[29. Strokeplay and the sabre-toothed tiger” ]
Zone A – Starts the moment you finish a shot. In this zone you need to think about nothing in particular and just let your heightened awareness absorb everything you need to absorb about the state of the match (round) and the conditions. Avoid forming concrete opinions. Gently distract yourself with conversation. Be interested in your opponent or partner’s play.
Zone B – Starts at some point just before you know it is definitely going to be your turn. Choosing the right moment to switch from Zone A into Zone B is a matter of judgement and will reflect your experience and games-playing intelligence. If you switch too early you will not be able to maintain the high level of concentration required to keep your subconscious switched on. If you switch too late you will not have sufficient time to get through the routine of visualisation etc. Choosing the right moment to switch is . . .
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If you remember, I am quite proscriptive about the need to alter your concentration as you move from shot to shot. My recommended routine is:
Zone 1 – This zone starts at the end of the shot. The ball has flown and your fate has been decided. At the beginning of this zone you need to very quickly come to terms with the outcome of the shot. You do this my taking responsibility for every aspect of the shot that got it to where it has ended up: that is, no excuses.
Then you move into a mode of concentration where you are generally aware of your surroundings. You can hear the birds and smell the sea etc. If you get a chance to chat and be social then take it, and use the opportunity to get into the other person’s space. This is the best way to clear your mind of any lingering self pity about your misfortune on the last shot!
This mode of concentration is when your subconscious will be picking up all it needs to know about the conditions: the strength and direction of the wind; the general “wetness” of the course. But it will only be able to do this effectively if you have switched into “chat” mode; if your conscious brain is still fretting about the last shot then the subconscious will not have the space to pick up important peripheral information.
Zone 2 – This starts when you realise that it is about to be your turn to play. It is tempting for most players, I think, to switch into this mode too early because they will have reached their ball and will be keen to get on with their next shot. The timing of the shift into this zone is crucial and takes an amount of determination to try to get it right on each shot.
The reason you want to avoid switching into this zone too early is because it is . . .
