I guess this is what getting better looks like....

[mike3216]

I picked up the game at 50, and started playing rounds regularly at 52. I'm 54 now, and I'm not where I thought I'd be at this point, but I think I'm moving forward.

Two years ago, I was maxing out at 300', and I figured I would be throwing 400' by now, but not even close. 330-340' is about the most I can get. But I've become much more efficient at getting to the basket, throwing the drive that gives me the best second shot. I know my disks, and I keep it simple, rarely regretting my choice. Max distance? Starlite Wraith. Headwind drive? MF Thunderbird. 300' on a rail? Champ Sidewinder. 275' approach? Fusion EMac Truth. Hyzer approach? Gator or Justice. Turnover approaches? GStar Aviar or Mako3.

Two weeks ago, I threw even par, 18 straight pars, on my home course, which is wide open, and fairly long. That means I left three birdies on this course, but there are three par threes that are unreachable, so having no bogies is pretty amazing. Yesterday, I played 18 technical wooded holes on another course and ended up five strokes clear of two players who are better than I am.

The player I was two years ago would not be impressed with the player I am now. If we were to play, he would have a hard time understanding why he was getting his butt kicked.


I guess what has surprised me most is how little physically has changed in my game, but how much has changed between the ears.

For those of you who have picked up the game for the first time at 40 or older, have you progressed in a similar way?

FYI, I would still like to throw 400'; I just haven't figured that part out yet.......

 

[tone4]

In my experience most masters age (Am's) can only throw 300 or so. If you're getting 330 at 54 you're doing well.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

Hey Mike, I'm also Mike.. I'm 42 got back into disc 12yrs ish ago. I like your strategy.. I often say there's nothing wrong with par, even though out here everything should be a 2.

I have hit a sad plateau myself this year distance wise I seem to be topping it out at 300ish when I used to be a 350+ thrower.. But I'm happy that I'm getting it there easier and straighter with less impact on my body.

Whatever will keep me playing longest is best..

 

[discerdoo]

I'm 57 with similar distance, both BH and FH and have been playing right at 3 years. Played my first mini a while back and placed middle of the pack in intermediate, which I was pretty satisfied with. Keeping it in the fairway and hitting most of your circle one putts should definitely keep you around par. I lose strokes every round by not doing those things.

I also want to throw 400'. At our age, form is the only way we'll get there. We probably ain't gonna get any stronger but good conditioning is obviously important too.

 

[SaROCaM]

I picked up the game at 50, and started playing rounds regularly at 52. I'm 54 now, and I'm not where I thought I'd be at this point, but I think I'm moving forward.

Are your scores getting better? Improved consistency? Then you're moving forward.

Yesterday, I played 18 technical wooded holes on another course and ended up five strokes clear of two players who are better than I am.

Your better score is an indication of your potential. Maybe you should start thinking that perhaps they aren't so much "better" but simply more consistent.

The player I was two years ago would not be impressed with the player I am now. If we were to play, he would have a hard time understanding why he was getting his butt kicked.


I guess what has surprised me most is how little physically has changed in my game, but how much has changed between the ears.

For those of you who have picked up the game for the first time at 40 or older, have you progressed in a similar way?

FYI, I would still like to throw 400'; I just haven't figured that part out yet.......

Between the ears is where the most important progress is made. If you can drive cleanly off the tee, make your upshots consistently within your "comfort" range for putts, and consistently make putts in the circle, you have what you need. That, and knowing your discs (how they fly, when to throw which, etc.) Once you can consistently execute shots, course management and mental game are much more important than chasing 50' of max distance.

 

[Putt for D'oh]

I'm in a bit of a similar place place about 8 or 9 years younger. I tried the sport 20 something years ago in college but was bad and quit after 6 months. Started again at 41 and here 4 years later loads of improvement not just hoping but believing I can say I throw 400'. Flat ground no wind. I'm close.
From just after watching the first YouTube video on pulling the disc like a lawnmower I was able to throw far but had no idea where it was going and could miss by enough to have my second shot father from the basket than the tee. Three putting from 15' wasn't uncommon.
Whole game is getting more well rounded and gaining confidence a 1000 rated round at the local pro-am next month is within reach.

 

[mike3216]

I'm 57 with similar distance, both BH and FH and have been playing right at 3 years. Played my first mini a while back and placed middle of the pack in intermediate, which I was pretty satisfied with. Keeping it in the fairway and hitting most of your circle one putts should definitely keep you around par. I lose strokes every round by not doing those things.

I also want to throw 400'. At our age, form is the only way we'll get there. We probably ain't gonna get any stronger but good conditioning is obviously important too.

I'm jealous that you have a FH. I haven't figured that out yet. The absence of a FH has definitely made me develop turnover shots, though....

 

[mike3216]

Your better score is an indication of your potential. Maybe you should start thinking that perhaps they aren't so much "better" but simply more consistent.

At least with the friend I play with the most, it is the opposite. He has 100 feet on me on the drive, so when he is firing on all cylinders, he gets the par 3s that I can't. But he overthinks his disc choices and pushes too hard sometimes, blunting his advantage. I'm getting my par, and I avoid bad misses. For what it's worth, we make a fantastic doubles pairing.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

I can see that.. Different strategies work well together.. I played with a kid a while back for a random doubles tourney.. All I wanted to know when I met him was if he could throw a RHBH. I'm LHBH.. Turned out he had a rocket arm to boot... he was getting 100' past what I could with good skips etc.. But either poor choices or meltdowns on some easy mid distance, it was windy. The short of the story is that we took it by a stroke and though he was the king of the drives, my consistency and conservative shots helped out especially with some of his long misses on the birdies and mine being parked within 10' for the par.

You will figure out the FH.. It took me a while to feel like I can use it in a round with confidence but it will happen.. Check out Sidewinders "Swim move" it finally helped me put my FH pieces together this year.

 

[slowplastic]

It's one thing to have a hot round, but being able to throw a decent score every time you play really means you are improving.

Also definitely work on the FH shot, even if it's <150' with a putter or midrange. Something that you know won't strain your body initially, but gives you another option for upshots. That option is so important when you are stuck behind a tree. You'll see lines different also, and it'll make the game more fun and creative again. Like sometimes a right to left short upshot is easier to hit with a FH anny than the normal backhand.

 

[Meillo]

Disc golf is so much more than max D!

 

[HERB brooks]

Two weeks ago, I threw even par, 18 straight pars, on my home course, which is wide open, and fairly long. Yesterday, I played 18 technical wooded holes on another course and ended up five strokes clear of two players who are better than I am.

The player I was two years ago would not be impressed with the player I am now. If we were to play, he would have a hard time understanding why he was getting his butt kicked.

Playing consistent golf doesn't always feel like you are throwing good rounds. All of a sudden, you can score well even with rounds that feel mediocre.

I guess what has surprised me most is how little physically has changed in my game, but how much has changed between the ears.

FYI, I would still like to throw 400'; I just haven't figured that part out yet.......

Driving far is great for the ego, but doesn't always translate to better scores. Keep doing what you are doing, the distance still may come.

 

[bigmatt17073]

Here is my take as a 40 year old player that started a very different way. I originally started playing in college and played heavily for a number of years in Advanced. Eventually, I got a bit burned out and life, other hobbies and work interfered with playing/tournaments so I basically took a decade break. I've been back playing now for 1.5 years and try and play a few times a week if my work schedule allows.

If you want to get more distance skip a round a week and do some field work instead. After first starting to play I went back home for summer break and I didn't have really any choices for nearby courses. I went to the local elementary school and threw on the soccer field. Goal to Goal was 360 feet. I would practice all sorts of shots with different discs including midranges and putters. Once summer was over and I went back to school it was like the course was shorter. I could reach a couple more holes than before. The other part of that was I was starting to disc down on most of the other holes.

Another idea to help with distance is to practice the fundamentals and play some putter only rounds. Putters will highlight some form problems/errors that sometimes can be masked throwing drivers.

As an AM Master that normally outdrives his card mates the extra distance doesn't really doesn't matter much if at all. A few weekends ago playing Bowling Green AMs in Masters 40+ division. A long 800 foot par 4 I outdrove the other guys on the card by a good 100+ ft (probably one of my longest drives since back playing), but it was way to the right. The two other guys on the card just went right down the mowed fairway with me playing in the tall grass. I messed up my upshot and missed my putt. So I along with the other two guys all carded a 5 on the hole. My extra distance didn't help at all.

And, last learn a forehand even if just for some upshots. I barely ever threw one during my early days playing. Since I started playing again I have worked hard on that part of my game and it has made a world of difference.

 

[mike3216]

Exactly.

 

[Keller]

My distance didn't start improving until I stopped "trying" to throw far.

Been playing for 8 years, but didn't get serious until 4 years ago. I just got tired of being one of those guys that was throwing a Wraith on a flex line to go 270ft, it became embarrassing when I'm watching guys throw putters that far.

So

I played for a year and a half with 150 class discs, nothing faster than 7. It helped my timing, release angles and O.A.T. and it was the best way for me to learn a forehand, if you can learn to forehand a 150gr Leopard, you can forehand pretty much anything. Half way through last year, I switched back to normal weight discs, and I still don't bag anything faster than 7 speed.
I'm 58 and can throw a DX Teebird to 330ft with accuracy and can forehand them to 300ft. My scores have dropped, my overall accuracy has improved because I'm not trying to kill it and I'm not going to put anything faster in my bag until I can get those Teebirds to 350ft on a regular basis.

Something else that helped me was to stop trying out new discs. My bag is simple, some might say boring.
Star Eagles
DX Teebirds (main distance driver)
DX Cheetah
DX Rocs
DX Aviars P&A
Yeti Aviar
If it's really windy, I add a Banshee

Best of luck and have fun improving!

I didn't really start having fun until I learned to throw better.

 

[mike3216]

Here is my take as a 40 year old player that started a very different way. I originally started playing in college and played heavily for a number of years in Advanced. Eventually, I got a bit burned out and life, other hobbies and work interfered with playing/tournaments so I basically took a decade break. I've been back playing now for 1.5 years and try and play a few times a week if my work schedule allows.

If you want to get more distance skip a round a week and do some field work instead. After first starting to play I went back home for summer break and I didn't have really any choices for nearby courses. I went to the local elementary school and threw on the soccer field. Goal to Goal was 360 feet. I would practice all sorts of shots with different discs including midranges and putters. Once summer was over and I went back to school it was like the course was shorter. I could reach a couple more holes than before. The other part of that was I was starting to disc down on most of the other holes.

Another idea to help with distance is to practice the fundamentals and play some putter only rounds. Putters will highlight some form problems/errors that sometimes can be masked throwing drivers.

As an AM Master that normally outdrives his card mates the extra distance doesn't really doesn't matter much if at all. A few weekends ago playing Bowling Green AMs in Masters 40+ division. A long 800 foot par 4 I outdrove the other guys on the card by a good 100+ ft (probably one of my longest drives since back playing), but it was way to the right. The two other guys on the card just went right down the mowed fairway with me playing in the tall grass. I messed up my upshot and missed my putt. So I along with the other two guys all carded a 5 on the hole. My extra distance didn't help at all.

And, last learn a forehand even if just for some upshots. I barely ever threw one during my early days playing. Since I started playing again I have worked hard on that part of my game and it has made a world of difference.

Lots of good advice here, thanks. I have done quite a bit of field work, but there is something I am missing on the drive. Distance has not come easily, despite the fact that I am tall and have a big wingspan.

I can throw a standing forehand from an open stance to get out of trouble, but I can't seem to do it any other way. I'll figure it out sooner or later.

 

[Pymm]

I am 53 and max out on a good day at 300-310 feet. I make up for a lack of distance with good upshots and putting. I also have a variety of shots. My distance forehand is not great but my upshot forehand is pretty good most of the time, I throw a really good tomahawk with a couple different discs and I know exactly what those discs will do depending on power and angle applied, and I'm a solid putter, inside circle one at least. I think the biggest drawback to my driving distance is that I don't do enough fieldwork. I practice upshots a lot at a partially wooded space across the street from my house and I putt several times a week on the basket in my backyard. Consequently, those areas of my game are strong. In central NC where I live, most of the courses are short to medium and technical, which plays to my strengths. Most of the time I am right around par but at a couple places I am regularly under par, often by 4-5 strokes. Oh and no wind helps. I would hate to live in a place with wind because it kills my game.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

If it helps.. I learned how to FH with a Rhyno and Wasp.. I've since gone to Envys and fairways mostly, I just moved up to my 155 Inertia.. I disced down for about 6 months maybe 4 I can't remember it felt like a year... now I'm back to distance drivers and not gaining significantly from my fairways.. I'm not throwing as hard but I am throwing just about as far.

Actually that's partially an Internet lie too.. I thumped out my furthest FH uphill with that Inertia last week, partner missed the putt and I had a chance for my first "solo" bird on 13 at my place.. I missed haha ha f***

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

Also for FWIW I use a slow walkup on my drives, more to trigger my timing than gain distance. It's a seriously slow motion x step. It's also made a big difference. If I try and put it together faster and stop being such a pansy about my lead leg I think I could start crushing it soon.. Maybe, I'm optimistic but if I can get 300+ from essentially a standstill..

 

[zontar]

I'm 54 and started late myself. I have no forehand because I destroyed my arm breaking it a few times as a skate punk. I don't have your distance, but I throw 200 feet VERY accurately. it's amazing the players I can beat with that second shot!