Watch As Danny Lindahl Breaks Down The Form Of Top Players

Many of you might recognize Danny from the disc golf videos he's been producing on YouTube, and he's once again bestowed upon us a gift of content that's valuable for nearly every player out there. In two separate videos, he analyzes and breaks down the form of both Eric Oakley and Paige Pierce. Here's what he had to say!

Watch Eric's form here!

Danny, like most, couldn't talk about Eric's form without commenting on how unique it is. Despite being unconventional, it's proven to work well for him time and time again. When you get down to it, the mechanics of his throw are spot on, allowing him to get tons of distance. Eric is able to get maximum reach back with his arm placement and has his timing down perfectly to execute the hop in his step.

One thing that Danny notes is that pulling your disc higher up through your neck like Eric does might result in a loss of power for some, but that's obviously not the case here. Also, pay attention to your footwork and make sure you're lining up your feet correctly based on the shot you're throwing.

Check out Paige's drive here!

Paige does a lot of things right with her form, which pays off with maximum distance and earning her multiple World Championships. Danny notes that she has a great way of utilizing her whole body to create a ton of power based off of rotation alone. If you take a look at her reach back, you'll see that her shoulders are both pointed completely away from her target. Paige holds on to her disc as long as possible to create the most leverage and get max distance.

Be careful to really pay attention to how you shift your weight when you throw. While Paige tends to keep some of her weight on her back foot when releasing, you might find you can throw farther when you fully transfer your weight to your front foot.

We love being able to break down the pro's form with Danny, as it helps amateur and professional players alike get a better understanding of the mechanics of the game.

Course Etiquette - How Much Do You Think About It?

It’s a common consensus in the disc golf community that any fellow golfer you meet, no matter how or where, is generally a cool human being. Maybe you don’t have the same taste in music and perhaps you throw different brands of plastic, but overall, you have mutual respect for one another.

While this is typically true when individuals interact with each other, what often doesn’t carry the same weight is how we treat the courses we play on. Yes, most of us will do what we can to leave a disc golf course in the same condition as when we arrived, and an exceptional few volunteer long hours to improve and beautify the land we play on.

Yet sadly some disc golfers don’t have quite the understanding of course etiquette that perhaps they should, so let’s review some of the more well-known rules that players of our sport hold dear to their hearts.

The Basics

It doesn’t matter if you’re playing in a public park, on private land, or in a secluded area away from most - any disc golf course you play on should show no trace that you were even there. Things like disposing of trash properly are a given, and those who go the extra mile sometimes bring trash bags with them and help clean up the mess left by others as they play.

Most disc golf players carry a Sharpie in their bag, but that doesn’t mean you have to use it during a casual round to deface property. All too often you’ll see a bench at each tee box that has “disc charger” written on it with an outline of someone’s disc. There’s nothing more discouraging than having a deep respect for the game and seeing this out on a course.

The same idea goes for drawing on tee signs and baskets. We know it’s exciting to get an ace, but all too often baskets are scribbled and written on with names and PDGA numbers when it, in fact, detracts from the course’s natural beauty.

Your Effect On The Course

Sometimes we don’t quite realize the impact we can have on our local disc golf course. Even smaller actions like trampling through the rough will, over time, change the nature and layout of each hole. While that’s a small example that happens after years of wear and tear, other players tend to take matters into their own hands in a more serious way.

If you’ve ever seen someone breaking branches or in some cases literally cutting down trees with a handsaw, then you’ve been privy to some of the worst course etiquette imaginable. Unless you are tasked with maintaining a course or are helping out with a work party, there is no reason to alter a hole just because you don’t like the trees in the way.

Etiquette Helps To #GrowTheSport

At the end of the day, there’s something to be said for the disc golf karma that’s in all of our lives. As long as we’re respectful and good to the courses we play on, the game keeps on giving back to us in countless ways. If you see someone exhibiting poor course etiquette, do you call them out? Let us know how you’d handle it in the comments below!

How Will You Change Your Game In 2018?

If you’re the kind of person who actually sticks to their New Year’s resolutions, there’s a good chance you’ve been planning yours out for months. For others, it may tend to be a more last minute type of thought process, where you quickly scan the events of your life over the previous 12 months and figure out what you would’ve liked to have been different.

Either way you go, 2018 is here and it offers a nice starting point to commit yourself to something new with your disc golf game. Whether your resolution is one that’s focused on more practice or a mental matter, there are ways you can help yourself to see success with your new commitment.

Shoot For The Stars… Or Not

One common mistake that we all tend to make when setting goals for our disc golf game is to place super high expectations on ourselves, creating an undue amount of pressure and subsequent disappointment if things don’t work out. Instead of aiming to raise your rating by 150 points or to hit an ace a month, why not set out clear and measurable steps?

For example, let’s say you do want to raise your rating by a significant amount in 2018. It might help to think about the smaller actions that will contribute to your goal. You could sit down with a calendar and commit to playing 10 more events than last year, as well as playing two more practice rounds per week than you used to.

By laying the foundational building blocks to reach your goal, instead of just a hope and a wish that you’ll perform better, you set yourself up for success.

Be Realistic

After your careful planning, you might be really jazzed about this year’s resolution, far more excited than any other year even. However, one of the most important aspects of setting a goal for yourself is to be gentle and understanding if you don’t reach it. Setbacks may happen along the way and it’s all part of the process.

Let’s say you do play in more events this year than last, but your first few tournaments don’t result in round ratings that help you to achieve your goal. Some might get frustrated, throw their resolution out the window, and tell themselves it was a silly idea to begin with.

Yet with the proper mindset and attitude, you’ll realize that even if you may not have performed as well as you’d like, you still have the rest of the year to work hard and get where you want to be.

What’s Your Goal?

Ultimately, setting a disc golf New Year’s resolution comes down to discipline and desire. If you want it badly enough, you’ll figure out a way to make it happen. And in all honesty, if you have so much passion for a specific outcome, you probably aren’t waiting until January 1st to put it into action.

What’s your resolution for 2018 and your disc golf game? Share with us how you’d like to personally improve in the comments below.

Breaking Down An Unorthodox Shot - The How And Why

We’ve all been there - you throw what looks like an amazing shot off the tee box only to find that your trusted driver has landed squarely behind a massive tree. Whether you’re playing a casual round or you’re on track to set a new course record at a local tournament, you want to have every shot in your bag to avoid extra strokes when situations like this arise.

There are a ton of shots out there, some that don’t even have names (think “Patent Pending”), but today we want to review just a few of them in the hopes that they’ll help you out in a sticky situation one day.

The Grenade

Although some might argue that it’s not an incredibly popular shot, throwing a Grenade could pay off every now and again. The basics of the shot are simple enough: essentially, you’re throwing a spike hyzer with the disc upside down. It sounds ridiculous, but there’s a reason for it.

A Grenade shot generates a lot of backspin and forces your disc to spike straight into the ground without getting much forward progress down the fairway. When might this come in handy? Let’s say you’re on a downhill hole, and if you throw a regular backhand shot you’re going to blow past the basket. With a Grenade shot, you’ll advance about 100 feet or so and then dive straight down, putting you in perfect position.

The Thumber

Seen often amongst the amateur circuit and by the pros here and there, a Thumber is a great shot to have in your bag. With this approach, you’re going to hook your thumb around the edge of the disc and have your four fingers rest on the flight plate. Now, throw the disc like you would a baseball pitch.

Thumbers get their fair share of grief as it’s typically the way many new players learn how to throw, but the corkscrew action you get in the air can be really handy if you need to get up and over a bush or around a tree that’s directly in your flight path.

The Horseshoe Putt

We’re all impressed when we watch someone pull off this type of unorthodox shot, as a Horseshoe Putt can be super tricky. Instead of using your usual putting stance, imagine you’re throwing a horseshoe toward the basket. Bring your arm to the side of your body and use this motion to connect with the chains. Simple, right?

Like the other unorthodox shots we’ve mentioned, this type of putt works best when you have something directly in your way and you’re blocked from using your typical putting routine. There’s certainly a time or two in recent history that we’ve seen a Horseshoe Putt on post-produced coverage and were completely in awe of this unique type of shot.

A Bag Full Of Tricks

There are so many random ways to throw a disc that we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Have another suggestion for getting around obstacles on the course? Let us know what your favorite kind of unorthodox shot is in the comments below!

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!

Preparing For Winter Weather - How To Stay On Top Of Your Game

Some parts of the country have already been met with wintry conditions and tons of snow, while others are still basking in the last few days of warmth that’s left this year. No matter where you live (except maybe in Florida), it’s inevitable that colder temperatures and winter weather will be approaching soon. Die-hard disc golfers aren’t afraid to play in nearly any conditions, yet this seasonal change brings about some elements to consider before heading out the door to play a round.

How can you stay on top of your game when you’re out in the cold or if it’s too dreary to even go outside? We’ve got some tips that will help players of all skill levels make the most out of their off-season.

Changing Up Your Gear

From discs to clothing to your favorite water bottle you always bring, disc golfers have a routine that they stick to when they head out for a casual round or a tournament. In the winter months, it’s essential to adjust accordingly so that you’re prepared for whatever weather comes your way.

Make sure you dress in layers all over your body, with shirts, jackets, pants, and even thermals underneath if it’s warranted. As you begin to move out on the course, you’ll no doubt warm up and will want to strip off some of the clothing you have on. Ensuring you’re properly dressed will go a long way toward a better performance and having more fun.

Despite the fact that it might be frigid with snow on the ground, you’ll still need to bring plenty of water with you to the course. While most people think they only need fluids when it’s hot out, the fact is that you’re still sweating underneath your layers while you play.

One of the most important considerations to make during winter weather is your disc selection. If you have specific plastic that you keep just for colder temperatures, now’s the time to change up your bag and put those discs in. It might also be wise to add some extra backups to your bag as well in case you lose a disc in the snow.

Think About Your Course

We’d bet there’s a good chance that your home course looks a bit different in the winter than it does in spring or summer. Leaves are gone from many of the trees, some branches might even be down from a recent storm, and the ground is definitely harder due to the colder temperatures.

With all of that in mind, how does this affect your game and your ability to enjoy your round? It’s probably more advantageous than you think, as changing course conditions requires you to think on your feet and potentially rely on a variety of shots that you may not be used to taking. Even if you know your home course like the back of your hand, it’s a safe bet that playing it in the winter will provide some additional challenges.

Be mindful of safety considerations while you’re out in the wild as well, as the hunt for a lost disc may not be worth the injury you could sustain. Ice may often seem thicker than it actually is, and holes that are close to rivers and streams will probably pose more of a threat due to increased rainfall and stronger currents.

Keeping Your Game Sharp

Let’s say you live in a part of the country where it’s nearly impossible to get out and play a round of disc golf, let alone practice putt in the front yard. If the conditions are just too extreme, that doesn’t mean your game has to suffer for several months. There are plenty of activities that you can engage in to keep your focus sharp and your skills on point:

• Buy a practice basket for indoor use so you can keep your putting on point. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on one - both the Dynamic Discs Recruit Basket and the Westside Weekend Basket both come in under $200.
• Use a baseball net in your garage or basement and launch some drives into it. While you may not be able to go at it with your full power, it’s at least better than having to stand outside in the freezing cold or trying to dodge the keepsakes in your living room.
• Find an indoor putting league to join, or start one of your own! Many local businesses are open to letting groups use their space, so call around, ask a friend, and see what you can come up with.

Before you know it the sun will be shining again and we’ll be playing in the heat, wishing it was cold once more. Until then, make the most of wintertime disc golf and keep playing as often as you can!

The DD Women's Series - Part 4: Choosing Putters With Paige Bjerkaas

We’ve had a blast learning from Paige Bjerkaas about which discs will help both beginning and advanced female disc golfers, and now it’s time for the final piece to bring it all together. Learning to master your putter can bring a depth of skill to the rest of your game, so let’s find out which discs she recommends for those shots when you’re close to the basket.

What About The Rest Of The Bag?

In case you missed any of the other parts of this Women’s Series, let’s do a quick run through to find out which discs will help you out on the course:

• Beginning women can benefit from the Renegade and the Breakout when you’re on the tee box or working your way down a long fairway. The Proof works great as a predictable midrange disc.
• Pro gals will love the Sheriff and the Escape for max distance shots that need a lot of power and finesse. The Truth will be your new favorite midrange due to its versatility and reliability.

What disc golf bag would be complete without putters? Bjerkaas is a firm believer in having the right putter for your skill set since your technique with this type of disc can set you up for success in all areas of disc golf.

Best For Beginners: The Gavel

When you’re just learning the basics of disc golf, having easy to throw discs is the name of the game. It’s important for a disc to fit comfortably in your hand and to be able to trust that it will do what you want it to.

With that being said, the Gavel is an awesome understable putter for women who are still dialing in their putting form. It has a smaller rim and feels great in the hand, encouraging you to use it for putts and shorter upshots. A soft throw will get it to fly nice and straight, yet it won’t fade out on you if you’re taking on a shot that’s a bit beyond your comfort zone.

Plastic Availability:

• Prime
• Lucid

Best For Pros: The Judge

One of the more popular putters made by Dynamic Discs, the Judge can handle a lot of power for experienced players who have an aggressive spin or push putts. Great for upshots that need to fly straight, Paige says she can really put some power behind her Judge and it will hyzer and flip up to straight every time.

Having a predictable disc to get you within the circle is key when playing at a top level, and Bjerkaas recommends the Judge as it will do what you need it to every single time. There’s no question about it - the Judge should be in every experienced lady’s bag!

Plastic Availability:

• Fuzion
• Lucid
• Fluid
• Classic
• Classic Blend
• Classic Soft
• Classic Super Soft

By now you should have a complete bag stocked up with the discs that will suit your game the best! Thanks so much for joining us on this four-part Women’s Series where we got to find out from Paige Bjerkaas which discs work great for female disc golfers.

Be sure to catch our next Women’s Series and check out the online store for any of the discs we’ve talked about!

The DD Women's Series - Part 3: Choosing Midranges With Paige Bjerkaas

Now that we’ve got you off the tee box, let’s dig into the next important part of any woman’s disc golf game: throwing approach shots with midranges. There’s no doubt that you’ve gotten a good distance down the fairway thanks to one of Paige’s recommended drivers, but what if you’re on a longer hole and still have a bit to go? Utilizing a midrange and dialing in your shot so that you have a tap in can do wonders to bring down your score.

First, A Quick Review

We got some great tips from Paige Bjerkaas in our two previous blogs in the Women’s Series, giving us an idea of how to get max distance and control from our drives. When it comes to distance drivers, she recommends the Renegade for beginning players and the Sheriff for more advanced women. Fairway drivers that work well for ladies who are just starting off include the Breakout, and those with more power and experience will see great results with the Escape.

Learning to throw a midrange with finesse can take some time, so Bjerkaas was careful to recommend discs that will really suit each type of player’s skill level.

Best For Beginners: The Proof

Let’s say it’s your very first round of disc golf - ever! You might be dismayed if every time you throw

a disc it bombs off to the left before seeming to get any distance, and that’s understandable. But for those who are still learning proper form and don’t have much disc golf experience, there’s a midrange disc that will fly straight for you practically no matter what you do to it.

Designed with a super small rim for a comfortable grip, the Proof is a must-have for any new golfer. Ladies will find that it flies straight with little power and it only comes in lighter weights, allowing you to get a good amount of distance.

Plastic Availability:

• Prime
• Lucid

Best For Pros: The Truth

One of Dynamic Discs’ original molds, the Truth is a straight flying midrange that can be manipulated for nearly any shot. Women with more experience will find that they can use the Truth for a hyzer, turnover, far, or close shots, as Paige says it’s super versatile and incredibly consistent.

A lightweight Truth will fly dead straight without very much power behind it, again assuming you use proper form, while the heavier options require a bit of muscle in order to shape the shot you’re looking for. Getting a good handle on this midrange will no doubt help to reduce the number of putts you find yourself making outside of the circle.

Plastic Availability:

• Lucid
• Fuzion
• BioFuzion
• Air
• Fluid

Take Control Of Your Bag

When it comes to getting more comfortable with your game, no matter how long you’ve been playing, choosing your own discs is key! Paige strongly recommends that you make the decision about what does or doesn’t go in your bag, rather than letting your boyfriend or husband tell you what will work well.

Ready to find out which putters will help your score and complete your bag? Check back with us for Part 4 with Paige Bjerkaas, and visit our online store to order the Proof or the Truth today!

Quick Tip: Putting Strategy

Hey, everyone! I'm Robert McCall, and I'm the Dynamic Discs Team Manager. Each week, I like to share a quick tip I've learned over the years.

Let's start with a real-life situation you've probably encountered: You're standing over a 45' putt on hole 18. If you make it, you shoot your personal best/win your league/beat your friend for that round. You line up the putt, thinking, "Just give it a chance." In your attempt to give it a chance, you sail over the top of the basket and leave yourself a 25' comeback putt. Winning outright is now out of the equation and that 25' putt feels more like the 45' putt you just had.

Putting is probably the most mentally taxing and potentially frustrating part of disc golf. There's no worse feeling than throwing a perfect drive and missing a short putt while your cardmate throws a bad drive with a good upshot and achieves the same score. The old adage, "drive for show, putt for dough" may be overused at this point, but it's absolutely true: strokes and wins are gained and lost on the putting green.

Because of putting's great importance to your score, I'm going to give you a really simple piece of advice: if you're not going to commit to making your putt, don't try to make it at all. Take your putter, and toss it under the basket. While it's not the exciting, crowd-pleasing play, laying up accomplishes two things: 1) You limit your potential to take a big number on the hole because of missed putts, and 2) you avoid the mental stress of three- or four-putting.

When I'm playing practice rounds for a tournament and keeping score, I practice laying up as well. It's a lot more fun to run putts from everywhere, but you're creating bad habits for the future. As silly as it feels to lay up during practice, you'd rather have a few repetitions there than being forced to try it for the first time when the pressure is on.

Putting is generally a probability game: we run the putts that we think we can make with decent confidence that we'll be able to make the comeback putt if we miss. That range is usually around 30-50 feet for most people, but we often see a 30' putt with a drop-off behind and run it without fear of the consequence behind the basket. The slope surrounding the green and obstacles should all be considered when deciding whether to run a putt or to layup. Even if you're facing only a 20' putt with trouble behind, if you don't think you're going to make it, toss your putter intentionally under the basket and save the strokes you might have gained by missing.

When you're putting, commit 100% to your play whether trying to make it or laying up. You'll be happy that you did when you save strokes and improve your scores.

What's your putting strategy? I'd love to hear feedback on what has worked for you or if this strategy helps your game. You can reach out to me via my social media links below or by submitting a question to the Disc Golf Answer Man podcast. See you next week!

Quick Tip: Leagues

Hey guys, I'm Robert McCall, and I'm the Dynamic Discs Team Manager. Each week, I like to share a quick tip I've learned over the years.

If you took a poll of most competitive disc golfers today, I think their path to playing in tournaments likely looks like mine did:

When I was in college, a friend invited me out to play disc golf. I had played once in high school and wasn’t bad at tossing an Ultimate frisbee around, so I accepted and told him I was going to crush him at disc golf. I almost crushed him the first time we played, but instead, I lost by 20 or so. I’m a competitive person by nature, so I wanted to play again immediately. I kept playing and kept losing until things started to click. Once they did, I would only lose by two throws, then one, then I’d win occasionally, then I’d win most of the time. I loved competing and wanted to take that competition to the next level. I heard about a mini (league) that ran every Saturday, so I went out to play and expected to win, because I was beating my friend at disc golf pretty consistently, so I was the best, right? That’s a negative, Ghost Rider. I lost by a hefty margin, but I loved seeing what scores were possible and playing a round with people with whom I’d never played. Through those new connections, I learned of actual tournaments, attended my first one in 2010, and the rest is history.

Leagues and/or minis serve several important purposes for experienced and new players alike:

• New players can play with more established disc golfers if they’re paired on the same card. This allows them to learn from the experienced players and see new shots or lines that they might not have considered.
• New players can meet more disc golfers in their community and feel connected more quickly. Most people enjoy having some disc golf friends to play rounds with occasionally.
• Experienced players can use leagues as a pressure simulator for competitive tournament rounds. Everyone understands the importance of muscle memory in the physical portions of disc golf, but practicing in pressure-filled situations is imperative to handling them well in the future.

If you’re reading through this and thinking, “That would be nice, but I don’t have any leagues in my area”, I have good news for you: leagues are easy to run, and they’re a great way to contribute to your local disc golf scene. Running a league or mini that gains traction and is well-attended can work wonders for unifying local disc golfers and creating a welcoming environment for growth.

For first time league or mini tournament directors, here are a couple of suggestions that should help you when starting out:

A little organization on the front end goes a long way. Having a scorepoint board or easy method of entering and tracking scores makes the end of the round really easy to manage. Ensure that you know which holes are the best starting holes for your course (hint: they’re not always holes 1-6). Have plenty of scorecards and pencils on hand. Don’t let people choose their own cards as everyone will play with the people with whom they typically play.

Singles typically works best if you offer at least two divisions. Local disc golfers should be able to help you determine which players should be in each division. In general, lower divisions should be paid out in discs as to discourage better players from playing down to win cash. I’m sure some will argue with this point, but this structure has been my favorite to date. I am not opposed, however, to mixing players from different divisions on different cards at leagues, because people will have an opportunity to play with better players or newer players depending on their situation.

I don’t love handicap leagues personally, but the way I’ve seen them done best is occasionally mixed in with singles and doubles instead of every week. Your league may be different and could encourage more people to attend with handicap leagues, so do what works best for your situation.

If you play doubles, either random draw doubles or splitting players into an “A” and “B” pool helps to make the teams slightly more fair. With random draw, you run the risk of having one or two stacked teams, but it’s pure chance. With “A” and “B” pools drawing at different times, you can basically guarantee that newer or less skilled players will be paired with better players which will allow them to learn from the better player and ask questions throughout the round.

I would encourage players of all skill levels to attend leagues, even if you don’t feel ready to compete. Even if you’ve been playing for less than a year, you can learn from playing with better players and competing against others around your skill level. Leagues are a great primer for becoming accustomed to competitive play!

What’s your favorite format for league? Have you attended or run a successful league? If so, let us know in the comments below. See you next week!

Test Your Knowledge Of The PDGA Rules!

Anyone who has a PDGA number receives a compact handbook that outlines the rules and regulations set forth by the PDGA, and while a lot of people read it from cover to cover, does anyone memorize it?

Today we want to put your brain to the test and see if you know the "legal" way to handle certain situations if they come up during tournament play. You can click here for a full list of the PDGA Rules Q & A.

1. Could you theoretically kick your disc down the fairway and have each kick count as your throw?
2. Am I allowed to use my mini, remove my previously thrown disc, but then change my mind and put it back again?
3. What kinds of substances can I use on my hands for a better grip?
4. Can I lean on a tree for support while I put or throw if I have an awkward stance?

Answers:

1. Yes, you can! Since shots of all types are allowed, "throwing" with your foot would be seen as acceptable play.
2. No way - once a method of marking your lie has been utilized, it cannot be changed.
3. Technically you can use anything to increase your grip, as there isn't a rule that prohibits this practice.
4. This one might surprise you, as you can hold on to something for support as long as it is in-bounds and part of the course.

Need Help With Disc Selection? Robert McCall Gives Us Some Tips

If you're relatively new to disc golf, it probably seems like the number of discs to choose from is astronomical. From different plastics to various types of discs and stability levels, how is someone supposed to know what works for them without spending a ton of money?

That's precisely why we put this video together, in an effort to help guide newer players and those with lower arm speeds toward discs that will fly well for them. Let's face it - you want to have fun playing disc golf, and part of it is being able to execute the shots you draw up in your mind!

Discs that are designed for more experienced players will have a tendency to fade left pretty early on, and that kind of flight can be discouraging as you're trying to make it to the basket.

When it comes to creating a strong foundation in your disc collection, we recommend three options:

• Dynamic Discs Witness for distance shots, allowing for a straighter line and achieving maximum distance
• Dynamic Discs Truth for approach shots, giving you a straight and controllable disc you can trust
• Dynamic Discs Judge for putting, a great disc that feels nice in the hand

If you need a laugh, Robert has some pretty "crappy" outtakes!

Quick Tip: Field Work

Hey guys, I'm Robert McCall, and I'm the Dynamic Discs Team Manager. Each week, I like to share a quick tip I've learned over the years.

This week's quick tip: Field Work

Fun fact for the day/forever: disc golf can be frustrating sometimes. For me, there are a few different types of frustration on the course, and each one affects me differently. Some days, I'm executing the shots and putts I want to, but the drives are getting awful kicks and the putts are getting spit out or cutting through. It's difficult to be really upset on those days because I'm doing my job and just getting unlucky in places. However, my more frustrating days come when I'm not executing shots, missing putts low, or losing confidence. Those rounds have little to do with luck and more to do with preparation and mental toughness. Both are frustrating, but I have more I can learn from the latter.

Disc golf is so multifaceted that almost every part of your game can feel perfect, but if one portion isn't just right, everything else seems to crumble with it. I've been struggling with this lately, personally. Pros and teachers always emphasize the importance of the short game, upshots, and putting, as they're considered difficult and important for scoring well. I've been pretty consistent at executing in those areas, but I've had a difficult time throwing accurate distance shots to give myself opportunities to score. I'm not failing to get opportunities to score because of bad kicks or bad luck, but rather because of imperfect tee shots that find decent spots instead of scoring spots.

When my game (or your game) feels like this, it's time for field work. Field work accomplishes a couple of important things for your game: it increases consistency in your release points and angles, and it allows you to watch your discs fly on lines that you're not accustomed to seeing. When doing field work, you can practice more throws in a shorter period of time, making it one of the most effective practice methods we currently have!

Here are a couple of field work tips:

1. If you're working on consistency and trusting your discs, use the actual discs that make up your bag. If you're working on release points or angles, use the discs in your bag along with others you'd like to test.

2. Make every throw count. Be intentional about all of your mechanics, and pay attention to the results of each throw. If you're working out hitches or unnecessary motions in your form, don't worry that the shots don't look just right or go where you want, but take note of the results so that you can adjust accordingly.

3. Throw your discs on different lines than you typically do. Try your Enforcer on a spike anhyzer, or throw your eMac Truth on a huge hyzer. Try your Escape on a roller line. When you throw your discs in an open field with no restrictions, it's easier to learn what's possible from the discs you currently use.

4. Split your field work into two sessions: open/experimental and target practice. The portion of throwing all discs on all angles falls into the open session, but I think it's important to aim and achieve specific, useful-for-the-course shots in the target practice section.

Next time you are having trouble controlling your throws or angles, give intentional field work a try. You'll likely learn something new about your discs or your form, and you'll get good practice in a condensed period of time.

How do you practice field work? Do you have methods that work well for keeping it interesting and getting past plateaus? I'd love to hear and discuss them with you! Please feel free to submit a question to the Disc Golf Answer Man podcast or reach out to me via my social media links below. See you next week!

Quick Tip: Mental Focus

Hey guys, my name is Robert McCall. I’m the Team Manager for Dynamic Discs, and I’ve been playing disc golf for around 10 years. I’ve played with players from all over the world, and I’ve been doing my best to learn from as many of them as possible. In the Quick Tip series, I’m going to share something I’ve learned over the years from a combination of personal experience and expertise from other players.

This week’s Quick Tip: Mental Focus

When you play rounds of disc golf, especially on a long, elevated course, do you find that your legs feel like jello for your last few holes? Do you leave putts short and fail to commit to your angle and speed on your drives? Considering the type of course you played that day, no one would be surprised to hear that anyone wore themselves out and didn't quite have the steam to finish the round well. On the opposite end of the course spectrum, especially during tournament rounds, have you experienced the same short-putting, angle-missing, non-committing dreary finish to the round? By all logic, the shorter course shouldn't tire you out nearly as much, but people often fall prey to end-of-round poor play on all types of courses.

Disc golfers train to battle physical fatigue through field work and constant practice, but we rarely pay much attention to physical fatigue's less obvious, sinister sibling: mental fatigue. If you're like me and your mind tends to race, you likely spend a lot of time between shots thinking about what your upcoming lie might look like, what you could have done differently on the tee, your last putt that just spit out, or myriad other concerns about your round. By the time you reach the end of your round, you've worried about everything that you could, and your last 15 footer on 18 feels impossible to make.

Sports psychologists and coaches obsess over mental focus, as a person's ability to focus intently on their task is directly correlated to their ability to perform that task consistently. Eager to learn more about the mental side of disc golf, I've read several golf books on mental toughness and mental tools that top mental coaches teach. If you haven't taken some time to read books like these, I'd greatly recommend checking out books like Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect by Dr. Bob Rotella or Fearless Golf by Dr. Gio Valiante.

I've gleaned a lot of useful tools for my mental game from these and other books, but I'd like to recommend one practice to you: Focus intensely on your shot for the 20-30 seconds that it takes to plan, visualize, and execute it, then let your mind rest. In between shots, I do my best to think about anything but disc golf, like a song that's been in my head, chatting with other competitors, or observing nature around me. By doing so, I'll ideally only focus intensely for 25-40 minutes of each round instead of the actual 3-4 hours the round lasts. When I'm playing well and aware that I'm executing this strategy well, I can feel a real difference in my mental fatigue and capacity at the end of each round, which is especially helpful for longer rounds and two-round days.

If you're having trouble focusing at the end of rounds or find that you're worn out mentally before it seems like you should, give this strategy a try. It's tough the first few times, because you're accustomed to thinking about disc golf exclusively, but I've had my most positive results when I've limited my disc golf thoughts to the few seconds right before throwing and while throwing. After you throw, it's almost a relaxing feeling to allow your focus to widen.

What mental focus strategies do you use on the course? I'd love to hear from you! Feel free submit a question to the Disc Golf Answer Man podcast or Anchor app or contact me via my social media links below. See you next week!

Quick Tip: Disc Choice

Hey guys, my name is Robert McCall. I’m the Team Manager for Dynamic Discs, and I’ve been playing disc golf for around 10 years. I’ve played with players from all over the world, and I’ve been doing my best to learn from as many of them as possible. In the Quick Tip series, I’m going to share something I’ve learned over the years from a combination of personal experience and expertise from other players.

This week's Quick Tip: Disc Choice on the Course

How is your bag set up? Do you have one disc or group of discs that can perform several types of flights? Or are your discs so perfectly organized that you have one disc for 250' shots and a different disc for 280' shots?

I've heard tall tales of people who knew the distances of their discs down to a few feet, but even those people often encounter disc choice dilemmas on the course. Disc golf is drastically different from golf in this way - golfers know the distance of their clubs down to a few yards, but disc golfers must contend with different obstacles on the course that force us to consider factors beyond distance alone. For example, here in Emporia, hole 2 on Jones East provides a perfect example of a hole that can be attacked with multiple types of discs. Hole 2 is around 300', slightly uphill, with one large cedar tree to the right and a couple of smaller trees between the tee and the basket. Most disc golfers can reach this pin with a midrange, fairway driver, or distance driver, and with a variety of shot shapes. How do you choose the best disc and line for the hole?

Here are the factors everyone should consider when facing a hole that's in between disc speeds and distances for you:

1. Ceiling

Are there trees or branches that force you to throw a lower line than you'd like to? If so, faster, slightly understable discs are great for throwing lower lines with greater distance potential. On lower ceiling shots, I like to throw the Dynamic Discs Biofuzion Trespass. The Trespass has good glide and responds well to a smooth release, so it's great for slight hyzer flips that get to flat and can remain lower to the ground.

2. Wind speed and direction

Every disc golfer's first time playing in the wind is an eye-opener. All of your discs that typically finish left are now traveling straighter, your shots with a higher release tend to fly farther off line than normal, and your tailwind shots slam down quickly and rob you of distance. In general, if I'm throwing into a headwind, I'm stepping up the speed and stability of my disc while maintaining the same 80% release. I really like the Dynamic Discs Enforcer for headwind shots because they still want to finish left, even when they face a stiff headwind. Tailwinds are the opposite - I like slightly slower discs and less stability. I'll often choose a Dynamic Discs Escape in a tailwind, because it wants to stay in the air and doesn't deviate much off of a straight line for me.

3. Slope and surface of the landing area

If you're throwing on to a severe slope, discs have more potential to roll away. As a general rule, matching the landing angle of the disc to the slope of the hill decreases roll aways. Conversely, if you're throwing to a slope angled high left to low right, throwing a right hand backhand on a spike hyzer angle that lands perpendicular to the slope is likely to cause a roll away. Another factor to consider is thickness of the grass and/or other landing surface. A disc finishing on hyzer is likely to skip on shorter grass or dirt, but won't travel much past its initial point of contact in thick grass.

4. Which disc/shot shape do you feel most comfortable throwing?

On a hole like hole 2 on Jones East with few obstacles, you should probably throw your most consistent angle and disc, because if you feel more comfortable over the shot, you'll be more likely to execute the shot. Most of the time, I throw a Dynamic Discs Lucid Criminal on hole 2 with a 30-40 degree hyzer. The hyzer release is very comfortable for me, and the overstable Criminal just wants to get to the ground and stick, which makes it a perfect choice for pinpoint hyzers and approaches.

Once you've considered all these factors, the most important part follows: commit to the shot. In general, I like throwing my most predictable disc on my most predictable angle. If I can throw a Warden, I will - I like the flights that I can achieve with the Warden, and it's very forgiving if I miss the angle or line by a few degrees. That's what I like, but what works for you? I'd love to hear back on your experience with disc and shot selection. We'd love to hear from you on the Disc Golf Answer Man podcast or Facebook page, or you can reach me via my social media links below. See you next week!

Robert McCall
Dynamic Discs
Team Manager
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Quick Tip: Tournament Day

This week’s Quick Tip from Robert McCall: Tournament Morning Warm-Up

I’m going to describe a situation to you. I’m hopeful that it’s not a situation you’ve encountered, but it’s likely that you’ve felt this way before:

On a tournament morning, you’ve planned to be prepared, so you set your alarm fairly early. However, when the alarm blare catches you mid-dream, you snooze it a few times, because you’re still tired. No big deal, right? You get up, get dressed, and drive toward breakfast from McDonald’s. The McDonald’s line is a little longer than usual, so you waste 10 minutes or so waiting on your food. When you arrive at the course, around 30 minutes before the players’ meeting, you realize you don’t have all of your discs in your bag, so you dig around your car for a few minutes to find your discs and ensure your arsenal is ready for battle. You head toward check-in, but see a buddy of yours, so you guys chat it up for a few minutes before you arrive at Tournament Central. You sift through the available plastic for a few minutes, and before you know it, it’s time for the players’ meeting. After the meeting, you head toward your assigned hole, the two minute horn blows (TWOOOOOOO MINUUUUUUUTES), and you’ve thrown zero discs.

If you’ve been there before, you know how unsettling your first few holes can be as you’re trying to catch your stride. I’ve experienced this situation a couple of times, and it’s my absolute nightmare. In order to combat that awful feeling on the first tee, I’m going to share my pre-tournament routine in hopes that it might help you form a routine (or at least help in some small way).
The night before the tournament, I do everything I can to be ready for the next morning: I lay out my clothes, pack my bag with my usual discs, towels, mini, Whale Sac, water bottle, and anything else I might need for the day. I set my alarm to plan to arrive at the course an hour and 15 minutes ahead of the players’ meeting. I do my best not to stay up too late. I drink quite a bit of water in the days leading up to the tournament. If I’m leaving the place that I’m staying for good that day, I completely pack my bag that night.

The morning of the tournament, I NEVER snooze my alarm if at all possible. I’m a notorious snoozer during other times, but not during tournament days. My goal for the morning of the tournament at the place I’m staying is to get ready, get dressed, and be out the door in 15 minutes or so.

I eat breakfast quickly and as early as possible, because there’s nothing worse for me than standing on the first tee box and feeling as if I’ve eaten too much. If the line is too long at the breakfast restaurant I’ve chosen, I’ll head to the next one. Wasting time waiting for breakfast is one of my least favorite tournament morning activities.

If possible, and this may be oversharing, but I stop to use the restroom and get any last minute snacks or drinks before I get to the course. I don’t want to ever have to rely on a restroom at the course.

Once I arrive at the course, I try to follow the same routine if I can. Walk to check-in first, greet the people I haven’t seen in awhile, and chat briefly with friends there. Once I’m at an hour before the players’ meeting, I begin my warmup.

I’ll do a few jumping jacks, arm circles, or a brief jog to get my blood flowing a bit.

Stretching is next. I stretch both arms, shoulders, hips, legs, and back as thoroughly as I can. Even though I haven’t thrown any shots yet, stretching makes me feel ready to compete.

I’ll find a field or more open hole and throw some of my discs. I usually throw all of four my throwing putters, a midrange or two, a couple of fairway drivers, and a few distance drivers, if space allows. As I move up disc speeds, I increase my arm speed.

Once I’ve retrieved my discs, I like to play at least 5 holes of the course. Usually, these are the holes nearest tournament central, but I’ll sometimes choose a stretch of holes on which I generally struggle if I really want to hone in my tee shot or landing zone. I putt out both of my putters on each hole.

After the warmup holes, I putt for 5 minutes or so, beginning close to the basket and moving back slowly. My focus is remembering my putting stroke properly and feeling a good follow-through. I’ll throw a few putts outside the circle to stretch out my arm and feel that extra bit of commitment, then make a couple of short ones, and then I’m off to the players’ meeting.

I try to make it to every players’ meeting I can, because I don’t want to be in the dark about any course-specific rules, and I like to respect the tournament director’s time - they pour a lot of effort into making their events happen, so I like to express gratitude for that.

Once we have hole assignments, I head to my hole as quickly as possible, throwing a couple of tee shots as time permits along the way. As time winds down before two minutes, I putt inside the circle to increase my confidence from that range.

While I don’t get to warm up in this exact manner at each tournament I’m lucky enough to attend, I like to stick to this plan pretty closely if possible. After the warmup, it’s the most fun part - competing. I love it.

What is your pre-tournament routine? Is there anything that I do that you’ve never tried? Have you had success with other methods? I’d really like to hear from you. If you want to reach out with some ideas or feedback, you can contact me through the Disc Golf Answer Man podcast or Facebook page, or you can find my social media links below. See you next week!

Robert McCall
Dynamic Discs
Team Manager
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Perfect practice makes perfect

Putting 01: Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

You grasp the Trilogy branded towel hanging from your belt strap, the sweat wicks away easily. The towel is fresh, your clothes are crisp and breezy, your comfort level is at the highest its been stepping into any tournament this year. After a month of practice you know exactly what to do on green, and on the first hole of the day you’ve got a perfect tester. This 24 footer is exactly the shot you’ve been practicing for at home, right down to the Veteran basket matching the one mounted in your backyard. Stepping up to your lie you set your front foot down, perfect. Sitting on your back foot you’re sure to draw your disc in and then drive through your arm slot. 

A dull metallic thud.

Okay, top side off the bogey bar. But you know what happened. You followed through high. You’ll make sure to focus on following through on chains next hole, it’s fine – 53 holes to go, 62 if you count the Final 9 you’re sure to slide right into. But you don’t, and it isn’t fine. Hole after hole to follow you feel like you’re executing perfectly only to experience failure on top of failure. By the midway point you’re only sure of one thing: this is not what you prepared for. By the time you walk off of the course after three rounds of brutality your heart feels like it has fallen into your bowels.

What is it that leads even the most dedicated practice putter to fail when the time comes to putt for the money? In short: it isn’t the amount of time spent on the green but how you spend that time that matters. To borrow a quote from the sport of American football and legendary coach Vince Lombardi: “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” There are varying interpretations of this quote, and to my eyes it is often misinterpreted as a need to practice until mistakes are no longer made. I believe that this interpretation is flawed, and so what we need to answer is: what constitutes perfect practice?

While for decades in athletics there has been intense debate regarding the efficacy of various practice strategies, it appears that we have entered a golden age in sports training. For the longest time various strategies were built on research and the pure reputations of experts. For example: in weight training the mere presence of research by experts in the field of power lifting led to a definition of a proper half squat for all – power lifters and all athletes – as parallel to the ground. However these training methods were not based on evidence of efficacy. In recent years a new definition of a proper half squat has appeared as evidence has demonstrated that the fulfillment of a 90 degree angle at the knee is what is necessary for all of the benefits of a half squat (long story short: angle of ankle bend was ignored in earlier research). In all athletic endeavors – evidence demonstrating results is emerging to help us practice better, to develop “perfect practice.”

In the sport of disc golf I’ve found that following evidence from thought science and learning science are both necessary in developing an appropriate training regimen. From the world of learning science I’ve found particularly poignant the compilation of evidence done by Brown, Roedigger III, and McDaniel in their 2014 book “make it stick: The Science of Successful Learning” which covers a both counterproductive yet widespread tactics as well as strategies that encourage retention of information and skills. From the field of thought science I am not the first to find the work of Kahneman, particularly in his work “Thinking Fast, and Slow” useful: much of his work is paraphrased in the work of athletics trainer Peter Gallwey, the author of the “Inner Game …” series of sports training books.

Over a sequence of two articles to come I am going to work to synthesize the work of these authors to develop a theory of practice that will allow you to both analyze your game and then disengage from analysis when executing a throw on the course. Next up will be a focus on theories of learning, followed by theories of thought.

Putting 02: Putting as Learning

Your eyes are bleary by the end of each day, every single morning you’ve been out early putting before work. Your routines are becoming habit. After a few months of this these habits are your new normal as a person. Your friends now know you as an obsessive. And yet your numbers never improve. Every week ends the same as the last: no improvement from 18, no improvement from 21, no improvement out to the circle’s edge. Each day the routine is mind numbing, all you’ve ever heard is that practice is the key to success – but it just isn’t happening. After a summer of work you come to a personal realization: maybe those guys who say you shouldn’t practice too much are right...

I’d like to begin with one important statement: successful learning is, on the whole, difficult and slow. There is no shortcut to successfully developing a new skill. The best putters in the world improve incrementally over the course of multiple years. Each new plateau in skill exhibits the next year’s plateaus in its hot streaks, and so it continues through the limits of your own body’s capabilities in terms of muscle memory. It takes months of practice to reach each of those new plateaus in skill, and earth shattering improvements rarely happen in a single season. The strategies I’m going to elucidate on are not likely to improve your game overnight, but they will improve your game.

Let's begin with the types of practice most common among developing putters: massed practice and repetition. One of the more common complaints that pops up in disc golf’s social media outlets are along the lines of: “I’ve been taking hundreds of putts per day, but ...” Commonly these competitors are chunking their repetitions into massive groups. A new player feels like 15 footers are giving him trouble, and so he repeats those 15 footers for an hour, dropping a couple of hundred putts on the basket from that range until he can mindlessly zip the putter into the basket without thinking about it. By the end of a session the putt feels easy, but when a tournament rolls around the skill seems to wash away like a sand castle at high tide.

There’s nothing wrong with taking hundreds of putts per session. But the practice needs to be varied. Evidence shows that repetition from a single range must be interleaved with practice that varies the range. Taking 50-100 putts at a time from a single range before moving to another range is beneficial, but the benefits are stronger when one also implements a routine that involves moving putt by putt closer and further from the basket. Contemplate for a moment what tournament golf is like: a golfer does not often take 18 putts on 18 holes all from 25 feet. The body needs to be able to adjust dynamically up and down from 15 footers out to the limits of range. A recommendation would be to set stations up at varied distances from the basket allowing you to move putt by putt in and out in small increments. When out on the practice green take 50 putts from 18 feet, and then break it up by moving in and out for the next 50 before moving to another set of massed putts from a single distance.

The benefits may not be as obvious: where you were finishing your massed sets at a single range by zinging in putt after putt and feeling confident and successful, you may find yourself missing quite a bit more often as you move up and down your “ladder” of stations. This is not a bad thing, learners often interpret difficult practice as indicative of an unsuccessful day, but that is rarely the case. Difficult practice is more in line with the mental challenges one will encounter on the disc golf course and develops the resilience necessary to maintain focus on the course through a day of competition.

You’ll note that I still recommend sitting back on a single distance and working that distance to perfection. At first glance those sets appear counterproductive, and on their own they are. In one study of children throwing bean bags at a bucket the children practicing a single range (3 feet) were far less successful on tests from 3 feet than children who only practiced from the ranges shorter and longer than that range. When interleaved with varied practice, however, there are definite positive results. These positive results come from the use of those massed sessions as retrieval practice: by using those sessions as ‘pop quizzes’ for your body you improve your ability to recall the muscle memory in the future.

Research into learning demonstrates that frequent low stakes quizzing on a particular skill improves retention of the skill over time. This is why, when taking those massed sets, you’re going to want to keep track of how many putts you make. By tracking your numbers you turn every individual putt into a true test of your skill as a player (this is especially true as you build toward 100% numbers at shorter ranges, where a single moment of lost focus means not hitting your target goals). This frequent practice with something small on the line develops the ability to focus when it counts. By making each of those 18 foot putts a must hit, you are again improving your resilience on the course. By coming back to a certain range every couple of days to quiz on it you develop your body’s ability to recognize that it will be called upon to perform a task and perform it successfully.

Putting 03: Developing Your Mindset

The drive leg is the problem. You’re sure of it.

Your lead has been evaporating for the past six holes. Ever since the missed birdie on hole 10, you’ve been hemorrhaging strokes on the green. Low off the cage. Focus on the leg, focus on the leg. High. Low. Low again. It has to be the leg. And then chaos. This isn’t what your putt is supposed to look like. This isn’t what its supposed to FEEL like. Where did that feel you’d held for 29 holes go? It was so natural for so long, how could it go so very wrong...

Now that we’ve taken the time to develop the rough outline of a routine for practicing – it’s time to look at how to approach those aspects of the routine from a mental standpoint. Both Kahneman (in “Thinking Fast, and Slow”) and Gallwey (in the “Inner Game ...” series) like to use the numbers “1” and “2” - with Kahneman referring to them as “systems” and Gallwey referring to them as “selfs.” Although I am going to use Kahneman’s work to explain much of what these numbers mean within the realm of thought science, I’m going to focus on referring to them as “self 1” and “self 2” as Gallwey does in his work. This is intended to align more closely with the fact that as competitors we often ‘hear’ the conscious and analytical self as an inner voice instructing our actions.

The first of the two selfs, self 1, is the automatic and intuitive you. It uses your learned experiences to perform tasks without much conscious thought. In the everyday world self 1 is used to inform your conscious decisions, guiding you toward the conscious thoughts that you have. In an interaction with another person self 1 would guide you toward immediately recognizing the attitude of that person at a glance before entering into a conversation. While driving self 1 is going to allow you to unconsciously turn the wheel first right, and then overturn the wheel back to the left during a lane shift (to prevent that shift stalling out as a total alteration of direction… into a median). When disc golfing you want self 1 in control whenever engaging in any sort of throw.

Self 2 on the other hand should be avoided during the throw in competition. Self 2 is responsible for conscious tasks. Counting scores after a round requires self 2, as does comparing the value of your prize discs with your voucher total, or determining whether it is worth it to enter a basket toss. It is a very energy intensive way of thought, and as such it blinds a competitor to tasks that would otherwise be unconscious. We often disengage from tasks that engage self 2 without even thinking about it – a good example being when a passenger in a car. When the driver of the vehicle has to pass a large truck in a narrow construction zone, as passengers we often quiet ourselves without recognizing it to allow the driver to focus more consciously on driving as opposed to interpreting our words. On the course, self 2 is going to want to take control of our actions. When putting: self 2 is going to tell you to get your fingers under your putter and pop through; to drive through with the rear foot; to follow through after release. These conscious tasks interfere with self 1’s ability to unconsciously perform in coordination all of the other bits of muscle memory required to successfully make a putt.

Despite all of these flaws with self 2, it retains a very important role in practice and rounds if not within a competition throw. This is where I see all routines as requiring a division into two halves. One half of the putting routine should be focused purely on engagement of self 1, and the other half of the putting routine should be focused purely on engagement of self 2. This is because self 2 is the one responsible for mechanical analysis, and without mechanical analysis it is impossible to understand where mistakes are being made. On the course self 2 should be engaged when in between throws, and during the set-up aspect prior to a throw. To go back to learning theory: self 2 is in control of reflection, without which true learning is significantly delayed.

During a practice routine it is preferable to engage self 1 during massed practice that is done for the purpose of quizzing and retrieval of muscle memory. When focused on a set of 50 putts from 18 feet, for example, self 2 needs to be completely discarded. What you are practicing when you are attempting to hit 50 out of 50 from the edge of your 100% range is the ability to completely recall your muscle memory without conscious thought. Therefore: there should be absolutely no focus on the vagaries of form. This is the time to learn to trust your muscle memory just as you will in competition. You use these large sets of putts to develop trust in the practice routines that you’ve spent countless hours on.

The time for self 2 comes when you’re not engaged in counting makes and misses. For example: when working yourself up and down the ladder of ranges. If you are simply moving deeper and closer based on making or missing putts, you’re going to find that counting makes and misses is almost without a point aside from getting a personal ‘feel’ for your putt. This is a great time to focus on form. If your putts seem to be coming out soft, take the time to analyze and “listen” to your body as you go, noticing whether or not you’re following through or driving off of your rear leg. Use the energy intensive analytical skills of self 2 to your advantage during this part of your session. By necessity engaging in this sort of mental focus is going to make it difficult to make your putts at the high rate of consistency you’ll want for tournament golf, so never count makes or misses while doing it. It is a surefire way to ruin your self confidence as you’ll convince yourself that every aspect of your form has been thought through and you’ll struggle to recognize that by actively thinking it through you’re in essence preventing the sort of muscle memory retrieval necessary for all of those pieces to work with automaticity.

To translate this work to the course in competition you’ll want to use self 2 between shots, and discard when performing a competitive action. Competitors with self-confidence problems are often told to not “think so much” when on the course. There are seeds of truth in that, but they ignore the value of setup and reflection in proper execution. The practice with self 1 during the frequent ‘quizzing’ of the muscle memory teaches you to slide into a mental state where your only focus on the green is ‘throw it at that link’ when the time comes to execute. The practice with self 2 allows you to realize in between shots that maybe due to fatigue you started that last putt from your hip instead of your middle abdomen, or failed to get down into an athletic stance to drive off your rear foot. Engagement of self 2 is also vital in pre-shot setup: making sure your toe is pointed in the correct direction, lining up your shot to engage the proper shoulder slot, and so on.

By learning to use both of these forms of thought in practice, through a split putting routine that on one hand allows you to totally engage self 1 without thinking about form at all for the purpose of results and on the other hand analyzing your form while not worrying about the outcome you will learn to switch each form of thought “on” and “off” on the course. This will make you both a more prepared player, as well as a more natural and comfortable player.

I hope that this sequence of articles has been helpful for you as a player. Remember that at no point is any of this intended as an edict on exactly how to structure your routine down to the finest detail. This is meant as a guide to what the evidence regarding learning and thought tell us about developing our routines. It is intended to guide you toward developing the routine that best fits your day, your attitude, and who you are as a competitor.

See you on the course.

Chris Wojciechowski

Why is footwork so important?

How's it going guys, I'm Danny. If you don't know me, I make weekly videos on YouTube covering disc golf form. I do side by side comparisons, beginner mistakes, or sometimes breaking down the mechanics of what's supposed to happen when in the throw. This is my first time writing for the blog and it's a little weird. Usually I just set up the camera and ramble for a bit, but here I can really break it down. So we'll see how this goes, my first topic is footwork!

Why footwork is important

I have done, at this point, hundreds of form critiques and the most common issue I see is footwork. This is also the first step to gaining a powerful and consistent shot. Correct footwork sets up a balanced, powerful position that allows the thrower to throw a consistent shot and avoid injury. It's also super easy to fix. Just knowing what's supposed to happen and what to avoid makes a huge difference. So here we go! Let's break down some footwork.

The X-Step

The first thing I always look at in footwork is the x-step. Almost everybody knows they should be using an x-step, but they have no idea what it's for. I get it, it looks cool and complicated, but for most people, it's just throwing them off balance. Most people turn around backwards in their x-step by turning their feet away from the target. The problem here is it forces the heel to carry the weight, and it points the hips away from the target. This throws off balance and hurts accuracy. The purpose of an x-step is to force the toes to carry the weight, and set up a good weight shift. To do this, you've got to keep your feet sideways. Make your x-step small, not more than about 6-12 inches from toe to toe. It's almost more of a shuffle than a step. Keeping your feet sideways will keep your hips pointed at the target and keeping it small will force you to shift your weight over your toes. Often times, just fixing the x-step will fix other problems in the throw too!

The Brace

The next step after the x-step is the brace. So coming out of the x-step, the tendency is to reach really far back and lean over your back foot. Then, the front foot comes down on the heel, pointed slightly towards the target. This means the spine is bending, all of the weight is coming crashing down onto the knee, and because the feet are orientated wrong, there's no range of motion for the hips. So, to brace correctly, keep the weight over the left foot as you bring your right foot forward, turn your foot slightly away from the target, and plant it on the toe offset about 6” to the left. Keeping your weight over your left foot means you're not going to lean back, turning the foot away from the target means you're setting up a closed stance so the hips have range of motion, and offsetting the foot to the left means your weight can shift into your front foot rather than crashing down onto it. Getting this step correct means less wear and tear on joints and a lot more effortless power.

Shifting Your Weight

Reachback

Arguably, the entire purpose of footwork is weight shift. Shifting your weight from the left foot onto the right generates a lot of energy. Using that energy to drive your hips and move up your body into the shot adds a serious amount of power effortlessly. So here's what a good weight shift looks like (see photo). At the peak of the reachback, the spine is vertical (not leaned back) and the left leg is carrying all of the weight. Then as you throw, if your weight is over your left toe, it'll shift onto your right, driving your heel down and turning it. Done correctly, you won't have any extra momentum from the weight shift left to follow through onto your left foot again. This sounds super easy, but it's one of the most difficult concepts to explain. The good thing is, if you set it up correctly with the x-step and the brace, everything else should just fall into place.

So that's footwork! Definitely the first thing to work on if you're serious about adding distance to your game and avoiding injury. Changing footwork can be hard though. It's so deeply ingrained in our muscle memory we don't even think about it usually. Trying to change something that we don't even think about can be frustrating. Good thing is, you don't need to actually throw to practice! I put my hands behind my back and practice footwork all the time. I look dumb, but if that's what it takes, I'll at least throw really far while looking dumb. Good luck! And if you have ANY questions or have a video of your shot you want me to take a look at, shot me a message on my Facebook Page and until next time, remember, “Slow is smooth, smooth is far!”