For the love of the sport. A place for DG enthusiasts to share their thoughts.

Posts tagged “Winter

Looking Back: 2012 World Championships

Posted by mleefry


Although it has been more than 3 years since I was introduced to disc golf, this is the first time I have had the winter disc golf bug.  Today, for example, in Missouri the high temperature was below freezing and there is 2 inches of snow and ice on the ground.   This is not my idea of disc golf weather, especially as a beginner who gets frustrated enough when my discs are dry.

 

These conditions have left me thinking about disc golf much more than playing.  Mostly I have pondered my favorite disc golf moments from last year, and those I’m looking forward to most this year.  The biggest difference between the two is that now I’m a player, not just a spectator.

 

Last summer I drove to Charlotte, NC, with my boyfriend and his dad for the 2012 Disc Golf World Championships.  At the time, I hadn’t even played a full 18-hole round of disc golf.  I was coming as a girlfriend, caddy, and camera girl.  From my point of view of as non-player and disc golf spectator of nearly 3 years, here were the top 5 things I loved about 2012 Worlds that I hadn’t seen anywhere else.

 

5.  Beautiful courses

Yes, I’ve been to other courses that were pretty (most notably, Diamond X in Billings, MT, and some courses in Des Moines, IA).  However, this was the first time that EVERY course I went to was gorgeous and visually interesting.  On top of simply being nice pieces of land with awesome layouts, they were clean with very little litter.  Despite the heat of the Carolina sun, it was always fulfilling to be outside just to see the courses.

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4.  Narrow, straight fairways with tall, skinny trees

When I first started watching disc golf, I thought it was so neat how discs flew in curves and “S” shapes.  It wasn’t long before I realized that discs curve naturally, and it is extremely difficult to throw down a narrow fairway.  Watching drives on the numerous holes with tight hallways simply amazed me, especially because so many were so accurate!

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3.  Putting for dough

As the saying goes, “drive for show, putt for dough.”  At such a competitive event with incredibly skilled players, putting was for dough AND show.  Every throw counted, and long putts created more suspense than any drive from the tee.  And, when someone made one, led to more excitement.

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2.  Watching people of all ages play

As a 19 year old girl, it is often hard to find other people “like me” at the course.  Spending a week watching the junior divisions gave me a whole new perspective on the sport (even if I mostly followed the boys!).  The disc golf community is so much larger and more diverse than I knew.  It was definitely a shock to see kids ten years younger than me flicking farther than I can throw backhand (still)!

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1.  Watching other people watch

As someone who watched disc golf for nearly 3 years before I started playing, it always seemed so odd to me that I was usually the person in a gallery.  The way the discs fly and the relaxed atmosphere of the sport make it such a unique sport to watch.  Seeing so many people with so much interest in watching others play was pretty foreign to me.  It changed my view on the potential of the sport.  Now that the PDGA has announced a partnership with the Emerging Sports Network, the opportunity of having a new role in the disc golf community—spectators—is more possible than ever before.

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Sitting around, drinking hot tea, and waiting for spring to come is giving me plenty of time to get excited about the upcoming disc golf season.  I haven’t decided how many tournaments I’ll play in or where all I will travel to watch, but I sure hope to get to Emporia, KS and Crown Point, IN to have the Worlds experience again!


Winter Disc Golf Adjustments – Weight & Grip

Posted by destinjames


Recently I had the pleasure of playing White Oak Park in Dallas, GA. A beautiful open hilly course — nice little pond that comes into to play for holes after 14 too. The air was a bit brisk, but certainly a good day to hear chains as always. After about 6 holes I noticed my go-to Sidewinder not having the same glide it usually has. This made me think…

I’m not a meteorologist or a physicist, but proper disc weight in adverse conditions, no matter the skill level, is extremely important!

Over the years I have heard that low weight discs (roughly 150-168) are easier for distance, but hard to release and control consistently, especially with wind. Heavier discs are naturally more over-stable (slightly), harder to gain distance, but consistent. I find that this is very true.

BUT… I’ve yet to read about disc weights and how to adjust them according to the weather, mainly temperature.

Air Temperature

I found that throwing my 172g Sidewinder feels like throwing a 190g when it’s coat-wearing time. It sunk like the Titanic on my first moderate up-shot this last weekend. I bought a 154g disc today to compare, and I had a tremendous improvement.

I highly recommend adjusting your disc weight according to the outside temperature. In these low temperatures of Winter (high 40’s right now here in Georgia) my go-to weight is 160 now, but I am not a high speed thrower. The beauty of Disc Golf is you need to find what works best for YOU. Right now, for me, it seems that lighter weight cuts the cold air a bit better.

Now Grip…

Peripheral Blood Flow

While playing at White Oak, the great J.T. of this blog made an EXCELLENT point. When the weather is cold, our hands don’t have as much blood flow and do not move and react as they normally do. So naturally when we throw the disc it may not have the same release point, usually late-whipping it way off track — to the right for right handed back handed throwers.

The way he remedied this is by using a modified fan grip on his drives as he would a long approach shot. Since the fingers aren’t tucked in the rim, they don’t need to get out of the way in time, giving you a smooth release. As long as you have grip on the disc and can still snap it, this is a fantastic modification for cold weather conditions.

As always, these points and tips are something to read, enjoy, and go by – not to live by. Disc Golf is truly amazing because it’s personal. In order to become great you have to practice A LOT and define your own game. I just hope the tips and stories we share here at Dogleg Disc Golf steer you into a happy and successful direction.

Few Trees,

Destin


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