Saw a newbie with an XCal

[bradharris]

Do you beat him by large margins? That's how I usually convince people to listen

I do. But he figures that's just because I play and practice more than he does, not because he's throwing the wrong stuff.

But like I said, he still has fun with what he's throwing. When I try to give him advice, he just feels like I'm talking down to him, so I just let him be.

 

[KMG365]

Confessions of a Newbie

OK, I freely admit this is exactly what I did when I bought my beginners' bag at Clearwater Disc Golf back in May. My little beginner bag contained everything a newbie needs (Aero DX, Stingray DX, and a Leopard DX). After struggling through several rounds over the next few weeks, as well as reading the Innova brochure which has an explanation of the numerical rating system on the discs, as a typical newbie I ran back to Clearwater Disc Golf and started building my arsenal of high speed drivers as I truly thought that would improve my distance. In my defense, the brochure and the store website list these high speed discs as "maximum distance drivers." What's a newbie supposed to think? Imagine my surprise when I could actually drive my Aero almost as far as I could throw my cool new 13 rated Groove! Of course my first thought was, "Damn, I'm not worth a S#!+ at this sport -- so I briefly (four weeks) gave up.

One Saturday afternoon I was bored and decided to go to a little seldom used local course and play a round, and was once again bitten by the bug. That was about the time I discovered this forum and read multiple threads regarding working with only your putters until you were comfortable with your form and could hit in the area of '200. It was the best information I could have found. Now I go out to the course or the field with only an Areo, an Aviar DX and a Star Coyote, although I seldom throw the Coyote at this point. So my beautiful new deluxe bag sits in my closet loaded with eight high speed drivers, and a few mid ranges as I use only the three discs listed above and no longer even carry a bag. Hopefully in the future I may be able to use the bigger discs, but I have a feeling that I will never be a "big arm" and that's OK. I'll do the best with what I have. I'm still working on my form which is coming along slowly, but surely.

 

[OcDiscGolf]

Reminds of one time at a local course I was teeing off and 2 guys come out of the pro shop, one with a shark and one that had a brand new disc he'd just bought - a DX firebird. They asked to tag along as they'd never played the course before. That dude with the brand new FB was throwing 150 ft hyzers and getting mad for like 9 holes until I asked him why he chose that disc.

"Sweetest picture I saw on the rack" :|

The next hole was a 340 foot anhyzer, I asked to borrow his disc and gave him a 10 year old star valkyrie. I ripped a downhill forehand that flexed and and still faded way right of the basket. He threw my valk for the rest of the round and I explained a bit about overstability :gross:

 

[Dan Ensor]

I have a 150g Karma and Cyclone for these situations. "Here you go, try this out. I think you'll like it." That's all. No "You don't have the arm for it" or anything at all technical. Just "here you go, try this out." They'll either like it or keep chucking.

I also tell them there are a couple of awesome web sites that have a lot of advice for beginners.

 

[The Hammer]

Why does everyone assume it is too much disc for him? When I first started out I was carrying only a couple discs, one being a Destroyer. Some know-it-all told me I shouldn't be throwing it, when I got paired up with him for my first doubles experience. I asked why, and he tried to explain that newbs don't have the arm for something like that. We got to our first hole and I threw that Destroyer on a 400' hyzer, and proceeded to carry his sorry ass through the next 17 holes.

Looks can be deceiving.

 

[yangs1]

If people ask me, like this example, I offer advice and will probably give them more info then they could process in a month. Otherwise I let them flick their Champion High Speed Discs 150' all day long and then walk up and out drive them with a putter.

 

[Discette]

Why does everyone assume it is too much disc for him? When I first started out I was carrying only a couple discs, one being a Destroyer. Some know-it-all told me I shouldn't be throwing it, when I got paired up with him for my first doubles experience. I asked why, and he tried to explain that newbs don't have the arm for something like that. We got to our first hole and I threw that Destroyer on a 400' hyzer, and proceeded to carry his sorry ass through the next 17 holes.

Looks can be deceiving.

Agreed. Many years ago, a new girl came to league night. As she was getting ready to throw the first hole, she pulled out a max weight Firebird. All the girls immediately asked if she got it from her husband/boyfriend and she said yes. Then we explained why she should be throwing lighter weight discs in a more beginner friendly model. She was very polite and explained this disc was her favorite disc. She then proceeded to forehand her max weight Firebird farther than all the rest of us!

One size does not fit all.

 

[megamerican]

Why does everyone assume it is too much disc for him? When I first started out I was carrying only a couple discs, one being a Destroyer. Some know-it-all told me I shouldn't be throwing it, when I got paired up with him for my first doubles experience. I asked why, and he tried to explain that newbs don't have the arm for something like that. We got to our first hole and I threw that Destroyer on a 400' hyzer, and proceeded to carry his sorry ass through the next 17 holes.

Looks can be deceiving.

That is a very good point. You shouldn't be giving advice on a disc unless you've seen the person throw it or at least ask how he throws it, how far he throws it and what the disc usually does for him.

Assumptions are bad mmmkay...

 

[tampabay]

Why does everyone assume it is too much disc for him? When I first started out I was carrying only a couple discs, one being a Destroyer. Some know-it-all told me I shouldn't be throwing it, when I got paired up with him for my first doubles experience. I asked why, and he tried to explain that newbs don't have the arm for something like that. We got to our first hole and I threw that Destroyer on a 400' hyzer, and proceeded to carry his sorry ass through the next 17 holes.

Looks can be deceiving.

Because you are an anomaly. Would you say that most people start with your skill set?

 

[bobmcnelly]

When my roommate first started throwing he had a dx destroyer. After playing a few rounds with him, I tried explaining to him that he should try out some mid ranges. He didn't really want hear it, and continued to throw his destroyer 150' in accurately. But one day he found a dx shark, and started throwing it. Now it's his go to disc almost every shot. Sometimes people just need to figure it out themselves.

 

[The Hammer]

Because you are an anomaly. Would you say that most people start with your skill set?

It doesn't matter. You know what they say about assumptions, right?

 

[Jukeshoe]

"Assume" makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me."

 

[JTacoma03]

Ran into a couple of newbies at the practice basket. Neither one had a putter, and they saw me putting and asked how long I had been playing. When I told them I had been playing for over 6 years, they asked me to look at the discs they had and what they thought. The teenage son had an Star Xcal, and I was a little shocked. I tried to explain the best I could that I don't even have an arm to throw one of those, and that he needed a good midrange and putter to start and to put that xcal on the shelf for at least a year or so, till he learned how to throw. They kind of gave me blank stares and went on their way. How would you have handled this?

The honest truth is because you responded like they are posters on DGCR. If you were excited about a purchase and you showed it off, then someone says "no, put that away and get something else" that'd be a major downer.

It's all in how you approach people. I first always ask how the disc flies for them. Let them tell you it doesn't work well, not the other way around. You will get much better responses out of people that way. Then ask what they'd like the disc to do, then suggest something that might work better for that kind of shot.

The error here is in telling them that they made a wrong decision, or that disc isn't good. That's internet forum DGCR condescension and it doesn't work in real life. Every disc is good for something, if you rephrase the question and ask what they want to accomplish then you can help them instead of coming across as bashing them.

Also...just from my experience, never tell someone to disc down unless they ask if they should. If I think someone doesn't have enough power to throw a disc I'll use phrases like "this buzzz is really easy to throw far" or "you can control this Mako more easily and it won't skip into the bushes like that firebird".

Just my .02 but it's all about how you phrase things.

 

[tampabay]

It doesn't matter. You know what they say about assumptions, right?

Logical conclusions and assumptions are different. That's like never giving kids training wheels because you saw one ride a bike well his first time ever.

Assumption - "a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof."

I understand your point, that you shouldn't assume everyone is terrible, but you also shouldn't assume everyone can throw a destroyer right off the bat.

If we are going to make logical conclusions, based on findings and repeated evidence, most people are bad at first, not good.

 

[disc qualified]

generally speaking, it's better to ask questions and evaluate the information than it is to assume the information and give unsolicited advice

 

[The Hammer]

Logical conclusions and assumptions are different. That's like never giving kids training wheels because you saw one ride a bike well his first time ever.

Assumption - "a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof."

I understand your point, that you shouldn't assume everyone is terrible, but you also shouldn't assume everyone can throw a destroyer right off the bat.

If we are going to make logical conclusions, based on findings and repeated evidence, most people are bad at first, not good.

okey dokey

 

[knettles]

Logical conclusions and assumptions are different. That's like never giving kids training wheels because you saw one ride a bike well his first time ever.

Assumption - "a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof."

I understand your point, that you shouldn't assume everyone is terrible, but you also shouldn't assume everyone can throw a destroyer right off the bat.

If we are going to make logical conclusions, based on findings and repeated evidence, most people are bad at first, not good.

Ha, when it comes to disc golf, I think we could even go as far as saying most people are horrible starting out. I know I've only seen one or two people that actually started out ok. It still kills me about this guy who was at a tournament around here who had only been playing for a month. He had a DX Aviar and a DX Cro... and placed third or fourth in the advanced division. Weird thing is I haven't seen him since then. He was like this mysterious disc golf apparition.

 

[garublador]

It doesn't matter. You know what they say about assumptions, right?

They make an ass out of you and umptions.

I agree with what your'e saying, but your situation was much different from the OP's. These weren't people playing in a tournament, they were guys out on the course who didn't appear to have any clue as to how to put a bag together. They also specifically asked his opinion. I agree that we'd need more information than what the OP gave, but if you're given limited data you'll have to either make assumptions and give probably good advice or not make any assumptions and give totally useless advice.

 

[The Hammer]

They make an ass out of you and umptions.

I agree with what your'e saying, but your situation was much different from the OP's. These weren't people playing in a tournament, they were guys out on the course who didn't appear to have any clue as to how to put a bag together. They also specifically asked his opinion. I agree that we'd need more information than what the OP gave, but if you're given limited data you'll have to either make assumptions and give probably good advice or not make any assumptions and give totally useless advice.

mmmm, I love me some umptions.

Trolling in real life:
When traveling to new places it's fun to go to courses with a couple discs in a plastic bag, and let people try to give you unsolicited advice.

 

[ejvogie]

mmmm, I love me some umptions.

Trolling in real life:
When traveling to new places it's fun to go to courses with a couple discs in a plastic bag, and let people try to give you unsolicited advice.

Heh. We had a local pro recently go to an unsanctioned event out of town, carrying all his discs in his daughter's Barbie backpack :hfive: