Winter Warriors 9 has come to an end for the season and what an incredible finish it was. If you had told me it would have gone down like this at the begining of the season I would have laughed at you. If you would have told me how well I would have done I would have laughed at you.
Yes, it is true that after the week at Village Greens I had set myself up well to finish in the top 10. It was so great to be able to play with Rob Nichols and I learned so much playing in that one round with him. Well, lets now fast forward to the last four weeks. I needed one more round of -20 or better to ensure that all my rounds were at least -20. This was one of those unwritten goals, knowing full well it would be needed to reach the top 10. In the midst of the snow I was able to get to that goal playing with a local pro. Still there was no garuntee.
A week later it was up to Wyoming where I was paired with Courtney who was in the race for the lead in the women's division. They gave the ladies way more strokes than they should have and with a generous layout Courtney and I shot -32. This score propelled me back up the leader board to second place, right where I was after winning with Rob.
A week later at Expo I was able to go -25 with Jason. Not the best round and one that really cost me a good chance at the win. The good news is that I only lost ground to the people behind me.
In the final week I was fortunate enough to get paired with Eagle, one of the best young players in the state. I used to be able to beat him back in the day and then he got good and went pro a couple of years ago. If he hadn't gone pro he would have been able to win an Ameteur World Championship. He can throw the disc forever. It was a great pairing for me. And I got to play with Rob in the group as he was in first place. Rob and his partner started off great when Eagle and I struggled. Eagle and I eventually caught fire. Still loosing to Rob in the round and overall was sad, but I still feel like we put up a good fight. And shooting another -32 meant that my worst round used was -25 and I was solidly in second place overall.
What? Second place overall? How in the world did this happen? Well, it really has to go back to the things I have learned throughout the season. Looking back at the mid series post I can honestly say the refined nature of these three things has helped my game significantly.
1. Disc up and throw softer. Sure we all want to throw the disc further and it is really impressive when someone can throw a putter over 400'. Sometimes though it isn't about being impressive, it is just about throwing the disc that you can predict what it is going to do and making sure you aren't throwing it in such a way that it becomes unpredictable. 70% is that magic number above which accuracy goes way down. Accurate is way more important. Smaller smoother motions means more predictability, means more success.
2. Putting is still important. I have watched even the best of the best miss putts that they shouldn't miss. But you know someone is playing well when they are putting well. I am slightly concerned that as I transition back to playing by myself (not doubles) I will feel like my game is getting worse. But if I can keep putting well and keep improving that part of my game I am confident that my scores will continue to improve.
3. Playing as mush as I can is still a goal of mine moving forward and I am sure that it will help my game. If you are nto playing the muscles are slowly forgetting what to do. Playing will keep them in shape and keep the memory there so that they know what to do in a right situation.
I also want to make sure to thank the people that played with my mother this season and helped her, typically near the bottom of the Rec Women's Division, earn a 5th place finish in the Winter Warriors Women's Division. I am pretty sure my mom never thought it was possible but she simply went out to have fun and low and behold she ended up in 5th place.
Now it is on to the consideration of goals for the 2014 Tournament Season.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Winter Warriors 9 Update
We are now seven weeks in to the grand fund and fun raiser that is Winter Warriors. To this point we have only really had one week where the weather was cold enough to scare people away. Oddly enough, we still ended up with over 50 people playing in single digit temperatures.
So far I have made every event and had a great time at each one as best I can remember. Although the year started off slow and I found myself well out of the top ten, things have changed. Over the past three weeks I have been paired with people that are either really good or compliment my game really well. As such I tied for first and lost in a playoff at The Outback in Greeley, Finished with a -28 at Bird's Nest and for the first time in my Winter Warriors career won at Village Greens playing with Rob Nichols. Sure it helps that I got paired with Rob and I am sure that he did most of the work, but I held my own and made just enough contributions to get the win.
So, as far as my goals are concerned, I am doing amazingly well.
1. I have helped out every week so far with the sign as well as other miscellaneous stuff.
2. Even during rough rounds or with people that are less than considerate, I have found myself having a great time. I have especially enjoyed getting to know a few new people who are relatively new to the Colroado Disc Golf Scene.
3. I have yet to miss an event so far this year and do not see a set of circumstances that will keep me from missing any of the remaining events.
4. Before this week I was in 7th place needing only 20 more strokes to get to the mark that was 10th place last year, give or take. Well, shooting -30 with Rob, causing me to drop a -2 means I gained 28 strokes and should be well on my way to a top 10 finish over all. I should move solidly into the top 5 and maybe as high as 2nd after this week.
5. Thanks in large part to Rob Nichols, I have my first Winter Warriors win. Sure, he now has three on the year, but this one is big and important to me. I also want to thank McGilla Gorilla for getting close back at The Outback. Now the goal is one more (Ha, that makes is sound like I am addicated).
I have also learned a lot about my game so far this year and have found a couple of things that I need to work on.
1. I need to learn when to disc up and throw more softly on shorter holes. I was surprised today at the number of times Rob was throwing a driver and I had something less than driver in my hand. Sure, the cold conditions became a small part of the reason why this was the case, but even so, I see value in making sure I am throwing at no more than 70%.
2. Putting makes a big difference. My best scores have come when I am putting well and when I am making sure that I get the putting practice that I need. Sure, this isn't something new that I have learned, but it is amazing the number of times that this becomes one of the if not the single determining factors in who wins and who looses.
3. Practice, in whatever form, makes a big difference. I was even talking with Rob about this today. This past season he had an off year and when he thought back, he said he literally did little to no practice. He would just show up at tournaments and just play. Well, the weeks that I get a practice round or two in, I have been playing much better than the weeks that I do not play a casual or practice round. The weather has not always been that cooperative but I need to get out and play more.
That is all for now. Things are about to get exciting as scores are getting dropped and soon enough I will no longer be allowed to get paired with other players in the top 10.
So far I have made every event and had a great time at each one as best I can remember. Although the year started off slow and I found myself well out of the top ten, things have changed. Over the past three weeks I have been paired with people that are either really good or compliment my game really well. As such I tied for first and lost in a playoff at The Outback in Greeley, Finished with a -28 at Bird's Nest and for the first time in my Winter Warriors career won at Village Greens playing with Rob Nichols. Sure it helps that I got paired with Rob and I am sure that he did most of the work, but I held my own and made just enough contributions to get the win.
So, as far as my goals are concerned, I am doing amazingly well.
1. I have helped out every week so far with the sign as well as other miscellaneous stuff.
2. Even during rough rounds or with people that are less than considerate, I have found myself having a great time. I have especially enjoyed getting to know a few new people who are relatively new to the Colroado Disc Golf Scene.
3. I have yet to miss an event so far this year and do not see a set of circumstances that will keep me from missing any of the remaining events.
4. Before this week I was in 7th place needing only 20 more strokes to get to the mark that was 10th place last year, give or take. Well, shooting -30 with Rob, causing me to drop a -2 means I gained 28 strokes and should be well on my way to a top 10 finish over all. I should move solidly into the top 5 and maybe as high as 2nd after this week.
5. Thanks in large part to Rob Nichols, I have my first Winter Warriors win. Sure, he now has three on the year, but this one is big and important to me. I also want to thank McGilla Gorilla for getting close back at The Outback. Now the goal is one more (Ha, that makes is sound like I am addicated).
I have also learned a lot about my game so far this year and have found a couple of things that I need to work on.
1. I need to learn when to disc up and throw more softly on shorter holes. I was surprised today at the number of times Rob was throwing a driver and I had something less than driver in my hand. Sure, the cold conditions became a small part of the reason why this was the case, but even so, I see value in making sure I am throwing at no more than 70%.
2. Putting makes a big difference. My best scores have come when I am putting well and when I am making sure that I get the putting practice that I need. Sure, this isn't something new that I have learned, but it is amazing the number of times that this becomes one of the if not the single determining factors in who wins and who looses.
3. Practice, in whatever form, makes a big difference. I was even talking with Rob about this today. This past season he had an off year and when he thought back, he said he literally did little to no practice. He would just show up at tournaments and just play. Well, the weeks that I get a practice round or two in, I have been playing much better than the weeks that I do not play a casual or practice round. The weather has not always been that cooperative but I need to get out and play more.
That is all for now. Things are about to get exciting as scores are getting dropped and soon enough I will no longer be allowed to get paired with other players in the top 10.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Winter Warriors 9: The Late But Incredibly Revealing Goals Post
Well with the tournament season done, the cold weather kind of on its way, it is once again time for Winter Warriors here in Colorado. This is a great event to keep you playing during the winter while raising money for a good cause. That cause is the Food Bank of the Rockies. I am so glad to be raising money for a cause like this to help feed the people around me. This event is part of thereason why the Mile High Disc Golf Club is one of the biggest fund raising clubs in the Ice Bowl events.
So the basics that you may or may not remember from last year are this. Each week we play a different course. Weather is not an issue. It is a random draw doubles format. There are always special holes to make things a bit more interesting. Only your top 6 scores count but dropped scores contribute to the tie breakers. Last year I finished just outside of the top 10. Only the top 10 get trophies.
So, I have a couple of goals for Winter Warriors this year:
1. To help more with the events and provide some support to the two guys who run the event.
2. To make sure I am having fun no matter what the circumstances are during the events.
3. To show up at every event. Even though I did this last year, it would be great to make sure I am continuing to practice throughout the winter.
4. To finish in the top 10 at the end of the season.
5. To win at least one week.
We are two weeks in and I have a good start on these goals. I have been helping each week, including the making of an informational sign to help reduce the number of questions they have to deal with at check in. Last week there was an instance where fun was drawn into question as half the guys in the group I was playing with were getting a little drunk and smoking a rare weed. I'm not sure why anyone would need either of these things on the disc golf course to have a good time, but in the end it was still a good time. I am not in the top 10 at this point as I have two mediocre performances. I mostly blame my lack of practice on that. The season is off to a great start and it is only the begining.
So the basics that you may or may not remember from last year are this. Each week we play a different course. Weather is not an issue. It is a random draw doubles format. There are always special holes to make things a bit more interesting. Only your top 6 scores count but dropped scores contribute to the tie breakers. Last year I finished just outside of the top 10. Only the top 10 get trophies.
So, I have a couple of goals for Winter Warriors this year:
1. To help more with the events and provide some support to the two guys who run the event.
2. To make sure I am having fun no matter what the circumstances are during the events.
3. To show up at every event. Even though I did this last year, it would be great to make sure I am continuing to practice throughout the winter.
4. To finish in the top 10 at the end of the season.
5. To win at least one week.
We are two weeks in and I have a good start on these goals. I have been helping each week, including the making of an informational sign to help reduce the number of questions they have to deal with at check in. Last week there was an instance where fun was drawn into question as half the guys in the group I was playing with were getting a little drunk and smoking a rare weed. I'm not sure why anyone would need either of these things on the disc golf course to have a good time, but in the end it was still a good time. I am not in the top 10 at this point as I have two mediocre performances. I mostly blame my lack of practice on that. The season is off to a great start and it is only the begining.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Looking Back At The 2013 Tournament Season
Well, I have come to the conclusion that I am not going to play in any more tournaments this season. I so desperately wanted to play in one more in an attempt to achieve one more goal for the season, but the reality is that I would rather spend the time and money next season to go and play more big events across the country. So, here is a quick run down of the goals I posted before the season and a brief response as to how well I have done.
1. Have More Fun - Well sure, of course I was having more fun. Especially because this season was significantly better than last year from the stand point of all those reasons I attempted to forget about with this goal. Hmm, maybe I didn't do as well as I thought.
2. Contribute More To The Growth Of The Sport - This is still a work in progress. I put some feelers out there but never followed up. I helped out a a junior event. I did not do nearly as much as I had hoped. I think there is still time left in the year to start a discussion but I am going to call this one a fail. I think I want to keep this goal for next year but be more realistic next year.
3. To Qualify For Am Nationals - Had to wait all the way to the end of the year, but success! I finished in the top 10% at the Colorado State Disc Golf Championships, one of two local A-Tier events this past season. As long as the standard is the same as previous seasons I am good to go.
4. To Finish Better At Am Worlds Than I Did In 2012 - Yuppers! Although let sbe honest, once I started playing well at Am Worlds the expectations went up and then I failed at the new goals. This is one of the disadvantages of playing well. Next year the goal will be to make the Semi Finals and to have a good 6th round as I have failed at that the last two years.
5. To Win A Tournament In Advanced - Boo Yaa! Thank you Wyoming! Thank you first 1000 rated round! I had a great time at this tournament and was able to hold on for the first victory. The only advanced tournament I played after this event was Colorado States and I suspect that I will only play the two Am Majors next year.
6. To Improve My Rating By 20+ Points - This one should be solid. So, I started the year at 915. I am currently at 946. That is 31 point increase. There are still a few rounds to be put into the rating and hopefully some from last year to get taken out but it all means that I only expect my rating to go up.
7. To Qualify For Pro Worlds in 2014 - This is the reason I want to play one more tournament. I am at 468 pro points through five pro tournaments. I believe that it will require 500 pro points to qualify for pro worlds. The bottom line is that it would have been nice to get my am win earlier in the year with the ability to play in a few more events as a pro. 32 points, only 32 points. Hmph.
8. To Look Back At 2013 And Say, "Wow, I Improved So Much This Year!" - I know it is not the end of the year yet but, Wow, I improved so much this year! There is still a lot of work to be done and I now know that I have the ability to go toe to toe with the top guys in the state, thank you Peak One Open. If I keep having fun and keep playing my game, anything is possible.
Now I am looking forward to playing and practicing as much as I can this off season. I am looking forward to working some new Vibram discs into the bag. That is if they release them early enough. And of course I am looking forward to Winter Warriors. I think we may raise more money this year with Winter Warriors than ever before. Exciting!
1. Have More Fun - Well sure, of course I was having more fun. Especially because this season was significantly better than last year from the stand point of all those reasons I attempted to forget about with this goal. Hmm, maybe I didn't do as well as I thought.
2. Contribute More To The Growth Of The Sport - This is still a work in progress. I put some feelers out there but never followed up. I helped out a a junior event. I did not do nearly as much as I had hoped. I think there is still time left in the year to start a discussion but I am going to call this one a fail. I think I want to keep this goal for next year but be more realistic next year.
3. To Qualify For Am Nationals - Had to wait all the way to the end of the year, but success! I finished in the top 10% at the Colorado State Disc Golf Championships, one of two local A-Tier events this past season. As long as the standard is the same as previous seasons I am good to go.
4. To Finish Better At Am Worlds Than I Did In 2012 - Yuppers! Although let sbe honest, once I started playing well at Am Worlds the expectations went up and then I failed at the new goals. This is one of the disadvantages of playing well. Next year the goal will be to make the Semi Finals and to have a good 6th round as I have failed at that the last two years.
5. To Win A Tournament In Advanced - Boo Yaa! Thank you Wyoming! Thank you first 1000 rated round! I had a great time at this tournament and was able to hold on for the first victory. The only advanced tournament I played after this event was Colorado States and I suspect that I will only play the two Am Majors next year.
6. To Improve My Rating By 20+ Points - This one should be solid. So, I started the year at 915. I am currently at 946. That is 31 point increase. There are still a few rounds to be put into the rating and hopefully some from last year to get taken out but it all means that I only expect my rating to go up.
7. To Qualify For Pro Worlds in 2014 - This is the reason I want to play one more tournament. I am at 468 pro points through five pro tournaments. I believe that it will require 500 pro points to qualify for pro worlds. The bottom line is that it would have been nice to get my am win earlier in the year with the ability to play in a few more events as a pro. 32 points, only 32 points. Hmph.
8. To Look Back At 2013 And Say, "Wow, I Improved So Much This Year!" - I know it is not the end of the year yet but, Wow, I improved so much this year! There is still a lot of work to be done and I now know that I have the ability to go toe to toe with the top guys in the state, thank you Peak One Open. If I keep having fun and keep playing my game, anything is possible.
Now I am looking forward to playing and practicing as much as I can this off season. I am looking forward to working some new Vibram discs into the bag. That is if they release them early enough. And of course I am looking forward to Winter Warriors. I think we may raise more money this year with Winter Warriors than ever before. Exciting!
Monday, October 7, 2013
What A Great State
This past weekend was the Colorado State Disc Golf Championships at Edora Park in Fort Collins, CO. Edora is an amazingly nice park that has dealt with park use issues since the course was put in several years ago. There have been many redesigns of the park and it is constantly in a state of flux as the city appears to want to shut down the course. There is a strong club in the area that is working hard to keep this course and have done a good job of rolling with the redesigns in order to attempt to keep this beautiful course. The good news about this for the tournament was that we got to play 27 holes three times over three days. This included holes from just about all of the redesigns including the brand new holes of the latest redesign. That being said, there was a lot of work put in on this course in an attempt to get it ready for this event. New holes needed tee boxes and pin positions. Old holes needed some re-work to make them what they used to be. Hats off to Vinnie the TD and his team for all the work they put into this event.
My hope coming into this tournament was that it would be my last Amateur event outside of the Amateur majors next year. In order to accomplish this task I would need to finish in the top 20% in order to qualify for The United States Amateur Disc Golf Championships. What I found out is that this played into my emotions during this tournament way more than it should have. Goals are certainly great things, but you also need to keep them in check in the middle of a tournament or it will cause you to play outside of your own game. You'll push and things will not turn out as you hope.
This event was a true test of Colorado Disc Golf outside of one fact, this course is not a mountain course. This is a great park course, and should not be down played because it is not a mountain course. The weather is really what helped make this a true Colorado event. Over three days there were some similarities, but each day had its own unique challenges. The first day was cold and windy with times of snow and rain. The second day kept getting warmer and warming and the wind kept howling. By the last day it was simply sunny and nice. You do know that we get over 300 days of sun here in Colorado. The fact that each day was so uniquely different just screams Colorado.
The first day was interesting as I played a round with four guys named Ryan. Yeah, that is right, I was the odd man out because my name was not Ryan. It was a good close somewhat because I played my first tournament round of the year with one of these Ryan's. The round did not start off so good for me but I was able to keep it together and ultimately win my card in the first round. The weather made it very difficult to shoot well and even the top pros shot over par this round. I was 10 strokes worse than the top pro and eight throws out of first in the advanced division. I struggled a lot in the wind and this was sort of confusing to me simply because I had learned so much this year about plying in the wind.
The second day was also difficult but I was also able to shoot one throw better than my first day. This round was fun from the stand point that I was able to really connect with another player from out of town. I am always amazed at the people you meet playing disc golf and how fun and unique we all are. Disc Golf is really a sport that is for everyone and it is so much fun to meet and play with new people. Derek was from South Dakota and shot amazingly well in this round. He beat me on my card but was the only person on my card to beat me this round. While it was a better round it was rated several points lower because the pros finally remembered how to play in the wind. Or perhaps they didn't play in the wind as much as the Ams did because they got the early tee times.
Sitting at home after the second round I became incredibly bummed out. Sure I was able to move from 7th place to 6th place, but the reality was still setting in that there was a chance that I might not meet my goal of finishing in the top 20%. To be so close to your goals and then to see the possibility of them slipping away is really difficult. It is not a good feeling and does not provide encouragement. Sure it should drive me to play better and harder, but that will also cause one to stop playing their own game. Sometimes you just have to remember to play your best and leave the results up to God.
The third round finally brought about really nice conditions and made scoring very easy. Even so, I started out shooting exactly the same as I had the day before. Unfortunately on hole 5 I went OB twice and ended up taking a 6. Right then and there it would have been easy to pack it in and stop caring about my round. This is where the power of forgetting really comes in. I pulled myself together and had a couple of really good strings of birdies. I didn't let the bad get in my way and a part from one more hole I did a good job of not comparing this round to previous rounds. This ultimately ended up being my best round and I won my card for the second time in this tournament. I took the biggest jump I had made in the tournament and ended up finishing in 4th place. This put me in the top 10%.
I am sad to think that this might be the end of my tournament season. I am still hoping to somehow play in one more sanctioned event. I would like one more chance to earn a spot in pro worlds next year even though the odds are that I do not want to play and travel to three major events next season. It is a lot of time and money to be able to do these things.
What I learned from this tournament is that it really is important to know the course. Even though there were plenty of holes that I had played before, not having played them for a while really put me behind for the first couple of days. It is also really important to play your game. This is so much more important than just about anything I can think of in Disc Golf. trying to paly someone else's game or pushing too much in order move up ultimately will cause the biggest falls. The emotional side of things is also very important. I watched player after player on my card fall because they were not mentally strong enough to keep it together when something bad happened. Ultimately this allowed me, someone who played my game and did not let bad holes get in my head, to move up instead.
One of the best things I did during this tournament was the time I spent encouraging those around me. I think everyone wants to feel encouraged, and I worked hard to make sure I was about to encourage the guys I played with at least once during the rounds that I played with them. I also made sure to say hello to them afterwards or before and during other rounds as well. It is amazing to think that something so simple can make such a big difference.
My hope coming into this tournament was that it would be my last Amateur event outside of the Amateur majors next year. In order to accomplish this task I would need to finish in the top 20% in order to qualify for The United States Amateur Disc Golf Championships. What I found out is that this played into my emotions during this tournament way more than it should have. Goals are certainly great things, but you also need to keep them in check in the middle of a tournament or it will cause you to play outside of your own game. You'll push and things will not turn out as you hope.
This event was a true test of Colorado Disc Golf outside of one fact, this course is not a mountain course. This is a great park course, and should not be down played because it is not a mountain course. The weather is really what helped make this a true Colorado event. Over three days there were some similarities, but each day had its own unique challenges. The first day was cold and windy with times of snow and rain. The second day kept getting warmer and warming and the wind kept howling. By the last day it was simply sunny and nice. You do know that we get over 300 days of sun here in Colorado. The fact that each day was so uniquely different just screams Colorado.
The first day was interesting as I played a round with four guys named Ryan. Yeah, that is right, I was the odd man out because my name was not Ryan. It was a good close somewhat because I played my first tournament round of the year with one of these Ryan's. The round did not start off so good for me but I was able to keep it together and ultimately win my card in the first round. The weather made it very difficult to shoot well and even the top pros shot over par this round. I was 10 strokes worse than the top pro and eight throws out of first in the advanced division. I struggled a lot in the wind and this was sort of confusing to me simply because I had learned so much this year about plying in the wind.
The second day was also difficult but I was also able to shoot one throw better than my first day. This round was fun from the stand point that I was able to really connect with another player from out of town. I am always amazed at the people you meet playing disc golf and how fun and unique we all are. Disc Golf is really a sport that is for everyone and it is so much fun to meet and play with new people. Derek was from South Dakota and shot amazingly well in this round. He beat me on my card but was the only person on my card to beat me this round. While it was a better round it was rated several points lower because the pros finally remembered how to play in the wind. Or perhaps they didn't play in the wind as much as the Ams did because they got the early tee times.
Sitting at home after the second round I became incredibly bummed out. Sure I was able to move from 7th place to 6th place, but the reality was still setting in that there was a chance that I might not meet my goal of finishing in the top 20%. To be so close to your goals and then to see the possibility of them slipping away is really difficult. It is not a good feeling and does not provide encouragement. Sure it should drive me to play better and harder, but that will also cause one to stop playing their own game. Sometimes you just have to remember to play your best and leave the results up to God.
The third round finally brought about really nice conditions and made scoring very easy. Even so, I started out shooting exactly the same as I had the day before. Unfortunately on hole 5 I went OB twice and ended up taking a 6. Right then and there it would have been easy to pack it in and stop caring about my round. This is where the power of forgetting really comes in. I pulled myself together and had a couple of really good strings of birdies. I didn't let the bad get in my way and a part from one more hole I did a good job of not comparing this round to previous rounds. This ultimately ended up being my best round and I won my card for the second time in this tournament. I took the biggest jump I had made in the tournament and ended up finishing in 4th place. This put me in the top 10%.
I am sad to think that this might be the end of my tournament season. I am still hoping to somehow play in one more sanctioned event. I would like one more chance to earn a spot in pro worlds next year even though the odds are that I do not want to play and travel to three major events next season. It is a lot of time and money to be able to do these things.
What I learned from this tournament is that it really is important to know the course. Even though there were plenty of holes that I had played before, not having played them for a while really put me behind for the first couple of days. It is also really important to play your game. This is so much more important than just about anything I can think of in Disc Golf. trying to paly someone else's game or pushing too much in order move up ultimately will cause the biggest falls. The emotional side of things is also very important. I watched player after player on my card fall because they were not mentally strong enough to keep it together when something bad happened. Ultimately this allowed me, someone who played my game and did not let bad holes get in my head, to move up instead.
One of the best things I did during this tournament was the time I spent encouraging those around me. I think everyone wants to feel encouraged, and I worked hard to make sure I was about to encourage the guys I played with at least once during the rounds that I played with them. I also made sure to say hello to them afterwards or before and during other rounds as well. It is amazing to think that something so simple can make such a big difference.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Ratings Update
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.
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.
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.
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