2018 PDGA World Championships

[lenfantsuave]

Something to note - the most vocal pro's in favor of "making the basket smaller" (when that discussion spiked a few weeks ago) or Disc Golf being "too easy" finished outside of the top 25 (with few also being out of the top 50) at worlds. Makes you wonder if they should reconsider that argument.. perhaps pushing for more courses to be at the standard of Fox Run and Brewster is more worthwhile endeavor. With Barsby averaging just over -8 per round and McBeth just under -8 per round, seems very competitive in my eyes.

I never got around to watching the round table. Who were the pros advocating smaller baskests?

 

[Keller]

Congratulation Gregg!!

Now I don't have to spend the next year with #notmyworldchampion!

I think this event on these types of courses over 5 days is perfect. Some ropes, lot of technical and none of that ball golf course crap.

Side note; what happened to Anthony Barella? I thought he was once the upcoming star?

 

[coldsweat]

Really?

No. He has thrown many many shots in his long career and prob. doesn't have to practice as much anymore. That said he is a student of his own game. Listen to his Round 1 or 2 interview (can't remember) on ultiworld. He said he noticed he was leaning too heavily on his FH in Europe. And that he would need a BH to compete. So he came back and practiced that almost exclusively to get it up to snuff.

 

[Halcón]

Side note; what happened to Anthony Barella? I thought he was once the upcoming star?

I think AB is only like 17 or18. Once he grows into his body, we'll have a better idea of what he's capable of. Plus, he's not playing that many tourneys, and I think he might still be in school. Gone are the days when you can have a side job and win consistently at big events.

 

[zgmc]

Something to note - the most vocal pro's in favor of "making the basket smaller" (when that discussion spiked a few weeks ago) or Disc Golf being "too easy" finished outside of the top 25 (with few also being out of the top 50) at worlds. Makes you wonder if they should reconsider that argument.. perhaps pushing for more courses to be at the standard of Fox Run and Brewster is more worthwhile endeavor. With Barsby averaging just over -8 per round and McBeth just under -8 per round, seems very competitive in my eyes.

Compared to Golf, putting is way too easy.

 

[lenfantsuave]

Compared to Golf, putting is way too easy.

But a lot of people don't care or don't want the game to force itself to be like ball golf. They are different sports and discs move much differently to a ball. Putting is easy compared to golf but a lot of that has to do with how easy it is to get on the green on most disc golf courses.

 

[takman]

A Barsby Signature Eagle would be a nice tribute. Other than the KC Eagle I don't believe there have been any other variations.

 

[zgmc]

They are different sports and discs move much differently to a ball..

Obviously...

But, the game is called golf! You will never get away from the comparisons.. I agree that it is also too easy to reach most greens.. The problem is that the players have outgrown most courses, and the sport just isnt big enough to create new championship level courses. This is why we see the big tournaments attrmpt to compensate with OB.

 

[Steve West]

It´s hard not to feel like McBeth and Pierce gave the title away. . .Paige on hole 7....

Paul McBeth's 7 on hole 18 in round 3 at Fox Run was his worst hole, and it was 3.3 throws worse than he would expect. That's bigger than his two throw deficit.

Paige Pierce's 8 on hole #7 in round two at Fox Run was her worst hole, but it was only 2.3 throws worse than expected. That's smaller than the 6 throw difference between the Paiges.

So, technically you could say Paul's performance on one hole was the difference, but not for Paige Pierce. However, that's not the big story.

Gregg Barsby played 23.8 throws better than expected, which was enough to overcome the 21.6 throw difference between his expected score and Paul's. So, Paul would have had to play 2.2 throws better than expected to tie Gregg, but he only played 0.2 throws better than expected.

Paige Bjerkaas played 22.9 throws better than expected, which was not enough to overcome the 29 throw difference between her expected score and Paige Pierce's. If Paige Pierce had played only 6 throws worse than expected, they would have tied. Paige Pierce played 12 throws worse than expected.

 

[joecoin]

Obviously...

But, the game is called golf! You will never get away from the comparisons.. I agree that it is also too easy to reach most greens.. The problem is that the players have outgrown most courses, and the sport just isnt big enough to create new championship level courses. This is why we see the big tournaments attrmpt to compensate with OB.

They could more easily compensate by removing the chain assembly and the part of the pole that supports it.

 

[BuzzzChief]

Compared to Golf, putting is way too easy.

I just quickly checked putting stats for a few of the top players at worlds, versus the top putters on the PGA tour. 95% or so from C1 and 30-35% from C2 seems to be roughly normal for the top guys. That lines up pretty well with the percentages for PGA pros from about <8' and 8-20'. So it's not really "easier" in disc golf, the circle is just bigger. Which makes sense.

I would say the bigger issue is that on many holes, it's too easy for pros to get into C1 and C2 in regulation. PGA pros are not getting inside 20' nearly as often as PDGA pros are getting inside 20m. And the stats would be way more skewed on easier courses than this worlds setup.

 

[lenfantsuave]

I just quickly checked putting stats for a few of the top players at worlds, versus the top putters on the PGA tour. 95% or so from C1 and 30-35% from C2 seems to be roughly normal for the top guys. That lines up pretty well with the percentages for PGA pros from about <8' and 8-20'. So it's not really "easier" in disc golf, the circle is just bigger. Which makes sense.

I would say the bigger issue is that on many holes, it's too easy for pros to get into C1 and C2 in regulation. PGA pros are not getting inside 20' nearly as often as PDGA pros are getting inside 20m. And the stats would be way more skewed on easier courses than this worlds setup.

Excellent. This is basically what I was getting at.

 

[zgmc]

I just quickly checked putting stats for a few of the top players at worlds, versus the top putters on the PGA tour. 95% or so from C1 and 30-35% from C2 seems to be roughly normal for the top guys. That lines up pretty well with the percentages for PGA pros from about <8' and 8-20'. So it's not really "easier" in disc golf, the circle is just bigger. Which makes sense.

I would say the bigger issue is that on many holes, it's too easy for pros to get into C1 and C2 in regulation. PGA pros are not getting inside 20' nearly as often as PDGA pros are getting inside 20m. And the stats would be way more skewed on easier courses than this worlds setup.

It's kind of hard to accurately compare the stats between the two sports when one of them can't even figure out what par is

 

[PoorPutter]

Something to note - the most vocal pro's in favor of "making the basket smaller" (when that discussion spiked a few weeks ago) or Disc Golf being "too easy" finished outside of the top 25 (with few also being out of the top 50) at worlds. Makes you wonder if they should reconsider that argument..

Maybe they would have finished better with smaller baskets.

Or more importantly......people can (and do!) argue to make changes to make something better.......even if it doesn't benefit them personally!

 

[rd.bittle]

So does the EL now get put back in the Innova rotation under a new approved mold called Iron Leaf?

Quoted for Greatest idea, ever!

 

[BuzzzChief]

It's kind of hard to accurately compare the stats between the two sports when one of them can't even figure out what par is

If we would stop having holes where most of the field can easily get into the 10m circle with their drive, a lot of the debate would go away. PGA has the same kinds of debates with ball golf par 5's, they are not really par 5 for PGA pros anymore unless they're absurdly long. There's no perfect solution.

They would never put a 100 yard chipshot hole on a PGA course. We have lots of holes that are basically the equivalent of an open sand wedge shot for our pros.

 

[zgmc]

If we would stop having holes where most of the field can easily get into the 10m circle with their drive, a lot of the debate would go away. PGA has the same kinds of debates with ball golf par 5's, they are not really par 5 for PGA pros anymore unless they're absurdly long. There's no perfect solution.

They would never put a 100 yard chipshot hole on a PGA course. We have lots of holes that are basically the equivalent of an open sand wedge shot for our pros.

This is my point...

 

[JC17393]

I just quickly checked putting stats for a few of the top players at worlds, versus the top putters on the PGA tour. 95% or so from C1 and 30-35% from C2 seems to be roughly normal for the top guys. That lines up pretty well with the percentages for PGA pros from about <8' and 8-20'. So it's not really "easier" in disc golf, the circle is just bigger. Which makes sense.

I would say the bigger issue is that on many holes, it's too easy for pros to get into C1 and C2 in regulation. PGA pros are not getting inside 20' nearly as often as PDGA pros are getting inside 20m. And the stats would be way more skewed on easier courses than this worlds setup.

I think this much has been assumed for years, which is what fuels the debate in the first place. The question has long been whether the future of the sport is in lengthening or shaping holes so that reaching C2 is more difficult to accomplish or is the future in taking steps (more obstacles, more elevation shifts, smaller targets, directional targets) to effectively shrink the areas from which top players are making 95% of their putts?

Land is at a premium, so lengthening courses isn't really a universally applicable solution. Taking steps to make putting more difficult could be universally applicable. Hence the notion of shrinking the target being a constant talking point.

 

[Jolt]

Paige Pierce's 8 on hole #7 in round two at Fox Run was her worst hole, but it was only 2.3 throws worse than expected. That's smaller than the 6 throw difference between the Paiges.

But in ALL the rounds on FOX PP lost 7 throws total to PB on hole7 . . .and she lost by 6

 

[TimSyl]

This is my point...

Incorrect. Hole 7 at Pebble Beach is a downhill 109 yard SW shot in the US Open setup (plays shorter than 100 from the "other" tees).