You're Not A Pro Yet - Getting Yourself Out Of Analysis Paralysis

People who fell in love with disc golf twenty plus years ago didn’t have the benefit that many of us do now when it comes to improving upon one’s form and skill set. Back then, visiting a local course and watching how others play was about the extent of their ability to research and notice areas where they can improve.

Today’s disc golfers simply have to type in a few keywords into YouTube and soon they’ll be bombarded with tutorial video after tutorial video, explaining in detail how to throw a great backhand drive or how to perfect their flick.

With disc golf becoming more popular, there are also more clinics and events held across the country, yet again offering players the chance to watch what the pros do and try to emulate them to the best of their ability. But is that creating a problem? Does replicating a pro player’s form, movement by movement, actually put golfers at a disadvantage?

What Is Analysis Paralysis?

A relatively common challenge that new disc golfers run into, analysis paralysis refers to the idea that you are so focused on each individual element of your form that you end up messing up your shot. Some also like to use this phrase to mean that you are so caught up in the details of your game that maybe it overwhelms you and you end up not even going to the course as much as you used to because it’s too frustrating.

However you define it, the idea of being too laser-focused on a shot can really hinder your growth as a player. For example, at a clinic recently, someone in the audience asked Paige Pierce how she was pivoting on her knee during a particular type of throw. Paige said she didn’t know, as it’s something she never actually paid attention to.

Rather than attempting to recreate every single minor body movement with the goal of putting them all together to create the perfect throw is nearly impossible. Instead, break yourself free from analysis paralysis and develop your own game.

Easier Said Than Done

It sounds like a simple task, but for disc golfers who are new to the sport or ones that don’t have a lot of confidence yet in their skills, it can be hard to just “get out there.” Despite the friendly vibes that disc golf communities around the country offer, we don’t want to go out on the course and look like a fool. So what are you supposed to do?

Try taking one or two tips from the pros and work on only those elements of your form. Head out to an empty field and throw your shots over and over again until you’ve really dialed those pieces into place. You might even want to play a handful of rounds with those body movements to make sure you’re comfortable with them before adding more.

Over time, you’ll develop a style that’s just right for you. Some of the best disc golfers in the world do certain things with their putts or their drives that no one else does, and it brings them success because they know they’re comfortable with their own unique form. Don’t try to be just like the pros - be you, play your own game, and perhaps you’ll be teaching one of the pro clinics someday!