[rikdpola]

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...

[Hitfaromarf]

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.

[sPncEjF7]

Anyone who read my Saturday post in What Did You Shoot Today? saw that I talked about getting in the "zone". I want to elaborate on that a little bit, and hopefully some of you can share similar experiences, and maybe we can all learn from it and make the "zone" a place we ALL visit more often.

It started with no warning. I was having a decent day, nothing spectacular, but hitting the ball fairly well and feeling fairly comfortable about my overall game. I am a 2 handicapper, and had turned my front 9 (the easier side) in even par with one birdie, one bogey, and a few missed chances for better. Then at the relatively easy 10th, a straight par 4, I got in the fairway bunker and handled the difficult position near the trap wall poorly and made bogey. The bogey riled me, and I went to the 11th tee a bit heated with myself. I took it out on the tee shot, and hit a missile over the corner bunker and around the corner. By the time I got to my approach shot, a feeling had come over me that we golfers call the "zone" (it was really several holes later that I realized I was in the "zone", but this was the point it began). I stepped up to that approach KNOWING I would hit it well, and I did, a 9 iron to 18 feet. Then I KNEW I would make a good putt, and burned the edge. And for the rest of the round, the last 7 holes, every time I got over the ball I KNEW the results were going to be good, and I was at peace about every swing, every obstacle, every club choice - there was just a serenity that just doesn't occur very often. This was a lucky day, because usually the "zone" feeling goes away after a set of good holes, but on this day it rode me to the end. At the 18th tee, facing a dogleg left with a very tight landing area, I hit a bomb dead down the middle, and standing over my 95 yd SW approach I was actually feeling like I might hole it - the shot pitched about 3 feet right of the hole and spun back to 4 feet straight below it. The putt hammered in the absolute center of the back of the cup like I knew it would. When we reached the parking lot I told my cart partner we needed more holes so I could ride this wave til it ended.

I don't know how adequately I am describing this feeling - it has always been something that happens infrequently and unexpectedly - but I want to hear others describe when that feeling has come over them. I want us to learn and to see if there is something common to the occurrence that we can learn from. Obviously what I really want to see if we can learn any keys that help us more frequently find this "zone".

[Buyingtime]

Never been there.

[Ngwkgczx]

I haven't experienced it in golf yet, but I have been in the zone on the sporting clays range for short stretches, to the point that I saw the birds breaking before they were even launched, and then shot them down just as I had seen them go down in my mind. I also have been there playing baseball where I just knew there was nothing that any pitcher could throw by me, and that lasted for maybe two weeks of playing. It's truly amazing when it gets going, and you just don't want to stop for fear of losing it. And when I did lose it, boy did I lose it.

[DenisLevvin]

Absolutely love that feeling. Before this summer I would get in this for 2-3 holes a round. Then it escaped me for a couple months. The past two rounds I have had it for 6+ holes.

[Nppracph]

I've had it happen. You know you can't make a bad swing, the results are all positive, it is as close to effortless golf as I've ever experienced. Too bad it happens so infrequently. :-)

IMHO the zone is more mental than anything else. I too would like to know how to be able to turn that switch on more often than not.

[Crazykz]

I have only experience the zone once, and it was amazing.

I knew where my driver was going on every tee. I stepped up and thought, "I want a little right to left" and it happened. Next tee I think to myself "I need to keep it as a low cut" and it happened. I have never felt so in control of my ball as I did off the tee that day. I ended up shooting my PR 83.

[Fegasderty]

Experienced this last week on 6 holes, then I woke up ...I'm a short hitting 14 handicap and rely on my short game and putter...Front 9 was good, 6 over 42...Decent for me. I birdied 10 with a long range putt...By 15, my buddy told me I was 2 under for the back (I don't like to know my score, read on and you'll see why)...I left a par putt short on 16, parred 17 with a long putt and then choked real bad to a double bogey on 18 for +1 on the back for a 78 (par 71 course)...Best round ever...For those 6 holes I just knew I was going to make every shot.... Great feeling..You wish you could recall that anytime you wanted...Came out 2 days later and shot 89 on the same course, go figure....

[Pdarasenko]

I think the zone is experienced by most people, even if it just for a shot or two. I don't think you can know when you're 'in it', only that you have been in it. I know when its happened to me because I can't remember feeling my body at all in the shot I've just played. The ball seems to have come off the face with no feeling of impact, or with any effort being expended on the stroke.

I think its one of those things that goes when you start thinking that you are 'in the zone'! Like conciously trying to not think about something.

[Poll Pitt]

I know that feeling well. I guess you could say that I am currently in "The Zone" and have been for a little over a week.
Since I put the SuperTri in the bag and started applying the drill that amollerud(many thanks!) gave me to fix my wrist flip through the ball, I've been there.
My handicap has dropped from 6.2 to 4.9 and with the 74 and 75 that I posted this week, I'm pretty sure it will drop a little more.
When I stand over my tee shots right now, I think I could drive it down a fairway the width of a bowling alley, and my irons are actually going where I want them to.
I have only had 2 3 putt greens in the last 5 rounds. Last night after shooting the 75 with my wife, I was trying to describe the dark line I see in the greens once in a while when I'm figuring out the break. It's really weird when that happens...I see this darkish line in the green and I just know I'm going to make the putt. It happened 3 times last night and one of them was a 30 foot birdie. I saw the dark line, stepped up and stroked it. She thinks I'm crazy, but I know what I see.
I just hope this "Zone" hangs around for a while!

[Shinegayboyx]

Yep, had this about 3-4 weeks ago in a 9 hole stableford comp (shot level par for 27 points) and yesterday but only with my putting.

I think you hit the nail on the head with the word "serenity", everything feels so easy. You line up over a shot, don't think about it too much and just swing easy. Your muscles are so relaxed that everything just flows and the ball goes exactly where you aimed it.

RE. getting into "the zone"/trying to "put yourself in the zone". I did a decent amount of Sport Psychology in my undergraduate degree, I took a lot of what I learned into my American Football very succesfully, but am yet to try it with Golf. Perhaps I'll start to try a few techniques next time I've got a big medal or competition.

[rarpAcconavox]

Was in it today for 11 holes (even par at that point) and then I got distracted by a co-worker (I work at the course) and it was gone. It was such a great feeling!!! I was confident over every single shot. I hit some shots so well that would normally scare me that I couldn't believe it was me hitting them. I made several putts that I normally wouldn't make. I hope the "zone" comes back again soon!!

[soSldI4i]

Such a great feeling when you get it....no thought, just walk up and hit the shot you want and watch it be carried out. Pins look like they're 50yds away, greens just seem to hold every shot, and the cup is the size of a bucket. Everything is on target and you feel like you can hit any shot you want

[sPncEjF7]

It was such a great feeling!!! I was confident over every single shot. I hit some shots so well that would normally scare me that I couldn't believe it was me hitting them.

Exactly!

On the par 5 16th, there is a large hill left that slopes down to the fairly flat fairway, and a fairway bunker cut into it about 250 to 270 out, and above (left of) the trap is a sliver of fairway about 5 yards wide. I often aim for that sliver of fairway, because if I can hit it the ball will feed past the trap and settle around the 250 marker from which I can go for the green in 2. I cannot carry this trap.

But, I can't say that anymore! Saturday I went for that sliver and hit the driver flush, but the ball was just right of target, and as it flew I said to my partners "thats in the bunker". Imagine my surprise when it easily flew the bunker and wound up 231 yards from the front pin. If I have EVER flown that bunker before (it's been there for 4 years or so), it was when the tees were way forward, not the case Saturday.

[Angeheade]

Sam -- It has been a few years back however I had four birdies and the rest pars on our front nine for a round of 32. Best nine hole score ever. I was so in the zone that I could not hear my fellow players. It was like I was in a vacumn and so focused no distractions came in to play. hmmmmmmmm man I will never forget that nine holes. It was right before Wednesday evening two man scramble. I left my game on that pre practice round as my partner and I only shot two under as a team )...

[masterboyz]

once in awhile I can get in the zone for 3-4 holes. feels awesome for sure, wish I could make it last forever!

[sPncEjF7]

I see some very interesting common threads in these replies. The thing I am most happy to see is that the "zone" is not just the province of low handicappers. I really like the descriptions of 'being in a vacuum', and 'so focused there were no distractions', and 'confident', and 'everything just flows', and 'so in control of my ball'. There is an effortlessness and a focus that makes the game seem easy for a stretch, definitely a golf nirvana.

[Angeheade]

I wish you could come to the WPB outing! It would be good to see an old friend from Augusta )... Maybe KellyBo and I can run up to Augusta one day soon and join you for a round. Are you retired? How is Forrest Hills Golf Course looking?

[sPncEjF7]

I wish you could come to the WPB outing! It would be good to see an old friend from Augusta )... Maybe KellyBo and I can run up to Augusta one day soon and join you for a round. Are you retired? How is Forrest Hills Golf Course looking?

I hear Forest Hills was really in nice shape for the Augusta City Amateur in mid-July.

I wish I could make the WPB outing myself - I held out hope all summer, but two of my co-workers (on my crew of 4) held on to their vacation to the end of the year (our vacation year is like the fiscal year Oct 1 - Sep 30), as did I. Now we have pretty much 7 working days apiece to take off in September, so my month is going to be crazy. I also had no luck in convincing Mrs SAM to go - she is a nut for Hilton Head, and the week after the outing her family is going there, and so will we at least part of that week. Just couldn't make the $$$$ stretch to do both. I know the outing is going to be a like once in a lifetime blast, but I failed to sell that against the SAME OLE THING Hilton Head.

You may not recognize Forest Hills - it has been partially rerouted AGAIN and the greens were redone by the Palmer company a few years ago and no longer have the Donald Ross characteristics that made the course so special.