Reasonable goals?

[BillFleming]

If I was playing ball golf, I'd be grinding for score. I'd start out not being able to break 120. Then 110, then 100, etc. Every par would be a revelation. Birdies would feel like eagles. Disc golf doesn't seem to really work that way.

Score is absolutely a way to check how you are doing. I've been playing for over a year now and I use my score as a check (also number of lost discs). Comparing scores on the same course over time is really helpful. BUT don't look at your total score and only at that. It will give you an idea of how you are doing, but isn't totally helpful.

I keep a book of my scores for each hole and for each course (The UDisc app can do this for you also). I compare how I do on each hole - do I normally get a 4 on hole 1 which is an uphill hole and today I took a 5? Why did I get a 5 today? Do I normally get a 5 on hole 14 which is has a raised basket and is normally windy and today I took a 3? Why? Maybe I laid up so the wind was to my back - maybe I tried a turbo putt instead of a normal putt since it is a raised basket. This way I can see where I'm improving or where I had an unusual error that hurt my score.

Keep track of things like: did my disc land in the fairway from the tee box? Did my disc land in Circle 1 from my approach - did I park it? How many putts did I take? All of that will help you 'catch' where you need improvement. Maybe it isn't your form, game, or disc choices....maybe it is something specific - raised baskets, or over water shots, or certain length holes (even short holes can be an issue: maybe you figure it's easy to make and always overthrow the hole).

I have found my main issues are: downhill/uphill holes - I have trouble throwing along the slope. And mainly focus....I take my focus off where I want my disc to go as I throw - it's really bad when I putt. Yesterday, I turned an easy birdie into a 4. As I made my first putt (from 4 foot away), I looked away in my throw and the putt went right. Next I figured, easy putt and just gave it a toss without really picking a spot. Missed again. Next putt, I focused on a link, made my throw as though money was on the line and made it.

So, the score can really help you figure out where your game needs help....but only if you know/understand what caused the score to be what it is.

 

[Smigles]

Well, at the moment I either every day or do hours of field work. It's very hard to take field work to the course, though. You don't have to hit lines in field work.

When i do fieldwork i think about the line i want to hit before every throw. The distance, the ammount of flip, the landing spot etc. I can misrelease and get to the spot i aimed at but not on the line i wanted and i will not be happy with the shot.

I go through my putters and land one from right to left, one straight, one on hyzer, and then do the same with the mids and the drivers etc. That way you learn which discs work for which shot, which discs work for you etc. And when you have a line in front of you like on a course you know which disc will do that line.

 

[DiscFifty]

I say go buy a stack of the same putters. Spend 1 month throwing nothing but putters. Get back to us after 30 days and lets us know how far you are throwing them.

 

[klodkrawler05]

As a noob myself I think there are many facets of disc golf that frustrate.

I've been playing for about 8 months now and at first the biggest frustration was consistency. I had a spreadsheet I entered my scores from any round I played into. My local course is pretty wooded/technical and the first few times playing I was shooting +30. The most frustrating part is after playing it a dozen or so times I could look at the spreadsheet and see I'd par'd nearly every hole! in one of the rounds So I should be able to shoot much closer to par right?! I had the ability, just needed the consistency. so I worked on that. setting up gates in the yard and throwing putters through them. That slowly started to pay off as I started finding myself hitting less first available trees.
Then a month after I started playing I signed up for MA4 at a local tournament at a course I'd never played. It turns out that course is even more technical and longer than the one I'd been playing! consequently I got smoked by something like 32 strokes after both rounds. I was blown away how far other novices could throw relative to myself. So I started watching videos and trying to work on form, that slowly started to add some "effortless" distance. I could now make 200-220' throws with most of the discs in my bag. occasionally even on purpose hitting the lines I wanted. During that time my scores started getting worse again, I was pretty frustrated but the internet says that's what happens during form rebuild.
I spent all winter playing a local winter league which was great help too. Everyone was so friendly and seeing how they played holes or attacked greens opened my eyes to potential lines and shots I had completely ignored. I also found a small group of guys similar skill level to myself and we started playing together weekly. Those are the rounds where I've found the friendly competition helps me really focus on each shot and take it seriously. whereas a round by myself I don't always give the shot as much thought.

a couple months ago I finally decided I needed to extend my range some more so I posted a form critique video on this forum. Shortly after starting that thread I injured my shoulder doing hammer throwing drills in correctly (don't swing a hammer with power and then continue hanging onto it.) a couple weeks ago my shoulder finally felt up to throwing again so I've gotten back to form practice. It's still nothing close to internet bragging distance but I can occasionally get a fairway driver out 300' and find myself reaching for a midrange or putter on sub 250' holes! I'm sure heading out onto a course I'm not seeing much improvement in scores as I still need to adapt to the new distance (seems like now I find myself going the same yardage past the basket as I used to be short so I'm still having to miss 30' putts despite the extra distance)

TLDR: This sport is awfully challenging and at times frustrating. There are so many different parts to work on and master. But that's what makes it fun. Nothing quite like the feeling of smiling after "crushing" it 300' off the tee. Only to walk up to your disc and find out you are in a spot with a 70' upshot you have no idea how to execute and consequently now have something else to add to your list of things to practice.

 

[Rastnav]

Thanks to everyone who offered some encouragement and positive ideas. I think some people are offering advice that may not be relevant to my skill level right now (such as practicing my hyzer-flips, or making sure I hit my distance, line and angle when I do field work) as I'm still trying to get consistent form and release points. But I get the broad idea that field work needs to be focused to help.

I do actually have a stack of 5 challengers in pro-d and two more in jawbreaker, and that is what I do most of my field work with. Unfortunately not all the same weight, as not enough were available in a single weight.

Although I do also throw my bag as well just to refine my sense of what each disc does while I'm not playing.

As a noob myself I think there are many facets of disc golf that frustrate.

.. a month after I started playing I signed up for MA4 at a local tournament at a course I could now make 200-220' throws with most of the discs in my bag. occasionally even on purpose hitting the lines I wanted. During that time my scores started getting worse again, I was pretty frustrated but the internet says that's what happens during form rebuild.

This thought in particular is probably the nearest to the mark with what I am struggling with, so thank you for that. Not having the local leagues, doubles nights, etc. up and running due to covid, I'll unfortunately have to wait to be actually be able to find people to play with, but such is life.

 

[BillFleming]

I think some people are offering advice that may not be relevant to my skill level right now (such as practicing my hyzer-flips, or making sure I hit my distance, line and angle when I do field work) as I'm still trying to get consistent form and release points.

This happens frequently....fellow disc golfers are well meaning, but sometimes tend to give advice/suggestions that you aren't ready for yet. I will politely say "Thanks, I'll remember this and work on it later, but my game isn't at that point yet."

Although I do also throw my bag as well just to refine my sense of what each disc does while I'm not playing.

Yeah, I've thrown my bag once also.....oh wait, you mean all the discs in your bag, not the bag itself.