Distance in the Field vs On the Course

[discgolfjacquestati]

Hello,

I've searched for this topic and unfortunately came up blank on what exactly I need help with. My main question deals with consistency on the course versus consistency in the field.

Recently I've improved a ton by practicing in the field and I've noticed a lot of improvement on the course when it comes to touch and control shots under 300 ft. Where my issue lies is on shots that need distance. In the field I can push all my drivers 9 speed and up to 325 - 375 depending on the shot selection. I feel comfortable and controlled even when speeding up the run up. When I get to the course, this comfort on distance disappears. I'm lucky if I'm able to commit to a shot and my timing all and goes away when I'm adding some speed.

Has anyone been through a similar roadblock? It feels a bit mental, especially dealing with the teepad's size and my ability to commit to a shot. Should I perhaps switch field work over to a teepad on a course and learn there?

Thanks!

 

[ru4por]

Practice like you play. Question though....how many holes on your local course required 375' of distance or more?

 

[discgolfjacquestati]

Thanks for the response. Depends on which, ranges from 5+ to 1. Thinking about the practice like you play, my most recent play on the course has been without my usual fieldwork warm-up of 25-30 throws with putters and mids for timing before I level up to drivers.

 

[ru4por]

Thanks for the response. Depends on which, ranges from 5+ to 1. Thinking about the practice like you play, my most recent play on the course has been without my usual fieldwork warm-up of 25-30 throws with putters and mids for timing before I level up to drivers.

I am thinking, about putting your practice to work for more than distance. Pick an object, choose a line, maybe even put an obstacle in your way to create a line (tree, garbage can, bench...). Decide what disc will best help create your intended line and throw a practice shot or shots, looking to get close to your target. Start over.

I am not saying to abandon distance work. The repetition for form is important. But, line throwing, shot shaping and finding your optimal balance between raw power and control, is a learned skill, as well.

 

[Waddball]

Has anyone been through a similar roadblock?

I have, or rather, I'm still (often) in the roadblock. Physically, much of it is just warming up with "real" throws. It's hard to do that on the course (usually). So courses that open with big drives can be real wild cards for me, as it usually takes me ~6 holes to really settle in to my form for the day.

Mentally, I find the best cue is to focus on process over outcome. Barely acknowledge the pin, just find the teepad line you're going to take, keep your focus (literally) on your approach and release, and only well after the follow through find your disc in the air. My best throws are always where I stop immediately verifying my line and release angle, and instead just relax and throw, and find out later what I did right and wrong (if that makes any sense).

 

[jupiterboy]

I find that on courses that I do better because I know what the shot needs to be. I might not make that shot, but having those super obvious limitations like a low ceiling help. So I can often get easier distance on an actual hole. In an open field it's all about the wind and how best to exploit that, and it changes constantly. I've got no height limitation. There are just many more ways to screw up.

I hope for a nice day in the field with low winds, which is what I need when I get off on the course and my timing seems lost.

 

[BillFleming]

I do a bunch of field work and then compare it to my course work. What I find causes the differences is that with field work, it's just that....work in a field. Wide open. Then you get to the course and have to deal with trees, bushes, OB, mandos, and other things that distract or interfere with your throw. In the field, all you need to concentrate on is the throw (run/walk up, standstill, angle of throw, etc); nothing else matters - you don't even really care where the disc lands. Then you get to the course and you have to make sure you don't hit that tree, or that your disc isn't going to land in that bush. I find that no matter how well I do in the field, I'm not going to do the same on the course. I've started going to a 'field' that has trees so I can practice more realistically and I'm finding it helps more for when I play a round on the course.

One good example, is there's a hole that is 292 with a dogleg left. So, I want to throw to the trail and then have a short 50ish foot approach to the basket. I KNOW I can throw 200 feet in a straight line. But at the 180 foot area there are trees and two of them make a double mando where you have to go between them. I KNOW I can make that, it's not hard.....but I haven't done it yet. So practicing in an open field shows me I CAN do it....but when it comes to actually doing it, that's a different matter.

 

[discgolfjacquestati]

Practice like you play. Question though....how many holes on your local course required 375' of distance or more?

I have, or rather, I'm still (often) in the roadblock. Physically, much of it is just warming up with "real" throws. It's hard to do that on the course (usually). So courses that open with big drives can be real wild cards for me, as it usually takes me ~6 holes to really settle in to my form for the day.

Mentally, I find the best cue is to focus on process over outcome. Barely acknowledge the pin, just find the teepad line you're going to take, keep your focus (literally) on your approach and release, and only well after the follow through find your disc in the air. My best throws are always where I stop immediately verifying my line and release angle, and instead just relax and throw, and find out later what I did right and wrong (if that makes any sense).

I find this to be true later in the round, actually. The less stress and expectation I'm putting on my drive and focusing on a line, the better the drives feel and the more controlled they are. I think this sort of mimics the feelings I get with putting too instead of allowing the disc to glide and focusing on end results instead of a process

 

[discgolfjacquestati]

I am thinking, about putting your practice to work for more than distance. Pick an object, choose a line, maybe even put an obstacle in your way to create a line (tree, garbage can, bench...). Decide what disc will best help create your intended line and throw a practice shot or shots, looking to get close to your target. Start over.

I am not saying to abandon distance work. The repetition for form is important. But, line throwing, shot shaping and finding your optimal balance between raw power and control, is a learned skill, as well.

I have been doing this actually and with a ton of success. That being said it hasn't 100% percent shown improvement on the course so I'll continue to challenge myself there and add more and more focuses. The field is nearly wide open so it's super easy to just throw and forget that on the course there are consequences and challenges and distractions.

 

[discgolfjacquestati]

I do a bunch of field work and then compare it to my course work. What I find causes the differences is that with field work, it's just that....work in a field. Wide open. Then you get to the course and have to deal with trees, bushes, OB, mandos, and other things that distract or interfere with your throw. In the field, all you need to concentrate on is the throw (run/walk up, standstill, angle of throw, etc); nothing else matters - you don't even really care where the disc lands. Then you get to the course and you have to make sure you don't hit that tree, or that your disc isn't going to land in that bush. I find that no matter how well I do in the field, I'm not going to do the same on the course. I've started going to a 'field' that has trees so I can practice more realistically and I'm finding it helps more for when I play a round on the course.

One good example, is there's a hole that is 292 with a dogleg left. So, I want to throw to the trail and then have a short 50ish foot approach to the basket. I KNOW I can throw 200 feet in a straight line. But at the 180 foot area there are trees and two of them make a double mando where you have to go between them. I KNOW I can make that, it's not hard.....but I haven't done it yet. So practicing in an open field shows me I CAN do it....but when it comes to actually doing it, that's a different matter.

Fantastic response. "I can do it....but when it comes to actually doing it, that's a different matter."

I think that, and taking this from different spots as well, that the mental aspect is massive. Mental not just in positive reinforcement but repetition reinforcement. Unfortunately this process is one that takes a long time and isn't fruitful immediately.

 

[ru4por]

I do a bunch of field work and then compare it to my course work. What I find causes the differences is that with field work, it's just that....work in a field. Wide open. Then you get to the course and have to deal with trees, bushes, OB, mandos, and other things that distract or interfere with your throw. In the field, all you need to concentrate on is the throw (run/walk up, standstill, angle of throw, etc); nothing else matters - you don't even really care where the disc lands. Then you get to the course and you have to make sure you don't hit that tree, or that your disc isn't going to land in that bush. I find that no matter how well I do in the field, I'm not going to do the same on the course. I've started going to a 'field' that has trees so I can practice more realistically and I'm finding it helps more for when I play a round on the course.

One good example, is there's a hole that is 292 with a dogleg left. So, I want to throw to the trail and then have a short 50ish foot approach to the basket. I KNOW I can throw 200 feet in a straight line. But at the 180 foot area there are trees and two of them make a double mando where you have to go between them. I KNOW I can make that, it's not hard.....but I haven't done it yet. So practicing in an open field shows me I CAN do it....but when it comes to actually doing it, that's a different matter.

Yup. Really comes down to max throw distance and course distance. If I can throw max distance of 300 in a field, I am not going to be able to throw max distance to a spot on a fairway. My max course/control distance is going to be 70-80% of my max distance. This is not a bad thing.

 

[ray1970]

Yup. Really comes down to max throw distance and course distance. If I can throw max distance of 300 in a field, I am not going to be able to throw max distance to a spot on a fairway. My max course/control distance is going to be 70-80% of my max distance. This is not a bad thing.

I'm an odd duck because I probably have better distance on a course than in a practice field.

I think it is sort of to do with what you mentioned. In a field I find myself trying to mash everything as far as I can which likely jacks with my form and timing. On the course, since I'm trying to make a clean, controlled shot I must be throwing cleaner or something.

 

[seedlings]

Low clearance on the courses I play provide the biggest obstacle to 'on course distance'. If I could throw 375' and keep the disc under 20' then I'd be golden. Instead, I can throw 375' as long as one side or the other gives height to work with. Otherwise, I'm putting from 50'. Have two ~375' par3 holes locally that infuriate me sometimes. I 'can' pin them theoretically.. But I can't in reality. At best, a Cloudbreaker will get 40 left, barely skip into the woods, or down a hill on the other hole. A hyzer fip Essence will get 40' short, but straight. (Those distances are usually more than 40'.) The line I need to throw just isn't there. This is why I've been working more on putting.

 

[lee76007]

It seems possible that on the practice field you thrive on repetition that transitions to momentum as you throw more discs. On the practice field if you bring at least a handful of discs if not your entire bag, you're likely throwing disc to disc at a much quicker pace than you are tee to tee. The time lapse from tee to tee may not be the momentum that your used to on the practice field, and you lose focus. Perhaps timing yourself from tee to tee for an average and try to match it on the practice field gradually over several visits. You could throw a 9-speed, and then a mid-range or putter to simulate the variety of shots you'll play on the course. You may need to retrain your momentum over time.

Like Ray1970 I throw much better on the course than the practice field. Something I recognized and adjusted for the practice field. Whether its tweaking my form or checking out a new disc, bring just few discs, and spend no more than 30 minutes. The few discs help simulate walking between shots and that's how I found my momentum for the practice field by matching the course.

I play much better on tight wooded courses where I'm focused on finding the line and matching the disc with that line, especially on a new course bag or a course I may infrequent. I very seldom think about how far I can throw my disc, and even seldom think about the basket even though I know I can reach it. It's always the line over distance on the tee, focused on that gap. On a more open course I tend to spray it more, because my focus may be wandering, and lack of challenge compared to hitting gaps. What's funny to me as I think about it, is I couldn't tell you the last time I practiced with my 13 and 14 speed discs, they always seem to go where I intended on the course, they require more focus just to throw them, so why ruin it. I have a few other lower speed discs same deal.

So perhaps for yourself tee alignment over distance for your focus, creating a new momentum?

 

[Sheep]

Generally the issue for me as well as the issue I see with others is this.
You get to the course and its time to bump one out there for some big D.

And.. you essentially brain fog and bad form comes in as you try and muscle through the shot vs relying on the fundamentals you practiced.

It's the most frustrating thing. I can casually non caringly huck 450 in a field goofing off. but sometimes struggle to make 350 on a round when I'm trying.

It's mostly a mental game issue that I dont' have a direct answer for, but understand where the issue stems from and what causes it.

Keeping your fundamentals under control helps you play the better game. Because consistency is king, but its not just consistency in where you throw and where you put the disc, but the consistency in your form throughout the round when you get tired, or require a bit more distance. Trying to remember that "more effort doesnt' equal more distance."
Because that's really what we do. We try and throw far, and .. throw is the key word here. We dont' really "throw" frisbee's. We leverage them with our body. And getting your brain to remember that sometimes when you want a bit more is difficult. So you under engage the hips and shoulders and muscle the disc.

My only main thought on it is a good preshot routine that focuses on pushing the proper swing and mindset on the shot.
I need to do this more, but I know if I overthink it, i can also throw poorly as well.

 

[discgolfjacquestati]

Generally the issue for me as well as the issue I see with others is this.
You get to the course and its time to bump one out there for some big D.

And.. you essentially brain fog and bad form comes in as you try and muscle through the shot vs relying on the fundamentals you practiced.

It's the most frustrating thing. I can casually non caringly huck 450 in a field goofing off. but sometimes struggle to make 350 on a round when I'm trying.

It's mostly a mental game issue that I dont' have a direct answer for, but understand where the issue stems from and what causes it.

Keeping your fundamentals under control helps you play the better game. Because consistency is king, but its not just consistency in where you throw and where you put the disc, but the consistency in your form throughout the round when you get tired, or require a bit more distance. Trying to remember that "more effort doesnt' equal more distance."
Because that's really what we do. We try and throw far, and .. throw is the key word here. We dont' really "throw" frisbee's. We leverage them with our body. And getting your brain to remember that sometimes when you want a bit more is difficult. So you under engage the hips and shoulders and muscle the disc.

My only main thought on it is a good preshot routine that focuses on pushing the proper swing and mindset on the shot.
I need to do this more, but I know if I overthink it, i can also throw poorly as well.

Checking back in here - I agree with this comment as well as a few others that basically stated that thinking about the "Big D" is causing the issues. Before I posted this I played and only thought about how far I was going to throw and essentially had no timing because of it. There was no thought process on how the disc would look or feel out of my hands. In the woods I hit my shots nearly every time because I was thinking about my lines and release.

I took this strategy to the course yesterday which has a handful of necessary 330+ shots and I hit nearly all of them, even parking a hole multiple times I have no business parking. How? I didn't think about power at all. It was all angle and line control. I let my disc handle all of the distance for me.

Thinking back on my field work, every time I focused on line control and technique, my shots were usually fine. When I focused strictly on power I would lose technique and angle control completely. Focusing on the throw itself, rather than the abstract definition of power and distance was absolutely a huge fix and a great way to continue to improve my Backhand.

 

[TiltedFlipCurves]

Distance sucks in the field.
Sucks even more when I have to try not to hit those trees or that barn they built one of these holes around :wall:

 

[BillFleming]

I have quit trying for distance in my fieldwork. I put out cones at 180, 210, and 240 feet (using a rangefinder). And my goal is to throw my disc so that it goes in a straight line to the cones. Then I can see how much fade it has. So my goal is accuracy over distance. This has helped somewhat on the course, but the lack of obstacles in the field and the multitude of obstacles on the course, makes the course more difficult to be consistent on.

I am currently trying to make my fieldwork as close to coursework as possible. Throwing at trees or from within trees is becoming a big help.

 

[blayed]

One funny thing that happens is when I play a sanctioned round I always tell myself to slow down. But for whatever reason when I slow down I end up throwing further. YMMV but I try to visualize drew gibson or tristan tanner, who have slow run ups and it helps me out a lot. When I start rushing or hopping through my x step it messes everything up.

 

[BillFleming]

One funny thing that happens is when I play a sanctioned round I always tell myself to slow down. But for whatever reason when I slow down I end up throwing further. YMMV but I try to visualize drew gibson or tristan tanner, who have slow run ups and it helps me out a lot. When I start rushing or hopping through my x step it messes everything up.

I do a slow walk-up and have found it improves my over-all timing. If I speed up even a little bit, my throws are way off. But hitting that 'sweet spot' every time is difficult.