42 replies to this topic

[phenweigh]

Anybody play disc golf? I started a little over a year ago and really enjoy it. It's analogous in concept to ball golf, but instead of hitting a ball into a hole, a disc (frisbee) is thrown into a basket. The sport is gaining in popularity, with many new courses popping up in western Mass where I live, most of them free to play. If anybody is interested the best place to start gathering info on line is http://www.pdga.com/. PDGA stands for Professional Disc Golf Association.

Edit: pimped title.

Edited by phenweigh, 06 January 2011 - 06:49 PM.

[Rico Guapo]

I play from time to time, but I find it to be boring compared to Ultimate Frisbee.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I've been playing disc golf for a dozen years or so, and I've competed as a professional for the last five years. I manage a disc golf course and pro shop here in Maine. I also happen to be Maine's PDGA state coordinator. That's not as big a deal as it might seem...basically I approve and coordinate the schedule of PDGA-sanctioned events in the state, but since I'm pretty much the only guy running them, it's not hard.

I'm sure I've played some of those courses in western MA, and if I haven't, I probably know the folks behind getting them up and running. Another good link for more localized info, if you haven't visited it already, is the New England Flying disc Association's site at nefa.com.

I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone might have. Not only am I an avid player, but I'm a bit of a junkie for the history of the sport as well.

[DannyHeep]

I've been playing disc golf for a dozen years or so, and I've competed as a professional for the last five years. I manage a disc golf course and pro shop here in Maine. I also happen to be Maine's PDGA state coordinator. That's not as big a deal as it might seem...basically I approve and coordinate the schedule of PDGA-sanctioned events in the state, but since I'm pretty much the only guy running them, it's not hard.

I'm sure I've played some of those courses in western MA, and if I haven't, I probably know the folks behind getting them up and running. Another good link for more localized info, if you haven't visited it already, is the New England Flying disc Association's site at nefa.com.

I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone might have. Not only am I an avid player, but I'm a bit of a junkie for the history of the sport as well.

Where was the first course?

[phenweigh]

I play from time to time, but I find it to be boring compared to Ultimate Frisbee.

Fair enough. Many people find golf, whether disc or ball, not exciting enough for their taste.

[Rico Guapo]

Where was the first course?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_golf

California.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Where was the first course?

Oak Grove in Pasadena, CA, designed and installed by the inventor of the "Pole Hole" target, Ed Headrick.

One of the first ten courses in the world, all designed and installed by Headrick, is still open and active at Beaver Brook Campground in Monmouth, Maine. It was somewhere between the 3rd and the 10th...Ed didn't keep very good records of what happened when beyond the first two courses he did.

[phenweigh]

I've been playing disc golf for a dozen years or so, and I've competed as a professional for the last five years. I manage a disc golf course and pro shop here in Maine. I also happen to be Maine's PDGA state coordinator. That's not as big a deal as it might seem...basically I approve and coordinate the schedule of PDGA-sanctioned events in the state, but since I'm pretty much the only guy running them, it's not hard.

I'm sure I've played some of those courses in western MA, and if I haven't, I probably know the folks behind getting them up and running. Another good link for more localized info, if you haven't visited it already, is the New England Flying disc Association's site at nefa.com.

I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone might have. Not only am I an avid player, but I'm a bit of a junkie for the history of the sport as well.

Thanks for getting involved and growing the sport! Based on your post you probably know Davis Johnson, who was instumental in getting Crane Hill up and running in Wilbraham. I've played with Dave once and talked with him a few times, and not only is he excellent player, he's a very nice guy. Dave was a world record distance holder back in the 70s. My brother, who is retired, plays Crane Hill very often.

I've only played tournament frolf twice, at Holyoke Community College, playing doubles with my brother each time. Both times it was a lot of fun.

Although I like playing both the above mentioned courses, I would rate Tully Lake on the Athol/Royalston line the best course in Western MA. A dedicated group of volunteers works with the Army Corps of Engineers there to keep the course in great shape. I wish I lived closer.

There are a couple of guys hard a work getting a course put in on YMCA property in Westfield MA where I live. I haven't been able to help them as they mostly work on the course weekdays when I'm at my job, but I hope to be able to volunteer there when it opens. It's going to be a great course and should be ready in the spring.

[Frisbetarian]

I play from time to time, but I find it to be boring compared to Ultimate Frisbee.

And Ultimate is oligarchic when compared to Freestyle. <smiley guy>

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Thanks for getting involved and growing the sport! Based on your post you probably know Davis Johnson, who was instumental in getting Crane Hill up and running in Wilbraham. I've played with Dave once and talked with him a few times, and not only is he excellent player, he's a very nice guy. Dave was a world record distance holder back in the 70s. My brother, who is retired, plays Crane Hill very often.

I've only played tournament frolf twice, at Holyoke Community College, playing doubles with my brother each time. Both times it was a lot of fun.

Although I like playing both the above mentioned courses, I would rate Tully Lake on the Athol/Royalston line the best course in Western MA. A dedicated group of volunteers works with the Army Corps of Engineers there to keep the course in great shape. I wish I lived closer.

There are a couple of guys hard a work getting a course put in on YMCA property in Westfield MA where I live. I haven't been able to help them as they mostly work on the course weekdays when I'm at my job, but I hope to be able to volunteer there when it opens. It's going to be a great course and should be ready in the spring.

I haven't had the pleasure of playing Crane Hill or HCC, but I've played many rounds at Tully Lake. That's one of the closest courses to my parents, so it's often where I end up going when I visit. Interesting news about the YMCA in Westfield. I hadn't heard about that before. I have family in Westfield as well, so anything that might get my young cousins more interested in giving the game a try is great.

I know Davis very well. Check out this clip of him winning the 1975 World Distance championship with a toss of 295 feet (I don't believe this was a record toss, however). Nowadays 295 feet is about how far a typical pro will throw a mid-range disc (the equivalent of say a 7 or 8 iron). 820 feet is the current world record.

Edited by Red(s)HawksFan, 06 January 2011 - 07:09 PM.

[Snowplow]

Red(s)HawksFan , What size Frisbee do you think they were useing in the video? I'm guessing a 165 gram. Just curious when they went to heavier frisbees. I went through three 200 gram fisbees this past summer. Theres absolutly no give at all with them. If they hit anything they would crack. I went to a 170 or 175(forgot which) and love it.
The best Disc golf courses I've ever played on are in Alaska. Theres literally hundreds of them to choose from.

Edited by Snowplow, 06 January 2011 - 10:27 PM.

[Rico Guapo]

Red(s)HawksFan , What size Frisbee do you think they were useing in the video? I'm guessing a 165 gram. Just curious when they went to heavier frisbees. I went through three 200 gram fisbees this past summer. Theres absolutly no give at all with them. If they hit anything they would crack. I went to a 170 or 175(forgot which) and love it.
The best Disc golf courses I've ever played on are in Alaska. Theres literally hundreds of them to choose from.

They look like standard 175g whamos to me.

[Snowplow]

Thanks Rico. That was apx. my guess.

I'm really digging the open discs. ( best way I can describe it , it's like a doughnut). They're terrible if theres any wind at all. But Dang....they fly so far.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Red(s)HawksFan , What size Frisbee do you think they were useing in the video? I'm guessing a 165 gram. Just curious when they went to heavier frisbees. I went through three 200 gram fisbees this past summer. Theres absolutly no give at all with them. If they hit anything they would crack. I went to a 170 or 175(forgot which) and love it.
The best Disc golf courses I've ever played on are in Alaska. Theres literally hundreds of them to choose from.

I can't identify exactly what disc was thrown in that video, but the final time Davis Johnson set the world record in 1976, he did it with a Wham-o 119g. Prior to that, none of the records have a weight listed with the disc. The Wham-o Pro models that debuted in 1975 came in 119g, 141g and 165g weights, so I would guess it's one of those. According to the list I found, the heaviest recorded disc used to set a world record was a 179g Innova Viper in 1993. The current record was set in 2002 with a 168g Innova Valkyrie (250 meters, or just a shade over 820 feet).

As for courses to choose from, it's not hundreds, it's thousands (the PDGA directory lists over 3200). The number of courses has grown fivefold since I started playing in 1998. The number of courses in New England has grown from about a dozen permanent courses to close to 100 in that time. It's a fast growing sport for sure.

[phenweigh]

IMO, the current distance records are completely bogus. An excerpt from an article regarding distance provides an explanation. http://www.discgolfr...ancemyths.shtml

With the distance record standing at an astounding 820' (thrown by Sandstrom in 2002), I believe that people's perspectives of what a long throw really is has gotten fairly skewed. The majority of the longest throws since Stokely's 656' throw in 1995 have been very wind assisted, in areas that often had 15-35 MPH winds to catch as well as other factors such as altitude, thermal updrafts, etc. In fact, the five longest throws of all time (820', 810', 761', 748', and 738') were all performed on the same day and 16 of the 18 longest throws of all time have all been performed at the same location.

I'm not disputing that disc design and throwing techniques haven't been a factor in the jumps in the distance records. And I'm certainly not disputing that there are guys that can throw a lot farther than I can, as I've met them and have seen 400+ ft throws. But counting a downwind throw off the side of a mountain as an official record doesn't exactly promote the sport in the serious direction that the PDGA seems to be aiming. I'd like to know what the distance record would be without elevation and wind assistance.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

IMO, the current distance records are completely bogus. An excerpt from an article regarding distance provides an explanation. http://www.discgolfr...ancemyths.shtml

With the distance record standing at an astounding 820' (thrown by Sandstrom in 2002), I believe that people's perspectives of what a long throw really is has gotten fairly skewed. The majority of the longest throws since Stokely's 656' throw in 1995 have been very wind assisted, in areas that often had 15-35 MPH winds to catch as well as other factors such as altitude, thermal updrafts, etc. In fact, the five longest throws of all time (820', 810', 761', 748', and 738') were all performed on the same day and 16 of the 18 longest throws of all time have all been performed at the same location.

I'm not disputing that disc design and throwing techniques haven't been a factor in the jumps in the distance records. And I'm certainly not disputing that there are guys that can throw a lot farther than I can, as I've met them and have seen 400+ ft throws. But counting a downwind throw off the side of a mountain as an official record doesn't exactly promote the sport in the serious direction that the PDGA seems to be aiming. I'd like to know what the distance record would be without elevation and wind assistance.

There's nothing bogus about the records because they conform to WFDF (World Flying Disc Federation) competition standards (nothing to do with the PDGA, really). However, it's fairly obvious that they have little relation to a typical thrown disc, be it for golf, ultimate, etc. It should be noted that the record throw was not off the side of a mountain. It was at elevation certainly (thinner air), but the point at which the disc was released and the point at which the disc landed were at the same elevation. It's a desert salt flat, not unlike the location on which many land speed records have been set. No one is going to top them driving street legal cars on regular roadways. Most disc throwers recognize the difference between competition distance (attempts to set records, especially in the desert) and what we like to call golf distance (normal environment, elevation, and wind where accuracy makes a difference, etc).

Another apt comparison would be the difference between the big distance driving contests in traditional golf where guys are on a range, smashing balls with souped up clubs to distances of 400 yards plus, and the biggest drivers on tour who are averaging 300-315 yards at most. Most of those competitive distance drivers couldn't get into Q school, let alone qualify for any tour. It's a similar situation for the disc distance throwers like Christian Sandstrom. He can throw it a country mile, but he's hardly amongst the better golfers in the world, let alone the elite.

I would guess that the distance record at sea level, under calm conditions, would probably still be in the 650-700 foot range. At the 2010 PDGA amateur world championships, the long drive winner threw exactly 600 feet. At the 2010 professional US Championships, the long drive winner threw 636 feet. Both of those throws were by gentlemen who are golfers first, so they don't necessarily train for distance (surely they practice it though). With concentrated training, I imagine they could get it out much further.

Edited by Red(s)HawksFan, 07 January 2011 - 12:37 PM.

[phenweigh]

I mis-interpreted "at elevation". Thanks for the correction and information. I thought that I found the record throw on youtube and what I watched was certainly off the side of a mountain. I probably mis-interpreted something then as well.

Still, wind-aided bothers me. I don't know what the rules are for ball golf driving distance competitions. I watched one once and realise that the longest drivers are specialists that aren't necessarily good golfers, but my recollection is that they were waiting for the wind to die down before going for the record. I could be wrong. I do know that track and field events with excessive tail-winds will nullify records. Thanks for the info about the over 600 ft. fully legitimate throws.

I'll modify my opinion about the 820 ft. record from completely bogus to somewhat bogus based on wind-aided.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

This is a sample of the desert flats on which the record was set:



And here is video of the distance champ at the US Championships for the last four years running (the guy who threw 636 that I mentioned above). This is from 2009, I'm not sure what the distance was, but suffice to say it was in the 600 foot neighborhood (he's throwing the across the length of two soccer fields).

[sachilles]

We have a couple of course here at work, in Warren Vt. Definitely increasing in popularity. I enjoy it.

[Sausage in Section 17]

I have been playing for about 5 years, and have become completely hooked. Currently have a "Steady Ed" Gumbputt in my bag. I started playing casually with a group of friends for beer every week, and have gone to a few sanctioned tourneys, but usually prefer to just play with a group of guys I know. Some of the tourneys seem to bring out headcase rule-nazi players who can take a lot of the enjoyment away (it only takes one).

It is interesting the differences in level of interest depending on where you go. I played Ultimate regularly for about 10 years when I lived in New England, only ran into a handful of folks who played DG, and saw just one private course in Maine. Then when I moved to Oregon 5 years ago, there were 3 courses all in public parks within a half hour drive of my house. There are probably 15 courses within half an hour of Portland, although most of them have popped up in the last 10 years or so. Some courses, like Whistler's Bend near Roseburg in Central OR, are pretty spectacular places to play, let alone go for a walk. This summer I moved to the interior of B.C., and there are next to no courses, and the ones that do exist are on private land. I'm working with some folks here to raise interest and work with the local parks people to get a course. But there is a big scene with around 5 courses about 90 minutes from where I live. It seems to exist in ever-enlarging islands.

Disc Golf is just beginning to gain in popularity and there is no doubt in my mind that it is going to continue to grow. My experience of living in Oregon was that if given the right exposure in public parks, where it is usually free (or close to it) to play, it just takes right off across social demographics. It is cheap to get outfitted, cheap/free to play, easy enough that anyone can learn it quickly, almost as hard as regular golf to get really good at, can be played in almost any landscape, and in almost any weather. The hard part is finding public spaces where it can co-exist with other park users, as most people out walking their dogs don't take too kindly to objects flying around them at high speed. The public park thing was what made it so great in Oregon, as I could bring my dog along when I went out to play, drink a beer, and usually run into a few other players I knew.

I had two friends in Oregon who lived about 2 blocks from the park where one course was, and we used to joke about their "golf course real estate". It's funny how similar the obsession can become for DG as to regular golf, and you really can play it all your life. I'm guessing most of the people who have picked it up now will still be playing in 20-30 years, in addition to all those who get turned on to it in the meantime.

[William Robertson]

RHF, or anybody else, I need to get a reasonably prices set of disks. I'd appreciate suggestions. Amazon has three and four disk sets for $25 to $30 made by Discraft, Innova, and RDGA. Any reason to pick one over the other?

Thanks.

[DannyHeep]

I have been playing for about 5 years, and have become completely hooked. Currently have a "Steady Ed" Gumbputt in my bag. I started playing casually with a group of friends for beer every week, and have gone to a few sanctioned tourneys, but usually prefer to just play with a group of guys I know. Some of the tourneys seem to bring out headcase rule-nazi players who can take a lot of the enjoyment away (it only takes one).

It is interesting the differences in level of interest depending on where you go. I played Ultimate regularly for about 10 years when I lived in New England, only ran into a handful of folks who played DG, and saw just one private course in Maine. Then when I moved to Oregon 5 years ago, there were 3 courses all in public parks within a half hour drive of my house. There are probably 15 courses within half an hour of Portland, although most of them have popped up in the last 10 years or so. Some courses, like Whistler's Bend near Roseburg in Central OR, are pretty spectacular places to play, let alone go for a walk. This summer I moved to the interior of B.C., and there are next to no courses, and the ones that do exist are on private land. I'm working with some folks here to raise interest and work with the local parks people to get a course. But there is a big scene with around 5 courses about 90 minutes from where I live. It seems to exist in ever-enlarging islands.

Disc Golf is just beginning to gain in popularity and there is no doubt in my mind that it is going to continue to grow. My experience of living in Oregon was that if given the right exposure in public parks, where it is usually free (or close to it) to play, it just takes right off across social demographics. It is cheap to get outfitted, cheap/free to play, easy enough that anyone can learn it quickly, almost as hard as regular golf to get really good at, can be played in almost any landscape, and in almost any weather. The hard part is finding public spaces where it can co-exist with other park users, as most people out walking their dogs don't take too kindly to objects flying around them at high speed. The public park thing was what made it so great in Oregon, as I could bring my dog along when I went out to play, drink a beer, and usually run into a few other players I knew.

I had two friends in Oregon who lived about 2 blocks from the park where one course was, and we used to joke about their "golf course real estate". It's funny how similar the obsession can become for DG as to regular golf, and you really can play it all your life. I'm guessing most of the people who have picked it up now will still be playing in 20-30 years, in addition to all those who get turned on to it in the meantime.

Ever been to the lunchtime disc course?

[Red(s)HawksFan]

RHF, or anybody else, I need to get a reasonably prices set of disks. I'd appreciate suggestions. Amazon has three and four disk sets for $25 to $30 made by Discraft, Innova, and RDGA. Any reason to pick one over the other?

Thanks.

This set from Discraft is good. As is this set from Innova. Can't go wrong with either one.

But if I were to choose just one, I'd go with the Innova set. The putters and mid-ranges in each are pretty much interchangeable, but I think the Innova set's driver is more beginner-friendly driver right out of the box. Easy to control, fairly forgiving even when it's not thrown well, decent distance when it is thrown well. The Discraft set's driver is good too, but I feel it takes a bit more time and work to get the best out of it. Basically, if you were to rank them on a 1-10 scale, 10 being the most beginner-friendly, the Innova driver is a 10, the Discraft driver is an 8.

Plus, I know the guy that is the seller on the Innova set. Great guy, does a lot for the sport.

[William Robertson]

Thanks, RHF, that's exactly the kind of info I needed, and interestingly, that set had secured my preliminary preference according to the descriptions at Amazon. I think I'll go ahead and pull the trigger on that, and see if Amazon can get them here before the next snow melts.



Edit: here's another question that might have some general interest: If I click a link like the one RHF provided above, then order, does that give the credit to SoSH, or do I need to go to the Amazon link at the top of the page first? Doing all my Amazon purchases scrupulously through SoSH is the one thing I try to do around here to be a good member.

Edited by William Robertson, 23 January 2011 - 12:24 PM.

[Sausage in Section 17]

Ever been to the lunchtime disc course?

Yeah, a couple of times. Not a great course, but not bad either. Only around 13 holes I think, and the one section near where you park by the church is really too congested for a proper course. I imagine non-playing pedestrians occasionally get smacked, along with fellow players.

Pier Park in North Portland (St. John's neighborhood) is the best course in the city, and one of the best in the state.

[Bunt4aTriple]

Red(s)HawksFan, which course are you associated with? I'm a terrible disc golfer, but I've been playing in southern/central Maine for 10 years.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Red(s)HawksFan, which course are you associated with? I'm a terrible disc golfer, but I've been playing in southern/central Maine for 10 years.

I manage Dragan Field in Auburn. I've also worked off and on at Enman Field in Brunswick (same ownership for both places).

[FL4WL3SS]

I play every wednesday night during spring trough fall. It's a nice relaxing sport to play that can be as competitive as you want it to be. We just go and mess around and light up a few. I'm actually halfway decent, but I don't really ever keep score.

I use mostly Innova discs because I like the way they feel. The Wrath is my favorite driver, I can throw that disc a mile.

[phenweigh]

I was on vacation in Belize last week and we took a trip to see the Xunantunich Mayan ruins. On the ride there, a friend saw a sign for a disc golf course. I thought he was pulling my leg, but sure enough a Google search confirmed the existence of a 9 hole course. It sure would have been fun to play jungle disc golf!

On a seperate note, has anybody been playing in the deep snow? I love playing in the winter if the snow cover is light, but I haven't been out in the deep stuff.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

On a seperate note, has anybody been playing in the deep snow? I love playing in the winter if the snow cover is light, but I haven't been out in the deep stuff.

I've been playing all winter. Some courses around here, including mine, groom...mostly dragging and packing the snow with snowmobiles. The result is a hard pack that can be walked on without sinking, making it much easier to navigate the course. Just have to work harder than usual keeping your shots on the fairway because the "rough" involves going into the untouched deeper stuff.

The only thing I can't recommend enough if you do want to go out and play a round in deeper snow is don't do it alone. Having a group of people allows you to send a spotter down the fairway to watch shots come in. Plenty of shots end up burying into the snow, so the more sets of eyes you have watching, especially closer to where they land, the fewer discs get lost. I played a two-round tournament last weekend in knee-deep snow and no one in my playing groups lost a disc because one, sometimes two, of our foursome always went ahead to spot.

[phenweigh]

I'm not aware of anybody grooming courses around here. Very cool. My brother and I figured out that we needed spotting last winter after temporarily losing a couple of discs. We solved the "dilema" by playing alternate shot doubles. It's actually a neat doubles format, and play moves really quickly.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I'm not aware of anybody grooming courses around here. Very cool. My brother and I figured out that we needed spotting last winter after temporarily losing a couple of discs. We solved the "dilema" by playing alternate shot doubles. It's actually a neat doubles format, and play moves really quickly.

That's a good way to do it with two people. I may have to keep that in mind for a future winter doubles tournament. We generally play a best shot/scramble type format.

The courses that are groomed around here are privately owned pay-to-play courses, so there's a financial incentive to do it (and the advantage of not having to conform to park rules/laws/limitations). But at the public park courses, the best way to take advantage of easier and more "groomed" conditions is either to hit a tournament or play a course just before or after a tournament. Because of the tournament, local folks will make a more concerted effort to make the course more playable for the event (shoveling tees, packing down some walking paths, etc).

There's about half a dozen tournaments going on around New England this weekend alone (and at least a couple every weekend). There's a good chance that if you want to get out and play a round, you'll be able to find a course close by on which you won't feel like you need a team of sled dogs to get around.

[phenweigh]

That's a good way to do it with two people. I may have to keep that in mind for a future winter doubles tournament. We generally play a best shot/scramble type format.

The courses that are groomed around here are privately owned pay-to-play courses, so there's a financial incentive to do it (and the advantage of not having to conform to park rules/laws/limitations). But at the public park courses, the best way to take advantage of easier and more "groomed" conditions is either to hit a tournament or play a course just before or after a tournament. Because of the tournament, local folks will make a more concerted effort to make the course more playable for the event (shoveling tees, packing down some walking paths, etc).

There's about half a dozen tournaments going on around New England this weekend alone (and at least a couple every weekend). There's a good chance that if you want to get out and play a round, you'll be able to find a course close by on which you won't feel like you need a team of sled dogs to get around.

I was going to play Winter Winds last Saturday, but a conflict came up. The turnout was only eight players. Autumn Winds had a turnout of 42. There is just so much snow on the ground right now. My understanding is that we (Western Mass) have more snow on the ground than Maine. Check the photos out from the tournament to see how deep it is around here. Kudos to those that played. http://hccdiscgolf.k...1/winter11.html

My brother and I often play with our wives, and my sister-in-law has a competitive nature. To make a match close, we sometimes play our worst disc versus their best disc. Worst disc brings a whole different element of strategy into the game as both players need to stay out of trouble. Something else to consider if you want to mix things up a bit.

[Dollar]

Bumping an old-ish thread.

I'm heading up to Santa Cruz this weekend and I'm planning on playing De Laveaga Disc Golf Course, which is world-renowned according to Wikipedia, especially its "Top of the World" hole:


I've only just recently gotten into disc golf, after years of playing Ultimate, so I'm still getting used to adjusting my throw for the different-sized discs. I bought a random assortment of discounted discs from a website that was going out of business, so I've just been trying them all out and seeing what works. At this point I'm pretty good at the short and mid-range shots, but the longer throws have taken longer to adjust to.

Hopefully all of you in the northeast will have some snow-free courses to play in the near future.

Edited by Dollar, 25 March 2011 - 07:47 PM.

[phenweigh]

I played in an Ice Bowl doubles tournament last weekend. In New England, Ice Bowls are winter tourneys where usually half of the entry fee goes to charity. So in addition to having a great time, I was happy to contribute to the Western Mass Food Bank. The tourney raised about $2000 and over 200 canned goods. It's nice that this quirky sport I like also has a heart.

On a personal note, it was the first tourney where my brother and I broke par!

[Mr. Wednesday]

I took up the game recently. I'm fortunate to live within about a five minute drive of a recently-redesigned park course (by recent, I mean within the last six months). I don't expect I'll ever break par, I just don't get enough distance on a significant fraction of the holes, but it's still a fun way to be active outside. I can get through a round in an hour and a half playing solo, give or take.

[phenweigh]

You might surprise yourself. I'm not a long thrower, but I throw much farther than when I first started. Thanks to the internet you can pick up some good tips on technique which can make a huge difference on distance.

Breaking par also depends a lot on the course. When I wrote that my brother and I broke par, that was playing doubles. Neither of us have broken par playing singles on that course (close though). We have broken par playing singles on easier courses.

[TallManinOregon]

It's interesting to me that to some this is still a new game. I picked it up probably 20 years ago in Central Mass. I used to make a point to play whenever I traveled to another state, but it's been years since I chucked plastic. I miss playing... mostly because I miss having a rotator cuff. I could probably play a couple times a year without too much trouble, but the pain in my shoulder is acute enough that just thinking about it makes me wince a little bit. Good times out there, fellas... If'n you ever have a chance to play the Dexter Mile out here in western Oregon, it's a tremendous course.

[phenweigh]

I know two players who for injury reasons had to abandon playing with their dominant right arm and play lefty. One of them has been at it for a couple of years and is now playing better lefty than he ever did righty. The other is still a work in progress, but progress is indeed being made.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Is there a "standard" putter that pretty much everyone uses? I'm feeling a need to work on my play around the basket, as that seems to be the biggest place I lose strokes relative to good players, but I'd prefer for my practice to be with the disc I'm going to use regularly.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Is there a "standard" putter that pretty much everyone uses? I'm feeling a need to work on my play around the basket, as that seems to be the biggest place I lose strokes relative to good players, but I'd prefer for my practice to be with the disc I'm going to use regularly.

There isn't really a "standard" putter. There are certainly popular ones. The Innova Aviar is probably the best selling disc of all time, and has been the putter of choice for more World champs than any other (then again, it's been around for nearly 30 years). The Aviar is what I've putted with for about 13 years, and I can't sing its praises enough. Other popular putter models are the Challenger and the Magnet by Discraft and the Wizard by Gateway.

Since putting is generally done within a short distance of the target, the variations between the discs' characteristics are extremely subtle and for most players, they're all going to work about the same. So I recommend finding the putter that feels comfortable in your hand and allows you to get a clean and consistent release every time you throw it. Putting is mostly confidence. If you feel good about the disc in your hand and being able to throw it how you want to and where you want to, it doesn't really matter what it is.

So I'd recommend trying a few different models out and seeing how they feel. And once you find one you're comfortable with, pick up two or three that are weighted roughly the same and practice with all of them. And when you practice, start close to the basket and work your way out. Maybe start at 10 feet or so, and just putt from that distance until it becomes second nature, then step back to 15 or so and do the same thing. Don't worry so much about longer putts until you are proficient from 15 feet and in. The idea being that if you know you'll hit anything within 15 feet, you can be more confident and aggressive on longer putts without worrying about hitting the comebacker. You'll hit a lot more long putts if you're not worried about making sure you don't end up too far away if you miss.

This video touches on the whole confidence thing with putting, plus offers some other tips to try out.

[phenweigh]

Thanks for posting the video. I don't check this forum very regularly, but coincidently checked it out just before finally buying a portable target for the back yard. Today it will be two weeks of almost daily practice employing the advice and sure enough the putting is getting better. I also learned this week that a new aquaintance has a PhD in sports psychology. I intend to discuss this confidence building advice of practicing and making short putts.

[Mr. Wednesday]

I haven't practiced putting every day (unfortunately, my life is too busy for that), but focusing on making the 15-foot-in putts automatic has been a big help for me---after a few practice sessions, they are pretty close to automatic, to where it's been several rounds since I've felt like I cost myself a stroke putting.

Edited by Mr. Wednesday, 08 June 2012 - 04:41 PM.