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The "Zone"

Slammin'SAM said:
......, but I never fell into that calm, serene, ethereal, focused, flowing state of mind that we call "the zone". I want to find the ON switch!
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I can't explain it, but I have a feeling that finding the zone requires an OFF switch.
 
sacul1573 said:
I've only felt the "zone" twice. Once playing golf about a month ago, about a 6 hole stretch that went par, birdie, par, par, birdie, par. It was exactly as you describe. I knew what each shot was going to do, I felt 100% confident and in control.

The other experience was running like Sean described, although mine was distance, not time. It started out as a 2 1/2 mile run in the countryside when I was 19, and I just kept going and going, never turning around to head home. I ended up running around in a wide loop, probably running about 11 or 12 miles total. Dont know where that came from, but it was the most peaceful and rythmic 2 hours of my life.
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our THP resident forrest gump!
 
v3.0 said:
I can't explain it, but I have a feeling that finding the zone requires an OFF switch.
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I can't explain it either, but I have a feeling you have just hit a nail squarely on the head.
 
for me it is not a zone but a swing thought. they can last for a while and I will go low, until it no longer is as effective. then it will be on to another and so on...
 
I've had it a few times in golf, but more often playing pool. For myself, I hit a shot that just felt soooo groved and special and everything went on autopilot. Until it run itsself out I couldn't miss a shot if I tried. The first time in golf was at Lake of The Ozarks in Missouri. Nothing was especially longer, just staight. Every iron from a 5 up landed withing 5 feet, lol.

It happened several times last year playing pool. A guy I play with often who generally gets me to the tune of 10 games to 4, would be like a 0 handicap golfer, laughs at how often it hits me. On those days I just go on auto and generally won't give any games away at all. Your imagination and visual accuity are off the charts. Three and four rail bankshots are common, lol.
 
I heard an interview with a famous teacher (his name escapes me) who described this feeling as projection. The feeling that you know where the shot is going before it goes... where you see the flight path, each bounce, and the result before you ever swing the club. While they teach this technique to the pro's- he always got excited to hear an amateur talk about it because it was such a pure feeling.

It was a really cool interview
 
RxGus said:
I heard an interview with a famous teacher (his name escapes me) who described this feeling as projection. The feeling that you know where the shot is going before it goes... where you see the flight path, each bounce, and the result before you ever swing the club. While they teach this technique to the pro's- he always got excited to hear an amateur talk about it because it was such a pure feeling.

It was a really cool interview
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Wow, I'd love to hear that interview.
 
My last round I got into the opposite of the "zone" - I call it the "funk". Even though I was swinging pretty well, especially the driver, I could not score. It seemed like every hole I made the mistake from which I couldn't quite recover par. I played the last 14 holes 11 over par (with a birdie in there). The "funk" is like the "zone" in that there is no apparent explanation of a cause, and just like a sudden distraction or bad break can end the "zone", one good swing or lucky break can end the "funk".
 
Ever Get "In The Zone"?

Ever Get "In The Zone"?

I went to play nine after work yesterday and shot the best score I have ever had. On the back 9 of my home course, which in my opinion is the harder portion of the course I shot a 42 with 18 putts. Typically, I shoot a 47-52 on the back 9, but for some reason yesterday I just couldn't seem to mess up. Even my 3W that I have been struggling with was behaving beautifully. It was like there was nothing but the ball and the club face, almost a zen like feeling.

I happened to look at the scorecard after 17 and saw that I was at 35 for 8 holes and it was like someone threw a bucket of cold water in my face and I ended up triple bogeying the 18th to end my round with a 42. But that is still several strokes lower than I usually shoot.

Anyone else get "In The Zone" when they play? Is it something that just happens or can you get into the zone when ever you want to?
 
ive had days where certain parts of my game are in the zone and other parts werent... if i could get a complete game consistently then id consider that being in the zone
 
Last time I felt like I was in the 'zone' was in June where I blew threw the front 9 on a tough course near me with a 40 and 16 putts. I felt like I couldn't do anything wrong however on the back 9 I got too big for my britches and went for a lot of flags I had no business going after. I got away from my 'smart golf/manage the course' state of mind and had a 46 on the back. Still it was such a great feeling
 
About a month or two ago I was playing back on the tees with Ole Gray. I made 8 pars and 1 bogey on the front. The only reason I made a bogey was because I didn't use enough club on one hole and came up short in the trap. Everything I hit that day was straight and flush. It was fun while it lasted.
 
RonInThornton said:
I went to play nine after work yesterday and shot the best score I have ever had. On the back 9 of my home course, which in my opinion is the harder portion of the course I shot a 42 with 18 putts. Typically, I shoot a 47-52 on the back 9, but for some reason yesterday I just couldn't seem to mess up. Even my 3W that I have been struggling with was behaving beautifully. It was like there was nothing but the ball and the club face, almost a zen like feeling.

I happened to look at the scorecard after 17 and saw that I was at 35 for 8 holes and it was like someone threw a bucket of cold water in my face and I ended up triple bogeying the 18th to end my round with a 42. But that is still several strokes lower than I usually shoot.

Anyone else get "In The Zone" when they play? Is it something that just happens or can you get into the zone when ever you want to?
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I merged your thread with another one on the topic Ron.

As for me, I've never experienced the zone with my complete golf game. I have with a putter.
 
Congrats on the great round. There's several threads on here about being "In The Zone", might be worth a search, I think you will like the read. It's happened to me only a couple of times in golf, but many times playing pool. Your take on a sensation of being a zen sort of feeling is perfect, thats just how it seems. They say there's actual training that can help a person reach that spot, but I've never been able to find it.
 
I was in the zone for a few weeks in late july, I was shooting mid-high 70's. At one point I was -1 through 11 holes in one of my rounds but finished 75. In the past month my scores have come back to normal which is low 80's. It was great! Annoying part is figuring out why I got into the zone and how to get back.
 
I was in it last week. Cop pulled me over, said I was doing 70 in a 55 zone. He gave me a warning and let me go. :devil:
 
I had my zone for the month of August where I was clicking on all cylinders and shot several rounds in the 70's. Even my putting was far better than my normal so yea,,,,, it was cool. I am still playing well for the most part with a minor occasional misfire however I am still really striking the ball well. My putter is what left me once September arrived. I recently purchased a new belly putter and the bonding period is coming along very slowly. Way too many 3 - jacks.......
 
Been there a few times, but never for more than 9 holes I think. Not necessarily 1-9 or 10-18 mind you, I made 7 birdies between 4 and 12 once. Made 4 birdies in a row a few times and I guess that counts as the zone. It's hard to explain, but you are in a place where you are calm, free of worry and focused on getting the ball in the hole. There's nothing else, there's no technique, it's just focus and feel. You see the shapes, you see the line as clear as a painted line. I think I've played really well without being in the zone though, call it high-level grinding more than being in the zone.
 
when i have "confidence" in my irons i tend to get in the zone and go after everything... all i need is to get in the zone with everything else
 
I was playing a few weeks ago and for the first 14 holes I had played one of the best rounds of my life to that point. I was at 3 under and getting ready to tee it up on 15 when one of the guys in my group says to me "Your bleeding pal" and I looked down and there was blood smeared on my shirt and I look at my hand and my left arm just above the wrist is bleeding like crazy. I had been looking for another guys lost ball on hole 11 and evidently I had gashed my arm on a branch or a vine or something without realizing it. I never noticed or felt anything until he pointed it out to me. I cleaned it up and then proceeded to shoot like 5 over on the last few holes and blew up my score, the spell was broken. I was in the zone for a while and then it was gone.
 
During my poker days I remember how I could get in "the zone" from time to time. Almost a spiritual experience really. That sense of premonition I mean. Nowhere near a good enough golfer to have experienced it in that context. Perhaps on the green some days. When reading a green, sometimes you can actually literally see the line you looking for.
 
The first time it happened to me, I had shot 40 on the front nine and was 9 shots down to my two buddies on the tenth tee. I made birdie on the tenth, not unusual, then birdie on 11 a very tough par 4 and then a par on 12 another tough par 4. The feeling was in full force by then. Another birdie on 13 and eagle on 17 (par 4) resulted in a 5 under 31 on the back.

The second time was last week. A perfect tee shot on the first hole then a good miss resulted in a 2 foot birdie putt. After the second hole, a chip in eagle, the feeling was going full force. I only "missed" one tee shot the rest of the day, putts were falling, and the game was so easy. It was my personal best score ever 32-35 67.

Knowing the potential is there makes it frustrating though. Why can we not turn it on every time on the course???
 
I was in the zone yesterday for about 10 holes. Made 6 birdies in that stretch. Called out a bunch of shots and put myself in the spots I wanted. I birdied 4-5-6-8-12-13. On 5, an uphill par 3 (approx 160 yards) the flag was tucked about 20 feet from the back edge. Go long and you're toast, because the chip is downhill. I came from playing very fast greens last week to a bit slower on my home course, maybe 8.5 on the stimp. I felt I needed some help with the pace, so I figured I hit it past the flag to get a downhill putt. Stuck it 10 feet behind the pin (another 15 and I'm toast) like I wanted to. I was not so much in the zone swingwise as I was on the green. Virtually every putt was an opportunity, rolled in 4 putts ranging from 20 to 50 feet.
 
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