Take a few moments to think about a time when you were playing well. What thoughts were going through your mind? What mental pictures did you have? How relaxed were you?

Perhaps you’ll discover, as I have, that when we’re playing well, our thoghts were simple, our pictures were clear and we were relatively relaxed. This state is known as the “ZONE”.

The mind has three time zones... past, present and future. We play our best golf when we are in the present or the NOW time zone.

Why the “past” doesn’t work—it no longer exists, it brings up feelings of guilt and remorse. Getting stuck in the past takes us out of the NOW.

Why the “future” doesn’t work—it doesn’t exist, it brings up feelings of fear and anxiety. Being in the future takes us out of the NOW.

The mind has a hard time staying in the NOW because it loves to problem-solve and be in control. Since golf is truly NOT a game of perfect, the mind loves to stay in the problem-solving mode (the past) because it is afraid (the future) that mistakes will repeat themselves. Of course, what we think about we give power to. Thus, we continue to make mistakes, and the mind stays out of the NOW because it is busy trying to fix the mistakes.

To help yourself stay in the present, the NOW, ask yourself two questions:
What time is it? (Answer: NOW)
Where am I? (Answer: HERE)

When you find your mind wandering back to the past or forward to the future, gently offer it the choice of NOW... hum a tune, recite the alphabet, listen for a bird song. You’ll come up with your own strategies for staying in the ZONE. Isn’t it “time” you played your best golf more often?

Having played golf for over 50 years, and wanting to learn how I could play my best golf more often, I have read many books about self-improvement, finding spiritual enlightenment, and a myriad of books on psychology and how the mind works.

The insights I have been able to garner through this reading have been some of my most productive “golf” lessons.

Joyce Kazmierski is a class A Teaching Professional in Indianapolis, Indiana and co-owner of Sun Spirit Golf Tours. Joyce was an LPGA Tour player for 18 years and former President of the LPGA. She was elected to the National Collegiate Hall of Fame and to the Michigan State University Athletic Hall of Fame and she is a member of Golf Collectors Society and a member of Keepers of the Green Society.