Oi Vey.. Composure advice?

[cHildebrandt]

Hey people.

I played my local clubs Ice Bowl today. First round was fun and hilarious, shanked shots were laughed at and made the best of.

But, second round my competitiveness got the better of me. I know I can shoot par or better at the course, but, I went out and shot an emberassing +11. I was furious after ending up +5 over 4 holes.

So, for you fellow competitive people out there, how do you handle keeping collected and not Nikko'ing? I won't lie, I smacked my leg and let out a few trucker words, and I'm not exactly proud of it. But, I'd like to hear how you guys handle terrible rounds? I've always been obscenely competitive, mostly with myself, but sometimes I feel like it absolutely gets the best of me.


I feel like this is a strategy style question sooooooo.... Lol

Thanks,
Colin.

 

[biscoe]

Read Golf is not a Game of Perfect... rinse... repeat.

 

[nothinbuttree]

Leave it at the basket.

Instead of focusing on your overall round score, try focusing on and trying to get encouraged on a per shot basis. 3 Bogeys in a row? No problem, cause you just sank a 30' birdie putt. No it doesn't fix the round, but it does let you stay more positive.

 

[DavidSauls]

After a couple of extended injury absences, playing badly doesn't seem so bad. It beats not playing at all.

I don't recommend you try that prescription, but it's helped me.

 

[Armus Patheticus]

Why do you care about keeping your composure? Because you want to be a decent person? Because you want to avoid damaging your score during a tantrum?

Obscene competitiveness usually leads to infantile behavior.

Aside from my basic mild nature, perspective on the situation prevents me from losing composure. During a game of disc golf, absolutely nothing of value is at stake. Throwing a plastic toy better than another guy isn't going to boost my ego. Winning a few discs or dollars means nothing. Such an approach tears down competitive feelings, so some other form of motivation must be introduced to maintain interest.

 

[cHildebrandt]

Why do you care about keeping your composure? Because you want to be a decent person? Because you want to avoid damaging your score during a tantrum?

Obscene competitiveness usually leads to infantile behavior.

Aside from my basic mild nature, perspective on the situation prevents me from losing composure. During a game of disc golf, absolutely nothing of value is at stake. Throwing a plastic toy better than another guy isn't going to boost my ego. Winning a few discs or dollars means nothing. Such an approach tears down competitive feelings, so some other form of motivation must be introduced to maintain interest.

Its just something I've struggled with in every sport I've played. I get frustrated, and end up either in trouble with the organization, or banned (Kicked out of a Hockey League, kicked out of a Rugby League, you know, the goods, mostly for fighting, but I mean, contact sport... Try and have a go at me lol). I've gotten drastically better at not letting it get to me, but I still get the "what in the absolute **** am I doing here" moments.

I think of the game of disc golf as UFO hunting. I throw my disc, I look for it, I throw it again, a never ending story. I think it may be me setting perhaps an unrealistic goal for myself and not being able to achieve it, and that is frustrating.. that's the only thing I can really think of right now that might be eating at me.

 

[TimmyGah]

Calm and composed. Like ripping a one timer... and what Biscoe said

 

[ru4por]

Once read a quote by Ken Climo....I believe. Don't have it written down, but in effect it said that disc golf only has a handful of minutes, where you are actually competing and throwing the disc. Work hard for those few minutes and enjoy your day outside for the rest. Most of a round is enjoying the company of your friends and nature.

 

[InDaWoodsDiscN419]

Disc golf is all about having FUN...

Hey people.

I played my local clubs Ice Bowl today. First round was fun and hilarious, shanked shots were laughed at and made the best of.

But, second round my competitiveness got the better of me. I know I can shoot par or better at the course, but, I went out and shot an emberassing +11. I was furious after ending up +5 over 4 holes.

So, for you fellow competitive people out there, how do you handle keeping collected and not Nikko'ing? I won't lie, I smacked my leg and let out a few trucker words, and I'm not exactly proud of it. But, I'd like to hear how you guys handle terrible rounds? I've always been obscenely competitive, mostly with myself, but sometimes I feel like it absolutely gets the best of me.


I feel like this is a strategy style question sooooooo.... Lol

Thanks,
Colin.

My view on disc golf is: Disc golfing is the not about driving furthest, putting best,

or lowest score, it's about having the most fun hucking plastic in the woods!

Neat quote, "Golf is a good walk spoiled"

The opposite is true for dg. Disc Golf is a good walk made Great.

Just breathe, enjoy being in nature, calm your thoughts, and have fun throwin'

plastic in the woods! :thmbup:

 

[Odedge]

I am a fairly competitive person and use this to fuel my progression in disc golf. I don't focus on playing better than someone else, but I do like to play as well as I know I can play... that's the competition. If I am playing alone below my par... I can't get a bit frustrated, which never helps my game.

Two things Sarah Holkom once said in a video that I tried to remember...

1. I take a mastery approach to the game. So every shot is a chance to learn for future shots.

2. Focus on what you are doing instead of how you are doing. Because you can throw a few bogeys in a row, but that doesn't really have anything to do with your next throw... unless you choose to have them affect the shot.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

One throw at a time, one hole at a time.

I prefer to have someone else keep my card and not tell me how I'm doing. Whether I think I'm hot or flailing I do best when I'm conservative, won/cashed a couple tourneys/leagues when I've thought I'm out of it, but I'm still not doing anything stupid like 100' runs at birdie putts.

Sometimes I have to tell myself it's not doubles, we play lots of dubs and the scores are always less than solo so I have an unrealistic expectation of score in my head.

Nothing wrong with par, take them and be happy.

It's not a bad shot, it's a chance for a great follow up shot.

Forget the bad shots, remember the good ones. Don't dwell on it... it's a slippery mental slope.

 

[HyooMac]

Nothing wrong with par, take them and be happy.

Real wisdom here.

Also: Play for par, and let the birdies come to you.

 

[Dcinmd]

It's just one hole or one shot.

It only effect the next one if you allow it to.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

Glad someone else posted between... I was having more thoughts in the shower...

If stuff gets bad and I need to turn my round around I go bag to my bag "anchors" , you know the middle of the road consistent discs. In my case Comet and Relay, I can throw either with less than normal power and they will still perform. I might take a loss in distance but sometimes I just want to thread the gap, a couple throws with the Comet to take a comfortable par rather than a hopeful two can give me a chance to reconnect with my swing because I don't have to throw the p### out of it to make it work.

Always have two identical (ish) putters, I play a double nutsac so my space is limited but there is always two matched Envy in there, 165 or 167, usually two plasmas but sometimes I mix plastic types but SAME weight give or take 2g.

When stuffs not putting like normal, put the first one away since its not working today.. Pull out it's backup pinch hitter and try and re inspire your putting confidence. It seems silly but it really helps me shake the funk. I've turned more than a few rounds around that way.

And just like in the wind.. Play the simplest shot, flattest line and widest gap you can. Just focus on a clean simple flat throw. You can't do anything about bad luck but you can try to avoid bad judgement.

 

[BillFleming]

I'm playing for the exercise and the enjoyment....so I laugh off all the goofs and I have plenty of them.

My nicknames are Wild Bill (because no one knows where my RHBH throw is going) and First Tree on the Left Bill (if there's a tree on the left, I'm hitting it).

I've been playing for a year and just accepting I'm going to have bad rounds. I don't get enough practice (I'm 60, working a 5 day a week job)....so I know improvement is going to be tough. Also, unlike ball golf where you can get fitted for clubs and the ball, disc golf is hit-or-miss with what discs work for each person - so you can end up playing for a while with discs that don't really fit into your throwing style/ability.

Just accept bad throws, laugh off the really bad ones, make jokes, and keep working on improving.

 

[ALT-J]

Its your expectations and most probably your energy and blood sugar levels that lead so such behaviour. It doesnt have to be a big adversity to get the snowball rolling. It's been scientifically proven that anger control is much harder when the blood sugar is low. Fatigue makes emotion control harder as well. And if you combine these two factors for a disc golf round its pretty much guaranteed bad times. The fact that it was the second round kind of suggests that those 2 things were more or less the case. Once you find out you are hungry or tired you can do something about it. Plenty of time between shots and holes. Eat, drink, take a few deep breaths or lower your expectations for the round. It all starts with being aware of the condition.

 

[Putt for D'oh]

I think of the game of disc golf as UFO hunting. I throw my disc, I look for it, I throw it again, a never ending story. I think it may be me setting perhaps an unrealistic goal for myself and not being able to achieve it, and that is frustrating.. that's the only thing I can really think of right now that might be eating at me.

That really is it and what you can take from golf is not a game of perfect. Maybe as well zen golf.

Really try and wipe your expectations away and focus on effort one throw at a time. It takes practice.
Don't confuse frustration and lack of patience with competitiveness. Being highly competitive does not mean automatically being susceptible to being a jerk. To others or to yourself.
A lot of the poor reactions we have are just manifestations of feeling undue pressure. Pressure we put on ourselves. It's why it isn't uncommon to score so poorly in tournaments on our home course.

 

[JuanA]

...I get frustrated, and end up either in trouble with the organization, or banned (Kicked out of a Hockey League, kicked out of a Rugby League, you know, the goods, mostly for fighting, but I mean, contact sport... Try and have a go at me lol)...

If you're getting kicked out of, and banned from other sports, then your perspective on life is your problem, not disc golf.

Have you ever tried mindfulness or meditating? Meditation is one of the hardest things to do, but it works with practice. Getting control of your mind, feelings and emotions makes everything easier.

 

[ALT-J]

If you're getting kicked out of, and banned from other sports, then your perspective on life is your problem, not disc golf.

Getting control of your mind, feelings and emotions makes everything easier.

Indeed. The problem isnt just disc golf, it just manifests on the course. If you are short fused and impatient in your everyday life how do you expect to be anything else on frisbee course? Meditation and mindfulness are great ways to learn about your thought patterns, triggers and reactions. A negative thought pattern could very well be something like this after a missed putt: Ohh come on, I really shud've made that. Everyone else makes that all the time except me. I'm such a crappy putter. And that is easily amplified on the next green. A next putt is most likely to fail with that mind set and next time you are not just a crappy putter but failed as a person. And at this point of mental state the round is pretty much gone. It's a vicious cycle that got started by your reaction for the first missed putt. In this case it's more about the reaction than the putt itself. The progress will start when you become curious about your own reactions. The reaction gets a different meaning when you just observe it. Just see it. A couple seconds is totally ok and will be a game changer.

 

[DiscFifty]

A pro said this to me once.. "Once the disc is out of your hands, there's nothing you can about it so start thinking of your next shot." Simple but effective advice.