Disc Golf Answer Man

By: Robert McCall

Each Tuesday, Bobby (Coooooooool Daddy Slick Breeze) Brown, Eric (eMac) McCabe, and I, Robert (different nickname every week) McCall take to the live airspace on Disc Golf Answer Man to tackle listener-submitted questions. Most of the questions revolve around disc golf, but we also answer the occasional non-disc golf question about The Office, our favorite taco place, the fabled Torchy’s Tacos, or life in general. Occasionally, we have special guests stop by, and they bring new insights every time. We’ll do our best to stay on disc golf questions for this first time.

Disclaimer: These questions and answers will be edited for clarity (and to make us all appear much smarter).

Flagstick in the Way?

Bobby: This is a rules question. “When playing a 1000-foot hole at a golf course, an OB golf green was located about 150-200 feet in front of the basket. I played a low forehand over the green, knowing that if I hit the green, I would skip across. My only concern was the flagstick. Could I have had someone remove the flag from the golf hole? Had I clipped it or squared it up, it would have put a real damper on a great shot.”

Robert: Good question; no rules searching needed - I know the answer to this one, because I’ve seen it happen, and it really sucks when you hit the flag on a golf green. If an obstacle is in front of your lie and no part of it extends through your lie, you can’t move it. It’s kind of like if a trash can is out there on the course, and it’s in between you and the basket; you can’t move it. Same with a golf flag. The only way that you can move an obstacle is if part of it is on top of or crossing through your lie - then you can move it if it is dead and unattached. If there was a golf flag laying on top of your disc, you could move that out of the way. If it’s on the golf green in front of you, can’t touch it. Sorry, man.

Disc Differences

Speakpipe: “Hey, Bobby, Robert, Eric, and any other disc golf luminaries who might be there, this is Matt from Salem, Oregon. I just had a quick question about the flight charts from Trilogy and the actual disc molds. When I look at something like the eMac Truth, the Compass, and the Sling, they’re all within the same speed group, relative stability, and have some differences in turn and glide. I wondered if there are a lot of different characteristics that you can tweak in a mold? Are there infinite variabilities, or are there really just a few characteristics to change and they could make radically different results in the flight path from that? Obviously, the way people throw makes a difference, too. Anyway, I appreciate what you guys do; thanks for keeping it real!”

Bobby Brown

Bobby: From talking to Tomas (Ekstrom, Latitude 64’s disc designer) a while back, when I first started doing all this, I asked him a very similar question: “Wouldn’t you run out of discs to make?” According to him, there are infinite possibilities, because the slightest change here, the
slightest dome here, the slightest bead here makes a difference in the flight. You’ll have some discs that fly similarly, but for whatever reason, one might feel better in the hand for Robert than it does for me. He may be okay with a wider rim, but I don’t love wide rims on drivers. When you get into midranges, one might be a bigger diameter than the other, but they have similar flights. Even though it may seem like discs are the exact same, you have to take feel into account, because different players prefer different things in the discs that they carry.

Shot Choice in the Woods

Bobby: Here’s a good one - “Hey DGAM crew, one of the courses in my hometown is heavily wooded. I’ve noticed that understable discs with a backhand tend to work better than overstable discs. However, is the backhand the best type of shot to throw in thick woods? Is one type of throw objectively better for wooded courses, or should you just go with what you know? Thanks everyone; have a peachy day!”

Eric: I think forehands actually work really well in the woods. It’s because you can see the gap that you’re hitting; you never have your back toward the gap. But it just depends on the course - I’ve played many, many wooded courses that were very righty-friendly and the backhand was the best shot for most of those holes. I’ve also played courses that were the exact opposite, where lefties or forehand players had an advantage. That said, I think you see a lot more people throwing forehands accurately through the woods, because you’re open to the gap and can visualize the shot a bit easier.

Robert: Yeah, you never have to take your eyes off of your target, and that can be a big deal. I would say, though, just because that’s true of a forehand doesn’t mean that’s necessarily what you need to throw. If Eric and I are playing a course in the woods, we’re probably not throwing a bunch of forehands if we have to hit a tight gap. Most of the time, we’d be throwing backhands, because that’s the shot we’re better at throwing.

Why Don’t Touring Professionals Want to Play Practice Rounds with Locals or Amateurs?

Bobby: Tom says, “Hey, Disc Golf Answer Man, there have a few times when a handful of pros have been in town, and I’ve reached out to them to play a casual round, and they either don’t answer or say they can’t make it. I’m by no means taking it personally, but I just want to know if pros just prefer not to play casual rounds with non-pro players just for fun.”

Eric: I think a lot of it is not that they don’t like casual rounds or don’t like you, but a lot of times, if they’re just passing through town, they often want to just keep passing through or play a round to get out of the car, relax, and be alone for a little while; they can have some time when they don’t have to be “on”. Don’t take it personally; these touring players and guys and gals just like anyone and need their space occasionally. I know that it’s tough when we’re traveling across the country and want to stop to play a round somewhere, we’ll typically want to fly through the round to just get back on the road. I think it all boils down to not having to be “on” so to speak, and wanting to get through a quick round and move on. Everyone isn’t necessarily like that, and I’m not like that all the time, and I enjoy having a local to guide me every now and then, especially if it’s a course I’ve never played before. For example, when we drove through and played Harmony Bends, I would have loved to have a local there to play with, because we threw to the wrong basket on numerous occasions.

Robert McCall & Eric McCabe

Robert: Alright, here it is: I’m going to keep it real. When it comes to us and playing with people here in town, sometimes it just doesn’t work for us, and it’s just because of our schedule; we’re just not able to do it. But when it comes to the touring professionals and they’re coming through your town, sometimes, one of the reasons that I think touring pros don’t play rounds with non-touring players is because of the speed of play. They know that if they go play with a touring pro, they’ll all be finding the same spots in the fairway and throwing many of the same lines, but if they’re playing with non-touring players, they might be looking for lost discs or waiting for players that play a little more slowly. That might not be bad if they’re not preparing for a tournament, but if they are, every practice day is very important to them, so that might be one reason that they might not want to play a casual round with a lot of people. Having a local guide is usually pretty fun and helpful, but sometimes, they prefer to focus up and move at a slightly quicker pace.

Can You Bag Both a Harp and a Slammer?

Bobby: Another question. I was actually curious about this as well. “Hey Disc Golf Answer Man, can you explain the difference between the Slammer and the Harp? I see that they are both overstable putters, but is there enough of a difference to bag them both without overlap?” What do you guys think?

Eric: I would think that there is enough, but they are pretty close to each other. It kind of depends on what you’re using that disc for. They’re both kind of geared as putters, but I don’t really know anyone that putts with either one of them unless it’s super windy. They are great approach discs, like putt and approach style discs. I think that, depending on the plastic, the Harp is going to be slightly more overstable, but having that said, I have a Lucid Slammer in my bag that is crazy overstable. I think they’re pretty close to each other, and for me, I don’t see a purpose in bagging both. Now, the Harp is maybe a better forehand approach disc… but I don’t do that, so there’s no purpose for me to have that in my bag right now.

That’s all for this issue! As you can see, there are plenty of questions to explore and different ways to look at them. Keep sending in those questions, and we’ll keep answering them. We might even dive into some of our other favorite topics next time - The Office, Torchy’s Tacos, Star Wars… the list goes on and on. Join us again next issue!

Preparing For 2019 - Elements To Consider Besides Just Touring

The idea of planning for the upcoming season is one that’s been talked about over and over again, and by now you’re probably well aware of all of the things you need to consider. From carefully crafting your schedule to ensuring you have places to stay, traversing the nation to play disc golf is no small task. However, there’s more to life on the road than just driving and competing.

Unless you’ve got a huge wad of cash in your bank account, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to think about supplementing your income while on the road. While it’s a nice idea to think that you can maintain your cash flow by winning tournaments, that kind of pressure will eventually burn you out. Instead of relying on a solid performance weekend in and weekend out, what else can you do?

Teaching Disc Golf

If you’re on tour then we can assume that you’re exceptionally skilled at the sport we all know and love, making you pretty darn qualified to teach others how to play. There’s still time left before the season really gets into high gear for you to be able to coordinate clinics and events that line up with your touring schedule, so consider if this may be the right move for you.

Not only does running clinics help to pay the bills, but it strengthens your relationships with players and clubs across the country. You’ll help to grow your personal brand and of course, spread the disc golf love even further than you thought possible. Given that there's not a tournament taking place all 52 weekends of the year, you'll likely be able to fit some teaching time in pretty easily.

Considering Merch

Nowadays we see tons of players opting to get custom discs, apparel, and accessories made with their name, face, or brand on them. While opinions can be somewhat polarized on this issue, there’s no denying that jumping onto the merch train does have its benefits. Think about the fact that you could be selling items online and making money while you’re on the course and see if it changes your mind.

However there are several major issues to consider when it comes to this type of situation, and while there’s still time to place an order for items before you hit the road, think about how you’ll replenish your stock and more specifically, where you’ll ship it to. The idea of carting around extra items isn’t always ideal either, especially if you have a smaller tour vehicle. Between online sales and setting up shop at events, you’ll probably do pretty well for yourself, but remember there’s the initial cost of ordering product before you start to see a return.

Creative Thinking

These are just two of the more popular ways that touring pros can make extra money while on the road during the 2019 season. While it’s obviously impossible to keep a part-time job if you’re on an extensive travel schedule, try considering some other more creative ways to keep the cash coming in while you play.

If you’ve been on tour before we’d love to hear from you - have you hosted clinics or tried selling merch? Did you have a lot of success or were the logistics of it too difficult to manage? Feel free to share with us in the comments below.

Can Disc Golf Save Your Relationship?

So much of the time we talk about the benefits of disc golf as it pertains to our own individual games. We focus on our mental progress, our form, and the discs we keep in our bag. Yet oftentimes we forget to look at the impact that the sport can have on our families and particularly our significant others.

Whether you’re a touring pro who needs the support of your spouse or you’re guilty of dragging your girlfriend out to the course more often than she likes, it might benefit all of us to examine the way that disc golf can affect our relationships and see how the sport can transform our lives.

A Different Perspective

Think about the one or two activities that your significant other is in love with. Is it yoga? How about hunting? Or maybe, much to your chagrin, it’s scrapbooking? No matter what it is, it’s something they love to talk with you about and they try to get you involved every chance they can. We’d guess that in most cases, you probably don’t express the same amount of enthusiasm but you’re loving enough to halfway listen when they go on a rant about their passion.

Sound familiar? For most couples who live together, this is the case. The same situation applies in reverse, as you’ve probably gone off about the foot fault that someone called you on last week or you’re glued to the television during each round of Worlds. Was your partner frustrated? Did he or she not want to hear about your stuff? Guess what - that’s probably how they experience your reactions too!

A Team Effort

We’ve heard countless stories about couples hitting the course together and how disc golf truly helped them to grow closer together, so why can’t this be the same for you? Instead of bringing your partner to the course against their will or overwhelming them by explaining the flight path of every disc in your bag, imagine how you would want to be introduced to a new hobby. Does a three-hour tour of your local craft store sound fun? Exactly.

Before you try to get your significant other to the putting basket or convince them to caddy for you during your next tournament, think about expressing some interest in their activities. Perhaps you can come to an arrangement where if you spend one hour per week doing hot yoga with them, they will spend one hour per week on the course.

Every relationship is different, but there’s something to be said for sharing common hobbies and interests with your loved one. Instead of disc golf becoming the thorn in the side of your relationship, see if you can’t come to a compromise and share your extra time evenly between everyone’s passions.

We’d love to hear from you - do you have an inspiring story where disc golf did truly save your relationship? How have you successfully gotten your uninterested partner onto the course? Share your stories with us in the comments below!

Is Disc Golf Too Easy?

Transport yourself back to the time when disc golf was just starting to plant its roots across America and imagine what it was like to design one of the first disc golf courses in any given area. Do you think that our forefathers considered that one day, players would be absolutely shredding and shooting 10, 11, or 12 down could be the norm?

Our guess is probably not, as disc golf didn’t quite have the competitive spirit that it has these days. As the sport grows and players become more and more talented, we’ve seen tournament performances become increasingly impressive. After all, Paul McBeth’s 18 down during the Discraft Great Lakes Open earned him almost two minutes on ESPN, and Eagle McMahon’s back to back 16 down rounds at Konopiště literally had the world talking.

We pose the all-important question - is disc golf too easy? Your answer will largely depend on who you are and your current skill set, but we thought we’d touch base with some of the DD team members to get their perspective on where the sport is headed.

Time And Effort

AJ Risley shared with us an important insight to consider when assessing if disc golf is too easy, causing us to remember that touring pros aren’t really like everyone else:

“I don't necessarily think the sport or the courses have become too easy, but the players have gotten much better. As touring professionals who don't have other serious jobs that take up the majority of our time. We're able to focus a lot more on all the aspects of the game that help us fulfill our maximum potential.

For example, I'm able to play several practice rounds, putt for a few hours, and scheme about the course I'm playing each and every week while I'm on tour. There are different ways that we've seen course designers challenge the players over the recent years, but overall I think players have gotten better and better.”

Considering All The Elements

Dynamic Discs CEO Jeremy Rusco points to various aspects of the course, rather than the players themselves, and brings up some interesting viewpoints:

“I do not believe that we are to the point where disc golf is too easy. Our equipment and our talent (athletes) have certainly improved over the last 10-20 years which has caused us to change courses to accommodate, but I do not think that the top talent of our sport should make us change things drastically. The shift has been gradual and will continue to be gradual for as long as we continue to improve our top talent base. Out of around 40,000 active PDGA members, I'm going to estimate that we have around 10-20 players that can shoot a consistent 16-18 down and for that reason, we do not need to be overly concerned with this topic.

Many have asked me whether we need to change the targets that are on the course to the Marksman and I disagree with this being the way of the future (for the time being). Today, most of our player base is composed of recreational players that enjoy hearing the sound of the chains more often than not. They want the game to be 'easy' and enjoyable. It is what keeps them coming back to the course. Replacing our current baskets with Marksman baskets will only discourage continued growth for our sport, and until a vast majority of our society knows what those metal baskets are, we shouldn't change them up.

With the above being said, I am 100% on board with events that utilize the Marksman basket to increase the difficulty. Jerry Patterson with Launchpad Disc Golf has hosted numerous events in the Kansas City area setting up temporary courses with Marksman baskets and has seen great success and interest in this. I think that this is a great opportunity to increase the difficulty at the competitive tournament level on a temporary basis.”

The idea of changing up the basket style for specific events is one that many have toyed around with and perhaps it could become something we see more often at large scale events.

Going Hole By Hole

Right in line with the sentiments from AJ and Jeremy, Eric Oakley points to other contributing factors that may explain why players seem to be getting better and better. He shares:

“I personally hope that 16-18 doesn’t become the norm to help keep it special. Course design is our best chance of keeping those things from happening, so when someone does go off, we can celebrate it even more. With better course design we can challenge professional players to execute and be on to win or perform well at a tournament.

Too many courses have tweener holes that are easily scored by the best players with no real challenge unless they go for the big shot. The hole should be designed to require a quality shot from the tee, on the approach, and everywhere in between. If we could get more people together for course design I believe the sport will shape into something great on the professional side, but that takes a lot of knowledgeable people who understand the level at which our sport is being played.

That is why we see so many courses being shredded - they generally are outdated by the skill level, but with some minor adjustments they can be made challenging for all professional players.”

We’d love to know what you think - if we want to keep these 1100+ rated rounds from becoming commonplace, how do we address it? Is the answer in redesigning our courses, using different baskets, or is it really not an issue at all? Most sports do have a handful of players who are truly exceptional, and it doesn’t call for a complete overhaul of the game.

Share with us your thoughts in the comments below!