Got Introspective And May Improve

[BillFleming]

I've been playing less than 2 years now and really not improving. My main block for improving is that I don't care a whole lot. I'm in this for the fun and exercise. However, I wouldn't mind improving.

I've been trying different things, such as, finding the right discs for me and for a specific course. Before anyone says I need to work on my form....yes, I know I do and am doing that - but I think there is something else I need to work on first.....

This past weekend was an eye opener. I was in a two-round, one-day tournament and ended up DFL again. But I had lots of fun and some amazing shots (not many, but they did happen). However, on my first card, I would swear that one of the guys who did better than me really wasn't any better (what I mean is...if we had played with the same strategy our scores would have been close). After the tournament was over I did some thinking about his round and mine....comparison time.

I know I can throw my Innova Sidewinder/Dynamic Discs Escape ~250 (quick comparison - my card mate rarely out threw me from the tee pad). So if the basket is about that distance, I'm going for the ace off the tee pad. If I'm 100 foot or less, I'm going for the birdie. Can't make either one, but I'm going for it every time.

My card mate, on the other hand, laid up often, very often.

Elevated basket, 30 feet away? I'm going for it, he laid up. I took a 4 or 5, he took a 3.

Hmmmmm, playing for par.....laying up instead of going for it.....a much better score than I take. I ended up 24 over and 19 over in my two rounds; so playing for par would really improve my final score.

In a couple of weeks, I'm in a three day (one round a day) tournament where I will play three different courses. I'll be 'playing for par' all three days and see how I finish.

I'll update this thread once the tournament finishes. This will be my 7th tournament and I've been DFL in all the previous ones. The courses are tough (for me), two tree courses and one with lots of elevation changes and bushes (my 'home' course - so I know what score I normally get and what my best is....it will be interesting to see what my tournament score is when I'm not 'going for it').

 

[BillFleming]

Quick follow-up with more details.

I ended up 18th in MA3. The card mate I'm comparing myself to, ended up 8th.
My scores: 24 over and 19 over. His: His scores were Even, 4 over.
I'm 619 rated, he's 778.

I play for the best score possible...he plays for par.

 

[ru4por]

Quick follow-up with more details.

I ended up 18th in MA3. The card mate I'm comparing myself to, ended up 8th.
My scores: 24 over and 19 over. His: His scores were Even, 4 over.
I'm 619 rated, he's 778.

I play for the best score possible...he plays for par.

Kind of sounds like he was playing for the best possible score and you were playing for 43 over. Tournament play is a different animal. Playing smart, getting your pars and taking the birdies as they present themselves is a very sound strategy.

More important is to go in with an executable game plan. Know the course and play to your strengths. Don't let the actions or throws of your cardmates change your plan of attack.

I want my tournament rounds to be smart, control, down the middle, simple play. That usually means taking some distance off my throws to play the fairways. If I want to get aggressive, I will do so in my approach or putting game.

 

[BillFleming]

Kind of sounds like he was playing for the best possible score and you were playing for 43 over. Tournament play is a different animal. Playing smart, getting your pars and taking the birdies as they present themselves is a very sound strategy.

More important is to go in with an executable game plan. Know the course and play to your strengths. Don't let the actions or throws of your cardmates change your plan of attack.

I want my tournament rounds to be smart, control, down the middle, simple play. That usually means taking some distance off my throws to play the fairways. If I want to get aggressive, I will do so in my approach or putting game.

It's definitely a different mindset and I'm glad he was on my card so I could see the difference. I learned from what he did. Now to see how changing my game plan works. I've never let my card mates change my plans....but I do learn from them where I can.

I'm starting to think like you said...smart, control, get to where I have another throw...play within my abilities.

 

[Ryan P.]

I wouldn't play for par, because I think that's not very strategic no matter your skill level.

I encourage you to play for the best reasonable score from your current lie. For instance, you gave the example of running a putt from 30' out on a raised basket. Based on what you said, it sounds like you should lay up from there, even if that means you're settling for a bogey. Take the shot that is most likely to get you the lowest score from your current lie based on your abilities, and remember that it is human nature to overestimate your abilities.

Simply put, if you are thinking "should I go for this," the answer is no. Only go for it when you're sure you should.

I'd also get in a few scoring rounds where you play with this mindset, and make small adjustments from there.

 

[Agricolae]

...I play for the best score possible...

You do not play for the best score possible. You are playing for miracles. Hit a few of those hail marys and you'll still lose to the other guy.

It all depends on whether you want to play your best as measured by score, or you want to be the guy who hit the ace or 200 ft throw-in but was DFL.

 

[ru4por]

I think you try to put together a game plan. If I get to play the course before the tournament, I will take notes. Look for holes that I can open up on my tee shot. Holes that have open areas near my landing distances. Holes with open lines to the pin, for my second shot. The same for par 4's, deciding if I try to really open up on my second shot will depend on my notes. Is the green hard pack and running away? If so, maybe I lay up, take my par and look for better holes to press on.

If I know the course, I know this information and stick to my game plan.

If I don't know the course and I don't get to play it in practice, I try to make some of those calls on the fly. But, honestly...I would have a pretty conservative game plan going in.

 

[autocrosscrx]

I don't have experience playing disc golf in a competitive setting, but I've been competing my whole life.

One thing that really stuck with me, and carried over to other sports and competitions, was on how to improve your bowling average. The best way to really improve, which effectively means improve your average, is to raise your floor. Take those 120 or 130 games where everything falls apart and turn them into 160 or 170 games. Take those 160 games where you can't hit the pocket, throw a safer shot, get your spares and turn them into 180 games. And so forth. And when you do that, what you'll find is that you'll start turning some of those 200 games into 220 games and those 220 games into 240 games, as well.