Herb's 2020 ITB

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (4 rounds):

1x Polecat (R-Pro)- 1 throw.
3x Omega (DT, Super Soft, & Gummy Quantum)- 135 total throws (114 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro & Factory Store Pro)- 22 throws.
4x Roc (DX, KC Pro, & Star)- 3 throws.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & 1.3 Sirius)- 9 throws.
4x OLF (1.1 MOLF, 1.2 SOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 10 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 20 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 10 throws.

I've been playing well for the most part, with the exception of my last round out on Monday. My first round over par for the year, one where I was off to a solid start through the first ten holes. I'm needing to trust my Rocs more than I do, despite pulling the Sentinels I am still barely throwing them. Aviary Fools was cancelled due to corona, local league has suspended all events too. Looks like I'll be playing a decent amount of solo rounds to keep my sanity and will be leaning more on the Rocs in this casual setting.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (3 rounds):

1x Polecat (R-Pro)- 1 throw.
3x Omega (DT, Super Soft, & Gummy Quantum)- 93 total throws (78 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro & Factory Store Pro)- 22 throws.
4x Roc (DX, KC Pro, & Star)- 10 throws.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & 1.3 Sirius)- 2 throws.
4x OLF (1.1 MOLF, 1.2 SOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 8 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 11 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 8 throws.

This will likely be my last update for a while after the PDGA announcement. I bought some marking paint for the back yard, to mark distances for JYLY. I'm gonna go pretty hard with putting and upshot practice since we aren't supposed to play rounds anymore, luckily the yard is fairly sizable. I may wind up grabbing some rope and making a 10 meter portion to attach to the base of my basket to boot, before the inevitable shelter in place order. Stay safe everyone.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (2 rounds):

1x Polecat (XT)- 0 throws.
3x Omega (1.2 DT, no run Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 69 total throws (55 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro & Factory Store Pro)- 12 throws.
4x Roc (DX, KC Pro, & Champion)- 5 throws. Full disclosure, I bought a Quantum Taurus to use as a Champ Roc equivalent. I should have done this sooner, as it is a great substitute for a beefy roc. I don't feel like its much different than a USDGC roc would be, and available for much cheaper to boot. So I'm slightly cheating calling this a Roc, since it is really a RocX, but whatever.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & 1.3 Sirius)- 4 throws.
3x OLF (1.1 MOLF, 1.2 SOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 4 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 7 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 6 throws.

The stay at home order was lifted on Monday here in Colorado, so I'm back to playing rounds with a friend. One new piece of essential equipment is a bottle of isopropyl alcohol, will have to grab more to keep my hands and discs disinfected. Other than that, the only change is that I added a Quantum Taurus, which I am trying to figure out as my most OS Roc. I like how it has the same feeling in the hand as a Roc, and the added stability will be nice to have. Time will tell if I will commit to the Taurus as part of my lineup. The extra putting practice and field work sessions have really paid dividends, as I'm way more comfortable throwing BH anhyzers than ever before. If anything my month off from playing has really been a benefit, and I'll finally commit to a regular practice regimen to keep my skills sharp.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (3 rounds):

1x Polecat (XT)- 2 throws.
3x Omega (1.2 DT, no run Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 92 total throws (77 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro & Factory Store Pro)- 21 throws.
4x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Champion)- 5 throws.
3x JLS (no run MJLS, Glow QJS, & 1.3 Sirius)- 4 throws.
3x OLF (1.1 MOLF, 1.2 SOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 10 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 13 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 7 throws.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (3 rounds):

1x Polecat (XT)- 1 throw. I barely use my Polecat anymore, but it bails me out of some seriously janky lies.
3x Omega (1.2 DT, no run Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 94 total throws (84 putts). The first run Sirius has been a great replacement for my old gummy Q-mega. This one has a lower shoulder, which I prefer. The plastic is a little slick but the flight is great and it has slotted right in where the old one left off.
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 30 throws. The newest Pig in my bag is one of the most stable Pigs that I've bought in quite a while. I'm really pleased with it and am tempted to bag a third in between that one and my beat Pig I used for approach shots. I hope the new one retain this stability for quite some time.
4x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 7 throws. I was tempted to get a couple of the 2020 USDGC Champ Roc throwers, but others have said there is minimal difference between Champ Rocs and the Taurus. Still using the Taurus as a Champ Roc equivalent and really enjoying it. I hit cage on an ace run on Saturday, I'm starting to really dial the Taurus in and have another on the way from Marshall Street.
3x JLS (no run MJLS, Lunar QJ, & 1.3 Sirius)- 7 throws. I need more flippy MJLS, they are money woods discs. Anyone reading this with extra should shoot me a PM, I'll give them a good home.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 12 throws. I switched up my OLFs for ****s and giggles recently. I have so many that I may as well let more of them get some airtime.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 8 throws. These are the same three that have been in my bag all season. My most beat up '18 Sexton is easily my favorite driver in the bag. It has beaten into perfection, retaining all the HSS, but with significantly less LSS than my other Sexton. The flat top pearly is there for beef.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 6 throws. I'm getting some extra distance with these compared to the beginning of the year. I feel like I'm putting less effort into throws that are travelling just as far if not farther than max effort shots from January.
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Cumulative stats since start of 2020 (omitting 12 Sentinel throws):

1.Pig- 254 throws. 30.68% of throws
2.Omega- 149 throws & 884 putts (1126 total). 18.00% of throws
3.Firebird- 143 throws. 17.27% of throws
4.OLF- 85 throws. 10.27% of throws
5.Xcal- 61 throws. 7.37% of throws
t6.Roc- 58 throws. 7.00% of throws
t6.JLS- 58 throws. 7.00% of throws
8.Polecat- 23 throws. 2.78% of throws
________________
(828 throws/884 putts= 1712 total)
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The Omegas, Pigs, and Firebirds make up almost 2/3 of my total shots this year (65.95%). Most of my upshots are with one of these three molds. All of my bagged molds get thrown both FH and BH interchangeably although a couple molds are more specialized (Rocs are predominantly BH, Firebirds mostly for FH). Normally I would pull a mold that I throw as little as the Polecat, but I do not see myself dropping it anytime soon. I'm confident that the Polecat has saved me strokes the majority of the time that I have used it this year, even if it has been less than one throw per round. One goal for the next few months is that I'd like to work towards replacing some of my FH Pig shots with BH Roc shots now that I'm more confident in them. This will have the added benefit of allowing me to beat in some DX Rocs. I could definitely use a few more flippy Rocs since most of mine are not US enough at altitude.

 

[konza_kid]

love the stats, it is an interesting way to look at what in your bag is actually doing the work. how do you keep track of this? notebook during the round, or do you just write it all down afterwards?

 

[HERB brooks]

love the stats, it is an interesting way to look at what in your bag is actually doing the work. how do you keep track of this? notebook during the round, or do you just write it all down afterwards?

I have kept a log of my rounds for the past year and a half, writing down the discs I used in a notebook once I get home. It's pretty easy to remember all your shots unless you play 3+ rounds in a day. From there you can make an Excel file to tally up the percentages, or if you are like me and have insomnia do it by hand in the wee hours of the night.

 

[konza_kid]

that's pretty great, totally stealing this.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (3 rounds):

1x Polecat (XT)- 3 throws.
3x Omega (1.2 DT, no run Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 96 total throws (79 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 22 throws.
4x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 12 throws.
3x JLS (no run MJLS, Lunar QJ, & 1.3 Sirius)- 4 throws.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 4 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 2 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 3 throws. I was mistaken in my last update saying that I throw every mold BH and FH. I pretty much never throw the Xcals BH in a round, only during field work. I can only remember throwing an Xcal off the tee BH once all year.

Played a couple rounds this weekend at the local short course, Cumberland Green, which always skews the numbers towards my slower discs. This is a great course to get some practice with mids and putters, you can easily play a couple solo rounds in less than an hour and a half. In both rounds there I only threw a driver 3 times (2 JLS and 1 OLF). I may not even bring any drivers with me next time I go down there, I should be able to reach circle 2 at worst on every hole with a Roc or putter.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (1 round):

1x Polecat (XT)- 0 throws.
3x Omega (1.2 DT, no run Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 35 total throws (27 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 6 throws.
4x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 1 throw.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & Lunar QJ)- 1 throw.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 3 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 4 throws.
1x Hades (ESP)- 2 throws. Experimenting with Pablo's new jam.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 3 throws.

Wound up buying 3 Hades on a whim, since I had some money from graduation burning a hole in my pocket. I bought them with the intention of giving two away to my buddies and keeping one for myself to try out. I haven't bought anything that's not manufactured by Innova in about a couple years, so I figured what the hell. Got in a round at Widefield earlier today to give them a test run, and was pretty impressed with the 10ish throws I had with them. I made sure to throw some second shots with them on plenty of holes and I feel like the mold will end up making the bag as my BH distance driver. Its a fast mold with good glide and decently US, but not overly flippy. They are flying like a longer version of my beat Pro Wraith I used to bag last year. I may have to get a couple more, since two are promised to friends at the moment (or just tell em I'll buy them a case of beer and keep the other Hades for myself).

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (5 rounds):

1x Polecat (XT)- 1 throws.
3x Omega (1.2 DT, no run Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 159 total throws (139 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 30 throws.
4x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 14 throws.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & Lunar QJ)- 4 throws.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 8 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 19 throws.
1x Hades (ESP)- 5 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 15 throws.

I've been playing a good amount since the last update (I even snuck in a round of impromptu doubles:clap, trying to dial in the Hades. Many of the longer holes I'll throw a Hades or two as a practice shot, in an attempt to learn the mold better. So far I am really enjoying the mold, as I am able to throw these 400' with relative ease when I try to rip into them. I am more accurate with my OLFs, but the Hades is fairly controllable as well. Mine are flying more OS than many others here have reported, which is primarily due to the altitude here in Colorado. I can trust that they will fight out of anny at the end of the flight and get big distance. My best shot with one today was a good 420' BH pull uphill, that ended up pin high in circle 2 on a hole that I struggle to reach consistently with my FH. This mold is 100% here to stay for the rest of the year, as my BH discing down has paid dividends. OLFs crush, but I really need to get my ass into the throw to get flirt with 400'. The Hades on the other hand will get that same distance with much less effort, similar to my Xcals on FH drives.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (5 rounds):

1x Polecat (XT)- 2 throws.
3x Omega (1.2 DT, 1.19 Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 153 total throws (128 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 35 throws.
4x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 16 throws.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & Lunar QJ)- 6 throws.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 14 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 7 throws.
1x Hades (ESP)- 4 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 10 throws.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (4 rounds):

3x Omega (1.2 DT, 1.19 Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 124 total throws (99 putts). I hit my second Omega ace of the year last week with my beat Super Soft, and almost rang up a couple with its replacement today. My putting feels very solid with the DT.
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 23 throws. My most thrown and favorite mold in the bag, they give me so much confidence. I am seriously considering adding a third into the bag, as the newest one is the most OS Pig I've bagged in several years.
5x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 12 throws. Right now I have #1-#4 Rocs in the bag, with a pair of #3s in there. I only have one Roc that I could consider flippy enough to be a #5, but my current #4 is getting close. That particular #4 is probably my favorite Roc at the moment, and I throw it more often than my others in a typical round. I would say that I use them from most thrown to least thrown in the following order: 4,3,1,2. If I can get a couple nice backups for the #5, I'll stay with 5 Rocs in the bag, otherwise I'll cut back.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & Lunar QJ)- 7 throws. This mold deserves more airtime than I give it, but won't be leaving the bag. The perfect complement to my OLFs and Firebirds.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 9 throws. My workhorse control driver for BH and FH shots that I need to shape. This mold will never leave my bag, and I've built up a sizable stack of 1.1s over the past few years. I should have a lifetime supply of SOFs at my disposal, but would love to track down some 1.1 or 1.2 MOLFs as backups.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 14 throws. I've been trying to use these less often that I did before, and work on throwing my other driver molds BH instead. I bought a pair of Luster Flat Tops from Marshall Street that are absolute beef, probably the most OS Firebirds I've ever owned. I need to throw some grenades and other OH shots with them to beat them in, because they are almost too beefy for me to want in the bag.
2x Hades (ESP)- 3 throws. I've been throwing these a bunch as practice shots, but will typically throw something else first off the tee. I am really enjoying throwing them, but there aren't too many holes locally where I am needing the long and slightly US flight. As I continue to get used to the Hades, I feel like I will be throwing them more often, but for now I am more confident throwing my more beat XCal on a FH when I need distance.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 7 throws. My go to FH driver for anything between 375-425'.

A few slight changes to my setup over the past few rounds. I have removed the Polecat for the time being to see if I can get away without bagging one. So far I have not really missed it, but the Polecat can be incredibly useful in certain situations, so I may have to put it back in at some point. I also snagged a new 179 DX Ontario Roc that I have added into the mix. That disc is very straight for an unthrown Roc, comparisons between Ontario Rocs and a Comet are spot on. I look forward to seasoning that as the year progresses, it will allow me to shelf my current #3 Roc for a bit while the Ontario develops some more turn. A second Hades is now in the bag, so that I can get some extra practice with them. I now have a small stack of Hades, some that are fairly flat and others that just arrived with a pop top dome. I have one of each in the bag at the moment, but have used the flatties much more.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (5 rounds):

3x Omega (1.2 DT, 1.19 Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 168 total throws (136 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 34 throws.
5x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 16 throws.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & Lunar QJ)- 5 throws.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 15 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 15 throws.
2x Hades (ESP)- 3 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 4 throws.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (5 rounds):

3x Omega (1.2 DT, 1.19 Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 171 total throws (144 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 26 throws. Hit my third ace of the year yesterday at doubles with a FH flex Pig shot...of course I didn't pay into the ace pot.
4x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 12 throws.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & 1.2 QJ)- 12 throws.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 25 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 20 throws.
1x Hades (ESP)- 5 throws. These are amazing tailwind drivers, tons of glide keeping the disc from getting smashed down.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 18 throws.

Fun week of golf so far, I finally went up to Larkspur and played at Ponderosa on Monday. That's a great course, too bad it is rarely open to the public or I would be there much more often.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (3 rounds):

3x Omega (1.2 DT, 1.19 Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 97 total throws (87 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 26 throws.
4x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 15 throws.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & 1.2 QJ)- 6 throws.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 10 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 10 throws.
1x Hades (ESP)- 4 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 10 throws.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (4 rounds):
3x Omega (1.2 DT, 1.19 Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 126 total throws (107 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro)- 29 throws.
4x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 3 throws.
3x JLS (no run MJLS & 1.2 QJ)- 4 throws.
3x OLF (1.2 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 13 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 26 throws.
1x Hades (ESP)- 2 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 11 throws.

I was finally able to play in a sanctioned tournament for the first time since the end of February over the weekend. It was just a one round flex start, but it was great to get in a real competitive round again. I had only played the course once before, around three years ago. Unfortunately, my Circle 1X putting was terrible, and I left 4-5 easy strokes out on the course throughout the round. On the other hand, I was hitting several putts from outside the circle, and had my cardmates joking that I should start laying up to 45 feet away from the bucket. I unofficially shot a 905 rated round:\, which could have easily been much better if I didn't putt like a jackass all day. I have another event coming up this Sunday so hopefully I can perform at a level that is more in line with my true skillset.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag for upcoming tournament tomorrow:

3x Omega
2x Pig
3x Roc
2x JLS
4-5x OLF
2x Firebird
2x Hades
2x Xcal

I'll be playing in another C tier tomorrow up in Victor, CO. The course is practically at 10,000' in elevation, so I'll really be leaning on my flippy discs more than usual. I had a chance to get in a practice round yesterday, and the course is fairly FH friendly which should help me out considerably. The Hades and my more beat in OLFs got the majority of the throws off the tee, and I barely threw the Firebirds/Xcals. I'm not sure if I should have 4 or 5 OLF in the bag, maybe 5 just in case I lose one during the event. It would be nice to have a back up handy as a contingency plan. I'll definitely leave the flat top Firebird at home.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (2 rounds):
3x Omega (1.2 DT, 1.19 Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 61 total throws (55 putts).
3x Pig (R-Pro)- 22 throws.
3x Roc (DX, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 0 throws.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & 1.2 QJ)- 0 throws.
4x OLF (1.1 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 18 throws.
2x Firebird (Color Glow Champ)- 1 throw.
2x Hades (ESP)- 7 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 1 throw.

I wound up getting my first win in MA1 over the weekend. The course, Alta Vista, really is lefty or FH friendly, which played to my strengths. The elevation up in Victor had me throwing my less stable plastic off the tee on most shots. I was able to hit my lines on just about every hole and gave myself a birdie look on well over half of the holes. This let me stack the birds up and pull away from the field. Unfortunately it was just a one round event with precautions being taken due to COVID, I would have liked to have played a second round there to see if I could have kept up the momentum. This was easily the best rated round that I have ever played with an official rating of 993.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag Since Last Update (5 rounds):
3x Omega (1.2 DT, 1.19 Super Soft, & 1.1 Sirius)- 161 total throws (138 putts).
2x Pig (R-Pro & Ricky Glow Pro)- 34 throws.
3x Roc (DX Ontario, Glow KC Pro, & Quantum Taurus)- 4 throws.
2x JLS (no run MJLS & 1.2 QJ)- 8 throws.
3x OLF (1.1 MOLF, 1.3 MOLF, & 1.1 SOLF)- 19 throws.
3x Firebird (Champion & Color Glow Champ)- 28 throws.
1x Hades (ESP)- 4 throws.
2x Xcal (PFN Star)- 9 throws.