Is putting too easy? too hard? Just right?

[Improbably]

If your putting is your strong suit, you're scores(compared to others) would get better by making putting harder.

I agree, and my agreement is a factor in why I consider the Mach2 New the apex of basket design.

I know I'd rather make 60% at 20' when my cohort is making 40%. But what accounts for the whiney pros being whiney pros when more difficult baskets would give them another way to rise above their competition?

 

[ranger]

If the problem is that disc golf isn't a major mainstream spectator sport, I'll offer a solution: Relax and live with it.

It's a double-folly: that disc golf could and should be a significant spectator sport, and that narrower baskets would be a significant factor in making this happen.

As a participation sport, disc golf continues to grow remarkably. If making putting more difficult by marking the target narrower, or shorter, makes the game better for participants, let's have that discussion.

Hit the nail on the head

I couldn't agree more. Narrow baskets wouldn't help with our obsession to grow the sport. A casual viewer already has no clue on degree of difficulty.

I want to slow the sport. I'm pretty happy with the number and quality of courses in my area. Great golf and not always jammed packed.

 

[Consult20]

In a 30 mph headwind the current baskets look pretty damn small, even on short putts. Add in some heavy rain and a bullseye type basket will make players cry -- does anyone really want to see that? :\

I think I Ed's basket design was brilliant and has essentially stood the test of time, with some tweaks here and there along the way. I would like to see a rigid standard at some point, keeping within the current specs for championship level baskets.

 

[zontar]

In a 30 mph headwind the current baskets look pretty damn small, even on short putts. Add in some heavy rain and a bullseye type basket will make players cry -- does anyone really want to see that? :\

I think I Ed's basket design was brilliant and has essentially stood the test of time, with some tweaks here and there along the way. I would like to see a rigid standard at some point, keeping within the current specs for championship level baskets.

this! if you live where there is plenty of wind, smaller baskets don't seem like such a wonderful idea.

and it is pretty darn amazing that this design has worked so well for so long.

 

[Innova63]

Go back to using Mach I baskets. They spit out any putt that had any force to them. Make putting more of a touch shot. Going at the basket hard makes putting easier.

I could go along with the single chains (deflectors) to bring some finesse back to the putt, but use the deeper baskets (catchers) from current designs to avoid the Mach-I basket bounce-outs.

 

[TAFL]

In a 30 mph headwind the current baskets look pretty damn small, even on short putts. Add in some heavy rain and a bullseye type basket will make players cry -- does anyone really want to see that? :\

<raises hand> I do.

I've spent almost my entire playing career in the midwest--Iowa and Kansas--and would love to have smaller targets.

 

[Emoney]

If your putting is your strong suit, you're scores(compared to others) would get better by making putting harder.

This sums up what I'm trying to say. Good putts will still be good putts. Regardless of weather or if it's just a pole. We reward bad putts right now.
Right now it's" putt for show, drive for dough".
I feel like the people that are bad at putting are the ones objecting to narrower baskets. My answer to them is practice your putting.

Pros will still run at a narrow basket, why? Because they are pros and they do it for a living. If we only used a ski pole for a basket , pros will still throw at it from 60ft, why ? Because they have the opportunity to practice doing that for a living.
If ppl are scared of throwing a frisbee too far past a narrow basket from 40ft, then u are a bad putter and u are an AM and will forever be one. Which is cool, but I believe in increasing the difficulty in putting and making it matter.
I want 15 ft putts to be something you want to watch instead of a given.
When I mentioned a solution, it was because I was explaining my vote for putting is too easy.
Maybe narrow baskets will eventually catch on....Or we will just keep using tons of o.b. rope and flags or find cliffs and water to put baskets by.

 

[Doofenshmirtz]

Why not use two different basket sizes? Have the smaller diameter chainset basket for holes where the basket approach shot is wide open.

FTR, I voted no change, but where a hole must be put where it is substantially open, this could be a tool to add some difficulty. It wouldn't bother me to see a couple of these on a course.

 

[SonicGuy]

This sums up what I'm trying to say. Good putts will still be good putts. Regardless of weather or if it's just a pole. We reward bad putts right now.
Right now it's" putt for show, drive for dough".
I feel like the people that are bad at putting are the ones objecting to narrower baskets. My answer to them is practice your putting.

Pros will still run at a narrow basket, why? Because they are pros and they do it for a living. If we only used a ski pole for a basket , pros will still throw at it from 60ft, why ? Because they have the opportunity to practice doing that for a living.
If ppl are scared of throwing a frisbee too far past a narrow basket from 40ft, then u are a bad putter and u are an AM and will forever be one. Which is cool, but I believe in increasing the difficulty in putting and making it matter.
I want 15 ft putts to be something you want to watch instead of a given.
When I mentioned a solution, it was because I was explaining my vote for putting is too easy.
Maybe narrow baskets will eventually catch on....Or we will just keep using tons of o.b. rope and flags or find cliffs and water to put baskets by.

This is exactly, completely, and utterly wrong.

Making putting harder benefits the poor putter over the superior putter. The poor putter already misses a fair amount of putts over 20'. From 20' to 45' the good putter can convert a fair number of strokes. If you make putting harder the poor putter may have his high percentage range moved down a couple feet to like 17', while the good putter will have his high percentage range significantly reduced.

Harder scoring baskets = less scoring separation between the average "good" and "bad" putters.

 

[sillybizz]

Let's just hire some guys to stand there. If they catch it without dropping, you have holed out and can continue to the next hole. (snicker)

 

[zenbot]

I am going to have to go with designing better greens in order to make putting harder. This is much easier to do on course with trees and plenty of elevation. As this sport continues to grow, we will eventually have courses that we consider the top echelon (John Houck has a monopoly on most of these already)... and both the fairways and greens are what will distinguish those courses... not the baskets.

I completely agree. A completely bald circle is IMO really boring golf. There are many holes on my course where I really have to play to the green. If I don't I suffer the consequences or make a miraculous putt 25' out in deep shule.

 

[zenbot]

Let's just hire some guys to stand there. If they catch it without dropping, you have holed out and can continue to the next hole. (snicker)

So caddy/catchers?

 

[sillybizz]

So caddy/catchers?

Exactly. Stop blaming the basket, blame Fred! He's your caddy/catcher, bro.

 

[PBokor]

My 2 Cents

From a spectator perspective, I would like to see more courses like DeLaveaga. High risk/high reward on almost every hole makes for interesting viewing, whether in person or online.

 

[Consult20]

<raises hand> I do.

I've spent almost my entire playing career in the midwest--Iowa and Kansas--and would love to have smaller targets.

Just play courses with Chainstars and you'll get your wish!

 

[lyleoross]

In a 30 mph headwind the current baskets look pretty damn small, even on short putts. Add in some heavy rain and a bullseye type basket will make players cry -- does anyone really want to see that? :\

I think I Ed's basket design was brilliant and has essentially stood the test of time, with some tweaks here and there along the way. I would like to see a rigid standard at some point, keeping within the current specs for championship level baskets.

Personally, I think making grown players cry would add to the spectator element of the sport. So yeah, I'm all for it. . Bonus points if they fall to their knees, pull up wads of grass and thow it in the air.

 

[lyleoross]

From a spectator perspective, I would like to see more courses like DeLaveaga. High risk/high reward on almost every hole makes for interesting viewing, whether in person or online.

ng
The best part of Dela is watching players blink. The putting game changes completely. Very few "hey, I'll just run this, I can make the come back," shots. It's a more exciting game.

 

[zenbot]

From a spectator perspective, I would like to see more courses like DeLaveaga. High risk/high reward on almost every hole makes for interesting viewing, whether in person or online.

Exactly.

 

[Consult20]

Personally, I think making grown players cry would add to the spectator element of the sport. So yeah, I'm all for it. . Bonus points if they fall to their knees, pull up wads of grass and thow it in the air.

Might be a lot more suspensions for kicking over baskets though. But on the flip side, that equates to more dgcr "bad boy" threads.

 

[Consult20]

ng
The best part of Dela is watching players blink. The putting game changes completely. Very few "hey, I'll just run this, I can make the come back," shots. It's a more exciting game.

I've never thought watching someone blink was exciting -- now a yawn, that's some fun stuff!