In the zone

[revkev]

With the varying skill levels that we have here this could be very interesting and informative so let’s play,

 

You know you’re in the zone when....

 

For me it’s at least one of two things.

 

1. I’m not about mechanics when I swing during a round. (Basically see the shot, hit the s***)

 

2. My misses are playable - sometimes even reasonably good shots. (By this I’m not talking about 3 wood the grounder that rolls out 210 yards to the front of the green). By this I mean that 7 iron into the wind that I caught a few grooves down and towards the toe. To my partners, it looked fine, flighted down into the wind, carried the front bunker and ended up 25 feet right of the hole. But I knew it wasn’t flushed, not even close.

 

I’m curious to learn what the zone means for you.

 

 

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[GolfSpy_SHARK]

For me "in the zone" is when I am getting off the tee. I can scramble with the best of them but when I am getting off the tee and hitting fairways...I know I am going to get up and down. Staying in the zone is my issue sometimes.

Going to add a little something to this....Something that will take me "out of the zone" is looking at the scorecard after 9 and saying "oh wow I am playing great..."-1 or E whatever it may be. This will take me right out. Or after 15 "If i just go birdie, par, par I will shoot X"...round killer.

[PlaidJacket]

25 minutes ago, revkev said:

1. I’m not about mechanics when I swing during a round. (Basically see the shot, hit the s***)

 

26 minutes ago, revkev said:

2. My misses are playable - sometimes even reasonably good shots

Rev you and me would probably end up in a playoff. You've always struck me as a guy that knows how to score. Guys like you make for a good - fun match. Wish you could join us tomorrow. 

[GolfSpy BOS]

Two of the times I’ve felt most in the zone have resulted in 4 birdies over 5 holes. Each of those times it was the approach shots into the green that had me feeling it.

Of course it starts with good drives. Which usually happens when I don’t try to over swing and crush it. From there I felt like I was attacking the pin and really dropping it right where I wanted and leaving a nice birdie putt.

My swing feels free and I usually have a pretty calm demeanor.

One other time I felt in the zone was during our league playoffs. I think I had gone par-par to start or something like that then had a bad hole on a par 5 where I picked up after a rules fiasco with one of my competitors (I wasn’t going to go back 200 yards into the next fairway to re-hit after I couldn’t find my ball and I didn’t want to slow play down). After that I shot par on every hole the rest of the way in. Same thing as before.... I was a little pissed off, but mostly calm and my putting was on fire.


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[revkev]

Rev you and me would probably end up in a playoff. You've always struck me as a guy that knows how to score. Guys like you make for a good - fun match. Wish you could join us tomorrow. ‍

 

Wouldn’t that be nice! Of course we aren’t letting people in or out of Florida right now. :(

 

 

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[GolfSpy_SHARK]

6 minutes ago, revkev said:

 

Wouldn’t that be nice! Of course we aren’t letting people in or out of Florida right now.

 

 

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Grab a boat cruise around  (unless @PlaidJacket you're landlocked?)

[Shankster]

The zone for me happens when I can avoid the left side of the course. I feel more comfortable hitting fades, and if I put myself on the left side of the course, there is usually a tree or something in the way. I don’t like to put myself in a “must hit a draw or else” position.

Swing wise, when the club feels light on the takeaway then I know I’m going to have a good day. Light as in almost can’t tell it is there.

[PMookie]

I’m in the zone, like you, Rev, when I’m just swinging, not thinking about mechanics. Best example of this was last year at Barton Creek in Austin. Front 9 was nothing BUT swing thoughts, shot 49!. Back nine, I grabbed two beers at the turn, somehow got out of my head, then shot even!

 

The other very important part for me is getting into a playing rhythm. I’m not held-up by groups I’m with, or are ahead of us, I’m not spending time looking for other’s balls, etc. There has to be a consistent rhythm that I can get into. I can see how Pros that get “slow-played” in match-play can be taken advantage of, because I’m the same way.

 

Lastly, I’m a terrible putter. I rarely make anything over 6 feet, so, if I can somehow capture lightning in a bottle with a long putt going in, it can help me get a little pep in my step.

 

 

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[MaxEntropy]

I get "in the zone" most often while putting. I tried to describe it to a friend one time, and he thought I was crazy. When it happens, I swear I see a tracer on the green (like a video game) of what the ball will do. I wish it were like that all the time.

[silver & black]

I'm in the zone when I can just play without being angry/upset from work.. stress and worry are the ruination of a round for me. 

I don't think about the right way to hit the ball... I just hit it. I don't over think a 160 yd. shot to the green from the fairway. I just hit the shot. I don't agonize over a 4' putt... I just put it in the hole. Golf is easy when I can play like that. Unfortunately, like most of us, I get in my own way of scoring well a lot of the time.

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

42 minutes ago, PMookie said:

I’m in the zone, like you, Rev, when I’m just swinging, not thinking about mechanics. Best example of this was last year at Barton Creek in Austin. Front 9 was nothing BUT swing thoughts, shot 49!. Back nine, I grabbed two beers at the turn, somehow got out of my head, then shot even!

 

The other very important part for me is getting into a playing rhythm. I’m not held-up by groups I’m with, or are ahead of us, I’m not spending time looking for other’s balls, etc. There has to be a consistent rhythm that I can get into. I can see how Pros that get “slow-played” in match-play can be taken advantage of, because I’m the same way.

 

Lastly, I’m a terrible putter. I rarely make anything over 6 feet, so, if I can somehow capture lightning in a bottle with a long putt going in, it can help me get a little pep in my step.

 

 

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Getting into a rhythm is huge, like nothing else matters and you are oblivious to everything else. This in the zone for lack of a better term lol. Putting plays a huge putt, nothing kills a mojo more than 3 or 4 putting from 10'

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

20 minutes ago, MaxEntropy said:

I get "in the zone" most often while putting. I tried to describe it to a friend one time, and he thought I was crazy. When it happens, I swear I see a tracer on the green (like a video game) of what the ball will do. I wish it were like that all the time.

Its awesome when you can get into this groove. When putting is almost automatic some days. 1 read and its like "thats the line" pace is right on point and it just feels like everything is draining.

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

10 minutes ago, silver & black said:

I'm in the zone when I can just play without being angry/upset from work.. stress and worry are the ruination of a round for me. 

I don't think about the right way to hit the ball... I just hit it. I don't over think a 160 yd. shot to the green from the fairway. I just hit the shot. I don't agonize over a 4' putt... I just put it in the hole. Golf is easy when I can play like that. Unfortunately, like most of us, I get in my own way of scoring well a lot of the time.

Mental is everything (I suppose i could have taken my last 3 replies and put into 1) sorry all for the notification blasts coming your way!. I think thats why we all love the game, not only the physical aspect but its a sport that requires so much mental toughness that its a challenge in so many aspects.

[GolfSpy BOS]

23 minutes ago, MaxEntropy said:

I get "in the zone" most often while putting. I tried to describe it to a friend one time, and he thought I was crazy. When it happens, I swear I see a tracer on the green (like a video game) of what the ball will do. I wish it were like that all the time.

Yeah, there are time when I just KNOW a long putt is going to go in.  I can see the exact line and know I'm going to make it.

[StrokerAce]

I was thinking about how to respond to this.

I've been in this 'zone' only a few times and couldn't put a finger on exactly what it was; I was doing some browsing around and think I found it.

Swing tempo is such a crucial and important component; you know how you see those players and you just say 'wow, what a swing' and you're not sure why it looks so graceful and smooth but it just does.... I'd guess it's the tempo - and the ability to consistently maintain that tempo.

I think that's what puts me "in the zone". I am able to get to this 3:1 ratio in my tempo and repeat it for a period of time.
Check out this article ... I found it really enlightening ... https://practical-golf.com/swing-tempo/

I am really tempted to try the app; has anyone tried this? http://www.tourtempo.com/golf-training-aids/golf-swing-tempo/tour-tempo-apps/

It's not cheap but I'm really intrigued.

[GolfSpy BOS]

I was thinking about how to respond to this.
I've been in this 'zone' only a few times and couldn't put a finger on exactly what it was; I was doing some browsing around and think I found it.
Swing tempo is such a crucial and important component; you know how you see those players and you just say 'wow, what a swing' and you're not sure why it looks so graceful and smooth but it just does.... I'd guess it's the tempo - and the ability to consistently maintain that tempo.
I think that's what puts me "in the zone". I am able to get to this 3:1 ratio in my tempo and repeat it for a period of time.
Check out this article ... I found it really enlightening ... https://practical-golf.com/swing-tempo/

I am really tempted to try the app; has anyone tried this? http://www.tourtempo.com/golf-training-aids/golf-swing-tempo/tour-tempo-apps/
It's not cheap but I'm really intrigued.

Best swing advice my dad ever gave me was “tempo Bryan, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2.” The first 1 2 3. Was going back. Then 1 to the ball. And 2 to finish the follow through. If I’m ever off I try to go back to that in my head.

I think you’re onto something Stroker!


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[revkev]

I was thinking about how to respond to this.
I've been in this 'zone' only a few times and couldn't put a finger on exactly what it was; I was doing some browsing around and think I found it.
Swing tempo is such a crucial and important component; you know how you see those players and you just say 'wow, what a swing' and you're not sure why it looks so graceful and smooth but it just does.... I'd guess it's the tempo - and the ability to consistently maintain that tempo.
I think that's what puts me "in the zone". I am able to get to this 3:1 ratio in my tempo and repeat it for a period of time.
Check out this article ... I found it really enlightening ... https://practical-golf.com/swing-tempo/

I am really tempted to try the app; has anyone tried this? http://www.tourtempo.com/golf-training-aids/golf-swing-tempo/tour-tempo-apps/
It's not cheap but I'm really intrigued.

I know we had a number of guys on here who swore by this five or six years ago. I’m not great at searching old threads but you should be able to drag it up.


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[palvord]

Good question (per usual) @revkev. This is a good exercise, and probably one that I should do more often to really reflect on what I was thinking and feeling on the course after a good round to help ingrain those positive emotions. I used to have a bad habit of dwelling too long on the negative and trying to figure out what to fix.

What I find for my game is that to get, "in the zone," I need to be confident in my next shot. I find in my game that if I am dwelling too much about what went wrong with the previous shot, or am too amped up about a good shot, that I'm not able to give the proper focus to the shot in front of me.

 

[cnosil]

I’ve thought about this since the first post. I can’t specifically think of anything but when I am in the zone I don’t really think about anything golf or swing related. Yesterday was a good example. I was 1 under through 7. 8 I hand a fried egg and left the ball in the bunker started Thinking about the next bunker shot and while I got out it wasn’t A good shot. Next hole I had a difficult chip which I thought about and hit it thin.

So when I am in the zone golf just happens with no swing thoughts. I assess the shot, make a decision, and execute. I am able to move to the next shot and not worry about the result (good or bad) and move forward.