Tag: disc golf

techdisc disc golf measure your throw

Unlocking Your TECHDISC, Part 1

by frisbeebrain, posted in disc golf, disc golf product reviews, product review, product reviews, techdisc

As a coach, I am always on the lookout for better ways — sometimes just additional ways — to help clients understand key points. Being able to reliably measure the forces applied to a thrown disc is a seismic shift in this regard.

After working directly with dozens of clients using a TECHDISC—some in-person at our facility, others remotely, using a TECHDISC they purchased—I don’t hesitate to recommend the product and platform to everyone. I’ve witnessed the impact it can have within a single 2-hour introductory lesson. Remote coaching (video conferencing, chatting) instantly becomes 50 percent more effective when the client has a TECHDISC in their hands that produces data on my screen.

I have a disclaimer, though. My perspective is undoubtedly skewed. My experience with TECHDISC has thus far been through personal use, and as an instructor. As a user, I began with an advanced understanding of disc characteristics and throwing mechanics, and my clients, through working with me, have access to that “interpretative” knowledge as well. For others, unlocking the true benefits of TECHDISC might not be so automatic.

It reminds me of when I discovered creative apps like Photoshop or Garageband. In both cases I was excited at the potential to create art and music, only to discover that there would still be tons to learn about the products and the media upon which they were designed. I was daunted by the learning curve required just to get started.

Using a TECHDISC is simple. Download the app, connect via Bluetooth, throw the disc, and flight numbers appear. Using a TECHDISC to get better at disc golf, however, is not so different than an artist or musician learning to use the aforementioned apps from scratch.

This is the first of what will likely be a series of posts intended to help fellow disc golfers unlock TECHDISC. The plan, to avoid bogging down with lengthy technical discussions, is to touch on several different areas in each post, including:

  • Exploring the platform— Capturing and viewing throw data is only the tip of the iceberg
  • Understanding the numbers as interlocking components of disc flight
  • Applying that understanding to the confident creation of the ideal combination of disc, throw type, and throw-type details (the stuff measured by TECHDISC) —something that must be done in less than 30 seconds, again and again.
  • Going from “knowing what to do” to “How to do it” to “I’m doing it!”

If readers ask specific questions in the comments or by contacting me directly, I’ll do my best to address them in the next post.

Before starting, I want to draw special attention to the last bullet on that list. If you buy a TECHDISC, read the rest of this post and the others in the series, feel you’ve gotten a good handle on the first two bullet points, but still struggle with the 4th and maybe also the 3rd and therefore see no measurable difference on the course . . . don’t be discouraged.

Read our reviews on the site or Google Maps and you’ll see a repeating theme beyond the generous compliments; people of widely varying skill levels and experience who only needed to work 1-on-1 with an expert who can tailor the lesson to their needs. If that is the last piece of the puzzle left to be able to throw to your potential, why not? Think about it, and in the meantime let’s begin our deep dive into TECHDISC.

when to use The App and when to use techdisc.com

A disc golf disc with a TD (short for TECHDISC) puck attached to it can interact with the TD platform in two different ways; by connecting it via Bluetooth to techdisc.com on a web browser, or to the iOS or Android apps. Don’t think of it as either/or; both methods have their uses.

Connecting your TECHDISC through a browser has the benefit of universality. Pretty much anything that can get an internet connection, has Bluetooth, and isn’t ancient can connect to your TECHDISC, if needed. But that’s not where the web interface shines, just a nice backup plan in case the app isn’t available.

One person throws the TECHDISC while the other holds a smartphone with the app open.

Logging in to your account at techdisc.com is where the research takes place, compared to the app and disc, which are used to collect specimens (throw data) out in the field. Whereas the app easily connects to the disc and clearly displays basic information (along with another killer feature), the ability to dig deeper, experiment, and search for patterns exists only on the web platform.

Digging Deeper

View the list of your throws at techdisc.com, then click on one of them. You’ll see one important stat (Advanced Ratio) that doesn’t appear on the app display. This number is a calculation of spin rate and speed, and a good indicator if you are achieving enough spin for your armspeed and disc choices. You’ll also see 3D mapping based on their computer model’s projection of the throw’s flight path. (Since there are numerous external factors their model can’t take into account, don’t get too hung up on what it looks like.)

Experiment

Regardless of whether you think the 3D graphic looked like your real throw or not, clicking on it opens the secret passageway to a virtual laboratory where you can play the What-If game two different ways: Change around the flight numbers of the disc to see how the flight of your disc changes when you use a slower, lighter, or less stable disc, for instance.

Change the actual measured Throw Details of the throw being displayed to see the various ways—and what would be required, effort-wise—to get the disc to move in the direction you desire. If a throw with your current driver’s flight numbers dumps to the left, up the spin rate until it flattens out for longer, or lower the launch angle, or both.

Searching for Patterns

The longer you work with TECHDISC, the more useful the collected data becomes. This is especially true if you proactively use the platform’s ability to add tags and a note to each throw. TECHDISC automatically assigns backhand/forehand and hyzer/flat/anhyzer designations, but you can add more info. For instance, #afteraround to see how fatigue affects your form, or #cold, or #windy, or various specific discs.

More data points + more throws over time = more potential revelations about how score better through improved insights.

The App

The iOS app has been out for some, but the Android version was released more recently. I mentioned one big feature of the app aside from its simple function and optimized display, and here it is: If you want to work with your TECHDISC and know the results of each throw without having to look back to a screen, you can! Simply set the app up to audibly read out the measured stats of your choice. This works great when you’re working on something specific and use the stats as instant confirmation of whether you’re on the right track.

Spin vs. Speed

I have had similar experiences lately with three of my clients who own their own TECHDISCs. In each case, I have for some time been stressing the importance of imparting enough spin on a disc to enable it to fly as intended. I’ve done my best to explain why throwing shots with more spin and less speed allows a player to gain additional precision when needed and achieve steep turnover shots that cover short distances.

They all listened. Each of them embraced the mechanical changes we made, stressing a crisp halt of the body on drives to increase snap. Somehow, though, it became clearer—and therefore more of a priority—through the use of TECHDISC.

  • Seeing the RPM (spin) number increase when you work on a mechanical change specifically intended to increase spin is for some a more concrete form of evidence than seeing the difference in flight because memories fade but numbers are forever. Or something like that.
  • As noted above, the Customizer can be used to see how increasing spin changes flight “in the lab.”
  • TECHDISC provides a calculated metric called Advanced Ratio which describes the ratio of speed to spin rate for any given throw. It is Speed divided by RPM multiplied by the circumference of the disc. For a typical throw, an optimal ADV ratio is in the mid-40s, and this provides a simple benchmark, regardless of speed or distance.

I believe that as with many things in a sport as complex as disc golf (they say it’s easy to learn and hard to master) half of learning new skills and tricks is gaining a deep enough understanding of that element of the game. As I explain in Three Paths to Better Disc Golf (and touch on in this blog post) there are six ways to manipulate the flight of a disc. Six knobs to adjust, if you will, to get the exact flight you want. Spin is one of those knobs.

If I have a low ceiling on a 200-foot shot and need a throw that turns over at the finish, I’m probably better throwing an understable disc with a hyzer nose angle and use extra spin to create the turn, rather than releasing with anhyzer, due to the low ceiling.

My clients seem to be grasping these concepts more clearly thanks to TECHDISC, and that has given them more motivation to work on spin-inducing drills. Whether you own one or not, you can still use the Customizer to see why spin is such a crucial component to getting the flight paths you need and the distance you crave.

Hit me up with questions and I’ll do my best to answer them, and might include some in the next TECHDISC post.

An Executive Summary of UDisc’s Just-released 2024 Disc Golf Growth Report

by frisbeebrain, posted in disc golf, udisc

Disc golf is continuing to grow in every direction and way, and UDisc is getting better and better at collecting and compiling salient and relative information. The producers of “The App for Disc Golf” just released its latest annual Disc Golf Growth report.

I always skim first for the number of disc golf courses in the U.S. vs the number of ball golf courses because of my prediction in the last chapter of my book, The Disc Golf Revolution. I wrote that they’d be close to equal by now, but I wasn’t surprised to see it’s still 15,000 to 10,000 in favor of the Judge Smales’. Where did I think I was living, Finland?! (see below)

Revenue is not mentioned. There are as yet no publicly traded disc golf companies, therefore, no public info. Potential investors in the sport can view statistics related to players (location, frequency of play) as a reflection of the sport’s growth in popularity, and stats relating to growth in the number of courses as a clear sign that decision makers believe in the sport’s value and lasting appeal.

Most statistics are gleaned from regular usage of UDisc’s app as well as a survey it invites all disc golfers to complete. This first one is taken from UDisc’s course directory. As not all of their listings are categorized this isn’t 100 percent accurate, but certainly enough to spot trends.

Credit: UDisc 2024 Disc Golf Growth Report

Of all the categories listed, churches (15 percent) and ski resorts (14) saw the strongest growth. Tied for last is public parks, at 8 percent. Not a huge difference, and also not a reason to think disc golf is about to level off. Nevertheless, why?

For the past several decades, course growth has been largely in the public land sector, driven by players who fell in love with the game yet had no courses nearby. They pushed, attended meetings, organized, raised funds . . . you name it. Whatever it took. Now parks seek to install courses rather than having to be cajoled into it, and private entities of all types see the incredible value (and then, when they play themselves, they understand the appeal).

With more than 15,000 courses worldwide, the odds of a person needing to plant the disc golf flag somewhere new just so they can have a course to play in their own town have gone down. But I believe this phenomenon happens in cycles.

Going back to the UDisc report, we see that there are now disc golf courses in 87 countries. Curacao, Cypress, Madagascar, Greenland, and Mongolia all received their first courses in 2023. Organizations like the Paul McBeth Foundation and Eagles Wings Disc Golf (which I mentioned in a recent post) have made the expansion of disc golf both a mission and a vehicle to support a higher mission. Either way, seeds are being planted in totally new places— places that will likely celebrate low cost, low maintenance recreation.

So what’s gonna happen next in those places? I’ll tell you, because I’ve seen it before.

The same thing that happened in Texas in the 90’s will happen in Mongolia in the years to come. Dzhambul will stumble across the course in Ulaanbaatar, thoroughly enjoy the experience, and upon his return to Darkhan realize he can’t live without it! He won’t rest until Darkhan has a course. And so, the cycle will continue.

Disc golf grows pretty much everywhere a seed is planted, but it has absolutely skyrocketed in one geographic area. That area includes Northern European nations surrounding the Baltic Sea. Disc golf courses in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania outnumber ball golf courses by 2.5 to 1, led of course by disc golf-crazy Finland.

Credit: UDisc 2024 Disc Golf Growth Report

Take 30 minutes to read the report for yourself; there are some nice anecdotal stories that underscore all the numbers. If you don’t have time, here are a few other tidbits that are highlighted:

  • 33 U.S. states now have 100 courses or more, and Massachusetts and Maryland are almost there. With more than 500, Michigan has snagged second place from California.
  • 89 percent of all courses are still completely free to play. I’m glad to see this stat holding firm.
  • New York City, with 8 million people, still doesn’t have a single course.
  • 89 percent of UDisc’s survey respondents said they regularly share the sport with others

Team Infinite 2024— Jack Tupp is in, and in good company

by frisbeebrain, posted in disc golf

The first year I represented Infinite Discs, things were quite different. The company had just come out with its first few Infinite-branded discs, no one had heard of COVID-19 yet, and the new Team Infinite was comprised of regional pros (mostly in and around the company’s Utah HQ) and disc golf community leaders. No touring pros.

Fast forward to 2024, and the team now includes 14 players who are either full-time tour players or names we know through the tour. James Proctor, who us NorCal players claim as our own, was all over Disc Golf Network coverage last year. Drew Gibson and Chandler Fry are characters of the game and recent DGPT event winners. This speaks to Infinite Disc’s success and growth, for sure, but I think it also reflects the growing appeal of not being tied down to throwing discs from one manufacturer.

Team Infinite also includes a carefully curated set of people who are first and foremost ambassadors of the sport, and I’m proud to once again be included in that group. I’ve won at least one PDGA event for several years in a row, so I like to think that has something to do with my inclusion as well. As the years go by, though, the weight of my goals in the sport are slowly shifting from mastering the craft and topping my competitors to simply helping others enjoy the game. To be recognized as an ambassador for the sport is an honor.

Jack Tupp is a member of Team Infinite 2024

In case you’re wondering, I throw a mega-mixed bag that includes way too many O-O-P (out of production) discs, but that’s another story. My bag also includes several Infinite molds. The Scarab is my primary putter, and the Tomb serves a specialty role in my bag, providing a stiffer option to my default soft Vibram Ridge for most approaches. I also love the Sphinx as it feels like a faster Roadrunner.

If I had to throw discs from one manufacturer, it would be a huge change and feel like a major constriction of my options. As a touring pro there would need to be significant compensation for that disruption and limitation. Kudos to Infinite Discs for letting their sponsored players throw whatever they feel helps them execute their shots— it actually makes sense for them, anyway.

As I wrap up my Team Infinite announcement and hail Infinite’s non-exclusive approach to sponsorship, allow me to also recognize a pioneer of this thinking (and other things in disc golf, like players creating their own disc companies). Steve Rico decided to throw a mixed bag back in THE 1990’s. At the time it meant going without a sponsor. Hopefully that kind of logical and independent decision making isn’t why this OG isn’t in the HOF.

Three Disc Golf ‘Holiday’ Letters

by frisbeebrain, posted in disc golf

I was planning on using the term ‘Christmas Letter’ because I initially had the idea of mimicking those cringy annual missives certain families send off en masse to friends and family at the end of each year, listing their many great achievements. Change of plans! Christmas has come and gone, for one thing. Also, the idea of writing such a letter, even in jest, is as dreadful as reading one.

Although disc golf does have much to brag about, these letters should read more like annual reports. I want to look forward to the next year in addition to looking back on 2023.

Without any more preamble, a letter from Jack Tupp, a letter from School of Disc Golf, and a letter from disc golf itself.

a letter from the sport of disc golf

Disc golf continues to grow fast, in all directions, like the jungle vines in the old Jumanji that used to freak my daughter out so much. And after the previous few years’ growth which was largely about new “pandemic” players, 2023 and 2024 will be remembered (in my mind, anyway) for a better kind of growth: Infrastructure and worldwide geographic expansion.

The McBeth Foundation, Eagles Wings Disc Golf, and others have broken ground on new courses in places where disc golf’s incredible, unparalleled accessibility (including, but not limited to, affordability) will have the biggest impact.

The Paul McBeth Foundation’s second project, in Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala, is on a ball golf course that charges a small fee— but kids play for free.

And just imagine! Entire new peoples (many who live in places where weather-wise they can play year-round) having the opportunity to take up disc golf! I wrote about this in The Disc Golf Revolution, specifically the significance of disc golf knocking down the barriers that have kept those same people from ever experiencing golf, period.

The Paul McBeth Foundation in particular has put this expansion into overdrive. Check out all the projects they have ongoing or planned right now.

My comments on the professional competitive landscape are brief, as I like to leave the blow-by-blow to others. Kristen Tattar is one of my favorite players, even though she has for now squashed the parity we were about to finally see in that division. I like her because she seems single-minded about perfecting her disc golf craft, and everything else (at least professionally) comes in a distant second place.

I wrote when Brodie Smith first joined Discraft that he would quickly become good enough to be a legit tour competitor, but wouldn’t ever be a top player or win anything significant. Why? Because his primary business isn’t disc golf, it’s content creation. Which is fine. The reality is that the large majority of touring players do not make enough money from winnings and sponsorship alone to do much better than break even. Unless you are competing for the victory most weeks, a current common formula is to get and stay good enough to be a legit tour player (and earn a tour card), then look to content creation and the resulting revenue to make it all sustainable.

In 2024 and beyond watch for a continued negative correlation between the list of top finishers each week and the players releasing the most content on their own. As the talent pool deepens, it will be harder and harder to have a disc in one hand and a selfie stick in the other.

One interesting development in 2023 on the business side of the sport was a bit of consolidation, something not uncommon for an industry with disc golf’s profile (rapidly shifting from niche to early majority). A couple of private equity firms in Scandinavia partnered with Latitude 64 to create House of Discs, which then acquired three more established brands in Europe and another in the U.S., former Latitude 64 partner Dynamic Discs.

Will 2024 see more similar moves, by House of Discs or others? Who will be the first investor in the United States with no previous ties to disc golf to understand where the sport is headed and “get in early?”

2025 will see the Pro disc golf world championships held outside the United States for only the second time, and in Europe for the first time. This is fitting as the era of U.S. players dominating competitive play seems to be rapidly coming to a close. It has already pretty much happened on the FPO side at majors, with the repeated performances of Henna Blomroos, Eveliina Solonen, and others in addition to Tattar.

a letter from school of disc golf

Whether you are a customer, blog subscriber, or a disc golfer of any stripe, thank you! We could not even attempt to make this work without you. As the sport grows, so do our opportunities to make a living by introducing people to the game and helping others get better. Please keep telling others about us.

New Merch coming soon!

As with the sport of disc golf itself, 2023 was a year for School of Disc Golf to build infrastructure for future growth. We completed our private training facility, a 9-hole course in Santa Cruz where private lessons and teambuilding events take place. Having a controlled environment rather than shared public spaces has been a game-changer!

We also created a second website just for the e-commerce side of the business. The most important new feature is self-booking: the ability to browse available dates, and then reserve and pay for lessons and group events. It may still look funky in spots, but so far things are running smoothly so check it out when you get a chance. I’d love feedback. The site also has a few items of merch, and we plan to add more. Look for unique disc golf items to pop up there in 2024.

Much of our corporate business comes from big tech companies in nearby Silicon Valley, and in 2023 we felt the repercussions of the continued layoffs among them. Group social outings are obviously among the first cuts when things get tight. But another trend is providing hope.

Engineers from Netflix get reacquainted during a disc golf teambuilding outing in early December.

Those same companies are now also requiring remaining workers to return to the office. Netflix, Facebook and Google teams have found us to be an affordable (and of COURSE fun) way to get teams reacquainted with each other. Please think of us when you or someone you know needs an affordable option for an outdoor group experience.

techdisc disc golf measure your throw
My TECHDISC looks pretty good after a couple hundred throws!

Another new addition to School of Disc Golf in the past year has been incorporating TECHDISC technology into our lessons. We use it to establish benchmark metrics, measure improvement, illustrate the relationship between disc properties and throw metrics, and plenty more.

A couple of my remote clients have already bought their own, giving us yet another way to interact without getting together in person. Check out my initial review of TECHDISC if you haven’t seen it yet.

We’re also considering scheduling group classes for the first time, now that we have a controlled facility. Let me know if you’d be interested. Classes targeting beginners, youth, seniors, and women are all considerations as these are fast-rowing segments of the disc golf population.

a letter from jack tupp

(As you may or may not know, Jack Tupp is a disc golf persona I created first as a character name when I produced Discmasters TV in 2011, then used again as a pen name for my books. Given my industry and position, and the stereotypes about disc golf at the time, I felt the need to keep things separate online. Plus, no one can pronounce my real last name, anyway. So here’s Jack Tupp’s Christmas letter!)

I still love to play, and apparently NEED to compete, even if it’s mostly local. In that regard, I did not have a great 2023 when I measure my potential against my results. I only played four PDGA events and did manage to get my 10th PDGA victory in the Enduro Bowl, one of my favorites due to the ironman format and my success over the years. But my rating went down overall this year, so I’ll be looking for ways to coax more out of this old carcass.

The long journey of Jack Tupp’s player rating. See that tiny sliver between the 2007 bar and the “1000” line? Yep, thaaat close.

2023 has also been a year for assuming additional roles in the local disc golf community. Until almost the end of 2022, a treasured local course in a redwood forest had remained closed due to fires and the pandemic. I led a group that formed a new club and signed an agreement with the school district to reopen the course.

“I’ve got disc golf riches, I’m a frisbee king.
Play anytime I want, barely costs me anything.
I can make magic happen, when nothing else in life goes right.
I can still control my frisbee flight.”

Jack Tupp and SPAM

More recently I was asked to join the board of directors of the DeLaveaga Disc Golf Club, and quickly accepted, honored to serve in that capacity.

The coming year is setting up nicely for School of Disc Golf, and I have also spoken to a couple of other disc golf business owners about partnering in various capacities. We’ll see what unfolds. Stay tuned!

Now, for those who have read this post to the very end, something only tangentially connected to disc golf. I used to be in a band, and about six months ago I was coaxed out of retirement by my old bandmate and friend Eric. He and a couple of other guys were tired of playing covers. I joined ’em, bringing my old originals with me, and have so far written seven new ones! So much fun.

The most recent one is the first song I’ve ever written about disc golf. In it I try to convey how great it is that a resource can be so desirable, beneficial, and available*— all at once! Think about it. Apply that triple standard to anything else. Usually one element precludes one or two of the others. Put another way, disc golf is as desirable as ice cream, as beneficial as kale, and as available as rice.

Keep in mind this is a live recording of a song that is not yet complete, with two musicians new to the band. It’s a work in progress, but I thought it’d be fun to share it with y’all.

Have a great next year. My wish for everyone is to find new, even deeper ways to enjoy our sport. Volunteer for your club. Take someone new out. Think deep about how to shave strokes. Have fun!

Our Curated Guide to Unique Disc Golf Gifts— and the Gift OF Disc Golf!

by frisbeebrain, posted in disc golf, disc golf book, disc golf gifts, disc golf instruction, Disc Golf Lessons

If you’re reading this, chances are you know someone who is obsessed with disc golf or love to play and share the sport yourself. In both cases we have you covered for unique gifts, and this guide makes it easy to get it exactly right!

Scroll down to see our options, and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or requests for personalized book inscriptions.

gifts for new and excited disc golfers

The sport of disc golf grew steadily somewhat underground from the mid-70s until 2020— then it roughly doubled during the pandemic. If you know an excited new disc golfer they are likely eager to learn more and get better.

disc golf gifts, disc golf books
School of Disc Golf owner Jack Tupp has written two acclaimed books on disc golf.

why and how to give the gift of disc golf

The most rewarding part of my job is introducing new people to disc golf, and knowing that for some it will become a regular and very positive part of their lives from that day forward. If you love the game as I do, you know exactly what I mean.

Gift-giving occasions can be a great opportunity to turn someone on to disc golf. My book The Disc Golf Revolution is packed with info about disc golf’s past, present, and future, and a private introductory lesson is a great way to learn the essentials quickly.

techdisc, smart disc golf disc, disc golf training
TECHDISC measures speed, spin rate, angles, and much more!

gifts for experienced disc golfers

For those who don’t know, we disc golfers are VERY particular about our equipment. Discs are so specialized these days, forget about trying to pick one your friend will actually throw.

You can go the gift card route — if you do, you can’t do better than one from us or our partner Infinite Discs — but lots of folks enjoy the challenge of selecting perfect and unique gifts. In the world of disc golf, that’s where we come in!

disc golf shoes, disc golf gear
ohn scoggins

FrisbeeGolf Friday, May 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

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!

disc golf book, disc golf lessons

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.

Hole 7, looking back to the tee.
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

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.

Photo courtesy of Peter Ascuitto

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.

Wombat3

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.

Short, tight holes often require straight-flying, slow discs.

That’s it for this week. Get out there and have fun!

FrisbeeGolf Friday, March 17th, 2023

by frisbeebrain, posted in disc golf, disc golf instruction, Discmasters, frisbee golf, FrisbeeGolf Friday, instruction

Last week in the wide world of disc golf, another brave disc golf club declared its intention to turn straw into gold– and you can help! I particularly like the idea of converting Bellingham, WA mall dwellers into disc golfers. As the Disc Golf Revolution continues, disc golf is expanding into a new market- New Market, Alabama, to be precise.

From Taupō, New Zealand we learn of the North Island Championships, where more than 200 players will compete. I love this uncredited image from the story, and that basket! The chain assembly looks solid but the cage appears ready to break some hearts.

Due to shipping costs, disc golf course builders in more remote locations need to create their own, locally-produced baskets.

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My extended test of the world’s first real disc golf shoe continues, and they’re holding up great. Check out my first three months’ review– if you want to give them a try, now is a great time. In honor of Women’s History Month, Idio is knocking $44 off the regular price of $129.99.

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Watch. Where. You’re. Throwing! The latest instructional post on our website is about the role our eyes play when putting and driving, and it can be summed up with those four words. Learn how to best use these powerful pieces of human technology.

Our new booking site is also a great place to pick up unique disc golf gifts and merch- or it will be soon. 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.

Wish me luck this weekend as I compete in the Enduro Bowl at DeLaveaga. It’s 58 straight holes (2×29 holes), and the course is bound to be a slog.

My 2019 Enduro Bowl trophy was this cool ring. Go Team!

Watch Where You’re Throwing!

by frisbeebrain, posted in DaLearning Curve, disc golf, disc golf driving, disc golf form, disc golf instruction, disc golf putting

How to focus on your goals. literally. with your eyes.

Summary: Making full use of your eyes can dramatically improve the aim and consistency of your drives, your putts, and all throws in between. Read on to learn Why, Where (as in, where your eyes should be in any given situation), and How (as in, how to make any necessary changes).

Merriam-Webster defines the term eye-hand coordination as “The way that one’s hands and sight work together to be able to do things that require speed and accuracy (such as catching or hitting a ball).” Or tossing a disc at a target.

After watching my recorded analysis of his driving form, a remote client in New York replied that the issue with keeping his eyes glued to the ground throughout his drive was a habit borrowed from his days playing ball golf. In that sport keeping the head down makes sense. The spot on the ball where the club will ideally make contact is where the eyes need to be in order to do their job.

In disc golf, however, looking down makes no sense at all. Nor does directing your eyes anywhere other than the aiming target. Trying to watch the disc throughout the reach-back or trying to observe some other part of their form are both also popular practices among clients when they first come to me. In all of these cases, the eyes are not being used as they should.

It’s pretty simple, actually: Eyes locked onto a target are sending the brain information that is useful for aiming; eyes looking anywhere else are not. “Wandering eyes” contribute nothing to successful execution. Eyes focused on the wrong thing send information that conflicts with the brain’s understood objective and are often the sole reason for errant shots.

What are you looking at? Watch where you’re going. Watch where you’re throwing!

The website Cognifit.com further defines eye-hand coordination as the eyes perceiving information (visual-spatial perception) that the brain then uses to guide the hands to carry out a movement. We use our eyes to direct attention to a stimulus and help the brain understand where the body is located in space (self-perception). The broader term motor coordination refers to the “orchestrated movement of multiple body parts as required to accomplish intended actions, like walking.”

Or launching a disc golf disc at a target 400 feet away. Multiple body parts, including the eyes, must coordinate to perform even routine disc throws.

To fully grasp the significance of where our eyes are pointed during every millisecond of a disc golf throw, it helps to think of the human brain as a very powerful computer and our various body parts as software and hardware. I provide a couple of comparisons below specific to driving and putting, but the principle is the same:

Your eyes collect information required for proper aim and balance. Prolonged focus on the right thing maximizes their contribution on any given throw.

those driving eyes

For the neural phenomenon of motor coordination to work best, the eyes need to be focused where they can gather the info most useful to perform the task at hand. When driving this will usually be the basket, but not always- especially on holes with doglegs, elevation changes, or any blind shot that prevents even seeing the basket. Pick something specific, though. This amazing piece of human technology works best when you feed it specific spatial coordinates.

I find it helps to think of eye-body coordination while launching drives in disc golf as if I’m a jet pilot firing guided missiles at another jet- at least as depicted in movies. I first”acquire” the target in my sights, meaning I start by locking my gaze on my aiming point- forward, level with the horizon. As I start my footwork, I remember to “lock on” to the target using the motor coordination connection between my eyes and other body parts. The better I can maintain that connection, the better my aim will be.

At this point, I trust the technology and”fire,” doing my best to keep the target in my sights as continuously as possible throughout the throw. On a full-power throw it is usually necessary to momentarily pull the eyes away from the acquired target. That’s okay, if the extra distance you’ll get justifies the broken eye-body connection. Just remember that having your eyes focused on the target 85 percent of the time is way better than 15 percent of the time, and still much better than 50 percent of the time.

I grabbed the below images from a video of Paul McBeth posted a year ago by Tom Manuel. I agree with Bro Heme who in the video’s comment section said that McBeth is the “best combo of power and accuracy in the game.” He (Paul, not Bro) knows exactly when and how to sacrifice a little aim to get the needed power.

Image 1 shows McBeth already locked onto his target. That’s the default, and his eyes won’t leave until Image 4, when turning his hips and shoulders away from the target makes it impossible for them to maintain contact. Note that even then, though, his chin touches his throwing shoulder rather than pointing back in the same direction as his shoulders. If you could see his eyes, you’d see they are rolled to the right in their sockets, straining to re-establish the eye-body neural connection as soon as possible.

By Image 5 – before the disc has left his hand – McBeth’s head is back in position for his eyes to gather and transmit fresh data critical to shot execution. In Images 6 and 7 we see him making an effort to keep his eyes locked onto the target through the release of the disc. This ensures that the contribution of the eyes is maximized and has the additional benefit of helping prevent him from pulling the disc off his line due to imbalance.

Simply by the orientation of his head you can tell that this player is looking at the target in all images above except 4 and possibly 5, at which point his eyes are just reacquiring the target.

Standing at the front of the teepad and focusing your eyes hard on the target before beginning your throw won’t accomplish the same thing— even if you extend the disc dramatically while staring. If you do that, then stare at the ground next to you throughout your throw, or let your eyes passively drift wherever the alignment of your shoulders takes them, the target is no longer acquired, much less locked on.

If you are learning or re-learning the footwork that most like to pair with a full-effort backhand drive, first of all, ask yourself whether that’s a good idea at this point. Assuming the answer is yes (and even if it’s not, yet), you have a couple of much better options than trying to watch your feet or the disc to confirm whether you’re doing things correctly.

  • You can film yourself and then self-analyze and/or get help from a pro. If you must use your eyes to learn, this is the way to do it. Your eyes already have an important job to do during the throw, and unless you are a chameleon or a four-eyed fish, your eyes can’t multitask.
  • Learn by feel. Pay attention in detail to what it feels like to keep your eyes straining and neck craning toward the target as you twist your torso away. Learn to stay center-balanced through any footwork, then check the video to see how you did. How does it feel when you do it right? Simply focusing on the feeling of success and failure during and after your throw will help you refine and repeat.

Note: As you see in Figure 5 above, a full-turn drive requires momentarily breaking eye contact with the target. When this is the case, it is important that you don’t wait until your eyes reacquire the target to begin your throw as that would waste the large muscle power of your reach-back and screw up your timing. Instead, learn to treat that fraction of a second when your eyes are forced to come off the target as a blip of static, with the picture returned before you know it. During that blip, the “feeling” you’ve learned will bridge the gap.

the putting trance

Everything I’ve written so far about using the eyes to “throw” a flying disc applies to putting as well. In fact, it’s all magnified! The margin of error on putts is thinner and sharper, and that makes a difference in two ways.

  1. Putting requires exacting precision. Miss by a few inches and you miss the putt
  2. Putting is an unambiguous pass/fail proposition that invites extra mental baggage

Be The Tripod

If the challenge of keeping eyes on the target while driving is like locking onto a 500-mph target while traveling 500 mph yourself, proper eye discipline while putting is like photography with a tripod. The goal is to focus on the exact best place for you to aim (a link of chain, the orange tape) and retain that perfect visual connection through the release of the disc.

Physically this is easier than the eye discipline required when driving. There is way less movement going on (jet vs. tripod), and at no point are you forced to rotate your neck away from the target.

With putting it’s often the mental part that is more challenging, because of the pass/fail thing. It’s easier to get ensnared in anxious thoughts about the results of the putt when there is no gray area. Letting the eyes drift away from the target to the disc is common in this case, sometimes before the disc even leaves the hand.

Even when you’re on the side of a mountain in the Andes surrounded by llamas putting at a makeshift basket of a thin tire and thinner chains, maintain focus with the target. Photo by Jeff Faes.

Breaking visual contact with the target even a fraction of a second too soon can cause a bad miss. To prevent this, lock your eyes onto your aiming point and try to keep them there until the disc reaches the target. As much as possible, keep your head still as well. Think of a picture taken right as the camera gets jolted. Blurry, out of focus. It’s why tripods exist.

The next time you practice your putting (today, right?), focus on your “eye-work.” Are you aiming at something small and specific? When I am in a period of poor mental focus I will sometimes realize I’m aiming at the target in general. Be intentional about your aiming point, on every putt.

Do your eyes stay locked on that aiming point, or do they “unlock” as the disc leaves your hand so you can track the progress of your attempt? I struggle with this in particular, and I’m not sure whether it is due to being emotionally attached to the results or my ADHD. Maybe my eyes get drawn to the movement.

Whatever the reason, I know it’s something that requires constant monitoring, and I know it’ll be worth the effort. Science tells me that keeping my eyes focused on the right thing improves motor coordination. My own empirical evidence backs it up.

The takeaway here could not be simpler. Watch where you’re throwing!