What happened to the big names?

[discgman]

Thats funny, everyone is writing Nikko off. So far in 2015 the first tournament Nikko has not won is his last tournament, GCC. Other than that, he has won everything. I wouldn't write him off so quickly, he lives in norcal now where he can golf 12 months out of the year. Resting your arm is the biggest concern instead of weather. Ricky is out here too.

 

[tbird888]

Thats funny, everyone is writing Nikko off.

That's because he always starts strong and deteriorates as the season progresses.

 

[jdude]

So just to clarify the answer to the original question, Ken Climo has gotten older and is playing Masters but not touring. Nikko Locastro just hasn't been playing as well, yes? Or did he stop touring too? He was such a big name a few years ago.

How about Ulibari? I've just heard his name in broadcasts, and it's a really fun name to say. Paul McBeth just seems like such a nice guy and talented pro. He's a great face for the sport of disc golf. Shusterick seems nice enough. Lizotte and Wisocki have such huge arms. I don't think courses are set up to adequately challenge these players. To tie in with a different thread on what makes a championship courses, I don't think every par 3 should be birdie or die nor should these guys be shooting -45 on a tournament.

 

[Mocheez]

Yes, Nikko is still touring. Legal troubles kept him out of a few tournaments last year but he still ended up in the top ten for cash earnings.

 

[Tpro]

Beast Mode happened.. Plain and simple! But Uli, Simon and Ricky continue to push him. Nikko is either on fire or he's not... I hope he comes blazing back with the disc change. I think watching him and McBeth go at it would be awesome.. Fire vs Ice !

 

[Chainsgoching]

Fire vs Ice !

I like that!! Agree, Nikko has all the talent, just not super strong in the mental game. He would benefit from reading Zen Golf by Dr. Joseph Parent

 

[mark996]

So just to clarify the answer to the original question, Ken Climo has gotten older and is playing Masters but not touring. Nikko Locastro just hasn't been playing as well, yes? Or did he stop touring too? He was such a big name a few years ago.

How about Ulibari? I've just heard his name in broadcasts, and it's a really fun name to say. Paul McBeth just seems like such a nice guy and talented pro. He's a great face for the sport of disc golf. Shusterick seems nice enough. Lizotte and Wisocki have such huge arms. I don't think courses are set up to adequately challenge these players. To tie in with a different thread on what makes a championship courses, I don't think every par 3 should be birdie or die nor should these guys be shooting -45 on a tournament.

Ulibari is still in, until he starts getting called for his walking putts.

I kid I kid.
I really think if Locastro learns to control his emotions and temper, it's going to be a completely different outlook.

 

[Shamis]

Nikko is the most fun to watch. I love it when he rages and throws half his bag out of bounds.

 

[mark996]

Nikko is the most immature to watch. I love it when he rages and throws half his bag out of bounds.

FTFY

 

[mAzzA]

Yeah, I'd say Simon is the most fun to watch. With his power he sees and throw lines other players wouldn't even consider, and does it half the time with his putter...

I'd really like to see Nikko make a comeback though, I think maybe not being able to toke at some tourneys really affects his game. Someone needs to bake him some special cookies or something.

 

[mark996]

It's a shame Simon couldn't get in a good rip on that 360 during the live event on smashboxxx the other day. Would have been awesome to see him park a 500+ foot drive. Unlikely but with his arm, not impossible.


I like Nikko and all, he just needs to tone it down a little. I love his enthusiasm, he just goes about it the wrong way with throwing stuff, yelling and cussing loudly enough for it to be picked up on camera etc.

 

[filobedo]

Something I have noticed over the past few years is newer players tend to know who all the top players are now compared to years past because there are so many manufacturors compared to ten years back. When I started Climo, Stokely, Schultz, Avery, Schweby, Brinster, Feldberg, Rico, Juliana Korver, Des Reading, Angela Tschiggfrie, Val Jenkins were big names and Doss had just won his first World Championship but Climo, Shultz, Reading and Korver were the only names I really knew. What amazes me is several guys I know seem to know and relish knowing personnal details about the top pros personal lives but have never met them. I have seen Trekkies and that is the correlation I see with knowing too much about people you really have no relationship with.

 

[Cgkdisc]

I'd say the growth of the Internet and Google have contributed to that change.

 

[JTacoma03]

Something I have noticed over the past few years is newer players tend to know who all the top players are now compared to years past because there are so many manufacturors compared to ten years back. When I started Climo, Stokely, Schultz, Avery, Schweby, Brinster, Feldberg, Rico, Juliana Korver, Des Reading, Angela Tschiggfrie, Val Jenkins were big names and Doss had just won his first World Championship but Climo, Shultz, Reading and Korver were the only names I really knew. What amazes me is several guys I know seem to know and relish knowing personnal details about the top pros personal lives but have never met them. I have seen Trekkies and that is the correlation I see with knowing too much about people you really have no relationship with.

Philosophically I'd argue that the difference there is fanatics of TV/movies worship characters, whereas sports heroes are real people with real challenges. The relationship is the bond of the human struggle of willpower and determination in sport. For example, unlike writing a script where I suddenly make Paul McBeth my whipping boy on every course ever, in real life would have to actually go out and struggle (and by that I mean work and fight) to accomplish that feat. We identify with that struggle, and simultaneously with the struggle of the best players to maintain their top status. In sports we DON'T know that everything will end up OK and the story will wrap up neatly, whereas we expect that from good screenwriting. In my personal opinion, real struggles are more endearing to audiences than pretend...and this is coming from someone who set out to be a film writer/director (and has 2 film degrees).

 

[BrotherDave]

When I started disc golf by watching competition videos online about 5 years ago, the big names were or at least included Ken Climo and Niko Locastro. However, no one is predicting them as top 4 in the Memorial prediction contest nor have I seen them in a recent broadcast.

So I ask: are they still competing? If not, what happened/why not?

All the groupies and hard drugs that come with disc golf stardom finally took their toll. Climo makes Motley Crue look like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

 

[joecoin]

... In sports we DON'T know that everything will end up OK and the story will wrap up neatly, whereas we expect that from good screenwriting...

Wait a minute! You mean to tell me that you knew that Spock was going to go into the dilithium chamber and die, only to be recreated (in the next movie) on the Genesis planet?

 

[Stable]

Also on the actual topic, Nikko very may well come roaring back. I think putting his wizards back in the bag could make all the difference in the world. With discs he believes in, it's all between his ears. He's still a good player who can compete with anyone on a good day regardless of discs though.

Climo is still a beast. Nobody who's heading into their mid-late 40's is going to compete with these kids coming up now, but he's still a top notch player and he proves it every time he plays an event. Climo, Schultz, and McCray are a step above all the other masters age players in the game in my opinion. There's some others, but Climo is still able to dominate anybody on a great day.

I agree about Nikko looking to have a good season by using discs he feels comfortable with. This is very important. Just don't think he ever clicked with the Prodigy molds. I think one of the many reasons why McBeth is so consistent is that he didn't stray from the molds that he first became successful with (Innova).

I've tried a lot of new molds over the past two years and my bag has changed a lot. As a result my game has been a bit all over the place. It's important to commit to ones you feel comfortable with.

I disagree about the older guys not being able to hang. I think it's more of an issue of them being family men and not spending as much time playing as guys in their twenties. It may also be that the older players never developed a strong FH game like the newer plays have. It really is a huge benefit.

 

[bbwrenn]

Yeah, I certainly agree that the guys who are masters age can play just as well on any given day, to clarify, I just don't think they can get the consistency needed to win against guys in their mid 20s on a consistent basis. That's why I made sure to say my caveat is that Climo can dominate anybody on a good day.

If that if Climo or Schultz dedicated themselves to physical training and golf practice 8 hours a day 5 days a week right now they could win a fair number of tournaments against even McBeth, but they're going to lose a good amount more than they win. A lot of it is explosiveness and it's also consistent reproduction of muscle movement. It's not a coincidence that it's very rare for people to win majors in golf after 45, even though golf is primarily a technique and mental game.

Regardless, I love watching those guys play because Climo is still a beast and a force to be reckoned with any time he walks on the course. You know he's bringing the heat and he's not gonna back down until the last putt is in. And he does it all with a more limited tee shot selection than these younger guys. On the other hand, he can pull out trick shots, rollers, and putts that probably blow the kids' minds. It's fun to watch the guys age out of open but still beat up on the youngins.

 

[beliles66]

Maybe. Last year it was all Wysocki and McBeth. Wysocki was supposed to come out here for the Battle at the Bon in Garland, TX but he had something "come up." Just almost seems like he gave up and didn't make a run at the end of the year. I like Lizotte, I would like to see him make a run at McBeth.

I agree with McBeth, Wysocki, and Lizotte but don't count out Ulibarri, Sexton, and Doss. Dark horses are Matt Dollar, Steve Rico, and John E McCray. Not exactly dark horses but you know what I mean.

 

[DriveCrusher2]

It is the same in many sports, some players fade and others do not, new faces come in and take the spotlight and they are young so they want us to like them because they will be around longer. That being said, Climo and all those guys are still playing. The only difference is in 2014 (if you watched the SpinTV) than you will see that if McBeth, Lizotte and Wysocki were all in the same tournament, you were fighting everyone else for that number 4 spot on the lead card. For the Japan Open I remember seeing Nikko on the lead card. Let's talk about Nikko for a bit, he got into some trouble (can mess with a person's mental game) and he switched away from Gateway, which took away his ability to throw a mixed bag (Believe it or not it is an advantage to an extent). Those things being said, Nikko has moved to California and started FlyLife, a company that is making apparel and probably selling discs, I haven't looked that far into it but, he has gained back his sponsor/partner-ship which I am sure will give him that ability again, putting with wizards, throwing spirits, whatever he is used to throwing when he started, that being said I am sure he will be using discs that he was successful with while with prodigy and wherever else he was located.

As for the new big names, they are hard to beat right now, McBeth just has that never quit never die attitude as does Lizotte and they both like going up against one another because it is fun and friendly and they push each other to play better, Lizotte may park his shot and McBeth comes up and has that attitude like I can park that too and does it, they are a lot of fun to watch and I'm excited to see what they do this year