Get In 'The Zone'

The Zone happens when your subconscious mind begins running your performance on automatic pilot, and basically you are hitting and putting out of your mind (your conscious mind, that is).

When your conscious mind goes relatively quiet on the course (which doesn't normally occur often) it allows your subconscious mind - which controls all movement - to co-ordinate your shots in a way that you may have only been able to produce at rare times in practice. This is called the zone, a term which is regarded in most sports worldwide as the ultimate in human performance.

The weird part about being in the zone is that it doesn't feel like you are actually responsible for the amazing shots you are hitting! Everything feels effortless, smooth, easy, relaxed and like absolutely nothing can wrong for you. It is an amazing feeling being in the zone, regardless of the sport being played.

The main reason why it feels like you are 'not responsible' for your shots is because, in a way strange way, you aren't - you are relinquishing your conscious mind's control over your body and allowing your body to access its instructions from the near-perfect golfing 'blueprint' within your subconscious.

This is not an easy thing to do, as your conscious mind hates giving up its control. The Zone usually occurs when you least expect it, sometimes even when you are playing whilst feeling tired or distracted by other events in your life, which keep your conscious mind distracted and allow your subconscious to work on your golf.

This is one of the causes of the rather mystical nature of the Zone, which often disappears as quickly as it came - usually at the precise moment we begin to consciously analyze why we are playing so well! As soon as we do this, the subconscious is overridden by the dominant conscious mind, which unfortunately has no idea how to play good golf!

The Zone is almost a Zen principle in action - less is more, the less conscious effort you put in, the more increased results you derive from your game. Better results through less effort - that is the way it works with the Zone. But beware, as soon as you begin to think about it or analyze it, it will disappear quicker than a one inch putt.

So know that deep within you, you have the capacity to play a perfect shot. It's just a matter of allowing your body to get its instructions from a different place - the source of all movement and the memory-bank containing all your past golfing experience, your subconscious.

"The Mind controls the body, and the Mind is Unlimited"

The best of success, Craig Townsend

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