2015 United States Disc Golf Championship

[WFreed]

Lots of newer players here watch all the videos and since most are impressionable kids you see them pick up the discs and wear the clothes that the top pros do.

Pretty much everyone I know that plays in this area watches tournament coverage on YouTube. We even have viewing parties sometimes where we get together to watch a tournament while socializing and eating/drinking. To hear you say that you've never once heard of anyone mention disc golf tournament video is making me wonder what hole do you live in.

All these impressionable kids these days fawning over pro players discs. In my day nobody gave two craps what some "pro" was throwing, We all knew KC Pro teebirds were the best.

 

[heartman]

Every year they reenact the ENTIRE civil war ...

How do they reenact a 4 year war every year?!!?!??!?!?!?!?




















... they edit it.

 

[DavidSauls]

Lots of newer players here watch all the videos and since most are impressionable kids you see them pick up the discs and wear the clothes that the top pros do.

Pretty much everyone I know that plays in this area watches tournament coverage on YouTube. We even have viewing parties sometimes where we get together to watch a tournament while socializing and eating/drinking. To hear you say that you've never once heard of anyone mention disc golf tournament video is making me wonder what hole do you live in.

I don't doubt it. My point was that there are also large segments of the disc golf world that don't watch tournament videos. I hear a lot about how-to videos and similar things. I know people who watch live. Tournament videos, not so much.

I'm not saying my experience is universal. Just that yours isn't either. And that attributing the growth of disc golf to tournament videos is a bit of hyperbole; it was growing fast before they existed, and there are lots of things firing its continued growth.

Which hole do I live in? Well, I co-own a brick-&-mortar disc store, where I talk to lots of beginners and casual players. I play tournaments, though admittedly in geezer divisions where you might not expect videos to be the hot topic. I co-own a private course where we get visits from the course-baggers and traveling disc golfers from around the country, and we guide them on their visits so have lots of time to talk. We also run 3 tournaments a year, run out of my house, with camping, so my house and yard are full of disc golfers for 3 days. For 13 years I was an officer in the local club and, and I still attend a few meetings. And, on rare occasions, I simply play disc golf.

Which, of course, proves absolutely nothing. Except I've moved through a number of different parts of the disc golf world, with some anecdotal evidence that people aren't discussing tournament videos everywhere. Maybe they're watching them, but figuring I'm not the sort of person to discuss them with. Who knows?

I also wrote, garnering far less attention, that I don't disparage the videos, nor the people who enjoy them, nor the people who want more tournament videos, and better tournament videos. It's all good.

I just doubt it's the primary factor in the growth of disc golf

 

[DavidSauls]

I should footnote, now that I read what I wrote, that I'm talking about the edited, post-tournament videos, and not live coverage. I have known a few people to watch live coverage of the USDGC and Worlds.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Without a course nearby or the ability to get to one, it's hard to play no matter how many videos you watch.

 

[notroman]

Fair enough. The age may be a factor when people choose what to discuss. I just got back from a tournament in Missouri and played with people from Alabama - we talked about the recent Mango Classic tourney coverage. George Smith was on our card for one of the rounds and he admittedly did not see the videos. Same thing happened when I played with a guy from Tennessee a few months ago - talked about local courses in Nashville but conversation drifted to Music City Open and recent coverage of it. Actually, now that I think about it, whenever I play with people from out of state it seems tournament videos get brought up because that's the best way to discuss tournaments local to their area. Of course they talk about their entire disc golf scene, including local courses that may not have video coverage, but the bigger tourneys and footage from recent events definitely make it into the conversation.

As for there being large segments of the disc golf world that don't watch tournament videos - this is true. Most people that play disc golf don't know about PDGA, don't know that tournaments even exist, and keep the manufacturers pumping out various high speed drivers because they sell.

 

[WFreed]

Look y'all can knock new players all you want, but I have a feeling this generation of golfers is going to end up with a lot less people playing Am3 for 30+ years. I also think youtube videos will be a big part of that. What took you 10 yrs to "pick up" a new player can learn in 2 with the help of video footage of players like mcbeth / rick / simon and a lot of hard work.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Look y'all can knock new players all you want, but I have a feeling this generation of golfers is going to end up with a lot less people playing Am3 for 30+ years. I also think youtube videos will be a big part of that. What took you 10 yrs to "pick up" a new player can learn in 2 with the help of video footage of players like mcbeth / rick / simon and a lot of hard work.

While I don't doubt videos make players who have tried disc golf better players, I think the jury is out on the impact video has had on players entering the game for the first time after seeing vids. Vids continue to give DG "street cred" which took awhile to finally gain in the early 2000s when it somehow got included in the fast growth of X-game sports in that period. I think vids keep stoking that fire, so more power to them. I'm thinking the growth in competitive disc golf indicated by younger PDGA member growth has likely been helped significantly with YouTube and live coverage.

 

[RobA]

All these impressionable kids these days fawning over pro players discs. In my day nobody gave two craps what some "pro" was throwing, We all knew KC Pro teebirds were the best.

And we walked to the course, uphill - both ways.

I preferred KC Pro Eagles, when they got beat up a bit they could go forever on a slight hyzer flip. Heck, I didn't even know that was a hyzer flip back then. Some people threw XL's, which still are a great disc, thinking they could throw over 600 feet like Stokely.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

I would just like everyone to know that my sister lives in Huntington Beach, and probably rubs elbows with McBeth at Trader Joe's and stuff.

OMG SOOO JEALOUS!! :hfive:

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Look y'all can knock new players all you want, but I have a feeling this generation of golfers is going to end up with a lot less people playing Am3 for 30+ years. I also think youtube videos will be a big part of that. What took you 10 yrs to "pick up" a new player can learn in 2 with the help of video footage of players like mcbeth / rick / simon and a lot of hard work.

10 yesrs?! I was whooping my buddies after a year and they had been playing long b4 me... YT videos were a big part of my improvement but had nothing to do with me finding out about the sport nor do i see that the case until we have younger people making more DG videos for their friends etc like other viral parts of YT.

 

[Thumber]

Every year they reenact the ENTIRE civil war, surely we can reenact one card of one round of disc golf. And I'm not just talking sour grapes and waiting for 2016!

Let's do this!!

I'm in. I'll re-enact Rick. I can miss 17 all day long. Cut after cut. It will be the worst dg video ever

WTF does civil war re-enactment have to do with any of this?

Just post the final, lead card, editted round. Did no one actually film it?

 

[Jimb]

So is there any edited footage of the lead card final round yet? :doh: opcorn:

 

[WFreed]

So is there any edited footage of the lead card final round yet? :doh: opcorn:

nope:clap:

 

[RobA]

So is there any edited footage of the lead card final round yet? :doh: opcorn:

I forget, which tourney are we talking about?

 

[Phil Esra]

I forget, which tourney are we talking about?

I believe we have been discussing reenacting the Civil War in disc-golf format. The last few pages have been a tussle over who gets McBeth. Each side gets a Nate.

 

[jvphobic]

Yes I said "Terrible" and yes I've seen the Disc Golf Planet coverage. I was a paying member from the beginning. Yes Crazy was well Crazy but the camera work was much better. They used more stable technology, they actually had a control room where a director would tell them when to switch cameras correctly and the footage was lightyears better. Terry makes due with two DSLR cameras and ****ty wireless, he does not have half the system DG Planet did. You can say the commentators were bad but the disc golf, the stuff I actually give a damn about was way ahead of the crap being put out by Smashboxx. The truth is I wouldn't have a problem with it if they said they didn't want to pay for a better service and went with a cheaper streaming option. I get it DG is not a money making machine. But don't sell it as the "Best Coverage" ever when it is a sub-standard product with broken promises and sub-par results.

Get your facts straight. DGPTV used a LiveU backpack since 2011 Worlds. I know because I set them up with them. The same basic tech we use. Video over 4G.

DGPTV usually has one guy (Duesler) switching the show on a Tricaster. We use Wirecast. Same basic thing.

Your opinion on camera work is just that. Your opinion. But look at DGPTV and with the exception of final rounds, they almost always stuck with one camera and then a stationary one at some random hole.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Get your facts straight. DGPTV used a LiveU backpack since 2011 Worlds. I know because I set them up with them. The same basic tech we use. Video over 4G.

DGPTV usually has one guy (Duesler) switching the show on a Tricaster. We use Wirecast. Same basic thing.

Your opinion on camera work is just that. Your opinion. But look at DGPTV and with the exception of final rounds, they almost always stuck with one camera and then a stationary one at some random hole.

I tried to tell the idiot but he thought he knew everything about the internet and how DG videos are made. Dude might have brain damage if he doesn't remember how bad some of those broadcasts were which WE PAID FOR!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the great work. Only ones really DOING it' :clap:

this talk online is cheap-- step your stream game up otherwise haterz lol. and spend the $$$$$$.

 

[Phil Esra]

Tournament coverage benefits disc golf companies financially over the short and long term.

Is anybody really making any money on disc golf? A serious question. With prizes and sponsorships, what did a McBeth make this year, maybe $100k? (Just a guess.) Innova seems like the only legitimately medium-sized company in the entire business; how many people does it employ full time? This whole universe seems like awfully small potatoes, and staffed almost entirely by people who are in it because they are really into disc golf. I'd speculate that the vast majority of people who make a living off of disc golf could make a better living doing something else instead.

Until you can buy a Nike Air McBeth disc for $160, disc golf is getting exactly the coverage it deserves. Personally, I found the live feed of the top card on day 4 spellbinding. I went back and watched it a second time, skipping the Winthrop University commercials.

 

[Cgkdisc]

I'd speculate that the vast majority of people who make a living off of disc golf could make a better living doing something else instead.

Perhaps a better living, but not a better life.