43 year old noob - how's my progress?

[Judson100]

I'm just trying to get a sense of people's opinions of where I am at, as I am okay with my progress so far (from total beginner two months ago) except for frustration with distance and consistency on my attempts at longer drives.

Back story: Age 43, I have suddenly discovered this sport after not really knowing anything about it (my son's WII sport video game was the first time I had ever seen disc golf since I was a boy scout in the 80's and there was a frisbee golf course at a state park with tires hanging from trees for "holes".) I started disc golfing about two months ago with a vengeance as I lacked an activity to "get away from it all" and it all just fell into place as there is a spectacular course (Fredtoften in Denmark) about two minutes drive from my house and I had picked up a few discs on a whim on a trip last year to the states. The only other experience I had was a hilarious first attempt at a state park in Arkansas last year. The three discs I had picked out (it was at a store with no experienced personnel) were just about the worst possible combination for a newbie - a pro Pig putter, which is the most non-gliding, hardest fading thing in the world (but now highly appreciated for rollers and getting out of trouble in the woods!), a champion eagle - likewise hard fading, and a pro Beast. Safe to say, I was making endless tacos in the woodsy course that was my first disc golf experience - I think I shot a 96 on a par 55 or something like that.

Back to the present:
Here's where I'm at - RHBH only, I have no forehand yet:
Putting: improving and saving bigger effort for later here - probably when I start to feel like I'm good enough to do tournies. Concerned about OAT on my longer range putt/placement shots with tall-rimmed discs, which I don't seem to throw as well as the flatter mid-ranges. By the way, I have switched to putting with a KC Aviar as this seems the most popular one after starting with a Polecat - do any good players use Polecats? Seems like they would have a place on a totally windless course where you have a 70 foot putt/placement shot with danger off the left. Anyway, I digress...

Mid-range stuff: have gone from having no idea how to get a disc to go where I want to go to throwing pretty consistent, rock solid drives with my new favourite disc - the KC Roc. Dramatic improvements in accuracy and can often place a mid-range Roc or Buzzz (A Titanium Buzzz that is getting more and more interesting to me as I get better with it.) where I want it to go at 200+ feet, also in "tunnel" situations. Even getting a reasonable flex shot working on occasion when needed to cut the right path. Most of the holes at my local course require either pinpoint accuracy via a tunnel or narrow entry to the circle or shaping a shot to get around obstacles/low ceilings.

Driving for medium and long distance: This is where the amount of practice relative to the amount of progress is the worst. I simply don't get how the better players are getting the kind of distance they do with those minimal motion tee shots. I have seen many of the videos/clinics and do what I can, but I may have hit 300 feet at the farthest - I usually fall way, way short of this - and my motion can't do anything with any disc rated over maybe 6 or 7 - I suspect "arm speed" is a big part of the reason. Often I will drive a Roc with full, but not crazy, effort and then I will try driving a Teebird, Leopard and even a Tern as far as I can using all kinds of different techniques and with max (and probably too much) effort. Often these land within a few feet of the Roc and only on occasion will something interesting happen that still only gives me an extra 30 feet.

Take today: terrible windy conditions, with side to slightly headwind from right as I practice on a big, open 560'. I blast a Roc maybe just short of 200 feet with good control onto the fairway then try to rip a Teebird as far as I can - it seems to almost always catch too much air (nose up?) and spends an eternity airbound and on an upward angle and then fades 100 feet to the left, far short of where the Roc landed. A lot of that was up to the wind. If I get a lower trajectory, I don't get additional distance, just pooping out where the Roc landed, give or take. And then some old timer walks up and does an effortless drive with his Champion Destroyer and blasts a 350' worm burner almost straight into that ugly wind. Dang!

Anyway - I guess my main question is whether I am too impatient on my progress and there is an element of conditioning that simply takes more time or if a) some people simply don't have the arm speed and never will or b) simply need the right technique as everyone ought to be able to throw 350' worm burners and even 400' with more air if they are in solid physical shape. I am 5 foot 11 and am reasonably fit - certainly hoping that it is option b! I would like to be able to eventually throw over 400' with that smooth motion I am seeing the better players use and without killing my back or right hip.

I will hopefully get someone to shoot some video of my drives to get some of you kind folks to have a look and see where I can improve.

Thanks for reading and thanks for this great site!

 

[blackcatsmith]

I nodded off there reading your post... but I started around the same age as you... am the same height as you and probably the same skill set as you upon starting off.... and to answer your question: No. One can never be too impatient when it comes to improving... Nerd/Geek out, become an infatuated practice field rat, obsess, obsess, obsess, and soak up as much info as possible, disregard what doesn't work but only after investigating it fully... I wouldn't expect too much too soon, just focus on enjoying the process, focus on form and the distance(as well as control) will come.

 

[Gennataos]

You're probably progressing at the pace of the overwhelming majority of players. For most, it probably takes around 2 years before they can produce consistent shots. I've been playing for 3 years and I feel I'm comfortably mediocre.

My best suggestion is don't measure yourself against people who are clearly better. Learn from them, sure, but don't get down on yourself because you can't do the same things.

 

[DGHippie]

I'd say you are killing it for only playing two months. Distance and consistency come with time. I have no doubt that you will be throwing 350. I play with too many masters age players to think otherwise.

The best advice is to get better FAST is to play with the most talented players that you can find. It will definitely push your game quickly as long as you try to mimic their form instead of cranking over fast discs to try to keep up with them. Don't worry if you can't find someone in your area or someone that fits your schedule. This website has some of the most devoted teachers/players anywhere. You could literally put up a video everyday and have someone give you advice on tweaks to your form.

 

[Judson100]

Thanks for all of the comments. Discovering a couple of things: there is something catastrophically wrong with my backhand driving form. Got my daughter to do a video of a drive - almost standstill - that went (guessing) about 90-95% of the distance I am getting when I try the all-out, max effort, max torque, risking hip-injury method... It felt like I really tried hard when I did the drive except that I wasn't doing any fancy cross step - but the video looks like I am giving 30% effort and standing totally upright and hardly reaching back - weird. Drive probably went 225-50 feet.

Another thing - have started working on a forehand because several holes at my local course demand it, and after two weeks, can throw 90% of the distance of my backhand drives with a solid- but still fairly low effort forehand. Jeez...

 

[McCready]

I'm 44 and also just started played. Sounds like we're at similar stages of progress.

My only feedback from my limited knowledge base -- why not put more effort into your putting? You can spend 20 minutes from various distances at the practice basket, then move on to driving for the rest of your session. Putting is important, and unless you're already killing it from 15-20', you probably need just as much repetition there as you do with your drives.

I watched a dude yesterday float one in from 30'. I've never seen a disc move like that in my life -- 15' up in the air, then hovered down slowly like a UFO and right into the basket. It reminded me how much work I need on my putting.

Only other advice is to be patient and have fun out there. Don't get frustrated. Relish that handful of good shots every round and forget the bad ones.

 

[mcmurma]

Sounds to me like you are doing just fine.

I'm 51 and started playing about a year ago. I still recall being frustrated with only 100 ft of distance the first time I went to a field to practice, regardless of what disc I was throwing. It's taken me the better part of a year to get to where I can throw about 200 ft on average with mids, and maybe 30 to 50 ft more on a good hyzer-flip drive with a lightweight driver. This is all RHBH and standstill, by the way. I tried working in an x-step... I looked like an idiot and it made my drives shorter. So standstill it is. Even at 250 max I'm enjoying the game quite a bit, and since you have played in Arkansas, you know the courses here often require more accuracy than distance to be able to get through the trees and score!

You might want to check out a site called heavydisc.com, lots of good stuff on throwing standstill there, and in the forums here as well. Good luck.

 

[TrustYourRubber]

Looking at your post I can tell you that you're like me and that you tend to overthink things... meant in jest, but it's true!

"Visualize. Be confident. Commit." -best advice I've received in disc golf

At some point, you move out of the realm of understanding the game, and then it's just a matter of practice makes perfect. DGCR is here to help you with making sense of the disc golf world around you, but it's a matter of practice makes perfect.

"Play your game, not someone else's." -solid advice that will prevent a lot of future frustrations for you. You do the voodoo that you do! Do your voodoo, and you will be fine. Do someone else's voodoo, and the results aren't going to be pretty. It's okay to tweak your game, but tweak it too much, and you're going to be left with the bill, so to speak... :cheers: Welcome aboard!

 

[Judson100]

Hey - many thanks for thoughtful comments! Uploaded a video finally of a slow mo of me trying to drive for maximum distance -

http://youtu.be/hmKbo9mk2e8

so fascinating how it feels versus how it looks - can already see my reach back is insufficient and dont have the right follow through and looks like nose is a bit up - but happy to hear more comments:

 

[Stardoggy]

Follow through. Let your arm "go". You're chopping it off hard, which is not only limiting your distance, but also putting your disc nose up on release. As Sidewinder would say, "be athletic".

 

[McCready]

Hey Judson, I'll harp on the same subject again but I'm coming from a good place...practice putting! I bought a basket and I can't begin to tell you how awesome it is. Get the best basket you can afford, best stack of putters you can afford (like 20 or 30 discs, even if they're used/beat) and crank them over and over and over. It's sneaky valuable for a noob IMO, because your drives are going to go all over the place, but if you consistently leave yourself with 1-putts, it makes a round of DG infinitely more satisfying. And you'd be surprised how quickly you can pick up the basic putt & approach angles.

 

[wolfmandragon]

At least once a week, play a round where you only use your putters. Learning to do a full power drive your KC Aviar will teach you massive control.

Buy a Comet. You will show your flaws faster than any other disc. If you can throw it smooth, everything else is easy.

Here is an old ball golf axiom, but it is true for Disc Golf as well:
Drive for show, Putt for Dough!

Welcome and enjoy!

 

[DiscFifty]

Once you're throwing a putter level, straight no more than 6-10ft off the ground out to 200ft+, you're doing very well. I would work on that for a while. Then you should be able to pick up mids and throw out to 250, fairways out to 275, max drivers 300-350. Learning to throw level, straight, line drives is vital to moving forward in this game.

 

[mattc]

Don't be upset if you don't get much past 250'- 300'
(That pretty legitimate distance for us old guys.)
But you can do better, with practice on your form and get it out close to 400'.

But the place you will do the most work on your score will be the short game

 

[RedPaisleyTie]

Started Late, Too

I didn't start playing until I was 55, which was two years ago, but immediately took a big liking to it and have played regularly since. Despite having a fairly competitive nature, I have found that when I just go out and enjoy "throwing" whether practicing or on a course, I have the best time and actually throw the best. I agree with other comments about using more practice time putting, but I also know that there is lots more stress relief and physical pleasure derived from driving.