Throwing Videos

Today I went out to take some videos of my throwing motion. I am still having problems with my drives and hope that by video taping some of them I can learn what I am doing and make my throwing motion more consistent.

Best round @ Moraga

I had my best round ever at Moraga today with Greg and shot a -4 (see scorecard below). I started out not expecting much as I have not been playing that well and was fresh off a 2 round beating from Greg the day before. But on the first hole, I made a lucky putt from underneath a tree for a birdie that seemed to get me started on the right foot. I ended up not giving up the tee pad until the final hole of the round.

For most of the first nine I played consistent, not finding myself in too much trouble off the tee and with reasonable upshots for easy pars. For some reason I was able to really concentrate well on my putts and each one seemed routine. Greg was making par right along side me and so it didn't feel like I was having an especially good round, but just keeping pace with him. On hole 6 I had a poor drive, and was left with a huge upshot from the path by the bridge, which seemed a very long way away! And yet, I was able to make a great approach shot and get it close enough for a 12' foot putt which I drained for par. That shot got me thinking I was having a pretty good round and that I might be able to stay with Greg (for today at least).

I went on to birdie hole 7, which Greg almost aced on a skip shot (it hit the chains and fell out) and then hole 9, to make the turn at -3. At this point I was hoping to hang on and just trying not think about my score, but on making the best next shot I could... but in the back of my mind I knew I was having a good day and just how good would depend on this next nine holes.

I started the back nine with routine pars on the first 3 holes, and then birdied hole 4 after a great drive. I just keep thinking about each shot and each putt, and was aware that I seemed to making all the putts (and shots) I needed to. I had not had any bogeys to this point and with each hole I sort of felt the pressure building to finish off the round well. I got through hole 6 with a par, and then birdied 7 from a good 20' feet and was -5 with 2 holes to play.

I was getting tired and feeling a bit more pressure and threw my worst drive of the day - right into the hillside about equal with the path walking from hole 6. I then tried a simple straight shot between the trees, just to get it close and save par, only to watch it hit the trees and fall down. I took a deep breath and put it close and made the putt for my first bogey of the day. I was still on track for my best round ever, and after managing to get par and secure a -4 round, I was relieved to have finished as well as I did. My previous best at Moraga was even par, so this was a major step forward for me!! Hopefully I can continue to improve and play like this more often.

Best Round Ever
2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2 = -3
3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 4, 3 = -1 Total -4

New Rev Bag Arrives!!

I bought a new Revolution disc golf bag last week, and it arrived today. It is Carolina blue and I also bought a quad-shock strap for it. I should be all set for many years to come, as these bags are known to last forever and I did a lot of research before buying this one. I chose it mostly for the design and the fact that there is a putter pocket on the front, for easy access.

Below is a picture of the inside, including the internal frame. I am not sure how many discs it will hold, but it easily holds the 11 discs I have (plus the putter on the outside).

Finally Cashed at Moraga Weekly

Well I finally got some cash at the Moraga Weekly! I have been running it for four weeks now, and have not even sniffed the money. Frankly it is hard to both play in, and run, the weekly tournament... not that it takes all that much time, but my thoughts are often on what I need to do to make sure others are having a good time and that the event is running smoothly (than on my own shots and score).

But this week I was able to concentrate a bit more on my game, as I have been running the event for long enough to know what to expect, etc. I hope this is a sign that I can get back to playing more up to my usual standards each week and be a little more competitive.

Working with the Pros

I went to Santa Cruz today and worked at the Masters Cup Pro weekend, and got a chance to see the big boys play. I arrived at around 7:30 AM, and went to work sweeping off the outer tee pads (hole 8-19) and then worked the parking lot until about 12:00 PM. It was pretty easy and I got a chance to see most of the top men tee off. It was amazing how far they can throw and the strategies that each person took to the first hole. Some tried rollers, other low skipping shots - they certainly made it look easy.

After noon, I went and spotted on holes 20 and hole 22. I was there when all the main field came through; Climo, Feldberg, Doss and others. Usually they threw huge turnover shots, and some went right over the basket. I watched as some pros end up deep in the trees on the right, or get "roll aways" from 10 ft that caused them to take bogeys - so they are human after all.

I also saw the top woman come through, and while they might not have throw as far as the men, they were just as accurate. The woman seemed to be so much more supportive and rooting for each other, while the top men didn't seem to say much if anything and be very workmen like. Many pros thanked me for volunteering and spotting for them - which I thought was very nice.

After I was done I had the chance to sit and chat with Ken Climo. He was extremely nice (and signed my hat) and discussed his round of -12 (now that is some awesome shooting given the course set-up). Seeing him in person, I was surprised by how fit this guys is - he is in shape. He reminded me of a volleyball player in terms of his build, long and lanky. Dave Feldberg played well in the holes I watched, but I did not see how he finished. I know Nate was in third, but was over 10 shots back.



I had a great time and was happy to help Marty out with the event. Next year I would like to go a couple of days to watch the ending, but for this year one day was enough. I got a ton of sun and really I could not help but marvel at how easy this level of player makes the game seem.