In the "Zone"

[SirMilton]

I went out Saturday afternoon at about 1:40 PM after a long Saturday morning meeting, then lunch at the club.

We started on #4 as there had been a group starting on #1 at 1:30 and I don't like to get held up or pushed (there were only 5 groups total on all 18). I warmed up briefly with my new Power Hitter driver and managed a fair drive to start, but then found myself struggling with a very frustrating good shot/poor shot routine.

After six holes I was 7 over, but I was hitting some woods well, some irons well and some putts well, but also hitting some poor shots with each also.

On #10 I closed my eyes, relaxed a bit and felt the sun on my face and felt my muscles loosen a bit while I waited my turn to tee off. I made me feel good - perfectly warmed and loosened up was the only way I could describe it.

I then proceeded to play the next 11 holes at 3 under with birdies at two par 3s (187 and 168) and one long par 4 (445). Every shot was in the sweet spot, every ball went straight where I aimed it and every contact was that beautiful light click you get with a perfectly hit ball. If I had taken a bit more time with my distances, I think I could have added 3 or 4 more birdies. At least that many approach shots went right over the flag on onto the fringe.

I was in the "Zone" and felt like I was ready for the tour (a tap in birdie on a 187 yard par 3 will do that). Hell, I couldn't even see the ball on the green at 187 yards, but I knew it had to be close. And after putting for birdie on half a dozen consective holes, you just start expecting it to happen on very hole.

Coming back around to #3, our last hole, my energy suddenly ran out completely and I took a 7 on this short (348 with water in front of the green) par 4 to put me right back to 7 over for the round.

I haven't broken 70 since college; and with cold weather coming (hard freeze here tonight) I probably won't do it this year. All I know was that it felt really good to get in the "Zone" for those 11 holes Saturday.

[lamebums]

Yeah, being in the zone is certainly one of those times where you feel like you could go on Tour. A couple months ago, I dumped the front nine with a 48 and resigned myself to a long day (the front nine is pretty easy) but then I chipped in for birdie on the 10th, and shot a 37 (+1) on probably the most difficult nine holes in all of Kentucky. If the back nine were 400 yards longer it could hold a US Open event, with deep rough, tight holes and fast (actually in some cases completely unfair) greens.

Don't know how it happened, and I haven't come close to matching it since. (I did shoot a 37 again but on a par 35, 2500 yard course with a slope of 100).

[play4him]

It is fun to be "In The Zone". The better you get the more often you get there. But even when I shoot a 66, I don't feel like I'm ready for the tour. Those guys are on a different level. :)

[Shindig]

Hey, you held the zone for longer than I did. I was in it on Friday for 3 holes: #7,8,9 at Woodley Lakes. I strung together three pars, my longest streak of par-or-better. It made me especially happy since #9 is #2hcp and usually unreachable in two for me, despite being a par-4 (436 yards).

Congrats on being in the zone. It teaches us all a lesson about staying out of our own way and gives us some insight into just how good a player we really are. Don't let anyone tell you that you were playing "above" your level; you played to your capabilities and are an inspiration to the rest of us!

[Jeepthrills]

My best stretch was 7 holes this summer where I hit the flag on the 120 yard par 3 third. It ended up 10 feet past the hole and I lipped out the birdie. I bogeyed 4, par on 5 then chipped in for birdie on the 220 yard 6th. I stuck my GW to 6 inches for another birdie on 7. On 8 I hit my approach to the back fringe then rolled in my 3rd straight birdie from about 12 feet. I finished with a scrambling par on 9 for a +1. My best score relative to par, the first time I ever made back-to-back birdies and the first time I ever birdied 3 holes in one nine.

I had a brief bout of it on Sunday. I was on the last hole, a double dog leg par 5. I hit my hybrid on the tee because I need to draw it and my driver likes to go right. I pushed the tee shot up the right side to lay up city. Since it minght have been my last round of the year, I hit one off the tee with the driver and turned it over perfectly. It went about 310 and left me about 170 to the center of the green with the pin towards the back. Probably about 175-180 yards. I went to my first ball and hit a perfect lay up to 90 yards. I followed that by hitting my second ball pin high, 15 feet right of the pin, with my 6 Iron. Back to the first ball I hit a GW from 90 yards inside two feet. I lipped out the eagle on ball two, but tapped in both for birdies.

[jcrew]

idk about getting in the zone. i think this was somewhat different? i was playing a hs match. started off. double. triple. all season bad starts screwed me over for the rest of the 9. so i just told myself, whatever it doesn't matter. you're already 5 over.. just have fun don't care. and i became completely apathetic.
next hole. hit the green. lagged a REALLY long putt like 3 feet away. got careless. so i ended up with a bogey. and then i went on to par the next 6 holes. hit every single green in regulation, except for one. in which i putted in from about 30 feet to save par. always in the fairway. it was amazing. total of 6 over.

[Spectrums]

Coming into on the back nine yesterday, I was +8 (44). I hadn't hit any greens but one and my iron play was terrible. I calmed down, ate some lunch, and went back out. I shoot 37 (+1), hit 8 of 9 greens, and three putt for my bogey. I was completely in the zone and it felt great. I was supremely confident.

Now if only I could do that all of the time.