Well, the new PDGA ratings are out. Somehow my rating jumped up 17 points to 945. This is 10 points above my stated goal at the beginning of the year and I am crazy excited about this. So far the round ratings at the Johnny Roberts Memorial tournament, the only tournament I have played not to be included in the latest ratings update, should help keep this rating above my stated goal. If I can do this at States next weekend I should have accomplished this goal that I thought may be one of the toughest to achieve this year.
There are still some goals that I am working on finding a way of accomplishing. Unfortunately it may mean finding one more tournament to play in this year.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Johnny Roberts: Memories of a Man I Wish I Had Known
This past weekend was the 2013 version of the Johnny Roberts Memorial Disc Golf Tournament. The 20th time this tournament has been played. I know I have missed one since I moved to Colorado but this is another one of those tournaments that you play in simply because of what it is. I honestly wish I could have known Johnny Roberts as he seems to have been the player I wish I could be. It is all about fun. Every shot that goes closer to the basket is good. And before you start you get to howl like a wolf. I have been frustrated playing disc golf and I have literally forgotten about the glory of the game. But Johnny was one of those players who always kept things in perspective and knew how to have fun and how to encourage others to do the same.
As for the tournament, I first have to give a shout out to Tom, Ponto and the rest of the gang that helped run this tournament. I was once again reminded of just how much work it takes to pull of a top notch tournament. The courses they used for this tournament this year are quite possibly the three best in the state of Colorado. Saturday included rounds at Beaver Ranch and Bailey disc golf courses. Beaver Ranch has newly poured cement tee pads on every hole. Bailey was the best I have ever seen it. So much work was put into this tournament and it was clear. In addition to that all you had to do was look at the payout and you would know. There was so much added cash that it felt like more than a simple b-tier tournament.
I was once again playing in the Open division and had the goal of beating or tying at least 20 people including myself. I did not accomplish this. I was once again on a card with Joe Rovere, the top rated player in the state, and this was good as my previous two rounds with him were both rated over 1000 (sadly the ratings dropped a few points since I posted about them as milestones). The first round at Beaver Ranch was not so bad minus a couple of holes where I made a few mistakes. I had a couple of 5's that were tough. I also had a couple of really good holes. I was able to take a par 4 on a hole with a brand new basket position that was over 600' away and had huge elevation change down and then back up with lots of trees in the way on the way back up. I took a three on another hole that was not so kind to Joe. I also was able to throw at least one perfect thumber which gave me CTP on a hole that I would not expect this. After finishing with my second 5 of the round I was rather disappointed.
The second round was a lot of fun as well, but not what I had hoped for. This became rather evident as the bad bounces started to stack up. On one of the holes that gives me a serious advantage over other players I had my birdie putt hit the rim of the basket and then roll 70' or so down a hill forcing me into a bogey on the hole. I also had a few putts that hit plenty of chains and then fall to the side of the basket on the ground. Still there were some great shots like my drive with my new unLace from Vibram on hole 1 that somehow made its way near the basket to hole 4. If you were looking at simple distance from the tee this one traveled over 600' by my estimation as my second shot was nearly 90 degrees back to the basket that is over 700' from the tee.
The third round on Sunday at Colorado Heights University in Denver was just a further example of bad bounces and lessons learned. My putting was off a bit and I missed several putts that I should not have missed. I had one putt hit dead center and bounce back out, likely because the chains were slightly out of place. My confidence was then shaken a bit and I had a few more missed putts, either high, low or slightly off to the side. I was still able to get a birdie on a hole with a new pin position that I had yet to birdie. So, you know, there was always good with the bad. I am choosing to remember the good shots and work on the things that did not go my way.
The biggest lesson learned is to try and find a way to really embody the spirit of Johnny as much as possible. I can often remember during the rounds times when I was not doing this and ultimately it got me down and kept me from really enjoying the moment. How in the world did I let that happening playing on these courses? They are such incredibly beautiful courses and they are so much fun to play. It really shouldn't even be close to possible not to enjoy every moment. I also learned that you cannot let the bad bounces get to you. Things happen and sometimes it just isn't your day or weekend. It really isn't your fault and the frustration only leads to more mistakes. I have also learned just hoe important it is to know what baskets you are playing on. You need to know what to check for before you putt to make sure you give yourself the best possible outcome and the smallest chance on getting a bad bounce. You can't think about that log that kicked your shot well over 200' off course. This really is a fun game.
Next up is States back in the am advanced division. Lets hope I can fix my mind and my game in a week.
As for the tournament, I first have to give a shout out to Tom, Ponto and the rest of the gang that helped run this tournament. I was once again reminded of just how much work it takes to pull of a top notch tournament. The courses they used for this tournament this year are quite possibly the three best in the state of Colorado. Saturday included rounds at Beaver Ranch and Bailey disc golf courses. Beaver Ranch has newly poured cement tee pads on every hole. Bailey was the best I have ever seen it. So much work was put into this tournament and it was clear. In addition to that all you had to do was look at the payout and you would know. There was so much added cash that it felt like more than a simple b-tier tournament.
I was once again playing in the Open division and had the goal of beating or tying at least 20 people including myself. I did not accomplish this. I was once again on a card with Joe Rovere, the top rated player in the state, and this was good as my previous two rounds with him were both rated over 1000 (sadly the ratings dropped a few points since I posted about them as milestones). The first round at Beaver Ranch was not so bad minus a couple of holes where I made a few mistakes. I had a couple of 5's that were tough. I also had a couple of really good holes. I was able to take a par 4 on a hole with a brand new basket position that was over 600' away and had huge elevation change down and then back up with lots of trees in the way on the way back up. I took a three on another hole that was not so kind to Joe. I also was able to throw at least one perfect thumber which gave me CTP on a hole that I would not expect this. After finishing with my second 5 of the round I was rather disappointed.
The second round was a lot of fun as well, but not what I had hoped for. This became rather evident as the bad bounces started to stack up. On one of the holes that gives me a serious advantage over other players I had my birdie putt hit the rim of the basket and then roll 70' or so down a hill forcing me into a bogey on the hole. I also had a few putts that hit plenty of chains and then fall to the side of the basket on the ground. Still there were some great shots like my drive with my new unLace from Vibram on hole 1 that somehow made its way near the basket to hole 4. If you were looking at simple distance from the tee this one traveled over 600' by my estimation as my second shot was nearly 90 degrees back to the basket that is over 700' from the tee.
The third round on Sunday at Colorado Heights University in Denver was just a further example of bad bounces and lessons learned. My putting was off a bit and I missed several putts that I should not have missed. I had one putt hit dead center and bounce back out, likely because the chains were slightly out of place. My confidence was then shaken a bit and I had a few more missed putts, either high, low or slightly off to the side. I was still able to get a birdie on a hole with a new pin position that I had yet to birdie. So, you know, there was always good with the bad. I am choosing to remember the good shots and work on the things that did not go my way.
The biggest lesson learned is to try and find a way to really embody the spirit of Johnny as much as possible. I can often remember during the rounds times when I was not doing this and ultimately it got me down and kept me from really enjoying the moment. How in the world did I let that happening playing on these courses? They are such incredibly beautiful courses and they are so much fun to play. It really shouldn't even be close to possible not to enjoy every moment. I also learned that you cannot let the bad bounces get to you. Things happen and sometimes it just isn't your day or weekend. It really isn't your fault and the frustration only leads to more mistakes. I have also learned just hoe important it is to know what baskets you are playing on. You need to know what to check for before you putt to make sure you give yourself the best possible outcome and the smallest chance on getting a bad bounce. You can't think about that log that kicked your shot well over 200' off course. This really is a fun game.
Next up is States back in the am advanced division. Lets hope I can fix my mind and my game in a week.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
On The Other Side Of The Bag
Often times when playing in tournaments I will have my dad caddy for me. When my dad was unable to early this year due to injury I even had my mom carry my bag in a few tournaments. It is very nice not to have to carry around my bag as I tend to carry a lot of discs. Well, this past weekend was the 3rd annual Rocky Mountain Women's Disc Golf Championships and I had the privilege to carry a bag for Tracy who, along with her friend Kari flew all the way from Atlanta, GA to participate in this phenomenal event.
There were over 120 ladies from 7 years old to well over 60 years old. There were over 140 men that signed up to caddy. They payouts were crazy high, mostly because of the very hard work of Doug, the TD of the event. In reality, this is what disc golf should be about and this is how a tournament should be run. I hope that Doug continues to run this event even though I know he hopes to pass the duty off in the future. It really was an amazing event, the likes I have not seen a comparable of. Even Worlds, as amazing as it was, does not quite compare to what Doug was able to pull off.
Tracy, the player I was a caddy for, played in the Advanced Grandmaster Women's division. There were only 4 competitors in the division and as such, we got to play with the same people all three rounds. All the ladies at this age were there for the fun, even though there was a tad bit of competitiveness at times. Tracy was not expecting to win and invited suggestions very early on. By the end we had experienced the whole range of emotions. With the sun shinning and the shots going well we were really happy. With the rain falling and the shots going poorly, pure sadness and frustration.
This leads me to my one big lesson from the other side of the bag. The emotions that you play with are almost as important as how you are playing. When things get tough, what are you thinking? Even if you have forgotten about the bad shots, you can feel frustrated and down. That usually means that your next shot is a lot less likely to be good. Small thoughts, solve the problems, keep it simple. Most importantly be prepared for anything. That is one of the great things about playing in Colorado, we experience just about every different kind of weather condition. I have played in snow, rain, wind, hot sun and show knows what else.
Now it is back to the other side of the bag and playing. Good thing I have a nice new hot pink practice basket to do my putting practice on.
There were over 120 ladies from 7 years old to well over 60 years old. There were over 140 men that signed up to caddy. They payouts were crazy high, mostly because of the very hard work of Doug, the TD of the event. In reality, this is what disc golf should be about and this is how a tournament should be run. I hope that Doug continues to run this event even though I know he hopes to pass the duty off in the future. It really was an amazing event, the likes I have not seen a comparable of. Even Worlds, as amazing as it was, does not quite compare to what Doug was able to pull off.
Tracy, the player I was a caddy for, played in the Advanced Grandmaster Women's division. There were only 4 competitors in the division and as such, we got to play with the same people all three rounds. All the ladies at this age were there for the fun, even though there was a tad bit of competitiveness at times. Tracy was not expecting to win and invited suggestions very early on. By the end we had experienced the whole range of emotions. With the sun shinning and the shots going well we were really happy. With the rain falling and the shots going poorly, pure sadness and frustration.
This leads me to my one big lesson from the other side of the bag. The emotions that you play with are almost as important as how you are playing. When things get tough, what are you thinking? Even if you have forgotten about the bad shots, you can feel frustrated and down. That usually means that your next shot is a lot less likely to be good. Small thoughts, solve the problems, keep it simple. Most importantly be prepared for anything. That is one of the great things about playing in Colorado, we experience just about every different kind of weather condition. I have played in snow, rain, wind, hot sun and show knows what else.
Now it is back to the other side of the bag and playing. Good thing I have a nice new hot pink practice basket to do my putting practice on.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Tournament Round Ratings Milestones
While I will not find out official numbers until the ratings update currently scheduled for October 1st. I am quite excited at the potential of three rounds of mine to break milestones.
My first round at the WYOpen is currently listed at 1008, which would make it my first 1000+ rated round.
My first round at the Peak One Open is currently rated 1017, which would make it my first 1010+ rated round.
MY second round at the Peak One Open is currently rated 1031. I guess I just decided to skip the 1020's and move right on to the 1030's.
I have not been playing nearly as well in practice rounds since Peak One but I am ready to start making the tough decisions and making some lifestyle changes that will allow me to get more serious about the reality of being a professional disc golfer. Hopefully that will mean many more milestones to come.
My first round at the WYOpen is currently listed at 1008, which would make it my first 1000+ rated round.
My first round at the Peak One Open is currently rated 1017, which would make it my first 1010+ rated round.
MY second round at the Peak One Open is currently rated 1031. I guess I just decided to skip the 1020's and move right on to the 1030's.
I have not been playing nearly as well in practice rounds since Peak One but I am ready to start making the tough decisions and making some lifestyle changes that will allow me to get more serious about the reality of being a professional disc golfer. Hopefully that will mean many more milestones to come.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Peak One Dream
As I sit down to write this post I am still not entirely sure that what happened this past Saturday at the Peak One Open actually happened. The Peak One Open is a great tournament run by Jeremy who works for the Town of Frisco, CO at their Adventure Park. I got to know him well when I played a couple of rounds with him earlier this year at Sakuna Matata. He clearly put a lot of work into the event and minus the lack of hearing what anyone was saying during awards, it was a great tournament. The best part was the free lunch that was included in the players pack, even for the pros, that included food from the Octoberfest festivities that was happening in the park during the tournament. Maybe there is something about cheese filled kielbasa with sauerkraut and spicy mustard on it that makes me happy.
Last year at this same event I played horribly. I was near the bottom of advanced and for some reason could not put two and two together. This year I have clearly been playing better disc golf, but after winning in Wyoming I stepped up to play in Open. And of course when I see the cards for the first round, I saw that I got the joy and privilege of playing with the top rated player in the state of Colorado. I had so many excuses as to why this should be a bad tournament for me. Prior to the first round though I went up to a friend of mine who I met playing out in California before I ever moved back to Colorado and said, I am playing with the best player in the state, what advice do you have for me? His response is perhaps the best piece of advice I seem to be hearing over and over again. Play your game. You can't play the same game as anyone else because they do things that you can't. For some reason hearing those words put me at ease.
It only took one hole to realize that there was something special happening at this tournament for me. I had a good drive but put myself in a place where making my putt would take one of my crazy push putts through the smallest gap in some pine trees that I have ever though possible to get a disc through. I watched the top rated player in the state miss his putt that was slightly longer before I hit my putt without really being able to even see the basket. I went on from there to shoot my best round ever. 43 throws is all it took my to complete the 18 hole course and somehow it meant I kept pace with the best player in the state who did end up beating me in the end by just one throw. There really were no words to describe the round other than I simply kept making good throws and kept making putts for the most part. There were still a few places where I would have liked to have done better which means there is still room for improvement. That is a scary thought. My favorite moment from this round came on a hole where I could not quite figure out what shot to throw. I watched the top rated guy in the state throw a thumber and said, hmm, that looks nice and I have that shot in my bag. So I threw the shot and ended up five feet closer. We both made our putts. This was about the only moment in the tournament when I let my decision be affected by this top rated player, but I still played my game.
In the midst of eating my amazing kielbasa, realizing that I would be on the lead card in Open for the first time in my life and only one throw behind the leader I literally said, no matter what happens in the second round I am so happy with shooting one good round that it really doesn't matter how well I play. I mean, I am playing with three of the top disc golfers in the state this next round, what could be better? I mean sure, I could win the tournament, but there is no way that is going to happen.
On the first hole of the second round I threw a tee shot that went way off the intended line and by all appearances, it was going to be a tough round. I managed to get my par and moved on to the second hole. That is when I got a glimmer of the possibility that it wasn't just going to be one round of amazing. I had five birdies in a row and then just missed number six. I just kept playing my game and kept having fun and kept shooting well. With about five holes left the rain started to come down and the temperatures cooled off a little bit. I really worked hard not to think about where I was in relation to the other players and focused on just having fun. It must have worked. When I looked back at what happened over the last three holes I figured out that I was tied with two other 1000+ rated players for second place and we were all three throws behind the top player in the state. I proceeded to birdie the last three holes and watched the two guys I was tied with go par, par, par and bogey, par, par. Of course, it was not my day to win the tournament as the top rated player in the state finished with three birdies of his own.
I am not entirely sure what happened. There is no explanation I can give for anything I did. I can only give the credit to God. I had a blast and focused on having fun and doing the best I can do. I have not seen round ratings at this point as the scores have not been uploaded to the PDGA site, but the estimates I got from the guys I played with put both of my rounds near 1020 as far as a rating is concerned.
I learned that if I play my game and have fun, there isn't a single disc golfer out there that I can't beat on the right day. I may not always win, but I know I can keep pace with the best. Don't worry about the bad shots, and forget about the good ones in the moment. Play your game and not anyone else's. I think that with my improved consistency, this could be the start of something amazing. Up next is The Johnny Roberts Memorial, once again playing with the pros. If I keep the same attitude and mentality, there is no telling how much fun I am going to have.
Last year at this same event I played horribly. I was near the bottom of advanced and for some reason could not put two and two together. This year I have clearly been playing better disc golf, but after winning in Wyoming I stepped up to play in Open. And of course when I see the cards for the first round, I saw that I got the joy and privilege of playing with the top rated player in the state of Colorado. I had so many excuses as to why this should be a bad tournament for me. Prior to the first round though I went up to a friend of mine who I met playing out in California before I ever moved back to Colorado and said, I am playing with the best player in the state, what advice do you have for me? His response is perhaps the best piece of advice I seem to be hearing over and over again. Play your game. You can't play the same game as anyone else because they do things that you can't. For some reason hearing those words put me at ease.
It only took one hole to realize that there was something special happening at this tournament for me. I had a good drive but put myself in a place where making my putt would take one of my crazy push putts through the smallest gap in some pine trees that I have ever though possible to get a disc through. I watched the top rated player in the state miss his putt that was slightly longer before I hit my putt without really being able to even see the basket. I went on from there to shoot my best round ever. 43 throws is all it took my to complete the 18 hole course and somehow it meant I kept pace with the best player in the state who did end up beating me in the end by just one throw. There really were no words to describe the round other than I simply kept making good throws and kept making putts for the most part. There were still a few places where I would have liked to have done better which means there is still room for improvement. That is a scary thought. My favorite moment from this round came on a hole where I could not quite figure out what shot to throw. I watched the top rated guy in the state throw a thumber and said, hmm, that looks nice and I have that shot in my bag. So I threw the shot and ended up five feet closer. We both made our putts. This was about the only moment in the tournament when I let my decision be affected by this top rated player, but I still played my game.
In the midst of eating my amazing kielbasa, realizing that I would be on the lead card in Open for the first time in my life and only one throw behind the leader I literally said, no matter what happens in the second round I am so happy with shooting one good round that it really doesn't matter how well I play. I mean, I am playing with three of the top disc golfers in the state this next round, what could be better? I mean sure, I could win the tournament, but there is no way that is going to happen.
On the first hole of the second round I threw a tee shot that went way off the intended line and by all appearances, it was going to be a tough round. I managed to get my par and moved on to the second hole. That is when I got a glimmer of the possibility that it wasn't just going to be one round of amazing. I had five birdies in a row and then just missed number six. I just kept playing my game and kept having fun and kept shooting well. With about five holes left the rain started to come down and the temperatures cooled off a little bit. I really worked hard not to think about where I was in relation to the other players and focused on just having fun. It must have worked. When I looked back at what happened over the last three holes I figured out that I was tied with two other 1000+ rated players for second place and we were all three throws behind the top player in the state. I proceeded to birdie the last three holes and watched the two guys I was tied with go par, par, par and bogey, par, par. Of course, it was not my day to win the tournament as the top rated player in the state finished with three birdies of his own.
I am not entirely sure what happened. There is no explanation I can give for anything I did. I can only give the credit to God. I had a blast and focused on having fun and doing the best I can do. I have not seen round ratings at this point as the scores have not been uploaded to the PDGA site, but the estimates I got from the guys I played with put both of my rounds near 1020 as far as a rating is concerned.
I learned that if I play my game and have fun, there isn't a single disc golfer out there that I can't beat on the right day. I may not always win, but I know I can keep pace with the best. Don't worry about the bad shots, and forget about the good ones in the moment. Play your game and not anyone else's. I think that with my improved consistency, this could be the start of something amazing. Up next is The Johnny Roberts Memorial, once again playing with the pros. If I keep the same attitude and mentality, there is no telling how much fun I am going to have.
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