Exactly. Stop blaming the basket, blame Fred! He's your caddy/catcher, bro.
Hmmm. A solo sport needlessly turned into a team sport. I like it! Just look at what it did for curling!
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Exactly. Stop blaming the basket, blame Fred! He's your caddy/catcher, bro.
Might be a lot more suspensions for kicking over baskets though. But on the flip side, that equates to more dgcr "bad boy" threads.
I've never thought watching someone blink was exciting -- now a yawn, that's some fun stuff!
The best disc golfer in the world thinks putting is too easy. I tend to disagree, but that's just me.
In related news, summer grass just told Kermit the Frog that it IS easy being green.
I happen to agree with you Stardoggy. For the guys/gals who are pros and the others who can play constantly year-round and have been playing 20+ years, I can imagine putting might be too easy for them. For us regular peeps who play maybe 1 time a week, weather permitting, for about half the year that isn't frozen, snow covered, pouring rain, etc. putting is already hard enough as it is outside of 25 feet. If pros want harder putting courses (smaller baskets, etc) then let them be built and hold the tournaments on those harder courses, but leave the recreational courses just the way they are. Just my humble opinion.
Rather than messing around with more difficult baskets, I'm thinking you first decide what you want putting to look like and its related stats, then redesign the equipment and rules to achieve that goal. And note, this issue is primarily relevant to play at the top pro level. There's no apparent reason to change the target for all other levels of play unless maybe it's improved to further reduce fluky results with cut-thrus and bounce backs.
The first goal is not really making putting tougher but to increase scoring spread for top pros in the putting process. The implication is that currently, our top players are putting too well that the process doesn't produce scoring separation. In ball golf, putting is so difficult that the threat of 3-putting exists even at the highest levels, even when they are expert at leaving their longer range lags or misses within 5 feet of the cup.
Simply making our putting a little bit tougher will not increase scoring spread but more likely reduce it as has been shown in some narrow chain basket tests in the field. Players that used to go for 40 footers have been laying up instead resulting in more players two-putting whether they are good or just average putters. So to gain more scoring separation, I would say we need to really make putting more difficult from 5 feet, where even the best putters miss 25-33%, so 3-putting is more common. Adding this close putting drama isn't the savior for getting more spectators but may increase the interest a bit more among player viewers.
Some ways to achieve this would be a much longer post. But narrow chain targets do not appear to be enough. And second, is increasing scoring separation enough reason to make a change or are there other goals that should also come into play to make it worthwhile? And reiterating, any of these changes would ONLY BE FOR TOP PRO PLAY. No changes for everyone else.
Inside of 50' only allow a specific size disc to be used -- an Ultimate disc at 150g max weight. opcorn:
Several options in our GDT idea bin with alternate discs as a possible part of any solution but maybe not necessary.
If this was to happen the chain design would need to change. Mach Is were designed to catch a Frisbee. The current chain design would be more like putting into a wall if lids were used. They would bounce right off those set ups.
I know this is the 2nd time I mentioned Mach Is. I am not suggesting going back to them just using them as an example.
If it's decided various changes should be tested, not necessarily by the PDGA but by higher tier TDs or various Pro Tours, it's unlikely the pros are going to "like" any option because it will be a change. So their opinion isn't as critical when it's others putting up the money. Case in point are the changes made at USDGC over the years. Not all of them were liked in the beginning and some even now. But the pros still come for the payout.On the up side the baskets wouldn't have to change.
The down side is the pros would absolutely hate it.
Not suggesting the newer chain pattern baskets like Mach X and Prodigy would work well, but the Mach III and Discatchers worked just fine for Super Class when we were doing those events. In fact, a couple players switched to using them as their regular putter it worked so well.
If it's decided various changes should be tested, not necessarily by the PDGA but by higher tier TDs or various Pro Tours, it's unlikely the pros are going to "like" any option because it will be a change. So their opinion isn't as critical when it's others putting up the money. Case in point are the changes made at USDGC over the years. Not all of them were liked in the beginning and some even now. But the pros still come for the payout.
And second, is increasing scoring separation enough reason to make a change or are there other goals that should also come into play to make it worthwhile? And reiterating, any of these changes would ONLY BE FOR TOP PRO PLAY. No changes for everyone else.