Saturday, March 21, 2009
Putting 101
Fundamentals of Hideous Putting
By Jason Southwick
Let's be clear what we're talking about here. We're not talking about missing half your 20-footers. That's considered bad putting in some circles, but here we're talking about being fairly incapacitated from five to 10 feet, and missing the entire basket a lot of the time. And of course being terrified before the putt, and mortified afterwards. What happens during the putt is hard to remember, due to your little nervous breakdown. You can try covering it up with self-deprecation, but truth is, most people on the planet - and many of them have never even seen a golf disc - can putt way better than you right now. Then again, most of them don't have brand new facial twitches and a loud ringing in their ears.
And it's not something that comes quickly. You can't just walk onto a disc golf course and be a hideous putter. It takes thousands and thousands of putts over many years, covering dozens of putting styles and any number of putters. Hideous putting also requires brooding, and attaching your self-worth directly to the shortest of putts.
With the proper negative energy, nurtured by a deep-seated fear of failure, we can make our putting so hideous that people look away. And the one friend who's not giving you the silent treatment asks, shocked, "What was THAT?"
Well, it's not easy. Here are a few ideas for climbing into the abyss.
Bad Posture, the Key to Sucking at Any Sport
A few years back I gave a disc golf lesson to a big strong man, and we began with putting. Right off the bat he's all kinds of nervous, and can't reach the basket from 15 feet with his straddle putt. He somehow looks like so many bad putters, just worse. It dawns on me he's making the classic mistake of reaching the disc toward the basket - to make the putt shorter and, presumably, easier - while necessarily sticking his butt out in the opposite direction.
Problem is, in that position, it's difficult to muster enough coordination for even regular bad putting, never mind enough oomph to actually reach the target. It can be mind-boggling to witness otherwise normal disc golfers reaching forward in this awkward standing broad jump pose, eight feet away from the basket, as if they're trying to defuse a basket-shaped bomb with a disc-shaped remote control.
So if you define success as failure, remember to maximize the distance between the release point of your putt, and your rear end. Guaranteed to raise your score while amusing your friends. And one of the bedrocks of hideous putting.
Jason demonstrates extreme "Reach Closer So You Won't Have to Throw it as Far" putting, the perfect stance for unearthing that truly humiliating stroke that resides in all of us.
Footfault Every Single Time
Develop the habit of stepping on your mini upon release, and stepping over it afterwards. The idea here is to send the subliminal message to Captain Brain that you're unworthy. While disc golf will naturally rob us of our confidence, we can greatly accelerate the demoralization process by making our bad putting also illegal, the way Shaq used to step over the foul line after every foul shot.
The fact that cheating brings you a little closer to the target won't help one bit, and chances are, like poor Shaq stepping over the foul line, you won't be called on it that often. Why? Because what you're doing is so obviously not helping.
And because, as fellow disc golfers, we recognize that you're suffering enough already.
Thought Flashes
Thought flashes are the opposite of mantras. A mantra is something you repeat in your head over and over, in a calm, slow Keith Oberman voice: "Put the bisquit in the basket." Thought flashes are much more sudden, involuntary, and sound a lot like Sam Kinison screaming words so offensive they'd make the most hardened PDGA Monitor blush -- even if you wrote them without vowels.
No putting can attain true hideousness without well-timed thought flashes.
When the Psyche Goes Bad
The psyche is the whole shebang. It's what you're thinking and what you know and don't know, what you remember as well as everything you've forgotten. And if your body isn't part of your psyche, it's the car the psyche's driving, often erratically, especially on those short putts where your skin crawls right off of you, stands up on its own with holes for eyes and laughs in your face. And it's not a nice sort of laugh, either.
Whatever messes with your psyche, is guaranteed to mess with your putting. They are reflections of each other.
"Hurry up and miss," says my former skin, suddenly bored with the inevitable.
And of course I clang the front of the basket from nine feet and, since my skin's new job is to mock me, my blood and organs spill out of me onto the ground next to my poor putter.
Solutions
You can improve your posture, avoid footfaulting, suppress some of the more shattering thought flashes, start actually practicing, and visit a sports psychologist. All of this may help. When you're in hideous putting mode, however, your best bet is to simply surrender to it and accept it.
Sooner or later the vortex in your head will settle, your confidence will return, and you'll be putting as well as the first time you ever picked up a disc.
By Jason Southwick
Let's be clear what we're talking about here. We're not talking about missing half your 20-footers. That's considered bad putting in some circles, but here we're talking about being fairly incapacitated from five to 10 feet, and missing the entire basket a lot of the time. And of course being terrified before the putt, and mortified afterwards. What happens during the putt is hard to remember, due to your little nervous breakdown. You can try covering it up with self-deprecation, but truth is, most people on the planet - and many of them have never even seen a golf disc - can putt way better than you right now. Then again, most of them don't have brand new facial twitches and a loud ringing in their ears.
And it's not something that comes quickly. You can't just walk onto a disc golf course and be a hideous putter. It takes thousands and thousands of putts over many years, covering dozens of putting styles and any number of putters. Hideous putting also requires brooding, and attaching your self-worth directly to the shortest of putts.
With the proper negative energy, nurtured by a deep-seated fear of failure, we can make our putting so hideous that people look away. And the one friend who's not giving you the silent treatment asks, shocked, "What was THAT?"
Well, it's not easy. Here are a few ideas for climbing into the abyss.
Bad Posture, the Key to Sucking at Any Sport
A few years back I gave a disc golf lesson to a big strong man, and we began with putting. Right off the bat he's all kinds of nervous, and can't reach the basket from 15 feet with his straddle putt. He somehow looks like so many bad putters, just worse. It dawns on me he's making the classic mistake of reaching the disc toward the basket - to make the putt shorter and, presumably, easier - while necessarily sticking his butt out in the opposite direction.
Problem is, in that position, it's difficult to muster enough coordination for even regular bad putting, never mind enough oomph to actually reach the target. It can be mind-boggling to witness otherwise normal disc golfers reaching forward in this awkward standing broad jump pose, eight feet away from the basket, as if they're trying to defuse a basket-shaped bomb with a disc-shaped remote control.
So if you define success as failure, remember to maximize the distance between the release point of your putt, and your rear end. Guaranteed to raise your score while amusing your friends. And one of the bedrocks of hideous putting.
Jason demonstrates extreme "Reach Closer So You Won't Have to Throw it as Far" putting, the perfect stance for unearthing that truly humiliating stroke that resides in all of us.
Footfault Every Single Time
Develop the habit of stepping on your mini upon release, and stepping over it afterwards. The idea here is to send the subliminal message to Captain Brain that you're unworthy. While disc golf will naturally rob us of our confidence, we can greatly accelerate the demoralization process by making our bad putting also illegal, the way Shaq used to step over the foul line after every foul shot.
The fact that cheating brings you a little closer to the target won't help one bit, and chances are, like poor Shaq stepping over the foul line, you won't be called on it that often. Why? Because what you're doing is so obviously not helping.
And because, as fellow disc golfers, we recognize that you're suffering enough already.
Thought Flashes
Thought flashes are the opposite of mantras. A mantra is something you repeat in your head over and over, in a calm, slow Keith Oberman voice: "Put the bisquit in the basket." Thought flashes are much more sudden, involuntary, and sound a lot like Sam Kinison screaming words so offensive they'd make the most hardened PDGA Monitor blush -- even if you wrote them without vowels.
No putting can attain true hideousness without well-timed thought flashes.
When the Psyche Goes Bad
The psyche is the whole shebang. It's what you're thinking and what you know and don't know, what you remember as well as everything you've forgotten. And if your body isn't part of your psyche, it's the car the psyche's driving, often erratically, especially on those short putts where your skin crawls right off of you, stands up on its own with holes for eyes and laughs in your face. And it's not a nice sort of laugh, either.
Whatever messes with your psyche, is guaranteed to mess with your putting. They are reflections of each other.
"Hurry up and miss," says my former skin, suddenly bored with the inevitable.
And of course I clang the front of the basket from nine feet and, since my skin's new job is to mock me, my blood and organs spill out of me onto the ground next to my poor putter.
Solutions
You can improve your posture, avoid footfaulting, suppress some of the more shattering thought flashes, start actually practicing, and visit a sports psychologist. All of this may help. When you're in hideous putting mode, however, your best bet is to simply surrender to it and accept it.
Sooner or later the vortex in your head will settle, your confidence will return, and you'll be putting as well as the first time you ever picked up a disc.
Team Grunt at a Glance
Eric
Hole #7 Heritage Farm Park-Champion Eagle
Hole #7 Blue Course Codorus State Park-DX Kite
Justyn
Hole #10 Boulder Woods @ Pinchot-Star Wraith
Jim
Hole #? Still Waitng State Park, Anywhere USA
Patapsco
Long Tees-Mixed Pins-Justyn & Eric +1 62
Long Tees-All C Pins-Eric 68
Short Tees-All C Pins- Eric 69 (Punisher '08)
Heritage Farm Park
Short-Eric & Justyn -6 48
long-Eric -2 52
Team Grunt Layout- Justyn -1
Codorus
Hanover PA
All 54-Eric-172
Red- Eric & Jim 54
Blue- Eric 53
XC- Eric 30
X-holes- Eric & Justyn 30 (same day)
Seneca Creek State Park
Gaithersburg MD
Short tees all 27-Eric even 81
Long Tees all 27-Eric 94
Wisp Resort
McHenry MD
(new record to commence on the new Team Grunt layout,
The Front nine twice)
Jim 69 -3 (original course, now defunct)
Gifford Pinchot State Park
Conewago Day Use Area
Boulder Woods
Eric 52 -3 (par 55?)
Quakers Challenge @ Pinchot
Eric 68 +5 Mixed
Eric 73 +9 All Long But 2 Pins
Creekside DGC
Harrisburg PA
Eric 53 -2
Middletown MD
Long tees-Eric 54 even
Whispering Falls
Greencastle PA
Eric 55 +1 (short)
Eric 63 +2 (all long)
Woodshed
Paw Paw W.VA
Eric 71 -1
Whipping Post
Paw Paw W.VA
Eric 73 +1
Low Score Total Both Courses
Eric 146
Rockburn
All Long- Eric 61
Mixed-Jim 56 +2
Druid Hill
Wood Tees Mixed: Eric 60
Metal Tees Mixed: Andy 54
Woodsboro Park
To be determined
????????????????
Hole #7 Heritage Farm Park-Champion Eagle
Hole #7 Blue Course Codorus State Park-DX Kite
Justyn
Hole #10 Boulder Woods @ Pinchot-Star Wraith
Jim
Hole #? Still Waitng State Park, Anywhere USA
Patapsco
Long Tees-Mixed Pins-Justyn & Eric +1 62
Long Tees-All C Pins-Eric 68
Short Tees-All C Pins- Eric 69 (Punisher '08)
Heritage Farm Park
Short-Eric & Justyn -6 48
long-Eric -2 52
Team Grunt Layout- Justyn -1
Codorus
Hanover PA
All 54-Eric-172
Red- Eric & Jim 54
Blue- Eric 53
XC- Eric 30
X-holes- Eric & Justyn 30 (same day)
Seneca Creek State Park
Gaithersburg MD
Short tees all 27-Eric even 81
Long Tees all 27-Eric 94
Wisp Resort
McHenry MD
(new record to commence on the new Team Grunt layout,
The Front nine twice)
Jim 69 -3 (original course, now defunct)
Gifford Pinchot State Park
Conewago Day Use Area
Boulder Woods
Eric 52 -3 (par 55?)
Quakers Challenge @ Pinchot
Eric 68 +5 Mixed
Eric 73 +9 All Long But 2 Pins
Creekside DGC
Harrisburg PA
Eric 53 -2
Middletown MD
Long tees-Eric 54 even
Whispering Falls
Greencastle PA
Eric 55 +1 (short)
Eric 63 +2 (all long)
Woodshed
Paw Paw W.VA
Eric 71 -1
Whipping Post
Paw Paw W.VA
Eric 73 +1
Low Score Total Both Courses
Eric 146
Rockburn
All Long- Eric 61
Mixed-Jim 56 +2
Druid Hill
Wood Tees Mixed: Eric 60
Metal Tees Mixed: Andy 54
Woodsboro Park
To be determined
????????????????
Whispering Falls Saturday
1st rd
Mixed tees to the Longest layout.
Justyn 73
Eric 74
2nd Rd.
Mixed tees to The Longest layout.
Eric 63 (new record)
Justyn 74
Shots of the Day:
Eric, park's #14 LONG for the 5 foot deuce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Shot of the Year Candidate nominee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Eric park's # 10 (pro tee) to 12 feet for a drop in deuce!
Mixed tees to the Longest layout.
Justyn 73
Eric 74
2nd Rd.
Mixed tees to The Longest layout.
Eric 63 (new record)
Justyn 74
Shots of the Day:
Eric, park's #14 LONG for the 5 foot deuce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Shot of the Year Candidate nominee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Eric park's # 10 (pro tee) to 12 feet for a drop in deuce!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Team Grunt at a Glance
Eric
Hole #7 Heritage Farm Park-Champion Eagle
Hole #7 Blue Course Codorus State Park-DX Kite
Justyn
Hole #10 Boulder Woods @ Pinchot-Star Wraith
Jim
Hole #? Still Waitng State Park, Anywhere USA
Patapsco
Long Tees-Mixed Pins-Justyn & Eric +1 62
Long Tees-All C Pins-Jim & Justyn (EVEN?- 72) (same day)
Short Tees-All C Pins- Eric 69 (Punisher '08)
Heritage Farm Park
Short-Eric & Justyn -6 48
long-Eric -2 52
Team Grunt Layout- Justyn -1
Codorus
Hanover PA
All 54-Eric-172
Red- Eric & Jim 54
Blue- Eric 53
XC- Eric 30
X-holes- Eric & Justyn 30 (same day)
Seneca Creek State Park
Gaithersburg MD
Short tees all 27-Eric even 81
Long Tees all 27-Eric 94
Wisp Resort
McHenry MD
(new record to commence on the new Team Grunt layout,
The Front nine twice)
Jim 69 -3 (original course, now defunct)
Gifford Pinchot State Park
Conewago Day Use Area
Boulder Woods
Eric 52 -3 (par 55?)
Quakers Challenge @ Pinchot
Eric 68 +5 Mixed
Eric 73 +9 All Long But 2 Pins
Creekside DGC
Harrisburg PA
Eric 53 -2
Middletown MD
Long tees-Eric 54 even
Whispering Falls
Greencastle PA
Eric 55 +1 (short)
Justyn 67 +6 All long
Woodshed
Paw Paw W.VA
Eric 71 -1
Whipping Post
Paw Paw W.VA
Eric 73 +1
Low Score Total Both Courses
Eric 146
Rockburn
All Long- Eric 61
Mixed-Jim 56 +2
Druid Hill
Wood Tees Mixed: Eric 60
Metal Tees Mixed: Andy 54
Woodsboro Park
To be determined
????????????????
Hole #7 Heritage Farm Park-Champion Eagle
Hole #7 Blue Course Codorus State Park-DX Kite
Justyn
Hole #10 Boulder Woods @ Pinchot-Star Wraith
Jim
Hole #? Still Waitng State Park, Anywhere USA
Patapsco
Long Tees-Mixed Pins-Justyn & Eric +1 62
Long Tees-All C Pins-Jim & Justyn (EVEN?- 72) (same day)
Short Tees-All C Pins- Eric 69 (Punisher '08)
Heritage Farm Park
Short-Eric & Justyn -6 48
long-Eric -2 52
Team Grunt Layout- Justyn -1
Codorus
Hanover PA
All 54-Eric-172
Red- Eric & Jim 54
Blue- Eric 53
XC- Eric 30
X-holes- Eric & Justyn 30 (same day)
Seneca Creek State Park
Gaithersburg MD
Short tees all 27-Eric even 81
Long Tees all 27-Eric 94
Wisp Resort
McHenry MD
(new record to commence on the new Team Grunt layout,
The Front nine twice)
Jim 69 -3 (original course, now defunct)
Gifford Pinchot State Park
Conewago Day Use Area
Boulder Woods
Eric 52 -3 (par 55?)
Quakers Challenge @ Pinchot
Eric 68 +5 Mixed
Eric 73 +9 All Long But 2 Pins
Creekside DGC
Harrisburg PA
Eric 53 -2
Middletown MD
Long tees-Eric 54 even
Whispering Falls
Greencastle PA
Eric 55 +1 (short)
Justyn 67 +6 All long
Woodshed
Paw Paw W.VA
Eric 71 -1
Whipping Post
Paw Paw W.VA
Eric 73 +1
Low Score Total Both Courses
Eric 146
Rockburn
All Long- Eric 61
Mixed-Jim 56 +2
Druid Hill
Wood Tees Mixed: Eric 60
Metal Tees Mixed: Andy 54
Woodsboro Park
To be determined
????????????????
1st Team Grunt Layout @ The Farm
JustYn: -1 (easily beatable record)
Jim +4
In the longer Team Grunt Official layout, including
hole #19
Jim +4
In the longer Team Grunt Official layout, including
hole #19
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
PDGA NT 1st Stop = 1089 Rated Rd
Memorial NT Coverage
Locastro Launches NT with Win at Memorial.
The first stop of the 2009 PDGA National Tour concluded today in Scottsdale, Arizona at The Memorial. Nikko Locastro continued his early season success by capturing his first NT title, besting world-class golfer Avery Jenkins, 3-time Memorial champion Barry Schultz, and Arizona's own Paul Ulibarri.
Locastro pocketed the $2500 first place prize by riding the momentum from his 1089-rated second round in Fountain Hills. The Missouri native is one of the most colorful players on the NT, as well as one of the most talented. Still only 20 years old, Locastro has come into the 2009 disc golf season on a mission, adding the Memorial title to two other wins and a second he has accomplished already in this early part of the season.
Val Jenkins followed up last week's Gentlemen's Club title in Las Vegas with her second consecutive Memorial Championship this weekend in Scottsdale. Her two throw win over rival Des Reading and three over Liz Lopez gets Jenkins off to a great start during this 2009 season, as well. The two-time defending World Champion is playing with a high confidence level that is translating nicely into her game, especially with her intermediate approach shots.
Locastro Launches NT with Win at Memorial.
The first stop of the 2009 PDGA National Tour concluded today in Scottsdale, Arizona at The Memorial. Nikko Locastro continued his early season success by capturing his first NT title, besting world-class golfer Avery Jenkins, 3-time Memorial champion Barry Schultz, and Arizona's own Paul Ulibarri.
Locastro pocketed the $2500 first place prize by riding the momentum from his 1089-rated second round in Fountain Hills. The Missouri native is one of the most colorful players on the NT, as well as one of the most talented. Still only 20 years old, Locastro has come into the 2009 disc golf season on a mission, adding the Memorial title to two other wins and a second he has accomplished already in this early part of the season.
Val Jenkins followed up last week's Gentlemen's Club title in Las Vegas with her second consecutive Memorial Championship this weekend in Scottsdale. Her two throw win over rival Des Reading and three over Liz Lopez gets Jenkins off to a great start during this 2009 season, as well. The two-time defending World Champion is playing with a high confidence level that is translating nicely into her game, especially with her intermediate approach shots.
Falls Sunday League
Doubles: Random Draw.
I played with Pete and we took 4th with a 67.
Nordberg and Pete played in our group and took 2nd with a 61.
(Pete carried Mr Bacardi most of the round)
The Lead group shot 57.
All Pins are currently long
We played short pads to long pins.
I played with Pete and we took 4th with a 67.
Nordberg and Pete played in our group and took 2nd with a 61.
(Pete carried Mr Bacardi most of the round)
The Lead group shot 57.
All Pins are currently long
We played short pads to long pins.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Whispering Falls Saturday!
Whispering Falls Saturday or the Double P-tap round.
Calling Jack, Busch, Jim, Bogey, and whomever. The more the merrier.
and no leaving early pussy.
lemme know when and where, lets set up a beast 2 rounder somewhere!!!!!!!
Calling Jack, Busch, Jim, Bogey, and whomever. The more the merrier.
and no leaving early pussy.
lemme know when and where, lets set up a beast 2 rounder somewhere!!!!!!!
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