Distance????

[DerekTonn]

I don't mean to belabor the point, and I certainly don't mean to try and devalue Steve's data and argument (Steve's one of my "heroes" of the sport...along with Chuck Kennedy and others, for all he's done to grow DG in/around Minnesota). My only point is that 850+ rated players are only the portion of the "iceberg" that is poking out above the water's surface.

It's the same with just about any issue we discuss re: disc golf sometimes. People like us talk about our peers (other 850+ players who play leagues/tourneys), design courses for our peers, et al. And we forget or even purposefully ignore all the casual/Rec players who aren't. Who probably outnumber us at LEAST 4-5:1.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Steve and I aren't arguing that point, just providing stats for that level of player. Online retailers when questioned indicate anywhere from 1-3% of their sales are to PDGA members. Using that small nugget of info, it might indicate there are between 700,000 to 2 million making disc related purchases most who probably play. So it's not unreasonable to think that perhaps 5% of all players might play at 850+ rating if they had a PDGA rating.

 

[Steve West]

I don't think we're ignoring them either. Anyone can have fun on a Red-level course, and there are a bunch of those in existence and being built. I could make that green-level courses have a place in public parks, and there are some of those. Anything easier than that is probably a special case, like a camp for youth, and those are also being built.

I am "a baseball player" who is not in any official organization. I played in junior high, then once again in a fathers vs. sons little league game. I also have bought baseball equipment.

That doesn't mean I want all (or even ANY) baseball parks designed so that I have as much chance to hit a home run as major league players do on their fields. So, it doesn't matter to baseball or to me that no one is measuring my abilities or including me in any player totals.

Besides, improvement in disc golf is fast - at least at first. All players who continue will play most of their rounds (over their lifetime) at a barely-competent or above level of skill.

 

[beereakfast]

Yeah, I play this one hole that is about 120 ft to the basket, but there is a road behind the basket that is around 300 ft from the pin and I have literally NEVER seen anyone throw it that far...:\

Seriously though, why would you judge someone's ability to throw over 300 ft when the hole is only 280 ft?

My apologies. I neglected to mention the 3ft diameter log blocking the front of the basket, the 4 inches of wood chip mulch coating the fairway eliminating skips, the uphill nature of the hole, and the backstop of bushes.

I was unaware that overshooting a basket by 20 feet is such an inconceivable occurrence. Must be nice. I do it frequently. (on shorter holes)

 

[adamtheviking5]

Something like this? 670ft

That doesn't look like 670' to me. It looks wsy outta my range but not 670'

 

[HiFi]

The actual hole sits 20 feet inside of that tree line at the end. I didn't measure it myself but it seems pretty accurate to me, speaking as someone who has played that hole/course dozens of times since it opened in August.

 

[The Roc]

I think the majority of disc golfers that have been playing a year or more are between 300-400ft

 

[Shooter14]

Distance is highly dependent of geography.

Absolutely. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. I throw over 400', and I'm one of FEW here. It definitely turns heads. But other places you better throw over 450 if you even wanna get looked at.

 

[The Happy Gilmore]

Absolutely. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. I throw over 400', and I'm one of FEW here. It definitely turns heads. But other places you better throw over 450 if you even wanna get looked at.

There should be a video requirement for anyone who legitimately claims to throw 400 or more. It's irritating for those of is who can throw 800 plus on flat ground opcorn:

 

[New013]

let's just say 1 million people play. if 1% throw 500+ then that would mean 10,000 people can throw 500+. that seems a little high to me.

 

[tylerc]

let's just say 1 million people play. if 1% throw 500+ then that would mean 10,000 people can throw 500+. that seems a little high to me.

that's not too far fetched.. atleast not in charlotte. there are a lot of people that can throw 500 on a distance line

 

[Monkeypaws]

There is a difference between "can throw 300'," and "routinely throws 300 feet."

 

[SonicGuy]

that's not too far fetched.. atleast not in charlotte. there are a lot of people that can throw 500 on a distance line

BS. Typical Charlotte elitism. I highly doubt there are more than 30 or so in Charlotte that throw 500. In MN I know of maybe 12 people.

10,000 disc golfers throwing over 500' worldwide is a crazy number. Even if you are talking about a "distance line" (ie I threw 500 once on a fluke with a huge tailwind)

 

[mark996]

I still think the majority of people who claim to throw 500+ feet have a gross misunderstanding of the distance, or they're basing it off a course or a particular hole and not taking in to consideration terrain drops along the way.

 

[The Happy Gilmore]

I still think the majority of people who claim to throw 500+ feet have a gross misunderstanding of the distance, or they're basing it off a course or a particular hole and not taking in to consideration terrain drops along the way.

This. People all too often have a misconception of how far 400 feet is let alone 500!

 

[DavidSauls]

I still think the majority of people who claim to throw 500+ feet have a gross misunderstanding of the distance, or they're basing it off a course or a particular hole and not taking in to consideration terrain drops along the way.

Until recently, a tournament near me had field events, including distance on a flat open field. Even with the chance for big run-ups or 360s, absolutely no obstacles to constrain the flight, and the presumed self-selection of the bigger arms entering the contest, it was rare to see that kind of distance.

Which, of course, proves nothing. Maybe the thousands of big arms don't play tournaments. Maybe they didn't play this one.

Anyone have a link to the distance competition results at Worlds, Am or Pro? I always find these a little disappointing, considering these should be disproportionately better players than the general disc golfer population.

 

[mark996]

http://www.pdga.com/2014proworlds/fieldevents

657 by David Wiggins won. Some big name folks not on there so not sure if they participated. Simon hit 585, Nikko hit 558.

Distance to me is a funny thing. I'm always in awe of those who can drive an average distance and have accuracy.

 

[46YearOldSlinger]

I'm loving this thread for helping me out with my self esteem. From reading all the other threads on DGCR I thought almost everyone was throwing like 400+ which is way out of my ballpark.

 

[bhadella]

BS. Typical Charlotte elitism. I highly doubt there are more than 30 or so in Charlotte that throw 500. In MN I know of maybe 12 people.

10,000 disc golfers throwing over 500' worldwide is a crazy number. Even if you are talking about a "distance line" (ie I threw 500 once on a fluke with a huge tailwind)

30 would be very generous (as a Charlotte local chiming in). 500ft without being aided by wind and elevation is a really, really long way.

 

[mark996]

I'm loving this thread for helping me out with my self esteem. From reading all the other threads on DGCR I thought almost everyone was throwing like 400+ which is way out of my ballpark.

The best thing I can say is watch tournament play on youtube, and pay attention to the distances on each hole and then see how the likes of McBeth, Wysocki, Doss etc throw on that hole. They bomb, sure, but I think it's funny people on here say they're hitting 500+ drives during course play when the lead card guys aren't even consistently hitting that distance.

You really can't compare a distance competition to course play, no 360 run up, no tailwind, etc.