This past weekend was perhaps one of the most enjoyable fundraiser events you will ever see. Four guys from the local disc golf community raise money for two events later on in the year by hosting a team match play event that consists of four teams of 12 players each. While there are prizes like advanced entry into one of those tournaments, it really is more about the fun of playing disc golf and enjoying the company of those playing. That is not to say that it is not competative. Lets be honest, the trash talk has been happening ever since the team draft went down.
We played at a nice little course in Broomfield called East Interlocken Park. They added three holes to the course and honestly, the extra holes were some of my favorites. I was not playing my best disc golf for this event, but I think I may have found a reason for that. I shot under par two out of three rounds and even the third. The problem is that the course really requires you to shoot well under par to do well. In match play, you are really only playing against one person so that shouldn't matter too much. But, it ended up causing me to loose two out of my three matches. And of course that meant my team ended up finishing last. I really let me team down, especially since I could have won the two matches that I lost.
Match play requires a completely different style than stroke golf. In match play you really do have to play your opponent. There will be times that you lay up because your opponent is in so much trouble. There will also be times when you go for something that normally you would have laid up on because hey, you might catch them but if not, the worst you can do is loose one hole. I think that this style of play does not always suit me best. When I was allowed to play smart I played well. This is the whole reason I won my first match. When I was forced to push, that is when things started to go poorly for me. Ultimately the lesson learned is that I need to stick with my smart style of play when the next tournament comes around. I just hope I can mentally get myself back to that before the next tournament.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Rating Milestone
There is not much to say here right now. The new PDGA ratings are out and my rating went up 6 points to 921. I finally broke the 920 barrier and I am looking forward to gaining another 14 points this year some how. This is progress. This is something to smile about. Now is not the time to put the pressure on but a time to realize that yes, I can accomplish my goals and I am already moving in the right direction to make that happen.
So Close @ The CHU One Round Challenge
This past weekend was supposed to be the 303 Open here in Colorado, and boy was there a mess when the TD made a good decision to postpone this tournament which will be fabulous when it happens the second weekend in June. But, in order to appease the complainers the TD made a few phone calls and was able to host a one round C-tier tournament at the incredible Colorado Heights University (CHU) this past Sunday.
CHU is what I refer to as my home course since it is really the only challenging course close to me. Yeah, there are closer courses, but I tend not to play them much anymore because they do not challenge me enough to continue to allow me to improve my game. In addition to this, CHU is probably one of the toughest courses in the greater Denver metro area. Well, for this one round challenge the TD thought it would be fun to lay down some OB lines. These lines really changed several holes and made you think more about your throws.
For me it made me calm down and choose to play smart. I did not think about winning the tournament but simply playing my game and making good shots. I worked hard to stay in bounds and managed to pull this off fairly well minus one hole that I was able to get an easy three after going OB just past the basket. I believe that half of the mental game that I brought into this one round challenge was shaped by my experience in Kansas at the Glass Blown Open. It really is amazing how fast OB strokes add up.
Ultimately, my strategy paid off. I finished in second place, only one throw behind the winner in advanced. If I had chosen to play Open I would have tied for last cash with one of the few pros rated over a thousand. The round was not rated nearly as high as I would have liked, but it was still a solid round.
Since the round I have been replaying the whole round in my head thinking about all the missed opportunities I had and how I should have shot about 6 strokes better. Of course that would have been my first thousand rated round if I was able to do that. I am working my way there and I need to keep that mindset in place. If I let myself go to the would have could have should have, that is when the mental game goes downhill fast. If you don't have the mental game, you will never have a good game. Take time to think, be smart, have fun.
CHU is what I refer to as my home course since it is really the only challenging course close to me. Yeah, there are closer courses, but I tend not to play them much anymore because they do not challenge me enough to continue to allow me to improve my game. In addition to this, CHU is probably one of the toughest courses in the greater Denver metro area. Well, for this one round challenge the TD thought it would be fun to lay down some OB lines. These lines really changed several holes and made you think more about your throws.
For me it made me calm down and choose to play smart. I did not think about winning the tournament but simply playing my game and making good shots. I worked hard to stay in bounds and managed to pull this off fairly well minus one hole that I was able to get an easy three after going OB just past the basket. I believe that half of the mental game that I brought into this one round challenge was shaped by my experience in Kansas at the Glass Blown Open. It really is amazing how fast OB strokes add up.
Ultimately, my strategy paid off. I finished in second place, only one throw behind the winner in advanced. If I had chosen to play Open I would have tied for last cash with one of the few pros rated over a thousand. The round was not rated nearly as high as I would have liked, but it was still a solid round.
Since the round I have been replaying the whole round in my head thinking about all the missed opportunities I had and how I should have shot about 6 strokes better. Of course that would have been my first thousand rated round if I was able to do that. I am working my way there and I need to keep that mindset in place. If I let myself go to the would have could have should have, that is when the mental game goes downhill fast. If you don't have the mental game, you will never have a good game. Take time to think, be smart, have fun.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Respect For Tournament Directors
Most of the tournament directors I know are way under appreciated. We all hear about all the work they put in and often underestimate it to the players at the tournament, but it really takes a lot to put on a disc golf tournament. I have become overly impressed and thankful for those people in my disc golf community who put on tournaments for the likes of me.
Sometimes one has to make a tough call that they players will not like. Then they get to hear all of the complaints and no matter what they end up doing, someone will say something that frustrates the tournament director. This is a situation that has happened recently here in Colorado. The 303 Open was supposed to happen this weekend, but with all the snow we had this past week, one of the two courses we were going to use became unsafe to play. It probably would have been better to be playing in a foot of snow than the mud.
I am overly impressed with the way Kyle at Phenix Disc Sports is handling the situation. He has worked hard and been in contact with the PDGA to postpone the 303 Open, but to get last minute sanctioning for a one round challenge on the course that is more safe to play given the conditions. All of this in the face of many complaints. In addition to this, Kyle has already worked hard to make this event and other local events the best they can be.
The point is simply this: If we treat our tournament directors with the respect that they deserve and trust the decisions they make in attempting to provide the best possible tournament for the players, we will end up with more tournament directors like Kyle who will work as hard as they can to make the best possible tournaments.
In fairness to all the other TD's who have run a tournament that I have played in thsi year, you are all amazing as well and deserve mention here. Evan, Marsha and the team at Dynamic Discs, you are all amazing.
Sometimes one has to make a tough call that they players will not like. Then they get to hear all of the complaints and no matter what they end up doing, someone will say something that frustrates the tournament director. This is a situation that has happened recently here in Colorado. The 303 Open was supposed to happen this weekend, but with all the snow we had this past week, one of the two courses we were going to use became unsafe to play. It probably would have been better to be playing in a foot of snow than the mud.
I am overly impressed with the way Kyle at Phenix Disc Sports is handling the situation. He has worked hard and been in contact with the PDGA to postpone the 303 Open, but to get last minute sanctioning for a one round challenge on the course that is more safe to play given the conditions. All of this in the face of many complaints. In addition to this, Kyle has already worked hard to make this event and other local events the best they can be.
The point is simply this: If we treat our tournament directors with the respect that they deserve and trust the decisions they make in attempting to provide the best possible tournament for the players, we will end up with more tournament directors like Kyle who will work as hard as they can to make the best possible tournaments.
In fairness to all the other TD's who have run a tournament that I have played in thsi year, you are all amazing as well and deserve mention here. Evan, Marsha and the team at Dynamic Discs, you are all amazing.
Monday, April 15, 2013
2013 Glass Blown Open: Learning In More Than One Way
Oh man, I could go on and on about this tournament. What an incredible experience. And it all happened so fast and I am not sure if I am going to be able to get everything in here.
First, the whole point in playing the GBO this year was to get a few rounds in on the courses that will be used for Am Worlds this summer. If I got there and palyed the one round challenge at Peter Pan and then all three rounds of the GBO I would get to play 4 our of 5 courses that will be used for Am Worlds. It was really a win win situation for me.
The drive from Colroado to Kansas was interesting because we were literally driving through a snow storm. We got stopped along the way in Burlington, CO and had to spend the night because of adverse weather conditions on I-70 in Kansas. The good news is that we left a day early.
After finally making it to Kansas, we went straight to check in where I was handed the single best players pack I have ever gotten at a tournament. Two discs, both brand new releases in premium plastic. A brand new travel bag. A wind breaker designed for activity. A dri-fit Tee Shirt. And plenty of local coupons and information. I was incredibly impressed at how the sity of Emporia really got behind this tournament. No matter where we went in the town, everyone knew about disc golf and was curious as to why we would all travel so far to their little small town just to paly a tournament.
Oh, I also made it to the Dynamic Discs store in Emporia and to be honest, it is the single most impressive disc golf store I have ever been in. So much selection and so much like a realy store. Literally wow. Oh, and Emac was there to help me. Ha!
The one round challenge was fun. Well perhaps it would have been better if my practice was actually how I played during the round. I had some great holes in warm up and then found a way to not even get close during the round. Blah. Peter Pan is a very fun course though. Probably the most technical course in Emporia. Still some good length to a few holes.
The palyers meeting and post players meeting dinner where a highlight of the trip as well since I was hanging out with a large portion of the Colroado contingent that made the trip out. I really love the Colorado Disc Golf Community and to be able to have our little moment sitting near eachother for the palyers meeting and then getting dinner afterwards just reminded me of how much I like these people. Team Colorado!
My first round was at The Country Club. Long, stay in bounds make a putt. My second round was at Municiple. Long, stay in bounds, make a putt. My last round was at Jones East. Interesting, good mix of length, make sure to give yourself a putt. I had some great shots and I had some bad shots. I played solid rounds at the Country Club and Joens East. I had a little toruble at Municiple, which in the long run kinda stinks because that is the course I am scheduled to paly twice at Am Worlds. But, remember that this trip was designed to be a learning experience.
While I did a fair amount of learning as to what the courses were like, the bigger learning experience came as the wind became more and more of a factor throughout the weekend. Saturday was tough because I spent most of the round trying to figure out the wind while watching even my best putts hit chains and not stick. I had mroe OB shots early in the round than I care to admit to and I couldn't figure out what in the world I should be throwing at these baskets. While playing in the wind is no easy trick and even several good shots can go for naught with one bad shot on a hole, I think I am starting to figure it out. In the long run I believe this is going to make me a better disc golfer. The wind is nothing to be afraid of, it is something to understand. Throw discs that you can trust and leave the others behind. By my last round at Jones East, I was basically throwing one of three discs off the tee. There were a couple of others here and there, but basically one of three discs. I didn't throw them all perfectly but by the end of the round I was confident in those discs. And they were not the discs I was most confident with coming into the tournament either. Wind changes things.
Always be prepared to make adjustments based on the circumstance you encounter during a round. No plan, no matter how detailed it is, will suffice during a round of disc golf. Even that course you have played more than any other will find a way to give you something new and unexpected. Weather and more specifically wind conditions can change things, but when you have taken the time to learn how to throw in various different conditions, there is really no excuse as to why you can't score exceptionally well in all conditions.
First, the whole point in playing the GBO this year was to get a few rounds in on the courses that will be used for Am Worlds this summer. If I got there and palyed the one round challenge at Peter Pan and then all three rounds of the GBO I would get to play 4 our of 5 courses that will be used for Am Worlds. It was really a win win situation for me.
The drive from Colroado to Kansas was interesting because we were literally driving through a snow storm. We got stopped along the way in Burlington, CO and had to spend the night because of adverse weather conditions on I-70 in Kansas. The good news is that we left a day early.
After finally making it to Kansas, we went straight to check in where I was handed the single best players pack I have ever gotten at a tournament. Two discs, both brand new releases in premium plastic. A brand new travel bag. A wind breaker designed for activity. A dri-fit Tee Shirt. And plenty of local coupons and information. I was incredibly impressed at how the sity of Emporia really got behind this tournament. No matter where we went in the town, everyone knew about disc golf and was curious as to why we would all travel so far to their little small town just to paly a tournament.
Oh, I also made it to the Dynamic Discs store in Emporia and to be honest, it is the single most impressive disc golf store I have ever been in. So much selection and so much like a realy store. Literally wow. Oh, and Emac was there to help me. Ha!
The one round challenge was fun. Well perhaps it would have been better if my practice was actually how I played during the round. I had some great holes in warm up and then found a way to not even get close during the round. Blah. Peter Pan is a very fun course though. Probably the most technical course in Emporia. Still some good length to a few holes.
The palyers meeting and post players meeting dinner where a highlight of the trip as well since I was hanging out with a large portion of the Colroado contingent that made the trip out. I really love the Colorado Disc Golf Community and to be able to have our little moment sitting near eachother for the palyers meeting and then getting dinner afterwards just reminded me of how much I like these people. Team Colorado!
My first round was at The Country Club. Long, stay in bounds make a putt. My second round was at Municiple. Long, stay in bounds, make a putt. My last round was at Jones East. Interesting, good mix of length, make sure to give yourself a putt. I had some great shots and I had some bad shots. I played solid rounds at the Country Club and Joens East. I had a little toruble at Municiple, which in the long run kinda stinks because that is the course I am scheduled to paly twice at Am Worlds. But, remember that this trip was designed to be a learning experience.
While I did a fair amount of learning as to what the courses were like, the bigger learning experience came as the wind became more and more of a factor throughout the weekend. Saturday was tough because I spent most of the round trying to figure out the wind while watching even my best putts hit chains and not stick. I had mroe OB shots early in the round than I care to admit to and I couldn't figure out what in the world I should be throwing at these baskets. While playing in the wind is no easy trick and even several good shots can go for naught with one bad shot on a hole, I think I am starting to figure it out. In the long run I believe this is going to make me a better disc golfer. The wind is nothing to be afraid of, it is something to understand. Throw discs that you can trust and leave the others behind. By my last round at Jones East, I was basically throwing one of three discs off the tee. There were a couple of others here and there, but basically one of three discs. I didn't throw them all perfectly but by the end of the round I was confident in those discs. And they were not the discs I was most confident with coming into the tournament either. Wind changes things.
Always be prepared to make adjustments based on the circumstance you encounter during a round. No plan, no matter how detailed it is, will suffice during a round of disc golf. Even that course you have played more than any other will find a way to give you something new and unexpected. Weather and more specifically wind conditions can change things, but when you have taken the time to learn how to throw in various different conditions, there is really no excuse as to why you can't score exceptionally well in all conditions.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Spring Flingin' It!
So this past weekend was the local Spring Fling here in Colorado. I made the brilliant decision to play both the Am and Pro day so I ended up playing a total of 4 rounds. The arm is not feeling like itself right now and I may had some pulled minor muscles in my left hip. On the whole though it was one of the best disc golf weekends I have had. It really all amounts to a lot of small things that happened.
There are a lot of things that I learned from this past weekend. One is that I do not play as well in the morning as I do in the afternoon for some reason. Ha, well this is purely a cooincidence as far as I am concerned. I remembered just how important it is too keep others around you encouraged as it made a huge impact on me when others were making the effort to keep me encouraged. It really is a lot of fun no matter how well you are playing. And of course since I relied on solid second rounds both days, it is always important to keep yourself mentally in the game because you never really know what is going to happen.
- On the am day I played two round under par during the am day at a course that somehow manages to kick my butt.
- One of the top pros in the state of Colorado, who just happens to be sponsored by Vibram, watched me play a few holes and saw me make a couple of really nice shots, after which he would always make some comment about Vibram.
- The same guy also ran a clinic on the am day with another one of the top pros in Colorado and during the Q and A time he singled me and another one of the guys I played against as two players he has seen make a big improvement over the past year. I actually spoke at a clinic and gave advice to other players! Thanks Mitch!
- I played with some people in Colorado who are legends of sorts in the Local Disc Golf community who I had yet to play with or get to know all that well. It was a blessing to get to know one person in particular as he was rather encouraging and helped me stay mentall focused. Thanks Max!
- I got to play in the same tournament and same division as Paul Ulibarri and then watched him loose to his wife by two strokes over two rounds playing the exact same layout.
- I ended up finishing 5th in Advanced on the Am day after making a big comeback in the second round shooting the thrid best round of all the players playing that round.
- I finished just below the middle of the pack on the Pro day after shooting my best rated round to date in the second round.
There are a lot of things that I learned from this past weekend. One is that I do not play as well in the morning as I do in the afternoon for some reason. Ha, well this is purely a cooincidence as far as I am concerned. I remembered just how important it is too keep others around you encouraged as it made a huge impact on me when others were making the effort to keep me encouraged. It really is a lot of fun no matter how well you are playing. And of course since I relied on solid second rounds both days, it is always important to keep yourself mentally in the game because you never really know what is going to happen.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Most Ironic Ace Ever!
I am not normally one who attempts the ace run. I would much prefer to land the disc right next to the basket for the easy two and most aces I have had mean that it was going to end up far enough away that I would have had a tough putt for the two. But of course when it goes in on one throw, there is just something that gets you. It is that childhood joy that you just can't explain. Like pure wonder and amazement just surging through your body.
Well, this past Easter Sunday I got my 4th ace ever in Disc Golf. I was at my parents house and we went out as a family to play the course that is at the park right down the street. When they were putting the course in my parents made a nice donation for baskets and tee signs. The course only has 12 holes and I was playing like I was just coming out of a slump. It wasn't pretty but it was getting the job done, even par. We came up to the last hole and noticed on the tee sign that it was the hole my parents are credited with sponsoring. The tag line my mom wanted to use was, "Praying For Aces." Appropriate enough for a short 156 foot hole. Before we threw we all kinda had a moment where we were thankful that we had the opportunity to sponsor this hole. I pulled out my nice purple Summit that might pass for an Easter Egg and threw a little hyzer flip shot up the gut and straight into the chains.
So, on Easter, I throw my disc that looks like an Easter egg and ace a hole that my family sponsored with the tag line, "Praying for Aces." As I think about it now I can't imagine there is a more ironic ace in disc golf ever. I hope I can always remember this story while playing disc golf because as I think about it now, it really puts things in perspective. It is all a game that is fun and should be played with that childlike joy that you get from an ace.
Well, this past Easter Sunday I got my 4th ace ever in Disc Golf. I was at my parents house and we went out as a family to play the course that is at the park right down the street. When they were putting the course in my parents made a nice donation for baskets and tee signs. The course only has 12 holes and I was playing like I was just coming out of a slump. It wasn't pretty but it was getting the job done, even par. We came up to the last hole and noticed on the tee sign that it was the hole my parents are credited with sponsoring. The tag line my mom wanted to use was, "Praying For Aces." Appropriate enough for a short 156 foot hole. Before we threw we all kinda had a moment where we were thankful that we had the opportunity to sponsor this hole. I pulled out my nice purple Summit that might pass for an Easter Egg and threw a little hyzer flip shot up the gut and straight into the chains.
So, on Easter, I throw my disc that looks like an Easter egg and ace a hole that my family sponsored with the tag line, "Praying for Aces." As I think about it now I can't imagine there is a more ironic ace in disc golf ever. I hope I can always remember this story while playing disc golf because as I think about it now, it really puts things in perspective. It is all a game that is fun and should be played with that childlike joy that you get from an ace.
303 Am Championships
For the second tournament in a row, I have managed to finish in the spot that gets the last payout. That of course is only half the story of the 303 Am Championships which took place the one weekend we had to have a blizzard in Denver.
When you show up to a tournament and your biggest concern is making sure your car is going to stay as warm as possible usually means you are crazy. But that was literally my thoughts as I look at a little less than a foot of snow on the ground prior to the first round of my second tournament of the year. The good news is that by popular vote and the discretion of the TD everyone decided that playing one round, rather than two, was a wise choice. That beings said, I am certain I would have done better overall if we had played two rounds on Saturday.
Considering the conditions I played much better than I expected. Sure, I would still have loved for my score to have been lower than it was but I feel like I made some good putts that I would have not made before and that my decision making process was a lot better than it has been as often I found myself simply working to get a three rather than take the risk and end up much worse. This is telling me two things. First, the putting practice is paying off. I am not sure but I am begining to be a believer in a little bit everyday makes a big difference. Second, my mental game is begining to become refined. When conditions are tough you have to adjust and not worry about what score you think you should be able to achieve on a given course. I am begining to think that these are really the two most important parts of disc golf, especially as it comes to playing tournaments. These are really the two biggest lessons I learned an will take away from this tournament.
On a last note, I was really impressed with the way Kyle at Phenix Disc Sports ran this tournament and the adjustments he made on the fly as it concerns the weather. I would also like to give a shoutout to my friend Ian who ended up winning the tournament, nice shooting.
When you show up to a tournament and your biggest concern is making sure your car is going to stay as warm as possible usually means you are crazy. But that was literally my thoughts as I look at a little less than a foot of snow on the ground prior to the first round of my second tournament of the year. The good news is that by popular vote and the discretion of the TD everyone decided that playing one round, rather than two, was a wise choice. That beings said, I am certain I would have done better overall if we had played two rounds on Saturday.
Considering the conditions I played much better than I expected. Sure, I would still have loved for my score to have been lower than it was but I feel like I made some good putts that I would have not made before and that my decision making process was a lot better than it has been as often I found myself simply working to get a three rather than take the risk and end up much worse. This is telling me two things. First, the putting practice is paying off. I am not sure but I am begining to be a believer in a little bit everyday makes a big difference. Second, my mental game is begining to become refined. When conditions are tough you have to adjust and not worry about what score you think you should be able to achieve on a given course. I am begining to think that these are really the two most important parts of disc golf, especially as it comes to playing tournaments. These are really the two biggest lessons I learned an will take away from this tournament.
On a last note, I was really impressed with the way Kyle at Phenix Disc Sports ran this tournament and the adjustments he made on the fly as it concerns the weather. I would also like to give a shoutout to my friend Ian who ended up winning the tournament, nice shooting.
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