[Question] Aces - Short end of the stick?

[simpletwist]

Aside from little 150'-200' pitch and putt holes, people shouldn't be "trying" to throw for the chains. The point is to play for a birdie. If you aim for chains 4' off the ground on a longer drive, you're likely to end up very far past the basket. So, longer aces are essentially just a player screwing up their birdie drive.

That goes double for tree aces and skip aces. They are a pleasant consequence, for sure. And a fun one. But a player is determined by how they play 18 holes, not how many aces they get.

Nonsense. Why would you NOT try to put the disc in the basket from anywhere? I mean if the conditions are right. The distance is in your range, the shot shape is something you can do, then go for it. Not get close, get in.

 

[optidiscic]

youre not very good you should have 2 aces a season imo

 

[crusadersounds]

Ok, here's my take. I have 22 aces to date. 20 of them were last year. (All data for my aces including disc, distance, notes, and course links are in my sig so you can verify details.)

8 were on one day (11 rounds). Most people would call it a pitch and putt course, but the kicker to that story is that it was a disc I had never seen before, or read the flight charts on, much less thrown. In that group of 8 were aces ranging from 83' to 128'. One was a RHFH anny, one was tomahawk, four RHFH hyzer, 2 (including my 3rd shot of the day) were RHBH lasers. Did I count them all? Yes. I scored every single round (even the ones that I didn't ace on.)

My first ace was a true "luck" ace. I shanked my drive on a hidden basket 273' shot. Wind picked it up and slammed it in the basket. It was my first and longest.

Average distance of 146.2'. 11 aces have been with discs bought in the previous seven days with 9 being same day purchases. 10 are with putters, 11 are with mids, and 1 with a driver. 8 courses are represented in 5 states.

That's enough information about my aces, so here's my conclusion based on aces I've witnessed, seen on youtube, and the ones I've thrown. Aces in the sub-250' range are often, but not always, intentional. At those distances, there is just enough touch on the disc to run it without ending up 50+ feet past the basket. If I throw a CE Teebird at a basket 350' away, and that disc is still 4' off the ground when it gets to the basket, with that line, I'm going to end up trying to get back for a 3 and if woods are involved, potentially a bogey or more. Aces beyond 250 are often, but not always, I'll say "fortunate." Undoubtedly, they threw a good shot to hit that, but more often than not, it was unintentional. They were likely looking for a birdie and overshot, but the basket managed to get in the way.

Do you feel jipped by your ace count being zero? You have two options. Realize that you are likely playing higher level courses that some of the rest of us, myself included, would LOVE to be playing. I would much rather play a Winthrop Gold, Waterworks, Steilacoom, Delaveaga, etc. than a pitch and putt, but if the P&P is what is close, that's where I'm going to throw. If you would rather hit the shorter aces, then find a course that you can do that.

Sorry this is long, but like these guys have said, keep at it. The first one is always the hardest, but once that happens, keep throwing. They like to come in pairs (or more!).

 

[Hoss22]

My frustration doesnt stem so much from not having aces myself, as my courses are not ace friendly. The frustration comes from the players that think they can judge others based on the number of aces they have...especially when these said aces the people had were on pitch and putt holes. I know im not a fantastical player (about 940 rated), but it gets irritating when people in the tourney get on their high horse acting like a better player because of their snap judgement based on number of aces....until the final scorecards come in

 

[TonyVonDoom]

How far are you throwing? That's a pretty big ace for someone that's been playing less than a year.

My best throws are a little over 400...

 

[optidiscic]

I think you are projecting your feelings of inferiority into anti acemaker rage

 

[Hoss22]

I think you are projecting your feelings of inferiority into anti acemaker rage

I like you

 

[crusadersounds]

My frustration doesnt stem so much from not having aces myself, as my courses are not ace friendly. The frustration comes from the players that think they can judge others based on the number of aces they have...especially when these said aces the people had were on pitch and putt holes. I know im not a fantastical player (about 940 rated), but it gets irritating when people in the tourney get on their high horse acting like a better player because of their snap judgement based on number of aces....until the final scorecards come in

That's the kicker. Playing P&Ps doesn't really help your overall game like the big daddies do. I love the aces, and I shoot fairly well in tournaments, but often the guys who beat me have 0-5 aces. Just keep playing for the love of the game. Enjoy it, and when it comes tournament time and guys like me try to get in your head with our ace count (that's really what we're doing ) just throw your game and let the scorecard settle it out. I'd give you a :hfive: when you beat me (even if you don't have any aces)!

 

[cjman]

I'm not sure I understand people saying that aces over 300' likely would have finished with a low chance of bird if they didn't go in.

Hyzers come down and stick across most of the US. I have a couple hyzer bomb aces over 300' that would have been drop in birdies had they not crashed chains.

Also, skip aces. I throw a D1 or Firebird on a couple of my home course holes, playing a skip into some dense trees that are hard to glide through. I haven't aced, but have hit the bucket several times. These skips finish within 20 ft of the basket reliably, even when they have ace potential.

The point I'd like to make...Aces are hard to make generalizations about.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

I've hit two in the last two years. A 185' hole with a Fuse on a laser beam line in the woods (practice round, but still first throw from the tee), and a 223' slight fade in a tailwind using a Buzzz, which caught a lucky air bounce. The second was in a tourney, so I gots paid.
Now I play mostly on a longer course in heavy woods, so I expect aces will be fewer and further between. Really though, aces in disc golf don't hold the mystique of a hole in one in golf, so I won't really miss it (much).

So I was just thinking this when reading through other posts...whenever I'm out on the course, at tournaments, and here on DGCR, there are constantly people talking about all the Aces they have had. Now, I have been playing for 4 years, and haven't had one Ace. I have made Eagles/Birdies from 250ft and in, but never the infamous Ace. I started thinking about this last season when someone on my card was constantly bragging about the "17" Aces that they have gotten, though they had only been playing for a year and a half. Then, in talking more and more with this person (who obviously thinks they are the greatest thing to happen to the game), I find out that all these Aces are on shots holes that are 150'-200'.....C'mon!

Now...this leads me to just blame my course and other nearby courses that I play most frequently. The courses I play have "pretty" long holes (Steilacoom, Seatac, White River)...there isn't opportunities to hit Aces at 200'.

What I'm getting at is first...do any of you feel jipped by not getting Aces because of the courses you play, weather you play in, or anything else you want to put blame on.

And second, for those of you that are getting, and/or seeing these Aces...are they typically happening on these 150' shots, or are you hitting Aces on 350' shots (which are typically the type I personally see that have a chance at running the basket).

I'm must just be complaining because I can't brag about my Aces :\ :wall:

I've got 7 under the belt, all from inside 250 ft and half by myself. They're alright, but I've gotten way more satisfaction scoring eagles on tough courses. I'm sure when you do finally hit one you'll be alone with no witnesses. It will be very anticlimactic

 

[dsb1829]

I have hit 3 since May, all 200-260'. Only one of them wasn't a surprise, it also took the ace pot. I would say the longer course will definitely limit aces. All mine are on a course with most holes 200-250'.

I read a Nate Doss qoute about aces just being bad shots. True, add a bit of luck. I am still stoked to hit them and enjoy the high fives and story.

 

[remember2morrow]

The guy that got me into disc golf has been playing for 7 years now, I've been playing for almost 3. I have 8 aces, he has none. I would by far consider him to be better than me. There's a lot of luck involved with hitting aces.

 

[allinpflop]

It all depends on the courses you have available and if getting aces is important to you. I personally prefer longer courses with true par 4s and par 5s. If I wanted to just go for aces I would play Schenely Park not Deer Lakes or Moraine.

 

[PMantle]

Our course has been open for about 18 months, and I've only heard of one ace there.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

I've got so many Aces I lost count, I can't even remember the first one, I'm at the point where I'm counting the ones I haven't aced yet (#7,#13,#14, #16, #24 and #27) I remember the first CTP I won money on, the $265 Ace and the 320' Ace. To tell you the truth I can't even remember which ones I've got on my own 14acre 18hole course. So when you play pitch and putts and it's acerun all day I don't bother to brag it's like hitting a long putt. It was a lot more exciting when I couldn't reach the basket.

 

[discguy42]

Our course has been open for about 18 months, and I've only heard of one ace there.

Your post got me thinking our local course and aces. Our local 9, Highland Park DGC, has been open since the end of April '13, only 9 months now. I have seen some shots get close on a few holes but, I don't even know if a hole has been aced or not. To the best of my knowledge no locals have done it yet.

 

[ndole]

I don't have any legit aces but that's okay. Some people get way too caught up with aces. Is rather just focus on being a good player all around and getting birdies rather than getting aces.

 

[madmax88]

It really depends on how you play. Generally I play solo and try to play solid golf, in this case an ace would be a bad shot(unless it is a skip ace). When playing with lower level players I like to have a little more fun and run for it out to 300 feet, these aces are great shots(and lucky). For league play I won't run it unless my partner parks it(of coarse the ace pot is shared).

 

[elmexdela]

i went for the park job today at ham lake mn hole 8 and much to my surprise i smashed the chains. its a hyzer shot. about 175 ft probably. could be thrown with a slightly overstable putter or a lazy os mid. i went lazy os mid route just hoping to park it. i was about to look away cuz it looked close enough but i saw it blow up the chains. it was a hard hyzer too, cant believe it stuck. finished -4 on the round

 

[A rod]

I'm in my 6th year of playing, although only 2.5 years were serious and had no aces until this year. Then I hit 3 in July and one in November. Weird how it all works