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.