Flow

It is difficult to describe it, but there are moments when athletes know that they are "in the zone".  Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi terms this as "flow" - the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. The problem is that these moments come and go, and the challenge is to get into the zone and stay there for extended periods during competition. 

I was looking for the secret in the second round of the Jagorawi matchplay.  The talk over the past two weeks was all about the giant killing exploits of my second round opponent, Michael who had defeated a true Goliath of golf in the first round.  As the 36th qualifier - and its not as if Michael is a poor player, he just did not bother to try too hard - he was paired with Teddy, the No 1 qualifier, the defending club champion for two years, and possibly the best amateur player in Indonesia. Teddy was once a Junior Amateur Champion on the world stage.  Because of this, he was courted by all the top Universities in America on a golf scholarship. He settled on Georgia Tech because of their engineering program and its strong Division A team. In his team was a player who would go on to be a world number one, David Duval. He had a coach who was an engineer who would break down the mechanics of a swing when it was still not fashionable to do so. Teddy trained and played with the best but at the end of that adventure, decided that his path was not in professional golf. Michael explained that beating him was just one of those days. He caught a break and held on to the end. I sensed humility in his account. He told me that I had to play against Teddy to believe his game.

Michael said he joined the competition for fun, for the Jagorawi Matchplay is reknowned for its intensity.  There is no comparison elsewhere.  (He is also in the PIK tournament.) The receptionist, marshals, caddies and officials all knew who you were from the time you dropped the bag to the short walk to the tees. The starters greet you, and a rules official is there to perform the coin toss.  There is a handshake, greetings of good luck, and the two of you are off with a rules official escorting the flight throughout. And the instant after the game, the entire club house would know the result.  He is right of course.  I got texted from people minutes after the game.

I tried to get going early, but somehow could not.  I did not feel physically well.  The first nine holes were messy. Michael hit drives way longer than I, but even he was not playing right. I missed easy putts, and he kept pushing his drives right.  We were somehow level after an ugly 9 holes. At the turn, I told Michael that one of us had to try to win the game rather than lose it.  He laughed and agreed.  

On the 10th hole, I pushed my approach into a greenside bunker.  I stepped in for my fourth shot, looked up, and flopped a near perfect shot that almost went in.  The ball eventually settled three feet from the pin but I was left with a large downhill sideslope breaker.  

But something clicked inside me.  In spite of having missed two three foot putts in the first nine, I knew this one was going in to save par.  I just saw the putt and knew the line.  I ignored my caddie's advice, took a larger break, walked confidently, did not hover and drained the putt right in the centre. I suddenly felt fine.  On the 11th tee box, I picked my 5 wood.  I looked up and all I saw was the green 180m away.  No bunker or water hazard.  I just knew that the ball was going to land on the green.  I swung and the ball landed safely on the green.   At the 12th, a tough uphill par four, I drove the ball further than I had done ever before, pulled out a 5 iron, and landed my approach safely on the green.  On the 13th, a dangerous par 3, I landed a hybrid 10 feet from the hole.  When I mishit the next drive, I recovered with a five iron, landing the ball closer to the pin than my opponent who had hit approached from 100m. And on it went in carding birdie attempt after birdie attempt, and recording a string of pars. 

I was in the zone, in a state of flow. 

There was no nervousness.  I was not even paying attention to my opponents' game. I looked forward to each shot with eagerness.  The club felt comfortable in my hands, and I knew what shape the ball would take and how far it would fly. I knew how putts would roll. On the 13th hole, I drained a putt from distance.  On the 16th hole, the hardest in Jagorawi Old back nine, I swung a seven iron to within two feet of the pin.  I walked on the green and I knew I would birdie it.  In the end, I would not have to.  

It turned out that I was three up approaching the 16th green. (I had to ask my caddie to confirm.)  Mike missed the green on the 11th, OBed the 12th, and shanked his tee shot on the 13th.  He needed birdies and so on the 15th,  he went for broke. Michael drove the probably 290m, leaving him 170m left on a par 5. But he missed the approach, we were both three on, and we both parred the hole.  On the approach at the 16th hole, Michael pulled left, chipped it on for three and missed the putt. This left me 3 putts from 3 feet to win the game. Michael graciously conceded the hole and the game without allowing me to putt.  We finished 4 and 2.  

Michael is probably a better player than I am.  The difference was I suddenly found my way into the zone and stayed there when it mattered.  But I have no idea how to get into the zone, to get into the state of flow?  Mihaly, I know what it feels like, but how do I get there and stay there?