September 2010 DG Posts
Thursday, September 30, 2010 - early solo round at Dela
I played pretty well. I experimented with a few new discs. I have a new Leopard, a new Gazelle, a new Rogue and a new Katana. I kept turning over the Leopard. I would like to try some hyzer flips with it. The Gazelle threw nice, pretty much the same as my previous Gazelles. I was hoping the new Rogue would be more stable that my current Rogue. I have been having problems flipping Rogues. But it seemed to fly pretty much the same as my other Rogues. However, I was down to one Rogue, so it is nice to have a backup. I was also hoping that I had enough power to throw a Katana, but alas no. Also, I had problems getting a good drip on the Katana, it has a pretty big rim. So in summary, I would like to try some hyzer flips with my Leopards. It is nice to have a backup for both Gazelles and Rogues. I will probably put away the Katana for awhile.
At the start, my throws were kind of so-so. Towards the end, I slowed up my run up and the throws got much better. Nothing spectacular, but I was pretty pleased with my throws at the end. I hope I get a chance to go out tomorrow.
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - Played a round with Simon, Craig, Claire and Ben at Dela
This was a fun round. We played after work and only got 8 holes in. It was a big group and it is getting dark pretty early these days. We played from hole 20 to 27. I played so-so. I had a couple of good drives and a few good approaches, but nothing too remarkable.
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - Sharing my experiences with the hammer pound
My turn to share my experiences with the hammer pound. A little background first. Previously, I had a good, consistent forehand drive (300-325 feet), but a wimpy backhand drive (270ish). And my backhand drives were pretty inconsistent. So my goal with the hammer pound drill is to develop a good backhand throw.
I started playing with the hammer pound about 2 months ago. Unfortunately, I have only gotten about 10-15 field sessions in. Life keeps getting in the way (2.5 weeks of vacation, work issues, family issues, swarms of yellow jackets infesting my practice field, etc.). I started with backhand standstill throws, went to a one step throw and I have started working on two step throws. My standstill throws (with little pull back and little hip/shoulder turn) are about 90% of my previous x-step throws. My one step throws are about the same as my previous x-step throws. I am getting weight shift, but not much hip/shoulder turn on my one step throws. The nice thing is that my throws are consistent low line drive throws. If I drew a line towards my target, 8 of 10 throws would be within 10 feet right or left of the line. In fact better consistency is probably a bigger win than more distance.
I am pretty confident that if I can put in some field sessions working on a two step, then a full x-step throw, that my throws will lengthen out. It is now a matter of finding the time.
Some random observations:
1) About a month ago, I tied my course record. Usually, I set personal bests by making a bunch of spectacular throws. Not this time, I don't think I made any spetacular throws, instead I just hit every fairway.
2) So far, every time that I lose the hammer pound feeling, it is because I have started pulling too fast. I have this bad habit of pulling faster when I want/need more distance. So I just pull very slowly until I hit the right pec area and the feeling comes back.
3) I have played some with the dinner plate drill. The first session was horrible. The second session was better and it is about the same distance as the hammer pound. I suspect that I am not getting it right. When I started the hammer pound, the results were pretty dramatic. Much faster, consistent low line drives. After the dinner plate drill, my throws might be 10% farther, but not dramatically different.
4) I now have to worry about low obstacles. There is a hole on the local course where I am usually left with a 150-200 foot approach shot. About half way to the pin, there is a log about 4 feet off the ground. Previously, my approach shots always cleared the log easily. I never had to think about it. After the hammer pound drill, I started hitting the log. My line drive shots are just lower and I need to throw them a little higher to clear the log.
5) Putter drives on top-of-the-world holes. Now I have enough spin on the throw, that I can drive a putter straight off a top-of-the-world hole and the putter will just cruise straight down towards the hole. I really like making those throws.
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Sunday, September 26, 2010 - Solo round at Aptos + four more holes with Ben
I got to Aptos and the first thing that I found was that they had moved 4 of the pins. In each case, they made the holes significantly harder. On hole 2, they moved the pin about 75 feet farther up the hill. This makes a pretty hard hole, ridiculously hard. For me, this became a par 4 hole. It is conceivable that I could par the hole, but it will take very, very good first and second shots. I bogied it both times we played it. The pin for hole 4 has been moved across the road and slightly up the hill. I used to have a good chance at a birdie on this hole. Now I have a good chance at a par. I do not have the arm to reach the hole. If I drive to where the pin used to be, I have a good approach shot. I parred and bogied this hole. The bogey was only because I missed a 20 foot putt that I should have made. The pin for hole 12 was pushed back under a tree. What used to be a fairly easy par, became a challenging par. I did get a par, but it was because I used my 3rd drive and my 4th approach shot. The pin for hole 18 was moved back into the trees. Another hole that was a reasonable shot at a birdie became a reasonable shot at a par. If you throw your drive at the old pin location, it is a reasonable approach shot. I bogied the hole, but I drove for the wrong location, then missed a makeable putt. In all, I was pretty pleased with my play. I shot a +2, getting a birdie on 7 and bogeying 2, 5 and 18. I threw a poor drive and approach shot on hole 5. On the other hand, I took multiple shots on 12.
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Saturday, September 25, 2010 - Round with Pat Burke and Ben at Dela
This was Pat's first time playing disc golf. We all had a blast. It was great fun. We played holes 1-12, 17-19 for a total of 16 holes. I played pretty well. I had a bunch of good shots and two great shots. On hole 3, I threw a Rogue sidearm and it skipped and just missed the basket for an easy birdie. The pin on hole 12 was moved to a straight position near the tee of hole 13. I threw a backhand Gazelle that went straight and at the end faded right towards the basket for about a 10 foot birdie putt. I made several other nice drives. On hole 19, the pin was in the long position. I threw the drive through the two trees and faded right towards the basket. Pat had a great time and wants to play every time that he comes to Northern California.
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Wednesday, September 22, 2010 - Round at Dela with Simon
We had a fun round. I did not play particularly well. My drives were pretty straight, but not very long. I think I need to hit the field again. The best news was another yellow jacket-free round! We played 1-20 (with 17) for a total of 21 holes. We think there is a chance that we will get Tom Bonura out there next week. The other issue is that we are quickly losing daylight. The days are getting shorter and shorter. Plus, we are about to lose daylight savings time. Simon and I talked about going for early rounds before work or maybe Sunday morning rounds. We will talk some more after we lose daylight savings time. We also discussed volunteering for the Worlds next year. I am still not sure whether I want to do it or not?
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - Early round at Dela
I played a solo round from holes 5 to 24 (including 17) for a total of 21 holes. I played pretty well, though I often took multiple shots and played the best one. I concentrated more on controlled straight shots than distance. Most of my shots were pretty straight. I found that a higher pull helped. I want to total my shots and see what my round rating would be. The best news was that I had no interactions with yellow jackets. That was/is nice.
So I took down my scores for 5 thru 24 and estimated scores for the other 8 holes. I came up with a round rating of 936. I should point out that I took the best drive of multiple drives on many holes. I should play a solo round and play all of the holes.
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Sunday, September 19, 2010 - Field Session at Harvey West
I took a few days off to recover from the yellow jacket attacks. Plus, I had a Remicade infusion and Giants game on Friday. I just rested on Saturday. So I threw standstill and one step throws concentrating on the hammer pound. Good results on the standstill and so-so results from the one step throws. I suspect that I am still pulling too fast. Then I tried some two step throws. Some nice throws, but pretty erratic. I would like to try pulling slower and then work on my two step throws.
I spent some time in the afternoon watching the Faultline Classic at Dela. I came away feeling kind of depressed. Those guys make it look so easy. And the discs go so far. I have worked so hard. I have put so many hours into field work and I still can not reach 300 feet. Sigh ... This morning, I watched a video of a European player, who could throw his putter 430 feet. And he broke several of the rules that I have worked so hard on. He does not get his weight forward. He starts his pull just as he plants his front foot. Sheesh
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - Round with Simon at Dela
It happened again. I can not believe it. I got attacked by yellow jackets again! I made a poor drive on hole 12. I tried to go straight, but it hit a tree on the right. It fell straight down and I did not think it would be too hard to find. I started walking towards where I thought it would be. I got over a log and saw right where it was. When I got about 30 feet from the disc, I started hearing a buzzing sound. Oh no! Before I knew it, they were all over me. I ran out of the woods, trying to swipe the beasts away. A guy looks at me and says that they are all over my shirt. I rip my shirt off and start stomping on it. This really sucks!
Finally I settle down. We walk to the next tee and there are 4 or 5 high school kids there. I jokingly say, "If any of you want a free disc, it is back there in the woods." One kid says, "Really?" I reply, "if you want it, it is yours. I am not going back there. But beware, it is surrounded by yellow jackets." The kid says "Great" and starts running back into the woods. His friends yell, "Don't bring back any yellow jackets!" We went ahead and played the rest of the course and we never saw the kids again.
So then I proceed to play some of the best disc golf that I have ever played. I can't believe it, I am making some great shots. So my friend says, "Maybe you should get bit more often." So we start talking about it. Maybe I could carry a small cage around with a few yellow jackets. Whenever I am playing poorly, I could let them out into my hair! Later that night, I was telling my son this story. He replied that he could see me in a few years, testifying before a Senate Investigative Committee about the use of illegal performance enhancements!
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
First the bad news. I got bit by yellow jackets. Again! and Again and Again and Again! I can count from 5-7 bites! This sucks. I have been practicing in this field for over a year and have never had problems with yellow jackets! As you can tell, I am pretty unhappy about it.
Anyway, the session went pretty well. I started with 20 standstill hammer pounds. Then I threw 90 "plate drills". More improvement from the last session. I am probably throwing as far as I was with just the hammer pound. It is kind of hard to tell if I am doing it right. After two field sessions it is going as far as my hammer pound and it feels like there is more spin on it. I want to spend another couple of sessions to see if it improves farther. I had planned to work on some one step throws, but I was pretty fed up with the yellow jackets at this point, so I just left.
Rats! I am going to need to find another practice field. I could try driving up and down hole 6, but I am afraid that the yellow jackets will be there as well! I guess I can try Harvey West Field.
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Sunday, September 12, 2010 - Round with Ben at Dela
A fun round with Ben. We played from 1-19. I bogeyed the first 4 holes, then parred the next 7 holes. Then we hit hole 11. Double Bogey, Bogey, Double Bogey, Bogey, Bogey. Par, Par, Par.
The first 4 holes are pretty tough. The first hole is in the upper left position. It is almost impossible for me to par this position. For the second hole, they moved the pin to the shorter right position. Unfortunately I did not know about this and threw my approach shot towards the cliff position. On the third hole, I shanked my drive into the tree in front of the tee. On the fourth hole, I overthrew the approach shot. But I settled down for the next 7 holes. Then I think I got tired, hole 11 was a disaster. I had a bad drive on 12. Very nice drive on 13, but messed up some of the approach shots. Hole 14, bad approach shot, hole 15 awful drive. Hole 16, awful drive, grip lock. Hole 17, 18 and 19 were fine, I played them pretty well.
In general, I am pretty happy with my one step backhand drives. I am getting pretty good distance and they are pretty straight. I would like to be more consistent with the snap, but I am getting there. I would like to dedicate my training sessions this week to one step throws and the plate drill and see where I end up.
The other thing, is that I am getting tired. I have thrown for 5 days in a row. So I plan to take Monday off, throw Tuesday thru Thursday. I will not be able to throw on Friday (Remicade Infusion in the morning and Giants game in the evening).
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Saturday, September 12, 2010 - Round with Barbara and Lily at Dela
This was a fun, laid back round. We played from 5 to 22. Almost nobody was on the course. I played pretty well. I am now almost completely throwing one step backhands. I drive on 15 and 18 with a forehand (due to the demand of a sweeping left to right throw). Occasionally, I will make a forehand approach shot, but it is pretty rare. We had a bit of a problem on hole 17. Barbara slipped and fell on the hill and was a bit shaken up. Fortunately, they will close 17 again after this weekend and it will probably not open up again until next May. So she won't have that problem any more.
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Friday, September 10, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
I started out with 40 stand still throws. Then, I tried the plate drill. I made around 100 throws. The throws went pretty quickly, since I was not throwing very far. It started out pretty poorly. I found that I had to pull the disc up to about my ear level and then throw down to get it to work. As time went on, I could flatten out my throw. By the end, I was throwing about as far as before. So I am doubtful that I am actually fully hitting it. If I am, I am not getting any addition distance from it. I want to devote another field session to it.
I took out 3 old Valks to see how they would throw. They were pretty much worthless. If I got a decent throw, they would turn over pretty quick. I think it is because they were so beaten up.
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Thursday, September 9, 2010 - Round with Simon at Dela
Simon and I had a fun round at Dela. I started out throwing pretty poorly. But as the round went on, my throws got better. Once again, I needed to remember to slow down my pull! Not much else remarkable about this round.
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Message to Blake:
Hey Blake,
I hope that your move went well and that you are relatively settled in your new place.
Summary:
I have been back from vacation for about a week. In the last week, I have had 4 or 5 field sessions. At this point, I am comfortable with my one step throws. With these throws, I still have minimal hip and shoulder turn. However there is definitely weight shift. My standstill throws get to 90% of my previous distances. My one step throws are from 100% to 120%. I am not sure why, but my putters and roadrunners are about 100%, my rocs and gazelles are from 10-20% past previous distances.
I had planned to start working on the two step throw. However I have been playing with the upside down disc (plate) drill. So now I am thinking about trying to incorporate it into my throws before moving on to the two step throws. I will probably take a couple of field sessions to work on getting a full hit and then re-evaluate where I need to go next.
Details:
During my first field session back from vacation, I was practicing stand still throws in a field. While retrieving my discs, I started talking with a guy. I decided to demonstrate a full throw to him. I walked super slow through a x-step throw. I was actually talking to him, describing my technique, while stepping through the throw. And the disc went 30-40 feet past my previous best! The next 3 throws did the same thing. In hind sight this was a bad thing. I spent the rest of the session and the next field session trying to duplicate the throws. The bad thing was that I was jumping directly to the x-step throw rather than building up my technique from a standstill throw.
So I went back to the standstill throw and started working on a one step throw. It took a couple of sessions, but it finally clicked. As I mentioned above, I can now use a single step throw to reach 100-120% of previous bests. And this is with minimal hip/shoulder rotation. I am pretty jazzed about this. After the last session, I played a few holes. There is a hole that I used to need a roadrunner to reach. I parked the hole with my roc using a single step throw! I should mention that it was a pretty windy day and it is a downhill throw. Still it is cool to park a hole with a roc that used to take me a roadrunner to reach.
Take care
Steve
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Wednesday, September, 8, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
I worked on a one step throw with hip and shoulder rotation. And .... I went backwards. My throws were not going as far as my one step throws without hip/shoulder rotation. I am not too surprised at this. I did improve during the session, but I need to work on this more. Now I am a little confused. I wonder if I should be going to a two step throw instead? I plan to go look at Dan's video to see what he did with the two step throw. I would also like to look at Blake's drill for full snap.
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Monday, September 6, 2010 - Solo round at Aptos + field session on hole 15
I went to play a solo round at Aptos on Labor Day. My round was going pretty well. I bogeyed 2, birdied 3 and 4. Very nice drive on 6, right down the middle about 45 feet short of the basket. Double bogied 7. An OK drive that was about 50 feet short. My approach shot landed right next to the pin and then rolled down the hill around a bush. Sigh. Mostly pars after that. Then I decided to practice 1 step throws on hole 15. I emptied my bag throwing back and forth on hole 15. I was working to incorporate snap in my one step throw. Note that I used minimal hip and shoulder turn. The results were pretty exciting. My Rocs were flying almost to the trees. On good throws, the Gazelles and Roadrunners were making it to the basket. This is far as I have ever thrown with a full X-Step throw. And I parked 18 with a ROC!! For the next step, I am planning to try a single step throw with hip and shoulder turn. I would not be surprised if this took several sessions. I am pretty excited to try it.
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Sunday, September 5, 2010 - Round at Dela with Barbara and Lily
Barbara and Lily (our dog) came with me for a round of disc golf at Dela. It was very nice. Lily was quiet and well behaved. We played 24 holes, skipping 5&6 and 14&15. The course was not too busy, however there were some large doubles groups that were playing pretty slowly. I played pretty well. My driving was inconsistent, but my upshots were great. My score was not great, but every hole was in the long position so it was a tough layout. I had a great drive on 27. I hyzered the disc so much that it was almost vertical when it left my hand. It flipped up and flew straight towards the basket. About 2/3s of the way down, it drifted to the left then ran out of power and faded back to the right. It landed about 20 feet behind the basket for an easy birdie putt!
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Friday, September 3, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
Again, a mixed selection of discs (2 putters, 3 mid-ranges, 2 fairway drivers, 5 distance drivers). I had planned to experiment with a Groove or a Monarch, unfortunately Ben borrowed those discs while we went to Oregon. I need to get those discs back! I started with a few standstill drives and went to a one step throw. For the one step throw, I was continually pulling too early. I need to work on a very slow pull with the one step. I also tried some x-step throws. I tried to start ultra slow like yesterday, I got some good throws, but nothing like I was throwing yesterday. So I guess it was a mildly disappointing session.
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Thursday, September 2, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
I threw a mixed selection of discs (2 putters, 3 mid-ranges, 2 fairway drivers, 4 distance drivers (Road Runners and TeeBirds)). I started with standstill throws, just to work on my snap. Later I added a longer reachback and then a full x-step. I had mixed success with my throws. Towards the end of the session, I stopped to talk to another guy who was out practicing his throws. I wanted to demonstrate what I was doing, so I slowed everything way down. I took an extremely slow x-step and then accelerated after the right pec. While demonstrating, I am pretty sure that I threw 4 or 5 of my longest drives ever. I think I reached 325 feet!?! Long, low straight line drives. I doubt that they got above 6 feet off of the ground. I am not sure of the distances, I need to go again and actually pace off the throws. Regardless, they were my longest throws ever.
I played pretty well. I experimented with a few new discs. I have a new Leopard, a new Gazelle, a new Rogue and a new Katana. I kept turning over the Leopard. I would like to try some hyzer flips with it. The Gazelle threw nice, pretty much the same as my previous Gazelles. I was hoping the new Rogue would be more stable that my current Rogue. I have been having problems flipping Rogues. But it seemed to fly pretty much the same as my other Rogues. However, I was down to one Rogue, so it is nice to have a backup. I was also hoping that I had enough power to throw a Katana, but alas no. Also, I had problems getting a good drip on the Katana, it has a pretty big rim. So in summary, I would like to try some hyzer flips with my Leopards. It is nice to have a backup for both Gazelles and Rogues. I will probably put away the Katana for awhile.
At the start, my throws were kind of so-so. Towards the end, I slowed up my run up and the throws got much better. Nothing spectacular, but I was pretty pleased with my throws at the end. I hope I get a chance to go out tomorrow.
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - Played a round with Simon, Craig, Claire and Ben at Dela
This was a fun round. We played after work and only got 8 holes in. It was a big group and it is getting dark pretty early these days. We played from hole 20 to 27. I played so-so. I had a couple of good drives and a few good approaches, but nothing too remarkable.
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - Sharing my experiences with the hammer pound
My turn to share my experiences with the hammer pound. A little background first. Previously, I had a good, consistent forehand drive (300-325 feet), but a wimpy backhand drive (270ish). And my backhand drives were pretty inconsistent. So my goal with the hammer pound drill is to develop a good backhand throw.
I started playing with the hammer pound about 2 months ago. Unfortunately, I have only gotten about 10-15 field sessions in. Life keeps getting in the way (2.5 weeks of vacation, work issues, family issues, swarms of yellow jackets infesting my practice field, etc.). I started with backhand standstill throws, went to a one step throw and I have started working on two step throws. My standstill throws (with little pull back and little hip/shoulder turn) are about 90% of my previous x-step throws. My one step throws are about the same as my previous x-step throws. I am getting weight shift, but not much hip/shoulder turn on my one step throws. The nice thing is that my throws are consistent low line drive throws. If I drew a line towards my target, 8 of 10 throws would be within 10 feet right or left of the line. In fact better consistency is probably a bigger win than more distance.
I am pretty confident that if I can put in some field sessions working on a two step, then a full x-step throw, that my throws will lengthen out. It is now a matter of finding the time.
Some random observations:
1) About a month ago, I tied my course record. Usually, I set personal bests by making a bunch of spectacular throws. Not this time, I don't think I made any spetacular throws, instead I just hit every fairway.
2) So far, every time that I lose the hammer pound feeling, it is because I have started pulling too fast. I have this bad habit of pulling faster when I want/need more distance. So I just pull very slowly until I hit the right pec area and the feeling comes back.
3) I have played some with the dinner plate drill. The first session was horrible. The second session was better and it is about the same distance as the hammer pound. I suspect that I am not getting it right. When I started the hammer pound, the results were pretty dramatic. Much faster, consistent low line drives. After the dinner plate drill, my throws might be 10% farther, but not dramatically different.
4) I now have to worry about low obstacles. There is a hole on the local course where I am usually left with a 150-200 foot approach shot. About half way to the pin, there is a log about 4 feet off the ground. Previously, my approach shots always cleared the log easily. I never had to think about it. After the hammer pound drill, I started hitting the log. My line drive shots are just lower and I need to throw them a little higher to clear the log.
5) Putter drives on top-of-the-world holes. Now I have enough spin on the throw, that I can drive a putter straight off a top-of-the-world hole and the putter will just cruise straight down towards the hole. I really like making those throws.
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Sunday, September 26, 2010 - Solo round at Aptos + four more holes with Ben
I got to Aptos and the first thing that I found was that they had moved 4 of the pins. In each case, they made the holes significantly harder. On hole 2, they moved the pin about 75 feet farther up the hill. This makes a pretty hard hole, ridiculously hard. For me, this became a par 4 hole. It is conceivable that I could par the hole, but it will take very, very good first and second shots. I bogied it both times we played it. The pin for hole 4 has been moved across the road and slightly up the hill. I used to have a good chance at a birdie on this hole. Now I have a good chance at a par. I do not have the arm to reach the hole. If I drive to where the pin used to be, I have a good approach shot. I parred and bogied this hole. The bogey was only because I missed a 20 foot putt that I should have made. The pin for hole 12 was pushed back under a tree. What used to be a fairly easy par, became a challenging par. I did get a par, but it was because I used my 3rd drive and my 4th approach shot. The pin for hole 18 was moved back into the trees. Another hole that was a reasonable shot at a birdie became a reasonable shot at a par. If you throw your drive at the old pin location, it is a reasonable approach shot. I bogied the hole, but I drove for the wrong location, then missed a makeable putt. In all, I was pretty pleased with my play. I shot a +2, getting a birdie on 7 and bogeying 2, 5 and 18. I threw a poor drive and approach shot on hole 5. On the other hand, I took multiple shots on 12.
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Saturday, September 25, 2010 - Round with Pat Burke and Ben at Dela
This was Pat's first time playing disc golf. We all had a blast. It was great fun. We played holes 1-12, 17-19 for a total of 16 holes. I played pretty well. I had a bunch of good shots and two great shots. On hole 3, I threw a Rogue sidearm and it skipped and just missed the basket for an easy birdie. The pin on hole 12 was moved to a straight position near the tee of hole 13. I threw a backhand Gazelle that went straight and at the end faded right towards the basket for about a 10 foot birdie putt. I made several other nice drives. On hole 19, the pin was in the long position. I threw the drive through the two trees and faded right towards the basket. Pat had a great time and wants to play every time that he comes to Northern California.
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Wednesday, September 22, 2010 - Round at Dela with Simon
We had a fun round. I did not play particularly well. My drives were pretty straight, but not very long. I think I need to hit the field again. The best news was another yellow jacket-free round! We played 1-20 (with 17) for a total of 21 holes. We think there is a chance that we will get Tom Bonura out there next week. The other issue is that we are quickly losing daylight. The days are getting shorter and shorter. Plus, we are about to lose daylight savings time. Simon and I talked about going for early rounds before work or maybe Sunday morning rounds. We will talk some more after we lose daylight savings time. We also discussed volunteering for the Worlds next year. I am still not sure whether I want to do it or not?
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - Early round at Dela
I played a solo round from holes 5 to 24 (including 17) for a total of 21 holes. I played pretty well, though I often took multiple shots and played the best one. I concentrated more on controlled straight shots than distance. Most of my shots were pretty straight. I found that a higher pull helped. I want to total my shots and see what my round rating would be. The best news was that I had no interactions with yellow jackets. That was/is nice.
So I took down my scores for 5 thru 24 and estimated scores for the other 8 holes. I came up with a round rating of 936. I should point out that I took the best drive of multiple drives on many holes. I should play a solo round and play all of the holes.
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Sunday, September 19, 2010 - Field Session at Harvey West
I took a few days off to recover from the yellow jacket attacks. Plus, I had a Remicade infusion and Giants game on Friday. I just rested on Saturday. So I threw standstill and one step throws concentrating on the hammer pound. Good results on the standstill and so-so results from the one step throws. I suspect that I am still pulling too fast. Then I tried some two step throws. Some nice throws, but pretty erratic. I would like to try pulling slower and then work on my two step throws.
I spent some time in the afternoon watching the Faultline Classic at Dela. I came away feeling kind of depressed. Those guys make it look so easy. And the discs go so far. I have worked so hard. I have put so many hours into field work and I still can not reach 300 feet. Sigh ... This morning, I watched a video of a European player, who could throw his putter 430 feet. And he broke several of the rules that I have worked so hard on. He does not get his weight forward. He starts his pull just as he plants his front foot. Sheesh
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - Round with Simon at Dela
It happened again. I can not believe it. I got attacked by yellow jackets again! I made a poor drive on hole 12. I tried to go straight, but it hit a tree on the right. It fell straight down and I did not think it would be too hard to find. I started walking towards where I thought it would be. I got over a log and saw right where it was. When I got about 30 feet from the disc, I started hearing a buzzing sound. Oh no! Before I knew it, they were all over me. I ran out of the woods, trying to swipe the beasts away. A guy looks at me and says that they are all over my shirt. I rip my shirt off and start stomping on it. This really sucks!
Finally I settle down. We walk to the next tee and there are 4 or 5 high school kids there. I jokingly say, "If any of you want a free disc, it is back there in the woods." One kid says, "Really?" I reply, "if you want it, it is yours. I am not going back there. But beware, it is surrounded by yellow jackets." The kid says "Great" and starts running back into the woods. His friends yell, "Don't bring back any yellow jackets!" We went ahead and played the rest of the course and we never saw the kids again.
So then I proceed to play some of the best disc golf that I have ever played. I can't believe it, I am making some great shots. So my friend says, "Maybe you should get bit more often." So we start talking about it. Maybe I could carry a small cage around with a few yellow jackets. Whenever I am playing poorly, I could let them out into my hair! Later that night, I was telling my son this story. He replied that he could see me in a few years, testifying before a Senate Investigative Committee about the use of illegal performance enhancements!
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
First the bad news. I got bit by yellow jackets. Again! and Again and Again and Again! I can count from 5-7 bites! This sucks. I have been practicing in this field for over a year and have never had problems with yellow jackets! As you can tell, I am pretty unhappy about it.
Anyway, the session went pretty well. I started with 20 standstill hammer pounds. Then I threw 90 "plate drills". More improvement from the last session. I am probably throwing as far as I was with just the hammer pound. It is kind of hard to tell if I am doing it right. After two field sessions it is going as far as my hammer pound and it feels like there is more spin on it. I want to spend another couple of sessions to see if it improves farther. I had planned to work on some one step throws, but I was pretty fed up with the yellow jackets at this point, so I just left.
Rats! I am going to need to find another practice field. I could try driving up and down hole 6, but I am afraid that the yellow jackets will be there as well! I guess I can try Harvey West Field.
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Sunday, September 12, 2010 - Round with Ben at Dela
A fun round with Ben. We played from 1-19. I bogeyed the first 4 holes, then parred the next 7 holes. Then we hit hole 11. Double Bogey, Bogey, Double Bogey, Bogey, Bogey. Par, Par, Par.
The first 4 holes are pretty tough. The first hole is in the upper left position. It is almost impossible for me to par this position. For the second hole, they moved the pin to the shorter right position. Unfortunately I did not know about this and threw my approach shot towards the cliff position. On the third hole, I shanked my drive into the tree in front of the tee. On the fourth hole, I overthrew the approach shot. But I settled down for the next 7 holes. Then I think I got tired, hole 11 was a disaster. I had a bad drive on 12. Very nice drive on 13, but messed up some of the approach shots. Hole 14, bad approach shot, hole 15 awful drive. Hole 16, awful drive, grip lock. Hole 17, 18 and 19 were fine, I played them pretty well.
In general, I am pretty happy with my one step backhand drives. I am getting pretty good distance and they are pretty straight. I would like to be more consistent with the snap, but I am getting there. I would like to dedicate my training sessions this week to one step throws and the plate drill and see where I end up.
The other thing, is that I am getting tired. I have thrown for 5 days in a row. So I plan to take Monday off, throw Tuesday thru Thursday. I will not be able to throw on Friday (Remicade Infusion in the morning and Giants game in the evening).
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Saturday, September 12, 2010 - Round with Barbara and Lily at Dela
This was a fun, laid back round. We played from 5 to 22. Almost nobody was on the course. I played pretty well. I am now almost completely throwing one step backhands. I drive on 15 and 18 with a forehand (due to the demand of a sweeping left to right throw). Occasionally, I will make a forehand approach shot, but it is pretty rare. We had a bit of a problem on hole 17. Barbara slipped and fell on the hill and was a bit shaken up. Fortunately, they will close 17 again after this weekend and it will probably not open up again until next May. So she won't have that problem any more.
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Friday, September 10, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
I started out with 40 stand still throws. Then, I tried the plate drill. I made around 100 throws. The throws went pretty quickly, since I was not throwing very far. It started out pretty poorly. I found that I had to pull the disc up to about my ear level and then throw down to get it to work. As time went on, I could flatten out my throw. By the end, I was throwing about as far as before. So I am doubtful that I am actually fully hitting it. If I am, I am not getting any addition distance from it. I want to devote another field session to it.
I took out 3 old Valks to see how they would throw. They were pretty much worthless. If I got a decent throw, they would turn over pretty quick. I think it is because they were so beaten up.
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Thursday, September 9, 2010 - Round with Simon at Dela
Simon and I had a fun round at Dela. I started out throwing pretty poorly. But as the round went on, my throws got better. Once again, I needed to remember to slow down my pull! Not much else remarkable about this round.
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Message to Blake:
Hey Blake,
I hope that your move went well and that you are relatively settled in your new place.
Summary:
I have been back from vacation for about a week. In the last week, I have had 4 or 5 field sessions. At this point, I am comfortable with my one step throws. With these throws, I still have minimal hip and shoulder turn. However there is definitely weight shift. My standstill throws get to 90% of my previous distances. My one step throws are from 100% to 120%. I am not sure why, but my putters and roadrunners are about 100%, my rocs and gazelles are from 10-20% past previous distances.
I had planned to start working on the two step throw. However I have been playing with the upside down disc (plate) drill. So now I am thinking about trying to incorporate it into my throws before moving on to the two step throws. I will probably take a couple of field sessions to work on getting a full hit and then re-evaluate where I need to go next.
Details:
During my first field session back from vacation, I was practicing stand still throws in a field. While retrieving my discs, I started talking with a guy. I decided to demonstrate a full throw to him. I walked super slow through a x-step throw. I was actually talking to him, describing my technique, while stepping through the throw. And the disc went 30-40 feet past my previous best! The next 3 throws did the same thing. In hind sight this was a bad thing. I spent the rest of the session and the next field session trying to duplicate the throws. The bad thing was that I was jumping directly to the x-step throw rather than building up my technique from a standstill throw.
So I went back to the standstill throw and started working on a one step throw. It took a couple of sessions, but it finally clicked. As I mentioned above, I can now use a single step throw to reach 100-120% of previous bests. And this is with minimal hip/shoulder rotation. I am pretty jazzed about this. After the last session, I played a few holes. There is a hole that I used to need a roadrunner to reach. I parked the hole with my roc using a single step throw! I should mention that it was a pretty windy day and it is a downhill throw. Still it is cool to park a hole with a roc that used to take me a roadrunner to reach.
Take care
Steve
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Wednesday, September, 8, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
I worked on a one step throw with hip and shoulder rotation. And .... I went backwards. My throws were not going as far as my one step throws without hip/shoulder rotation. I am not too surprised at this. I did improve during the session, but I need to work on this more. Now I am a little confused. I wonder if I should be going to a two step throw instead? I plan to go look at Dan's video to see what he did with the two step throw. I would also like to look at Blake's drill for full snap.
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Monday, September 6, 2010 - Solo round at Aptos + field session on hole 15
I went to play a solo round at Aptos on Labor Day. My round was going pretty well. I bogeyed 2, birdied 3 and 4. Very nice drive on 6, right down the middle about 45 feet short of the basket. Double bogied 7. An OK drive that was about 50 feet short. My approach shot landed right next to the pin and then rolled down the hill around a bush. Sigh. Mostly pars after that. Then I decided to practice 1 step throws on hole 15. I emptied my bag throwing back and forth on hole 15. I was working to incorporate snap in my one step throw. Note that I used minimal hip and shoulder turn. The results were pretty exciting. My Rocs were flying almost to the trees. On good throws, the Gazelles and Roadrunners were making it to the basket. This is far as I have ever thrown with a full X-Step throw. And I parked 18 with a ROC!! For the next step, I am planning to try a single step throw with hip and shoulder turn. I would not be surprised if this took several sessions. I am pretty excited to try it.
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Sunday, September 5, 2010 - Round at Dela with Barbara and Lily
Barbara and Lily (our dog) came with me for a round of disc golf at Dela. It was very nice. Lily was quiet and well behaved. We played 24 holes, skipping 5&6 and 14&15. The course was not too busy, however there were some large doubles groups that were playing pretty slowly. I played pretty well. My driving was inconsistent, but my upshots were great. My score was not great, but every hole was in the long position so it was a tough layout. I had a great drive on 27. I hyzered the disc so much that it was almost vertical when it left my hand. It flipped up and flew straight towards the basket. About 2/3s of the way down, it drifted to the left then ran out of power and faded back to the right. It landed about 20 feet behind the basket for an easy birdie putt!
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Friday, September 3, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
Again, a mixed selection of discs (2 putters, 3 mid-ranges, 2 fairway drivers, 5 distance drivers). I had planned to experiment with a Groove or a Monarch, unfortunately Ben borrowed those discs while we went to Oregon. I need to get those discs back! I started with a few standstill drives and went to a one step throw. For the one step throw, I was continually pulling too early. I need to work on a very slow pull with the one step. I also tried some x-step throws. I tried to start ultra slow like yesterday, I got some good throws, but nothing like I was throwing yesterday. So I guess it was a mildly disappointing session.
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Thursday, September 2, 2010 - Field Session at Dela
I threw a mixed selection of discs (2 putters, 3 mid-ranges, 2 fairway drivers, 4 distance drivers (Road Runners and TeeBirds)). I started with standstill throws, just to work on my snap. Later I added a longer reachback and then a full x-step. I had mixed success with my throws. Towards the end of the session, I stopped to talk to another guy who was out practicing his throws. I wanted to demonstrate what I was doing, so I slowed everything way down. I took an extremely slow x-step and then accelerated after the right pec. While demonstrating, I am pretty sure that I threw 4 or 5 of my longest drives ever. I think I reached 325 feet!?! Long, low straight line drives. I doubt that they got above 6 feet off of the ground. I am not sure of the distances, I need to go again and actually pace off the throws. Regardless, they were my longest throws ever.
posted by Steve @ 10:03 AM
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