Common mistakes at first tournament

[solomon.trenton]

make sure to mark your disc every time.
bring extra socks, shirt, and shoes.
have plenty of stuff to drink and bars for the course.
don't play blind. make sure you have at least played the course once.

 

[craigd]

A player may instead choose, without touching or repositioning the thrown disc, to use the thrown disc as the marker. (from 803.3A)

I will do this from time to time if I find myself behind a tree and it blocks the line to the basket. That eight inches has helped me a time or two, especially if I'm pinned up against a tree.

 

[craftsman]

Don't do what I do and add 20 strokes to your normal score

 

[DavidSauls]

Scorecard etiquette is one of the things I see first-timers not prepared for.

Scarpfish covered it very well, but I'll add a few even more basic aspects:

(1) Take the scorecard to the tee. By custom, formerly by rule, the first player listed on a hole will take the scorecard to the tee and keep it for the first 4 or 5 holes. If you're listed first on the scoreboard for your starting hole, grab the card.

(2) If it ends up in your hands, don't forget to turn it in at the end of the round.

My first-tournament mistakes were mostly disturbing people who were about to throw, sometimes walking in front of their lie and into their field of vision.

 

[Cooler Will]

That eight inches has helped me a time or two, especially if I'm pinned up against a tree.

Thats what she said. :hfive:

 

[John Rock]

Find a copy of the rules and give them a read. Most people can read and understand the rule book in less than an hour. You don't have to memorize the whole book (plus the Competition Manual, NT Players Handbook, and Rules Q&A), but it really helps to be familiar with them and have a general idea about where to start looking when a rules question comes up.

Know where you are going well before you head to the event. It's no fun getting lost or going to the wrong park (or wrong part of the correct park), then having to run or hurry excessively. Get there early and find the Event Director to check-in or register.

 

[bcr123psu]

When you see a whole bunch of people looking at the board and walking away with cards, don't go up to the board and pull out your own personal card...that stays put. Those guys were the first on the group score card, that's what they walked away with. If pull your own card, the guy with the ginger beard will chase you down and point out the error of your ways.

This may or may not have happened to me...

 

[DSmith]

Haven't seen this posted yet.

Practice Throws

Don't toss your disc back to your bag



One of the big "bad" habits newer players do all the time. It'll cost you a stroke.

 

[mashnut]

I see a lot of people having trouble with marking their lies. Either leave the disc where it is and throw with one foot directly behind it, or mark it with a mini and throw from behind that. The mini goes on the line from the disc to the basket (or to the mandatory if there is one before the basket), not off to the side to give yourself a better shot.

 

[skottyb]

Taking yourself too seriously.
And having a hissy fit every time you screw up a throw (cough, nikko, cough).

You could see this about 75% of pros... not just nikko.

 

[Dfwdscglfr]

the big mistake i made and it cost me the tourney was in round 2 i did not know the new mando on hole 1 man that sucked

 

[scarpfish]

the big mistake i made and it cost me the tourney was in round 2 i did not know the new mando on hole 1 man that sucked

One to add in regards to this. Be attentive at the player's meeting. They tend to cover stuff like this. Especially stuff that might be a special condition just for the tournament.

 

[Dave242]

Find a copy of the rules and give them a read.

This. ^^^^^^^

READ THE RULEBOOK - online here: http://www.pdga.com/rules

It takes about 1 hour to do this. Would anyone ever expect to go to their first tournament for a team sport without doing this? Why should it be different in DG? I do not know why, but it amazes me how few people invest the time.

There is no reason to memorize them rather just get an idea of what is in there.

 

[Tarazarr]

if your unfamiliar with the course... hope someone else on your card is... misplaying a hole/holes can have very bad consequences.. check the map over and over again if your at a course that is very (unpark setting like) like some of the bigger and better courses on private property... The next T-box you see after playing a hole.... may be the Wrong T-box.... Seen this happen to very experienced players.

Also if the course is 21 holes and the tourney is only using 18... make sure you KNOW which holes to skip each round

 

[John Rock]

10-4!

I've always carried a rule book in my bag. It's small enough to fit easily in most golf bags.

When a player joins the pdga they send you a rule book along with some other stuff. You can buy one for $3.00 at almost any disc golf retailer (online or on the street), or ask the local course pro, he might have one to give you.

It resolves almost any questions that arise during play, and it gives an excellent overview of how the game is played. Plus, it protects you from "Non-rules Rule Callers".

 

[giles]

When it is your turn to keep score. Wait till everyone gets to the next tee box to take scores for the just completed hole. Look at the card and (out loud) read off the hole number you are about to write scores for. Read off the players name. As you are writing down each persons score, repeat back to the group what you are writing down.

This is how I do it and it has allowed the group to catch me writing down a misheard score. Reading the hole number out loud helps insure no holes have been missed/forgotten on the score card.

 

[MoonT4]

I have only played one tournament, and found myself really trying to beet this one person on the card for calling a OB on my that shouldn't have been. Later through discussion amongst all on card, it was resolved, but I really forced trying to beat this person thus forced my shots and went way over par. Spoke with some of the more experienced players after the completion of the tournament and they told me that was my mess up, trying to beat this other person instead of just playing the course. Therefore, with that said, my advise is, "Just Play the course" and have fun with it. I certainly think I would have done a lot better had I known this ahead of time. But the experience was great and I had a great time, other then said infraction above.

 

[Vegan Ray]

A lot of people like to get some putting in on the previous hole's basket before they begin. When that warning sounds, you must stop as any throw of a disc after this can be considered a practice throw and subject to a penalty.

Common misconception. The rule actually allows a good deal of leeway that most players never know is there. From the PDGA's Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events, Section 1.5(B):

A throw by a player between the two minute signal and the start of the round shall receive a warning if observed by two or more players or an official. After being warned, subsequent throws by the player during this period, if observed by two or more players or an official, shall result in one penalty throw added to the player's score, regardless of the number of throws.

So, take as many practice throws after the two minute warning as you want until you are officially warned (and the warning is seconded). Then, if you want to keep practicing, go for it as much as you please if you are prepared to take a single throw penalty (i.e., a total of one throw penalty for all of the throws you take between your seconded warning & the "Start" call, not one for each throw).

Of course, once "Start" is called, one penalty throw per practice throw (observed & called by two or more players or an official) is added to the player's score.

 

[waynewf]

Just to clarify, dyed discs are OK right? Provided that you can't scrape it off with your thumb? Is that correct??

 

[biscoe]

Just to clarify, dyed discs are OK right? Provided that you can't scrape it off with your thumb? Is that correct??

dyed is fine- nothing with detectible thickness so sharpie is fine, paint not fine.