Wysoki vs. McBeth

[sandelius]

That being said, while Ricky is playing great, he is not beating the true ability of McBeth.

Wysocki's victory... salty, isn't it?

 

[alfonseski]

"That being said, while Ricky is playing great, he is not beating the true ability of McBeth"

What does that even mean. Is it like in Rocky 3 when Mr T beat Rocky but he did not really get Rocky's best because Micky was dying in the training room of a heart attack(getting no medical attention I might add). Mr T's victory was Hollow much like Ricky's. So Rocky trained hard with a new better fighting style and righted the universe with a decisive win.

It must be that Paul is so dominant and the sport is so easy for him he does not even really try and if he did he would shoot all 1100 rated rounds and destroy everyone?

You beat who you play, if they do not play their best that is on them. Paul Mcbeth is fiercely competitive, whatever he plays in rounds right now is his current best.

Or maybe I should expect I will shoot my course best on my home course every single time.

 

[sidewinder22]

Nice. No clock shot, but looked like a 1:58ish? I hated the 200 Butterfly with a passion, but coach made me do it anyway. Always preferred the super sprints. I hit 20.6 in the first leg of the 200y freestyle relay my HS senior year. Good times.
Sigh...

Nice. Swimming was not my choice of sports. I had a land sport career ending hip dislocation a la Bo Jackson playing soccer in HS and so swimming was the only sport left I could do.

That was a 1:57. I lowered it to 1:54 at conference championships in Maine of all places, friggin' -20 degrees outside. I'm the only guy on the podium under 6'2", at 5'7".

 

[blackcatsmith]

so sad

 

[LukeButch]

It's tough to judge the ongoing status of McBeth's various injuries because he always states for the record that he's fine. But we see him skip the KC Wide Open(?) and watch him drastically modify his putting stance and we know he hasn't been right for most of the year.

.

he definitely was not 100% for vibram, i caddied for someone playing with him and it was tough to watch him mess up relatively simple shots(for him)

 

[Dcinmd]

If you win The Vibram, you deserve maximum respect and you're at the top of the game.

Everyone knows BW's old rep but he did a very interesting and revealing interview a week or two after The Vibram on a podcast (of course I can't remember which one now lol - I think it was FRR, but don't quote me.)

Anyway, in the interview BW explained his old behavior that built up to the basket kicking incident and suspension, etc. He basically explained that he has, for good, left behind this old churlish, me-against-the-world attitude and that he is now, basically, a normal, mature competitor.

I'd tend to believe him because I think it's basically impossible to win a tournament as difficult, intense and prestigious as The Vibram if you don't have your head straight and balanced.

He also came from 6 strokes back in the final round at Iron Hill by tying a course record and beating Ricky in a 2 hole playoffs. 2-1 against Ricky in the past month.

 

[Consult20]

May need to add Eagle to the discussion in the near future, as I recall he had a 2 shot lead on both of them at one point in that last round. He's still very young but seems to be growing up fast this year.

 

[corin_brown]

he definitely was not 100% for vibram, i caddied for someone playing with him and it was tough to watch him mess up relatively simple shots(for him)

Good point. At Maple Hill, he was a mess during the rounds Smashboxx showed, and his final score and result reflects that. He reacted with frustration too after making uncharacteristic mistakes. That was jarring to witness after watching him play with such poise, calm, focus and rhythm for years.

Seemed like he got close to returning to that this past weekend, despite not getting the win. Going back to his usual putting stance/motion was another good sign.

 

[kavoul]

"That being said, while Ricky is playing great, he is not beating the true ability of McBeth"

What does that even mean. Is it like in Rocky 3 when Mr T beat Rocky but he did not really get Rocky's best because Micky was dying in the training room of a heart attack(getting no medical attention I might add). Mr T's victory was Hollow much like Ricky's. So Rocky trained hard with a new better fighting style and righted the universe with a decisive win.

It must be that Paul is so dominant and the sport is so easy for him he does not even really try and if he did he would shoot all 1100 rated rounds and destroy everyone?

You beat who you play, if they do not play their best that is on them. Paul Mcbeth is fiercely competitive, whatever he plays in rounds right now is his current best.

Or maybe I should expect I will shoot my course best on my home course every single time.

What does that even mean? It means McBeth isn't playing at a level he has consistently shown. And no, that level is not his absolute best, but it absolutely is better than anyone else's consistent abilities. Just because it was insanely good, it doesn't mean he wasn't still messing up shots or missing putts. I think it would be clear to anyone that he isn't playing like he CONSISTENTLY used to play.

I'm not trying to take away from Ricky, and I am by no means a McBeth fanboy, but this all would be more interesting if someone had risen to the level Paul has shown in the past instead of meeting him halfway due to his time off, injuries, or whatever it is that's still hindering his performance.

 

[DirtyMeathook]

"That being said, while Ricky is playing great, he is not beating the true ability of McBeth"

What does that even mean. Is it like in Rocky 3 when Mr T beat Rocky but he did not really get Rocky's best because Micky was dying in the training room of a heart attack(getting no medical attention I might add). Mr T's victory was Hollow much like Ricky's. So Rocky trained hard with a new better fighting style and righted the universe with a decisive win.

It must be that Paul is so dominant and the sport is so easy for him he does not even really try and if he did he would shoot all 1100 rated rounds and destroy everyone?

You beat who you play, if they do not play their best that is on them. Paul Mcbeth is fiercely competitive, whatever he plays in rounds right now is his current best.

Or maybe I should expect I will shoot my course best on my home course every single time.

:clap:


Also, who's to say McBeth playing an average of 1 throw lower than last year is not at least partially attributed to Ricky's surge. It' s probably a little more stressful competing when you're not a prohibited favorite, and there is another player in the field capable of outperforming him, even on a good day.

 

[Hampstead]

Nice. Swimming was not my choice of sports. I had a land sport career ending hip dislocation a la Bo Jackson playing soccer in HS and so swimming was the only sport left I could do.

That was a 1:57. I lowered it to 1:54 at conference championships in Maine of all places, friggin' -20 degrees outside. I'm the only guy on the podium under 6'2", at 5'7".

 

[lyleoross]

Last 22 rounds: Wysocki avg 1048, McBeth avg 1047

You're just trying to stir up trouble. Would this be an appropriate time to point out that ratings don't matter anyway?

What we really need is a Paul/Ricky betting pool with a number of parameters including putting, driving accuracy, ratings, etc.

 

[dorseymatt]

When people talk about natural ability, talent, and athleticism, the thing most commonly underrated is one's ability to repeat mechanics. This seems to be what Paul has over others, and it it not only from hard work (though that obviously takes it to the next level). Repeating mechanics isn't measurable, like wingspan, strength, speed, jumping, etc. -- but in disc golf, it matters a hell of a lot.

To the extent Paul has not been himself this year, it is likely because he has not been able to use the mechanics he normally uses.

 

[lyleoross]

When people talk about natural ability, talent, and athleticism, the thing most commonly underrated is one's ability to repeat mechanics. This seems to be what Paul has over others, and it it not only from hard work (though that obviously takes it to the next level). Repeating mechanics isn't measurable, like wingspan, strength, speed, jumping, etc. -- but in disc golf, it matters a hell of a lot.

To the extent Paul has not been himself this year, it is likely because he has not been able to use the mechanics he normally uses.

Yep!

One of the things that caught my attention last year was the Spin TV slow mo of Paul. Go look at it. His form, by the definitions I've read over the past twenty years, is perfect. His off arm placement etc. I think that is why his drives are so consistent.

 

[wims]

I always thought that McBeth was the strongest player when it comes to the mental game, but looking at him now he kind of does have a little bit of Nikko in him; when he makes a small mistake he's clapping loud, hitting himself with the disc on the leg etc. He's using mental energy on things he shouldn't be using it on. It's easy to look like you got the mental game of Dalai Lama when you're dominating. The true test is when you're facing rougher times, and it appears to me that McBeth still got a bit improvement to go on that aspect of the game

 

[kavoul]

I always thought that McBeth was the strongest player when it comes to the mental game, but looking at him now he kind of does have a little bit of Nikko in him; when he makes a small mistake he's clapping loud, hitting himself with the disc on the leg etc. He's using mental energy on things he shouldn't be using it on. It's easy to look like you got the mental game of Dalai Lama when you're dominating. The true test is when you're facing rougher times, and it appears to me that McBeth still got a bit improvement to go on that aspect of the game

You make a good point that he seems to get more frustrated than he did last year. I will say though that his comeback performance at the European Open this year seemed to show how mentally strong he is.

 

[Zphix]

So far this year I'd say Ricky is the best at the moment - but I think Paul still has an injury (right?) and if that's the case I think that's why the numbers look the way they do. When it comes to disc golf I prefer Wysocki over everybody so I'm biased.

However, because Paul isn't playing his best I've been seeing him getting more frustrated at the little mistakes lately. Missing putts, etc. and he's smacking his discs, and getting aggravated.

 

[corin_brown]

but looking at him now he kind of does have a little bit of Nikko in him

Whoa! There have def been some cracks in his veneer this season, but McBeth's got a ways to go before he starts resembling Nikko's outbursts. For one thing, no matter how bad McBeth has acted out this season (and all things considered, it hasn't really been that often) I haven't seen him swear, scream or yell petulantly.

I will say though that his comeback performance at the European Open this year seemed to show how mentally strong he is.

Great point. And throw in his performance last week too. He might have lost the European Masters in the end but he looked like his old self during his amazing charge in the final round. He started that round four behind Rick and had to leapfrog KJ & Eagle too. He couldn't do any of that if his mental game wasn't in very good shape.

 

[alfonseski]

Paul clearly dropped an F bomb at Vibram(on video) and saw him punch the ground multiple times. Its not just this year though, I noticed at the US open last year he was often complaining loudly after each shot, of course he ended up winning that tournament.

 

[HarkeyPuck]

It's tough to judge the ongoing status of McBeth's various injuries because he always states for the record that he's fine. But we see him skip the KC Wide Open(?)

…because he was in Europe playing a tournament.