Fun Suck

[nohr]

You shouldn't let someone else control your emotions. Another person can't make you angry or sad or happy. It is your reaction to what they do. If someone says something mean to you it is up to you to get upset (or not upset) over their comments. If you don't like being mad or angry then don't allow yourself to react that way.

This is easier to say than to follow. But this has helped me through my life.

 

[ssjfewp]

Now that I've started playing in the open division and my thoughts are no longer must dominate, I basically focus on not being this guy. I've found that showing enthusiasm and genuinely wanting others on your card to execute nice shots is a great way of avoiding it. If you can shank a drive but still high five the guy that parks the hole, it's harder for them to look at you as that guy.

 

[ssjfewp]

Some of the players I know and play with frequently will try to pull me in as a "witness" when they are playing bad or getting tough breaks in a tournament. Like "oh my god, can you believe that!!??) and they will look at me like I'm supposed to give testament to their poor luck.

Heh. I remember doing that once and catching myself saying, wow I'm really annoying. Stop that.

 

[SkaBob]

I try to be pretty good about poking fun at my own horrible rounds (sometimes it's hard, but usually it's not my round that has me in a funk when that happens). Many holes into a round when it still feels like you're playing cold and you just can't seem to get a break, it really can wear on a person.

How much leeway that person should expect in expressing their dissatisfaction depends, to me, on the level of play they're at.

At your level, Mark, I'd expect everyone to be pretty cool about it. You guys have so much consistency in being able to make your shots that not making one or two in a round shouldn't even faze you. Missing 8 or 10 I can see being frustrating, but you're playing in the Open division. I think anyone playing that has declared themselves as a "professional" should probably do their best to present themselves as one, even on a bad day. That doesn't mean sunshine and roses, but keeping their emotions in check and not having outbursts isn't too much to ask.

In the Amateur divisions I see there being a bit (not much in Advanced Am, but still some) more room for expression of your own dissatisfaction. Anyone that's played 10 rounds with me knows I have some rounds where my putting is ON, and there are many where my putting is still at home in bed when my round is over. Amateurs in general will have similar things to say about their game, really. We're still learning to be consistent to the point where it's unthinkable for us to make some of the mistakes we do...It's a long, steep hill to get to that point, and every now and again we just need to say "F&*K!" and vent a little pressure so we can get back to calm and get our focus back...

I think though, in money rounds (tournaments, leagues, etc.) even Ams should be mindful of their conduct, for one very good reason:

I recently played a round of doubles with 2 open players, another AM1/AM2 level player and myself (each am had an open level partner). One of those open players had just had a HORRIBLE day and walked off a tournament before coming to league. He was doing his best not to show how frustrated he still was about that tournament, but you could tell even just in the vibe he was carrying around that he was pretty well worked mentally. His mood, and the frustration he did vent when his mood broke his focus enough to mess with his throw, really did affect the rest of us on the card and we all shot below our capabilities.

I think the poster that remarked on how it affects a player's image is another important point.

We have a local AM1/AM2 level player around here that was yelling and tossing his bag around a couple years ago (I think he threw his bag into the basket at one point) and ended up getting a DQ because of his outburst. Now, when someone talks about frustration and over-reaction, it's his name that gets mentioned when people are joking about it. He could go on to be one of the top local pros, but he'll still always be the guy that got a DQ for being to pissed at his own game.

 

[black udder]

You shouldn't let someone else control your emotions. Another person can't make you angry or sad or happy. It is your reaction to what they do. If someone says something mean to you it is up to you to get upset (or not upset) over their comments. If you don't like being mad or angry then don't allow yourself to react that way.

This is easier to say than to follow. But this has helped me through my life.

I agree 100%, but sometimes it's not that the person is doing anything other than making you not want to be there. Some player is yelling and screaming and kicking his bag. He is so into not having fun that the whole card will be serious and everybody is on eggshells because they don't know if they can say anything or not. Will the guy flip out and wing a disc at you if you try and cheer him up? It's a tense situation and one that you can find yourself not being able to focus or just throwing to get it over with.

At that point, nobody is competing to the best of their ability, so it hurts everybody.

 

[rodman20]

You shouldn't let someone else control your emotions. Another person can't make you angry or sad or happy. It is your reaction to what they do. If someone says something mean to you it is up to you to get upset (or not upset) over their comments. If you don't like being mad or angry then don't allow yourself to react that way.

This is easier to say than to follow. But this has helped me through my life.

I agree 100%, but sometimes it's not that the person is doing anything other than making you not want to be there. Some player is yelling and screaming and kicking his bag. He is so into not having fun that the whole card will be serious and everybody is on eggshells because they don't know if they can say anything or not. Will the guy flip out and wing a disc at you if you try and cheer him up? It's a tense situation and one that you can find yourself not being able to focus or just throwing to get it over with.

At that point, nobody is competing to the best of their ability, so it hurts everybody.

If it happens once or twice im ok with some outburst but if its throughout the whole round ill poke and prod to make it worse for them. No reason one person should hold a group "hostage"

 

[black udder]

If me swearing like a sailor and kicking my bag takes the jam out of your jelly doughnut, that's your problem.

I understand that you're not a jackass, but the sentiment above (and your follow-up about not being able to complain about trash talking) is a selfish statement. It's all about - "I can do whatever I want and if you don't like it, screw you". I am NOT saying you are like that - you've just thrown a phrase out there. But there are people like that and worse and I would hope that people would take others into consideration when behaving in public. I mean, you can substitute any number of things that will just send you around the bend for "swearing like a sailor and kicking my bag" and then it's not such justifiable behavior.

Just because you see others do it or you can't stop it doesn't make it right or that you should participate.

Trash talking is antagonistic behavior. It's design is to get you emotionally upset, lose control and play worse. To me, it's the strategy of somebody who doesn't have the outright skill to beat you.

Swearing and kicking your bag is you losing control of your emotions. So, basically, you're trash talking yourself. Why does it matter? Well, you play worse AND everybody around you is embarrassed to be seen with you - regardless of whether they know you or not. Rarely does something positive come from a loss of control.

Yeah, I'll get off my pulpit. Although you made the comment (Brotherdave), my comments are just in general, nothing specific to you because I don't know you at all. I want us all to have fun playing DG. It's proven, if you're having fun you're playing better than when you're not

 

[Jody Mitchell]

Not sure where a lot of you guys play but I live close to Atlanta Ga. so I play most of the courses in and around that area and I've seen 2 fights over bad attitudes. Both were pretty immature. I was at Redan Park with some friends one day and the group ahead of us had a profanity screamer in their group which resulted in a fight between the guys playing with him. We watched them argue for a second or two then it came to blows. We all rushed to help break it up and calm them down. The guy yelling ended up leaving the park over it and I've never seen him again. Another time, I was in a group of 8 and there was a bad apple in the group, long story short, 2 other guys in our group got fed up with his profanity and bag kicking, so they both jumped on the dude and beat him up pretty bad, law was called but everyone had fled the scene by the time the cops showed up.

I think it's quite dumb to fight over a game but in this particular incident, the bad attitude player got the worse end. So I try to keep calm and play peace maker when it evolves into what could be physical fights.

I knew some players that will get fed up with bad attitudes pretty quick and give you a warning first that you're ruining their fun, after that, they go to swinging. I no longer play with those guys, if they have to lower themselves to beating up a player who is having a bad day, I want no part in it.

Atlanta has some hot heads, but the courses are awesome.

 

[SkaBob]

Geez, man...and people think Detroit is dangerous! :lol:

 

[Jody Mitchell]

Geez, man...and people think Detroit is dangerous! :lol:

True, but I neglected to mention that ATL has some great people to go along with the bad ones, just like most places. I was just giving two examples of something I personally have witnessed while playing one of their courses. If you can get passed that and focus on your game and the courses, you'll love it here, hehe.

 

[JeremySW]

Geez, man...and people think Detroit is dangerous! :lol:

True, but I neglected to mention that ATL has some great people to go along with the bad ones, just like most places. I was just giving two examples of something I personally have witnessed while playing one of their courses. If you can get passed that and focus on your game and the courses, you'll love it here, hehe.

Hmm, I experienced similar things when I lived in North Carolina - I didn't witness any fisticuffs but a few close calls and a lot more "hot heads" for sure on the course. Maybe its a southern thing?

 

[Jody Mitchell]

Geez, man...and people think Detroit is dangerous! :lol:

True, but I neglected to mention that ATL has some great people to go along with the bad ones, just like most places. I was just giving two examples of something I personally have witnessed while playing one of their courses. If you can get passed that and focus on your game and the courses, you'll love it here, hehe.

Hmm, I experienced similar things when I lived in North Carolina - I didn't witness any fisticuffs but a few close calls and a lot more "hot heads" for sure on the course. Maybe its a southern thing?

Everywhere has it's fair share of bad attitudes but you're right, for some reason I see this more on the courses I play in the South. I've played two courses in Michigan before and everyone there was as nice as they could be.

 

[SkaBob]

Yeah, we definitely don't get people picking fist fights very often...or ever...I don't know of it ever happening, but I've only been playing for 5 years or so.

Plenty of hot heads, but violence never really crosses our mind as a way to deal with it.

 

[masterbeato]

the toughest opponent you face is yourself.

 

[tigel]

the toughest opponent you face is yourself.

Did Oprah tell you that one? :lol:

 

[discspeed]

the toughest opponent you face is yourself.

Yeah, sometimes I suck the fun out of disc golf for myself. Last time I did this I caught myself, starting laughing by bad shots off and things got a million times better. I didn't end up playing great, but I played much better and it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

 

[black udder]

I used to go out and expect -18 (yeah, you could do it on this course - but I can't). Anyhoo... I'd drive on 1, get a crappy drive and re-drive until it was good. since I didn't want to start out over par from the first hole. Then I felt guilty about cheating myself on my score. No win situation.

A friend of mine once said that if he's having a bad game, he looks at it as an opportunity to see how much of the game he can save. Thus, it's an opportunity to pressure himself into playing better when things aren't going right.

I'll do that until it's obvious that my game is gone and then I just start making throws I never use - tomahawks, scoobers, rollers, etc.

I don't want to come off the course not having had some fun.

 

[BrotherDave]

If me swearing like a sailor and kicking my bag takes the jam out of your jelly doughnut, that's your problem.

I understand that you're not a jackass, but the sentiment above (and your follow-up about not being able to complain about trash talking) is a selfish statement. It's all about - "I can do whatever I want and if you don't like it, screw you". I am NOT saying you are like that - you've just thrown a phrase out there. But there are people like that and worse and I would hope that people would take others into consideration when behaving in public. I mean, you can substitute any number of things that will just send you around the bend for "swearing like a sailor and kicking my bag" and then it's not such justifiable behavior.

Just because you see others do it or you can't stop it doesn't make it right or that you should participate.

Trash talking is antagonistic behavior. It's design is to get you emotionally upset, lose control and play worse. To me, it's the strategy of somebody who doesn't have the outright skill to beat you.

Swearing and kicking your bag is you losing control of your emotions. So, basically, you're trash talking yourself. Why does it matter? Well, you play worse AND everybody around you is embarrassed to be seen with you - regardless of whether they know you or not. Rarely does something positive come from a loss of control.

Yeah, I'll get off my pulpit. Although you made the comment (Brotherdave), my comments are just in general, nothing specific to you because I don't know you at all. I want us all to have fun playing DG. It's proven, if you're having fun you're playing better than when you're not

Word, let me express myself more clearly. Let's try this analogy, if I say a swear word, the only way to be offended by said word is if YOU let yourself be offended by it. People shouldn't curse, true, but people do and it's inevitable. Being offended or annoyed by others' actions starts with you and your perceptions. If you are not being physically affected by someone's actions, i.e. the kicked bag hits you in the shin, you need to have the cajones to ignore life's distractions or else you'll be fighting a losing battle. People need to quit bitching like babies, definitely, but also people need to realize the advantages of having thicker skin. That's all I'm saying. Kobe whines and sulks after every call and people love him. Rasheed does the same and people say "thug." It's all perception.

Also, what good is a Gorilla Boy or Revo bag if you can't punt it every now and then? :roll:

 

[MagPie]

I punted a bag one time. Thats all it took. I thought I broke my toe and I thought it was the dumbest move I have ever made.

For some reason, that thought pops into my head everytime I am even considering doing it and I realize I shouldnt do it.

 

[discspeed]

When I see people acting ridiculous like kicking bags, throwing fits, etc. I start to crack up. I don't know why, but I usually try to hide or stifle my laughter. I should just laugh out loud at the foolishness.