Sometimes you put a lot of pressure on yourself to perform well at whatever it is that you are doing. Often times if you enter a sporting event, anything less than first place is failure. The Silver Medal at the Olympics is the reminder that you were so close to winning but you didn't. When that passion and that desire hits you in your chosen area it is really a sign of two things. One, that you are doing what you should be doing. Two, that it is time for you to make a choice. The choice you have to make is wether or not you are going to be serious about what you are doing or wether you are going to step back and just let it be. Even on a beautiful Saturday this past weekend I think I faced the reality of this decision. Not that is hasn't been made several times before. This past weekend was the Deer Mountain Invitational. This was really my first chance to play a competitive round with some of the new discs that I had been using and a chance to play a very private course that is only open by special permission. I thought very little of how I should fare in the tournament. I mean I wanted to make the cut but the reality was that I was simply there to enjoy the game and enjoy the moment.
If you know nothing of Deer Mountain, there really isn't words to describe the challenge that it is. I know of no other disc golf course like it. Any description of words that I could type here would fail to capture the magnitude of what it is. I know there are some courses out there that have the lore about them as great courses or courses that are a true test of champions. I have had my opportunity to play some great courses. There is nothing like Deer Mountain. There are times when I am so captured by the beauty of the course that I feel completely at peace. There are times I am beyond fearful of the course itself, both from a disc golf standpoint as well as a physical standpoint. The best goal to have at Deer Mountain is to simply not loose a disc.
The invitational tournament itself is hosted by the owner of the property, Jim Canon. He charges nothing of the people who play. He provides a payout of over $1000. He finds people to feed us lunch. He finds people to run shuttles between certain holes (yes, it is very much needed). What does this man not do for this tournament is the real question. Everyone who ever gets the chance to play this course owes their experience to this man. He deserves more than he will ever get in return for what he does for this course and disc golf in general.
The format is simple. One round with the best 20 scores moving on to a finals on a super 9 layout. If the regular 22 hole layout wasn't enough to make ones arm fall off, the super 9 layout certainly will. Being it was my first time playing in this tournament, I was put on a card of people who mostly played in lower level, age protected divisions at your typical sanctioned tournaments. It simply meant that I knew I was likely to win my card if I played my game but would have no good sense what I might need to shoot in order tomake the cut. The round started off great with a birdie on my first hole. But the reality of the course soon sank in as just a few holes later I went bogey, bogey, double bogey. It was tiem to refocus and simply play my game and do what I could to simply be at par. There were moments of glory the rest of the round including carding one of only two known birdies on a hole called Razor's Edge and throwing a drive close to 500' on City Side for an easy par. At the end of the rounds I was 7 over par after a bogey on the last hole and a bogey two holes before while attempting to go for a long birdie putt. There were a couple of times when I had putts hit the band on top and one single chain basket decided that it didn't really like my disc all that much as it let it slide right through on a dead center putt. Some bad luck and some poor decisions.
After turning in my score card and watching as my parents, who had already been spotting, help get the scores figured out the dread of reality sat in as I quickly realized the cut would be made to include scores 6 over and better. While I was no where near winning, it felt just as bad as that Olympic Silver Medal. It was the you did great today but not good enough. I have kept asking myself why I decided to go for that putt or why I couldn't have had one of at least three unlucky bounces go the other way. But in the end, I can look back and say, you know I had an incredible time. I got to play with three guys who I have never played with and enjoy all of their company. I got to see and talk to some of my other best disc golf friends. I got to eat good food. I got to play a course that not many other people get to play. I didn't loose a single disc. There was no real stress in this event for me. I was relaxed and enjoyed the experience, more than I can remember recently. At the same time I now have the bug to do better the next time I see this course. And I will see this course again.
I am still in the middle of trying to figure out if I will be changing up my entire bag of discs. I have enjoyed throwing some new discs as of late and have scored quite well with them. I learned that sometimes a small change can make a big difference. I have learned that knowing the course and being smart is more important than one might think. I learned that knowing your discs is vitally important. I learned that my mental game is stronger than I realize if I allow myself the time to think. I learned that there is always risk but that if you never give yourself a chance, you are never going to make the right decision. Back to the world of PDGA sanctioned events in the coming weeks. Back to the next chance to make my breakthrough.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Outback Oh Joy
I think I am just a little over 24 hours out from the tournament and writting a blog post. I think this is by far the best I have done so far this season. I have a little bit more excitement than the past couple of tournamnets, but no where near as much as the Memorial post. There really is just nothing like competing at the top level in the best tournaments. Additionally, the speed of this post has just a little bit to do with my actual performance. Perhaps I am just killing time while I am waiting for my laundry in the dryer.
This past Saturday was the first Outback Open. The Outback DGC in Greeley, CO is really a spectacular course that has a great combination of tight and open holes. There are some really challenging holes and there are frankly some holes that are just too easy. But even those easy holes become a little bit less easy in a tournament. There is also a good variety in length with some very short hoels and some long holes and some in between. They local club worked hard to add a few new pin locations, all of which proved to be exceptionally difficult. But with good weather it was hard to complain about a fun day of disc golf.
In the first round, despite being in the open division I was asked to play on an Advanced card. Generally this is not something that most disc golfers would like simply because you generally want to know what at least some of the competition is doing so as to have a better idea of when to push and when to hold back. I did not have a big issue with this since I tend to play against myself and the course rather than the players around me. I cannot control them, only what I am doing. I had a very solid first round going with no bogies until the third to last hole where I ended up taking a double bogey. I had to get one more birdie after that to pull back to even for the round. Just a whole lot of not much to speak of in that round other than consistently getting my threes. Sure there were a few low putts and one or two high putts, but in general there was nothing to complain about. The one 5 that I did take was a tough hole that saw poor execution from me from start to finish. Oh well.
In the second round I was back playing with other open players and rather enjoying myself with this group as well. The round started off horribly with a 5 and included three fours before I was finally able to get my first birdie of the round. Then I went back to plus 5 before I took the last six holes to get three birdies to drop me back to just plus 2. Considering some recent meltdowns in the final holes of a tournament, this finish felt really good. Was it the best, by no means, but it did provide for a lot of fun and the chance to meet a few new faces. The new faces are becoming more rare as time goes on. Still it is a good reminder of just how big the local crowd of players is and how we really do work as a family to make things happen.
The one complaint from the tournament seemed to be a lack of speed in getting cards done between rounds and after the tournament was over. Checking numbers was sloww and ultimately there were not enough of or the right people there to make something happen. Kyle and the guys at Phenix did a great job of picking up what felt like slack. It is certainly not easy to be a TD, but if you do decide to take this task on, be sure taht you are ready with the information you need to complete this.
I learned taht I can battle back. I learned that taking some risk is more important then not making an effort at all. And I learned that disc selection is super important, especially when it is looking like the out of bounds will play a factor. Gettign back to the mental game and working towards success in that will be huge moving forward. Ultimately I expect that this tournaments ratings will be the bet by far. I think I need to focus more on playing the right shot with the right disc.
Next week is the Deer Mountain Invitational. Not a sanctioned event but one that I have been looking forward to.
This past Saturday was the first Outback Open. The Outback DGC in Greeley, CO is really a spectacular course that has a great combination of tight and open holes. There are some really challenging holes and there are frankly some holes that are just too easy. But even those easy holes become a little bit less easy in a tournament. There is also a good variety in length with some very short hoels and some long holes and some in between. They local club worked hard to add a few new pin locations, all of which proved to be exceptionally difficult. But with good weather it was hard to complain about a fun day of disc golf.
In the first round, despite being in the open division I was asked to play on an Advanced card. Generally this is not something that most disc golfers would like simply because you generally want to know what at least some of the competition is doing so as to have a better idea of when to push and when to hold back. I did not have a big issue with this since I tend to play against myself and the course rather than the players around me. I cannot control them, only what I am doing. I had a very solid first round going with no bogies until the third to last hole where I ended up taking a double bogey. I had to get one more birdie after that to pull back to even for the round. Just a whole lot of not much to speak of in that round other than consistently getting my threes. Sure there were a few low putts and one or two high putts, but in general there was nothing to complain about. The one 5 that I did take was a tough hole that saw poor execution from me from start to finish. Oh well.
In the second round I was back playing with other open players and rather enjoying myself with this group as well. The round started off horribly with a 5 and included three fours before I was finally able to get my first birdie of the round. Then I went back to plus 5 before I took the last six holes to get three birdies to drop me back to just plus 2. Considering some recent meltdowns in the final holes of a tournament, this finish felt really good. Was it the best, by no means, but it did provide for a lot of fun and the chance to meet a few new faces. The new faces are becoming more rare as time goes on. Still it is a good reminder of just how big the local crowd of players is and how we really do work as a family to make things happen.
The one complaint from the tournament seemed to be a lack of speed in getting cards done between rounds and after the tournament was over. Checking numbers was sloww and ultimately there were not enough of or the right people there to make something happen. Kyle and the guys at Phenix did a great job of picking up what felt like slack. It is certainly not easy to be a TD, but if you do decide to take this task on, be sure taht you are ready with the information you need to complete this.
I learned taht I can battle back. I learned that taking some risk is more important then not making an effort at all. And I learned that disc selection is super important, especially when it is looking like the out of bounds will play a factor. Gettign back to the mental game and working towards success in that will be huge moving forward. Ultimately I expect that this tournaments ratings will be the bet by far. I think I need to focus more on playing the right shot with the right disc.
Next week is the Deer Mountain Invitational. Not a sanctioned event but one that I have been looking forward to.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Is This Really Sping Fling?
After being so disappointed at PODS, you can say that I was a little anxious to get back out there and throw my discs in a competative setting again. Still over the past few weeks it has become clear that something is not the same in my disc golf game. Sure, my bag has changed a little bit from last season, but there is no reason I should be playing this poorly. There is no reason why the discs I am throwing should honestly make any difference at all. But, I have been thinking about drastic measures and have quite literally thought that it might be about time for a wholesale change of discs in my bag. But first, it was time to go out and help with the Am side of the local Spring Fling tournament.
This year Spring Fling was held at Jellystone DGC. I believe this is the first sanctioned tournament held at Jellystone, but certainly not the first time for Spring Fling. Spring Fling was the first tournament that I played in the state of Colorado. Spring is a glorious time of year for Colorado. It is almost like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. Helping on the Am day was so much fun. I enjoyed watching people play and play quite well. I enjoyed not having the pressure to make the shot. I enjoyed being able to spend my time helping people in hopes that their day might be a little less stressful. The weather was perfect, I was in shorts and disc golf was happening. Hats off to my buddy Kyle who finished second in Advanced with two nice rounds.
Then came the Pro day. And being that I am now playing int he Open division for all events outside of Am Nats and Am Worlds, it was my turn. Could the weather be nice? Lets just say I was glad to have my snow tires on to get to and from the course. The morning was wet, but the snow didn't stick. The afternoon was super windy and saw the snow start to pile up. It was a joy to play with Joel in the first round. Joel is a guy I met playing out at La Mirada before I ever moved back to Colorado. He was out there for a funeral and we met eachother on the course and had a rather enjoyable round. Joel has always been a good friend and someone to say hello to me and offer me advice. I needed it in the middle of the first round as I was not playing as well as I had hoped. I was the only player on my card to shoot over par.
In the second round I wnjoyed playing with Jack. Jack is a kid you are going to want to remember. He is a very good player and if he keeps up with the game, he will be big. Then again I could say that about Eagle too, but Eagle hasn't begun to play in many big tournaments yet. Jack went to the Memorial this year as part of the large Colorado contingent and did quite well in advanced. I was one stroke worse in the second round but considering how the wind picked up, this was no real surprise.
This tournament did absolutely nothing to convince me that I am doing anything close to right just yet with my disc golf game this year. I feel like I have lost confidence and even my putting, which is normally strong, has let me down as of late. Thankfully I really didn't have a meltdown at the end of the last round as I have the last two tournaments. Mentally I stuck with it at the end of both rounds. I am very proud of myself for that. What I lack right now is simply confidence. I am not sure where it is going to come from but I am willing to try just about anything. The lesson learned is simply that confidence is important. I had a blast and cannot wait long to get back out there. The good news is that based on my schedule it will be not time at all and the tournaments just keep coming one after the next.
This year Spring Fling was held at Jellystone DGC. I believe this is the first sanctioned tournament held at Jellystone, but certainly not the first time for Spring Fling. Spring Fling was the first tournament that I played in the state of Colorado. Spring is a glorious time of year for Colorado. It is almost like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. Helping on the Am day was so much fun. I enjoyed watching people play and play quite well. I enjoyed not having the pressure to make the shot. I enjoyed being able to spend my time helping people in hopes that their day might be a little less stressful. The weather was perfect, I was in shorts and disc golf was happening. Hats off to my buddy Kyle who finished second in Advanced with two nice rounds.
Then came the Pro day. And being that I am now playing int he Open division for all events outside of Am Nats and Am Worlds, it was my turn. Could the weather be nice? Lets just say I was glad to have my snow tires on to get to and from the course. The morning was wet, but the snow didn't stick. The afternoon was super windy and saw the snow start to pile up. It was a joy to play with Joel in the first round. Joel is a guy I met playing out at La Mirada before I ever moved back to Colorado. He was out there for a funeral and we met eachother on the course and had a rather enjoyable round. Joel has always been a good friend and someone to say hello to me and offer me advice. I needed it in the middle of the first round as I was not playing as well as I had hoped. I was the only player on my card to shoot over par.
In the second round I wnjoyed playing with Jack. Jack is a kid you are going to want to remember. He is a very good player and if he keeps up with the game, he will be big. Then again I could say that about Eagle too, but Eagle hasn't begun to play in many big tournaments yet. Jack went to the Memorial this year as part of the large Colorado contingent and did quite well in advanced. I was one stroke worse in the second round but considering how the wind picked up, this was no real surprise.
This tournament did absolutely nothing to convince me that I am doing anything close to right just yet with my disc golf game this year. I feel like I have lost confidence and even my putting, which is normally strong, has let me down as of late. Thankfully I really didn't have a meltdown at the end of the last round as I have the last two tournaments. Mentally I stuck with it at the end of both rounds. I am very proud of myself for that. What I lack right now is simply confidence. I am not sure where it is going to come from but I am willing to try just about anything. The lesson learned is simply that confidence is important. I had a blast and cannot wait long to get back out there. The good news is that based on my schedule it will be not time at all and the tournaments just keep coming one after the next.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Lost In A Quandry: The Tale Of PODS in April
I am not really sure what to say today. It is the day after the Phenix One Day Series 2014 Opener. This is not something I participated in last year because they were not sanctioned. But this year the guys at Phenix made the wise decision to sanction these events and now I have even more events to play. I am quite thankful for this. I am big fans of the guys at Phenix simply because they are working hard to make disc golf in Colorado better than it already is. They are working to put more events out there for the local players and to support the players who play in their events. I honestly had a blast playing in my first PODS event, but it has left me in a weird place where I am literally not sure what to think at the point.
The biggest news from this event is that I can no longer say that I will be able to accomplish all my goals this year. That is a sad reality with only three events under the belt for the year. I finished last in Open, 16th out of 16. The sad part is that the round did not feel that bad and at the same time, it was blah at best. The current projected round ratings make me feel like the days when I was playing in Intermediate hoping to move up to Advanced. I long suspected that the best scores would be rather low, but I had no idea that so many people would be able to shoot as low as they did.
We played two rounds at Badlands on the traditional 18 hole layout with fairly easy pin positions. In talking with the guys from Phenix running the tournament, layouts will get more difficult throughout the season at other PODS events. But for the first one they were trying to keep things simple for themselves and for everyone playing. It was almost too easy to the point where I had no idea what to do. My putting was off for the most part and I am not entirely sure my head was in the game. Still I shot my first tournament round under par for the year in the first round and proceeded to give my second away on the last hole in the second round (worst decision of the day and a serious lack of focus at the end). I only had three holes of 36 total that I took anything worse then a par. It also means that I had very few birdies, something that was needed on this layout.
What I learned is that my mental game is simply not working correctly at the end of tournaments. We are all well aware of the meltdown I had at the Meltdown a short while ago. While this was not nearly as bad, for the second straight time I finished with a three putt where I should have had a one putt. I also learned that I am not yet making the right decisions on disc selection. I am also not controlling all of my competative energy. As in the start of the Memorial, the last couple of holes in the first round proved to provide the same kind of nervous energy that made it tought to control distance. With so many tournaments in the upcoming weeks I need to buckle down and figure the mental thing out as well as figuring out how to make better decisions in general. More deep breaths and one more second before every throw.
The biggest news from this event is that I can no longer say that I will be able to accomplish all my goals this year. That is a sad reality with only three events under the belt for the year. I finished last in Open, 16th out of 16. The sad part is that the round did not feel that bad and at the same time, it was blah at best. The current projected round ratings make me feel like the days when I was playing in Intermediate hoping to move up to Advanced. I long suspected that the best scores would be rather low, but I had no idea that so many people would be able to shoot as low as they did.
We played two rounds at Badlands on the traditional 18 hole layout with fairly easy pin positions. In talking with the guys from Phenix running the tournament, layouts will get more difficult throughout the season at other PODS events. But for the first one they were trying to keep things simple for themselves and for everyone playing. It was almost too easy to the point where I had no idea what to do. My putting was off for the most part and I am not entirely sure my head was in the game. Still I shot my first tournament round under par for the year in the first round and proceeded to give my second away on the last hole in the second round (worst decision of the day and a serious lack of focus at the end). I only had three holes of 36 total that I took anything worse then a par. It also means that I had very few birdies, something that was needed on this layout.
What I learned is that my mental game is simply not working correctly at the end of tournaments. We are all well aware of the meltdown I had at the Meltdown a short while ago. While this was not nearly as bad, for the second straight time I finished with a three putt where I should have had a one putt. I also learned that I am not yet making the right decisions on disc selection. I am also not controlling all of my competative energy. As in the start of the Memorial, the last couple of holes in the first round proved to provide the same kind of nervous energy that made it tought to control distance. With so many tournaments in the upcoming weeks I need to buckle down and figure the mental thing out as well as figuring out how to make better decisions in general. More deep breaths and one more second before every throw.
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