ball to pass without a contact with any of other balls is largely "Precision Shooting".

That article stated: 

"In sports, a lot of actions happens so fast only the subconscious has the ability to control how we react and then produce the final wanted result.  If a baseball player in throwing the ball and is losing his balance, what would happen if he was to think.. "I am not properly balanced and must throw to the left because I am falling as I throw"?  All of these thoughts, our conscious mind interference with our actions,  would result in the pitched ball being badly thrown as he lose the time to adjust his throw... The subconscious mind  can feels the off balance action in his throw,  and  also knows to achieve the  needed action wanted  to result in the adjustment of the action and force of the thrown of the baseball"

In Petanque the "Take-out Shot" is much like a baseball player out in right field who after catching the ball and beginning to throw it  to Home plate. The whole action of the throw is done so fast that the athletic does not know their Subconscious mind has been involved.  Unlike, Lawn bowls which maybe  nearly 15 seconds between start and finish of the Lawn Bowl delivery and performance; the near split second throw of the baseball ball or Petanque ball is finished before we are even aware of perfroming  the action. A total Instinctive action where a " Subconscious" action and "Muscle memory" was done as a rapid action. This is the same action of  a car driver finding their foot coming to the brakes, without thinking,  as a child runs into the street. We don't think, we just do it instinctive.

 In December 2012, as I started writing this blog, I was afraid that this subject would be miss-understood. But now, after more than 10 years the 140 blogs written, it has receied over 90,000 reads with the early spring volume always above the average. With still 10 days in April (2024) (the volume is now 2,123 blog reads, this month. The "Read Stat" chart on the right, is the last 7 days since prior to starting to write this blog; and has already had 851 readers visit).

The December 2012 blog read:

  This blog speaks of a old saying that "A wise man and a fool appear alike until either one of them  begin to speak"  Why even express yourself in something, which others don't understand and  which may be so controversial to have readers view your teachings as Poppy Poop...

Last Month, while watching Ryan Bester, Canada's best Lawn bowler, on streaming Australia Bowls at  the World Bowls 2012,  in Australia.; I saw  the smooth flow from Conscious to subconscious actions in his bowl delivery. 

This young man has done what I had taken over the last 40 years of personal learning in several sports for me to develop(Archery, Petanque, Lawn Bowls) ,,.  With great teacher like the french instinctive traditional archer,Jean Marie Coche, and his book "La discipline du tir a l'arc instinctif souple", I have learn  to relax during the(se) action, and let the subconscious do the sport.

  I believed in the development of these abilities, "to be in the Zone" and if not for the recent video of Tiger Wood on the subject in Youtube, I would have just continue to work on it myself.  This smooth flow of mind from conscious to subconscious, creates what some people will call an out-of-body (experience)

On December 02 2013, Golf Digest  has a 18 great mental

 tips from golf greats and one was by Tony Jacklin who said " When I am in this state, everything is pure, vividly clear. I'm in a cocoon of concentration"

Another golfer , Mark Cslvsbrvvhis said it another way in that article. "When I'm in a zone, I don't think about the shot or the wind or the distance or the gallery or anything; I just pull a club and swing."

Likewise, Al Geiberger said  "A great round of golf is a lot like a terrible round. You drift into a zone, and it is hard to get out of it."

 This Zone is when the  Conscious mind release control to the subconscious, and you stand back and watch as you are performing the actions.  The actions and results is best defined as being " totally in the zone" because you have learn  it is possible to give total control to the subconscious. "

 Tiger Wood's coach in talking about Visualization in Tiger's Perfection  ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1mSMDoVqcg) said

 "The athletic in the Peak Performance Zone,, is really in a heighten state of awareness., an absorbed focus. There is an element of Relaxation Response, that goes on in there. And they are always in the Here and the Now, with a clear uncluttered mind.  Just absorbed in the moment."  and most important.. "Letting the performance happen rather than thinking or helping the performance to happen"

We understand that our thoughts and instructions that we give to our muscles are a "Conscious" control of our body. However, "Muscle Memory" which often happens in sports, is the balance of muscles which after months of perfected movements are repeated. Through a detailed practice over hundreds of repeative movements; we reach a point that your  "Subconscious Mind " know and performs it.  

My first incounter with "Muscle Memory" was when doing archery. I discovered a perfect release requried that three small neck muscles had to work together on my raised Shooting arm. What I discovered was that one muscle was performing while two others were not.  It was difficult to change the habit but eventually I changed it so all three muscles worked together. Muscle Memory mean each know what they must do and it is done perfectly.  When all is correct, we say that instinctively we did the action. But instinctive does not require thinking to do it.. but "think it" and it happens. But "Think it". Communication to the muscles is to let the subconscious mind perform by not attempting to tell the body what to do. Conscious thought or instructions are us trying to do the correction our self.

The previous blog helped the Lawn Bowler reconize the feeling of  release of control by the conscious mind to the "Sub-conscious mind". These three exercises can be adapted so as to identify for the Petanque player the presence of the subconscious mind. To understand and know when the transfer of conscious mind is made to the subconscious mind requires looking for that "void of thought". From there a player can do a short communication which is needed to tell the subconscious  which actions  modification is to be performed. And then let the subconscious mind  perform the action with total subconscious liberity.  Not an over-night development but with work the potential and control is possible. 

Editing to be continue soon...

"Whether, in a Lawn bowl delivery, Archery shooting an arrow or what ever (a petanque Take-out shot).  If we think about what we want to do we lose it..  Because the subconscious mind requires you to not think about your action; you must learn to think about nothing for that few microseconds." (and let the action happen)

... (after a lot  of blog discussion about Lawn Bowls, the blog continues)

   "In my first sport, Archery, I was shooting beer bottle caps at 30 feet off the wire fence.. Just turn and shoot instinctive.. Trick shots , yes a bit , but skill use of the subconscious mind in a split second of action.  If I had taken the time to aim I would never have been able to do it.  Just that quick action of turning and shooting... no thinking... just doing.   You can do the same in Bowls and Ryan Bester shows this in his delivery and shots."
.
"Without saying too much more but with these three exercises,  listed below, which allows the Commanding of the Subconscious; you can  apply it in your  personal Sport.  Again to some,  I will seem to be an idiot, but to others I can be a teacher."

"Like a neuro-computer, our mind works on our thoughts and commands. But like a computer with a operating system a lot of what happens in our life are controlled by a subconscious part of the mind."

 "Daily, in driving a car we Brake to a stop without thought as we do many (such) tasks instinctive. We live our lives with the subconscious doing for us. The subconscious mind is always busy , But never do we allow it a total control, and so it is hard to later develop it as part of our sport.  Maybe, it is now time in our personal sport development, to engage, and develop, this aspect of mental control. Let things happen and be less of a control freak as we watch our self giving more control to the subconscious mind. ( And see the difference it makes in our performance)."

During the winter months, I play  Petanque which is similar to Lawn Bowls in principle of throwing or rolling a ball to a target ball. (jack in Bowls and 'Cochon' (Pig) in Petanque). However, the major difference in the two game is that in Lawn Bowls each team take alternate turns (like in Curling) in  delivering their bowl until none are left to play; while in Petanque if the team doesn’t have the closest ball to the "Cochon" then they  continue playing until you do or have no more balls to play.  This is a situation where after one team has played all of their balls; the opponent may have three or four balls yet to play and convert  into points.

There is also a difference in distance. to the  'Target ball', where  in Lawn Bowls, the distance to the 'Jack' could be between 21 meters and 30 meters from the 'Delivery mat'; the difference in Petanque is always between 6 meters and 10 meters from the 'Cochon' unless it had hit and moved it which time  it could go up to 20 meters. (Unlimited Gaming Surface).  Also, because of the difference in distance; in Lawn Bowls, the bowls must be rolled while in Petanque we very often find the opponent doing a through the air throwing ball  as a 'Take-out Shot' to remove the opponent's ball. 

Editting of dictation needed from here on..

In both Lawn Bowls and Pat down (Petanque) there are rules that suggest that when the individual is in the petanque Circle or on the Lawn Bowling that the opponents are required to respect their effort to do a good delivery or shot and not be carrying on a conversation.

However because the Petanque distance is so short 6 m to 10 m often Give me up in a communication between the skip and team player is verbal and to often not necessary. In Lawnbowls with a jack on the centre at the green had 25 m. There is some communication with signs and verbal, but not to the point of Petanque.

Because the distance in Padon is short very often just get will hear the conversation of his teammates After he has made a decision which I disagree with or has not performed the proper shot. At the International level of Petanque there is more discussion between the Skip and his team players as they walk back-and-forth to the night in the head. And Lawn Bowls the player on the mat is only permitted to go up and up the Green to the head after having played his third bowl.

Recently, during my petat don’t visit to the blood drawn. I was talking with a curling enthusiast, and he was surprised to learn that curling is the Canadian adaptation of Lawn Bowls. They seem to be quite different in nature, but there’s a lot of similarities, which would suggest that the Canadians having started curling on frozen lakes with coffee cans full of cement we’re practising there Lawn Bowling draw during the winter months.

Similarities between Lawn Bowls and curling is that the previous method of a backswing and that slide Delivery has all the same movements as a Lawn Bowl delivery. Also the new release line for the delivery is 21 m from the centre of the curling house. The same as the minimum distance to Lawn Bowls.