golfrewind.com

I have cleaned my clubs, wore my favorite golf shoes, used a brand new Pro V and played mediocre.

Then I have not bothered to clean my clubs, only scrape them clean with a tee right before I hit, wore tennis shoes, used a cheap ball I found and shot under par.

I know playing well has a lot to do with me being in a rhythm or in The Zone. So I was wondering how all of you get in The Zone?

The VERY few times that I felt "IN THE ZONE", it seems that I wasn't overthinking anything. I also slowed the swing down, made better contact and hit more FWs & greens. Gee, it seemed soooo simple.

I do the things you mentioned (clean clubs, wear my best shirt, etc.) when I am playing a desirable or a private course. But you're right, doing things like that normally don't make a difference. As much as I wish they would...

And it normally doesn't even matter if I hit range balls before the first tee. My whole round is normally predicated by how I start. If I make solid pars or a birdie on the first few holes, it normally goes well. If I start poorly with a few bogeys or a double, it's usually a struggle because I spend the rest of the round pressing.

So, to get in 'The Zone', I concentrate heavily on the first few holes. I play them conservatively to make pars and get going in the right direction. Have a game plan heading to the first tee and stick to it...

I just try to play smart. That's about it.

Don't go out and do something I'm not capable of doing. Just swing smooth, put the ball in the fairway, then swing smooth again and put the ball somewhere on the putting surface, two putt for my par and go to the next hole.

"The Zone" is just a state of mind you get into when everything seems to come together at the same time. Alot of times I feel like I'm in the zone with one part of my game but not other parts and vice versa. Like leaguegolf mentioned, if "the zone" were something you could just make happen we'd all be doing it all the time. This state of mind is how people with seemingly less talent than others win big tournaments, and a lot of times you never hear from again.

Bud Light.

Amen to that brotha!

It just seems to happen...has to do with focus, slowing things down, and playing each shot...unfourtunately I can't maintain it for too long but when I am there I lose all sense of time and place, just being in the moment...

I'm sure we've all been in the zone at times - of course the "zone" for each of us is different.

However, on those occasions when it happens it seems golf is SO EASY.

Consecutive triple bogeys, then maybe a couple of doubles tacked on for good measure... that usually gets me in the zone. That is, when my hopes for a decent (for me) score are dashed, then I can relax and play the game.

The zone happens for me when im playing quite well, and im confident within my game and i know that i can hit most shots i want to. It happens when i play quite well over a period of time and my confidence is high.

Relaxing is a good idea, but that's kind of hard to quantify. I just enjoy it while it lasts and try not to get ahead of myself or think too much. My "zones" usually don't last more than a couple of holes anyway.

Like League said, if you can bottle that then you'll be a very rich person. I've been in the zone a few times but only very sporadically. A couple of holes here and a couple of holes there more often than not. The best example of being in the zone for myself was a stretch of golf back in '93. The first 18 was played in 7 under for a 65 and the next 14 holes, the next day, was also played in 7 under before darkness fell. I played 32 holes at 14 under par. I haven't even come remotely close since.

I'm not comparing myself to Tiger or any other pro, that would be ludicrous, but here's my take on what he does and I try to emulate it every time I go out. El Tigre expects to play good golf every time out...not necessarily to hit every shot well but to play well overall. The way I look at it is "I know that all I have to do is hit the fairway, hit the green in regulation and two-putt for par and take the birdies when they come". Of course that's easier said than done but what it does is take away the panic when you realize everything's going well...you expect it to go well and everything's going as planned so just continue on...as planned. What happens when you miss a shot?...I look at it as a glitch, one that I've had before, and part of good golf is to overcome it with a good recovery. Don't get too up on the good shots, those were expected, and don't get too down on the mis-hits, those were bound to happen, too. If I approach every round this way the zone often kicks in for several holes before I realize it, then I'm faced with the task of accepting that I'm in the zone, no big deal, hit the next shot. It takes a lot of discipline to stay calm, focused and in-the-moment on the last couple of holes when you're putting together a good round, but if you put yourself there often enough you learn to cope and close the deal. Often when I'm "in the zone" I can't remember the last couple of holes or even a few shots back because all I'm thinking about it putting a good swing on the next shot, playing within myself, not taking unnecessary chances, playing smart golf, not over-thinking, etc. It never ceases to amaze me when someone can recall a round, shot for shot, that they played when they were a junior in high school...at the age of 35.

Shade

I don't know if you really meant "zone", but more of what do you do to play a good round. Here's what helps me the most :

1) Lower your expectations- your out to have fun (right away, well before the round-important)

2) Enjoy "troubleshooting" shots. When your in trouble, enjoy the process of difficult shot-making. This is part of golf that will NEVER leave you.

3) Play every shot like your trying to execute it to perfection- whether it be a hard bunker shot, a lay-up, a punch-out, a 50 foot putt, etc. Don't take ANY shot for granite. If you aim to play a perfect shot, a miss might leave you in pretty good shape.

4) Keep score, but not as a priority. Your good score doesn't necessarily mean you played that well, and your bad score doesn't always mean you played that poorly. NEVER make a final score a priority.

I'm rare in that I honestly believe I'm NOT a very good golfer, but with my mental outlook, I've turned an average player into a man to be reckoned with. Your head decides alot, it can conquer alot of physical defficiancies.