ZONE (Zeroing Out Negative Effects)

The system uses perturbation feedback to help the athlete get into the zone through an original method of ZONE. The method allows a trainee to learn physiological self-regulation in order to modify the difficulty of the performance task and/or environment in which training is conducted. For example, better concentration leads to a variety of easier conditions on a training putting green. The technology incorporates software and hardware to provide real-time feedback to the athlete about how close his or her arousal and emotive responses are to an optimal state required to successfully perform the athletic task. This innovation presents the capability to extend current sports training and psychological practices of guided imagery visualization and cognitive reinforcement learning by systematically providing demonstrable and relevant feedback through the use of closed-loop, cybernetic feedback principles that provide immediate reinforcement of pyschophysiological self-regulation and translate into better skill-based performance.