Month: May 2008

In disc golf, self-control is paramount to success. This particular virtue comes in many forms, but the one I have in mind today is patience- with your own game, with others, and with everything else that pops up in the course of a round of golf.

Patience seems most important to me during the Winter months, because the weather is colder and the teepads and terrain are often slippery after it rains. When the air is cold discs don’t travel quite as far, which is due to a combination of the phyics of the air itself and our bodies not being quite as loose. And when we’re not properly warmed up and loose, we lose that fluid quality that is so important to throwing a disc accurately and far. Also, if the surface we’re trying to plant our feet on is wet and slick, it adds yet another element that makes executing the shots we have in mind more difficult. The natural result is a greater margin of error, and usually scores that trend upward. Because of this we must remember to be patient, and keep a few things in mind.

First of all, these tougher conditions are just a fact of playing disc golf in the Winter, so we need to adjust our expectations accordingly. For me, a -5 with the course soggy after a recent storm and a temperature? of 38 degrees at tee-off is better than a -8 with perfect sunny weather and dry teepads. Second, the conditions of the course are the same for everyone. No matter who you’re playing against, I guarantee that his or her average score goes up when it’s wet and cold.

I’ve learned to recoginize – either at the outset of a round or after a few hampered throws – when conditions will limit what I can accomplish that day. I then adjust my strategy and expectations accordingly, and try to do the best I can within the new framework of potential. If the teepads are slippery, I sacrifice some distance for the sake of more control since I’m more likely to slip if I go with 100 percent power. If my hands are cold and numb and my muscles feel stiff, I’ll be more conservative with my upshots and putts to make sure I don’t take extra strokes by giving myself unneccessarily long putts.

Maybe the weather is great, but you still start poorly. No problem! One of the great things about golf is the fact that each hole gives you a fresh chance to do something good. One of the biggest mistakes a golfer can make is to let the last shot influence the next shot (or hole). Don’t feel that you need to ‘make up for’ the bogey you took throwing OB on hole 6 by going for a risky birdie run on hole 7. Be patient, and evaluate the risk/reward of each shot based on its own merits.

Although it isn’t really what this article is about, patience with the other things you can’t control is also very important. If you find yourself getting antsy waiting for someone to make their shot, or the general pace of play on the course that day (this is especially common during tournaments, of course)? try to relax and enjoy the moment. A watched pot never boils, as they say, so let your eyes wander to something else on the course, like another group putting out, or even a bird in a tree. If you have a tricky shot coming up, use the extra time to give that shot more consideration. Most people don’t have as much trouble noticing and dealing with external issues, though. Much tougher is the ability to recognize and properly handle what’s going on in one’s own head. That’s the kind of patience that is harder to devlelop.

A good example of this was my experience at the DeLa monthly last weekend. I started on hole 1, and right away noticed that the cold weather combined with an injury I had to noticeably reduce my distance off the tee. I then realized it affected my putting touch as well. I told myself that par would be good enough as long as I felt so cold and stiff, and proceeded to get par on each of the first 11 holes. A couple birdies just sort of came to me on holes 11 and 12 (good things come to those who wait, after all), and after a double on 13 and a birdie on 15 my score was -1. I still didn’t feel right, so I remained patient and kept playing conservatively. Then my patience began to pay off.

With 18 in the long left position, I threw a great turnover drive (I ‘m a lefty) and based the hole. More importantly, though, I noticed that the temperature had risen a bit, and my stiff hip had loosened up as well. I ended up at -6, including birdies on 3 of the last 4 holes, and tied Jon Baldwin for first in the Open division. The thing I felt best about wasn’t the 1st place finish- it was the fact that I was able to recognize what I’d be able to accomplish that day, then maximize my potential within that box. That kind of round – a patient round with a happy ending – really feels good afterward. And it just happened to be good enough to win.

How to shave strokes off your score by opening your mind and twisting your body (and I’m not talking about meditation or yoga).

I know it?s a stretch (that was truly an accidental pun), but whenever I have a shot that is difficult and requires me to throw through and around things, I purposefully think of the old game Twister. You see, I?m willing to contort myself any which way to get the best chance at the best shot for the situation. Otherwise, I might get lazy and sometimes try to execute a slightly lower-percentage shot just because it?s ?easier? to get to. But more to the point, lazy or not, I think we often don?t see all of the options on each shot. Ours brains tend to focus in on the most obvious choice and settle for that. You can save strokes simply by opening your mind enough as you size up each shot to see all the options in front of you. For me, this is where the game Twister comes in.

When I have a tough lie, I picture myself keeping one foot behind the marker and stretching the other foot out in different directions. Then I check out the possible routes from each position, from the skip-shot I release barely inches off the ground to the floater aimed at an opening between branches. Switch foot, repeat. Often just by doing that, or even picturing myself doing it, I see a route or and/or an angle I didn?t see at first. Obviously, it takes practice to the point of intuition to be able to do this in 30 seconds or less. But if you, like me, are not gifted with scary skills or distance, it’s worth it.

Angles
If you’re not yet open to opening your mind when considering all the different openings for your throw (whew!), consider the following about how much difference a few inches can make:

One of the great and unique challenges of disc golf – as opposed to stick golf – is the amount of potential obstructions between you and the target. Even when you?re close enough to putt (and especially at DeLa) you?ll find yourself with low hanging branches, tree trunks, bushes, etc., close to where you want to throw.

When this happens, try to imagine the line your disc typically follows on the throw you plan. Hint: putts almost always have more arc than you think, so keep that in mind. If it seems likely it will hit something, try to change the line by stretching out left or right, or moving up or down. Especially consider going down to a knee or even sitting down to putt (if the putt/throw isn’t too long). Changing your release point by even a few inches will change the angle and line of your shot significantly, maybe allowing a legitimate run where before there was none. And if you’re good at geometry (I’m not) you’ll know that the two inches difference at the point of release can become two feet of difference after the disc has travelled for 20 feet or so. You may have a low ceiling that forces you to throw the disc on a lazer beam-like line in order to keep it high enough to get in the basket, and those shots tend to be ‘do-or-die’ attempts that zoom their way into 30-plus foot comeback putts. By getting down on one knee, both knees, or even into some kind of sitting position, you’ve bought yourself the few inches necessary to go for that putt without risking an extra stroke if you miss.

If you compete in tournaments or just enjoy besting your friends, employing this advice is an easy way to save a couple strokes per round. Just remember: Twist and shoot!?

Originally Blahged Friday, July 28, 2006- Updated October 25th, 2007