disc golf newsletter

FrisbeeGolf Friday, May 19, 2023

May 19, 2023May 19, 2023 by frisbeebrain, posted in disc golf, disc golf instruction, disc golf newsletter, FrisbeeGolf Friday

Last month in disc golf . . . The Masters Cup and a School of Disc Golf corporate gig forced me to skip several FrisbeeGolf Fridays. I hope it didn’t leave too much of a void in your lives. Onto some news from the front lines of disc golf!

Nothing like watching the world’s best, up close and personal. Photo by Bill Allen from the 2023 Masters Cup presented by DGA. Can you spot me? Hint, I am NOT the spectator with a Ph.D. That would be my friend – and Ohn’s husband – Justin.

A 9-hole course was just installed on the VA Medical Center campus in Chillicothe, Ohio, and it will soon be a full 18 holes. This idea just makes so much sense, let’s hope the trend continues.

As some know, I am a member of Team Infinite. Over the years, they have come up with some interesting product ideas.

I like this one because it reminds me of bedspread setups I created in hotel rooms over the years to help get in my disc fix. It’s a giant towel with a full-size basket on one side, with grommets for hanging.

Practice putting for an hour in the sun, work up a sweat, then pull the target down and take it to the lake for a swim. I’m in!

Now, I’m not sure why, but many of my favorite stories about disc golf culture these days are coming out of Canada.

From Midland a senior disc golf group called 60 and Hyzer is cleaning up after others, and in Centre Wellington a local man is making a strong case for a publicly-funded course in the township. Even local publication Guelph Today contributed with some solid reporting.

Yet again from Canada — although this practice takes place on courses everywhere — a story about a form of memorial unique to disc golf. Seeing one of these on the course somehow makes me feel sad and good at the same time.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the Phillipine News Agency just announced the first disc golf course in Manila, where the sport can be played year-round. Expect big things!

Have you checked out our new booking site? It’s also a great place to pick up unique disc golf gifts and merch. There’s not a lot there yet, but you can find some clearance items you won’t find anywhere else. There is even a shirt from the show Discmasters that I hosted with Nate, Val, and Avery back in 2011.

Finally, for those who have been asking, Idio just announced the release of the next generation of their Syncrasy disc golf shoes. They also acknowledged some customer feedback and listed specific improvements made to the new shoes. According to the company, “We have been listening and adapting. This year we have improved our bonding process, hardened the rubber for longer life, and improved on our waterproofing.”

My tester Syncrasys have indeed begun to let some water in after an epically wet winter, but otherwise they’ve held up well. I look forward to seeing the new ones and appreciate that is never satisfied.

That’s enough for now. Disc golf season is in full swing everywhere, so get out there and enjoy!

FrisbeeGolf Friday, April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023May 3, 2023 by frisbeebrain, posted in disc golf, disc golf form, Disc Golf Lessons, disc golf newsletter, frisbee golf, FrisbeeGolf Friday

College Disc Golf, Air Force Disc Golf in Japan, Jack Tupp on Amazon, and the Ground-Up Approach to SAving Strokes.

Last week in the wind-whipped world of disc golf, the College Disc Golf National Championship went down pretty much as expected. WPI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) finished a respectable 8th, between Kentucky and Texas A&M. Meanwhile, Lenexa, KS finally opened a course 20 years in the making. Officers at the Yokata Air Base in Western Tokyo did not blink, and within days announced their own new disc golf installation.

Meanwhile in the world of School of Disc Golf, aka, Play DisGolf, Inc., aka, me, I was surprised to learn my book Three Paths to Better Disc Golf is only two ratings shy of 100 on Amazon. (I had no idea! You see, I’m pretty shall we say “hands off” when it comes to my social media marketing — eh-HEM, Slacker! — and not as up-to-date on these things as I should be.) If you’ve read the book, post a review and help it hit triple digits!

I want to share a few snippets from past reviews as feedback like this is extremely gratifying and humbling at the same time.

“I did not expect how many of the suggestions just clicked – reflections of things I know to be true from my work and personal life that I had simply never applied to my recreational passion – disc golf. So far my scores are trending in the right direction, but more than any of that, practicing “disc golf in a vacuum” has allowed me to enjoy my time on the course even more. Highly recommend!”

“This is an awesome read, Being new to the sport I was a little confused about some aspects of the game. The author makes great sense and is simple to understand. If you take your game seriously you owe it to yourself to check it out.”

“I’ve read several of the most popular disc golf books and this is by far my favorite. Excellent treatment of the subject and from someone who can actually write!”

Those were some of my favorites, each for a different reason. I even liked the lowest-rated review, which simply said “Be the Disc, Danny.” An association with one of the best movies ever can’t hurt, right?

I also have deep ties to Michigan Disc Golf (what’s up, WinniCrew?), and this campaign to build an epic course and honor a legend is a perfect example of why and how disc golf has come so far and ain’t slowing down! Help ‘em out if you can, especially if you’re near the Upper Peninsula.

Our private course is showing signs of a mini-super bloom, and the season for teambuilding events and group activities is getting started. Contact me directly if you’re interested in booking a date or learning more.

*Basket of Hole 5 in the Hazard Island location.*

This week’s flashback post from the blog is a 2-Parter. Big mistakes can obviously cost you big-time, but lots of little things can add up fast. Knowing how to adjust to the vagaries of the terrain, or taking a Ground-Up Approach to Saving Strokes is key.

Part 1 focuses on up/down and left/right slopes, while Part 2 addresses varying tactics based on varying playing surfaces. Just to tie this week into a neat little bow, these are also chapters in that book I mentioned.

May your weekend include time to throw discs and enjoy their flight.

FrisbeeGolf Friday, March 31, 2023

March 31, 2023March 31, 2023 by frisbeebrain, posted in disc golf, disc golf newsletter, frisbee golf, FrisbeeGolf Friday

I’ve received a few queries asking why a newsletter that usually opens with a line about the wide world of disc golf is called FrisbeeGolf Friday. There are numerous reasons that I will share over time, but let’s start with two. The first can be defined as onomatopoeia. The word frisbee sounds like what it is, which is extra cool when you consider that is was selected rather than created.

In the History of Disc Golf chapter in The Disc Golf Revolution, I ask which sounds better: “Let’s go play flying disc,” “Let’s go play Pluto Platter,” or “Let’s go play Frisbee!” When most of the world thinks flying disc, it thinks Frisbee, which is my second reason for the newsletter title. I am publicly asserting that the word frisbee (notice I didn’t capitalize it) has become a genericized trademark. Want proof? Google “frisbee golf” and see what comes up.

For those who didn’t know, the only reason our sport was called disc golf in the first place was basket inventor and PDGA founder Ed Headrick’s need to respect WHAM-O’s trademark and branding. If the word frisbee is no longer protectable, I say, say it. Frisbee Golf!

A guy in Utah found healing in disc golf, so he came up with a way to pay it forward. The Breaking Chains group in Taylorsville, UT is part support group, part fresh air and exercise, two things crucial to those battling addiction and mental health issues. The founder hopes to expand in Utah and then nationally.

In Wadesboro, NC students of Anson High School’s sports and marketing class will be organizing and running an upcoming disc golf tournament.

I’m writing a post right now with the working title of “Less is Less,” the idea being that you can shave strokes off your game by doing less on any given shot. Watch for that soon, but in the meantime here are a couple from the past that also touch on the idea that we can lower our scores by playing smarter as well as playing better.

Subtraction by Subtraction (sound familiar?)

Learn by Feel in Disc Golf

Both are also chapters in my book Three Paths to Better Disc Golf. Get a signed copy from me here, or get it on Amazon.

I wrote last week about the value of a midrange that anyone can throw straight, citing the Wombat3 as the best example.

Earlier this week I aced hole 8a at DeLa with my Star Wombat3, a short, tight hole I’ve played thousands of times but never aced. The only reason that disc found the chains last week was because it kept pushing forward when my other discs all faded at the end. It was a nice surprise and perfect illustration of how this disc is different.