Check out any of the many Disc Golf forums online and you'll find lots of players talking about playing in the cold and snow. When I was growing and throwing in the snow belt it was a certain thing that friends and I would play Disc Golf the first snowfall of the year.
It was always a lot of fun including time spent looking for discs in the snow, picking up pieces of broken discs that had shattered against trees and trying to find the best way to throw in the cold and snow.
Years of playing cold and snow Disc Golf has led me to two things that work for throwing in the cold. The first is to buy receiver gloves...the kinds that NFL players wear. You don't need to spend a fortune on these gloves...a cheaper pair will do just fine...unless you plan on playing everyday. If you want to go a bit different route, try putting latex gloves over cotton gloves. Both work well.
Understand one thing right away...neither will let you play as well as you do on a 70 degree spring or summer day but both will give you decent grip while allowing to keep hands a fingers a little warmer than if you were throwing without protection.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Mental Prep
It's the off season for most of us...unless you live in the warmer southern climate or like playing in the cold and snow. I like to use the off season to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming season.
Taking time away from the sport is healthy. It can lead to burnout if you don't take a mental break from the game. I normally sit my discs in the storage shed mid November and don't take them out till mid to late January. This year my I stopped playing in September and have only played once since.
Now that the new year is here and plans are being made to host two tournaments and attend several others, I begin to get my mind mentally prepared. I do this by reading Disc Golf articles online and in old publications along with watching some disc golf videos. The videos are instructional videos. It helps me to hear from top players didn't things that have helped them improve their game.
I also spend sometime mentally walking through courses I play regularly. I work on seeing myself throw the perfect throw when needed and envision my game taking the next step.
The mental game is my biggest obstacle to playing. As I get older, I realize that I can't throw as far as I once could (I've been playing 30+ years) and that I can't walk longer courses four rounds in a weekend on a longer course. Reminding myself of those changes in my abilities help me focus my energy and allows me to focus on the course and tournaments that I'm better able to compete and enjoy.
Taking time away from the sport is healthy. It can lead to burnout if you don't take a mental break from the game. I normally sit my discs in the storage shed mid November and don't take them out till mid to late January. This year my I stopped playing in September and have only played once since.
Now that the new year is here and plans are being made to host two tournaments and attend several others, I begin to get my mind mentally prepared. I do this by reading Disc Golf articles online and in old publications along with watching some disc golf videos. The videos are instructional videos. It helps me to hear from top players didn't things that have helped them improve their game.
I also spend sometime mentally walking through courses I play regularly. I work on seeing myself throw the perfect throw when needed and envision my game taking the next step.
The mental game is my biggest obstacle to playing. As I get older, I realize that I can't throw as far as I once could (I've been playing 30+ years) and that I can't walk longer courses four rounds in a weekend on a longer course. Reminding myself of those changes in my abilities help me focus my energy and allows me to focus on the course and tournaments that I'm better able to compete and enjoy.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Disc Golf on Wii
The Wii has five different Disc Golf games now available. We'll talk about a couple of them
The first is Tiger Woods' 2010. It includes Disc Golf with Innova style baskets. The controls are a bit cumbersome but they get the job done. You're able to throw backhand, sidearm and overhead. I never did get the roller shot down. It is easier to hit a 70' putt than a 5' putt. The graphics are great.
The second is Wii Sports Resort's Frisbee Golf. The Sports Resort comes with 12 game options and each game has several different variations. The Frisbee game includes disc golf and golf.
The flight of the disc is better than any-other disc golf game on the Wii so far. The discs do everything but an 'S' curve. The biggest draw back seems to be the column of light you putt at instead of a basket. While the graphics are cartoonish...more so than Tiger Woods', the overall playing enjoyment is much more than Tiger Woods.
Their is also a Neighborhood Sports game that has a golf game where you throw Frisbees around a traditional neighborhood. You have to hit trees, mailboxes, garbage cans and other items in and around the neighborhood. Each time you play, the obstacles and the flow of the course will change based on where cars are parker and who is mowing their lawn or cooking out. A very fun 'old school' disc golf game.
The first is Tiger Woods' 2010. It includes Disc Golf with Innova style baskets. The controls are a bit cumbersome but they get the job done. You're able to throw backhand, sidearm and overhead. I never did get the roller shot down. It is easier to hit a 70' putt than a 5' putt. The graphics are great.
The second is Wii Sports Resort's Frisbee Golf. The Sports Resort comes with 12 game options and each game has several different variations. The Frisbee game includes disc golf and golf.
The flight of the disc is better than any-other disc golf game on the Wii so far. The discs do everything but an 'S' curve. The biggest draw back seems to be the column of light you putt at instead of a basket. While the graphics are cartoonish...more so than Tiger Woods', the overall playing enjoyment is much more than Tiger Woods.
Their is also a Neighborhood Sports game that has a golf game where you throw Frisbees around a traditional neighborhood. You have to hit trees, mailboxes, garbage cans and other items in and around the neighborhood. Each time you play, the obstacles and the flow of the course will change based on where cars are parker and who is mowing their lawn or cooking out. A very fun 'old school' disc golf game.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wintertime Disc Golf
Playing in the winter...cold, snow and ice is always a fun time...even more so when you understand how to play winter rules. Winter rules make the difference between fun and losing or breaking many, many discs.
Rule #1: Don't throw white discs. White discs are hard to find in the snow.
Rule #2: Don't throw old school or DX plastic. Old school platic will break when hitting a tree at a high rate of speed. Don't run the risk of breaking that nice ROC.
Rule #3: Play for fun. No use is being too competitive in the winter months...specially if there is snow on the ground.
Rule #4: Learn to read the tracks in the snow. If your disc hits fresh snow at a high rate of speed...it can travel 20 feet or more under the snow. KNow where to look.
Rule #5: Follow the tracks of others that played before you. The less tracks through the course the easier it will be to locate or find your disc. This is a hard lesson for most to understand.
Rule #6: Play for fun.
Rule #1: Don't throw white discs. White discs are hard to find in the snow.
Rule #2: Don't throw old school or DX plastic. Old school platic will break when hitting a tree at a high rate of speed. Don't run the risk of breaking that nice ROC.
Rule #3: Play for fun. No use is being too competitive in the winter months...specially if there is snow on the ground.
Rule #4: Learn to read the tracks in the snow. If your disc hits fresh snow at a high rate of speed...it can travel 20 feet or more under the snow. KNow where to look.
Rule #5: Follow the tracks of others that played before you. The less tracks through the course the easier it will be to locate or find your disc. This is a hard lesson for most to understand.
Rule #6: Play for fun.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Make Disc Golf Fun
When hosting a Disc Golf league, random draw doubles or a tournament, make sure you do enough to allow the newer players to organized competition to walk away having had fun and enough for the seasoned players to have felt it was worth their time...even if they didn't cash.
Encouraging new players could include giving them a disc, t-shirt, mini or something for them playing in their first organized event. Paying out as much as possible or as deep as possible helps with the seasoned players.
Over the years, I've learned doing little things during tournaments make a difference. Having plenty of water on the course and have free fresh fruit (specially in the middle of summer) at the mid point of the course helps. Asking a local produce stand or hometown grocery store might be willing to give a good price on fruit and/or free bottles of water.
As tournament or league directors, we've taken on the responsibility of encouraging competitive play, building a grass roots organization in our community and making our sport more visible to those that haven't discovered the joys of Disc Golf yet.
Encouraging new players could include giving them a disc, t-shirt, mini or something for them playing in their first organized event. Paying out as much as possible or as deep as possible helps with the seasoned players.
Over the years, I've learned doing little things during tournaments make a difference. Having plenty of water on the course and have free fresh fruit (specially in the middle of summer) at the mid point of the course helps. Asking a local produce stand or hometown grocery store might be willing to give a good price on fruit and/or free bottles of water.
As tournament or league directors, we've taken on the responsibility of encouraging competitive play, building a grass roots organization in our community and making our sport more visible to those that haven't discovered the joys of Disc Golf yet.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Disc Golf Travel
With the Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas holiday coming up, I'm reminded of the great trips I used to take years ago to play courses in other states. If you don't have any big plans and aren't tied to doing some family outing, consider a Disc Golf road trip over the holidays.
Years ago I used to take a few holidays over the years to travel to play Disc Golf. One Thanksgiving back in 1993 friends and I traveled to Indianapolis to play disc golf. We traveled one way 8 hours to play. We ended up playing several great courses in Indianapolis and two course in Peru, just north of Indianapolis. Another year we traveled to Kentucky and played several courses in and around Bowling Green and Louisville.
Those trips only last four or five days and both includes several courses. It's a great way to spend a long weekend with friends.
Years ago I used to take a few holidays over the years to travel to play Disc Golf. One Thanksgiving back in 1993 friends and I traveled to Indianapolis to play disc golf. We traveled one way 8 hours to play. We ended up playing several great courses in Indianapolis and two course in Peru, just north of Indianapolis. Another year we traveled to Kentucky and played several courses in and around Bowling Green and Louisville.
Those trips only last four or five days and both includes several courses. It's a great way to spend a long weekend with friends.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Choose Golf Discs Wisely
When deciding which golf discs to buy, especially when you're a beginner, is one of the most important decisions you'll make regarding your new hobby. Really.
A lot of players will give advice that you just don't need. Because a particular player loves throwing a Buzz or Wraith doesn't mean you need to be throwing the same discs. As a beginner you should pick out discs that are easier for beginners to throw. As a beginner you should consider starting with nothing longer than a fairway driver. No big distance discs to start.
A nice fairway driver or a mid range disc. You won't throw as far of the tee no matter what disc you throw when a beginner. But you will throw straighter with a mid range than you will with a distance driver.
A lot of players will give advice that you just don't need. Because a particular player loves throwing a Buzz or Wraith doesn't mean you need to be throwing the same discs. As a beginner you should pick out discs that are easier for beginners to throw. As a beginner you should consider starting with nothing longer than a fairway driver. No big distance discs to start.
A nice fairway driver or a mid range disc. You won't throw as far of the tee no matter what disc you throw when a beginner. But you will throw straighter with a mid range than you will with a distance driver.
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