"Quirks"

[DiscChainBasket18]

I was playing in a big tourney last weekend. It was like a "Ryder cup" style team tourney (match play) so there are many players out on the one (18 hole) course. As expected there were some delays & stacking up of players at some of the holes. We got to one particular hole which had a pin beyond sight of the teepad. We were next to tee off so I walked up the fairway to see if the group ahead of us was finished yet. What I saw was a guy going through his putting ritual. He was swinging his arm toward the basket & back (practice throw). He did about 20 practice swings & then eventually threw the disc. I could see that he missed that putt. So he moves over to the other side of the basket & marks his disc. He then starts his 20 practice swing putt ritual again & (luckily for us) he makes that putt & the group moves on. When I came back to my group I explained why it took so long. One of the guys in our group says "man, I hate it when someone does that" (takes forever to shoot & then misses badly). It made me think about my own 'routine', not only putting but on the teepad, for my upshots etc. Was I slow? Did I care? I don't want to rush any shot but I don't want to hold anybody up either. I know there's a 30sec rule but that can only really be enforced in a PDGA style tourney. So what about when you are out playing a practice round? All of us have our own routines. What are your thoughts on this?

[Jungle Tim]

hahaha

you mean something like this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y2f1UE_JWA
To be fair though Matt (featured in the vid) is a very good player, but he does putt like chicken.

[taxman]

Matt in that video looks like he's chokin' the chicken.

[RustyP]

I always move really slow when I'm getting ready to putt. I don't "waggle" my disc back and forth much, but I take extra care to line my feet up the way i want, pull my shorts up a bit in the front so they aren't touching my lower leg (weird i know), lick my thumb to give it a little extra grip (also kinda weird), then I get in my stance. Once I'm in my stance it probably looks like I've totally zoned out, as I typically just stare down the basket for a good 5-6 seconds before putting.

I've played with some guys who tend to use up almost all of the allotted 30 seconds. It only gets a little annoying when I'm anxious to get to my lie and take my next shot, but you gotta do what works for you, and I can't blame anyone for taking their time.

[shirfan]

Quirks? You mean, like absolutely having to step on a specific root on hole 17 when walking up to putt? Or having a specific order for discs in my bag that cannot be deviated from?

I have no idea what you're talking about ;)

[Rbuzz9]

that matt guy would drive me nuts

[PhattD]

hahaha

you mean something like this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y2f1UE_JWA
To be fair though Matt (featured in the vid) is a very good player, but he does putt like chicken.

It also looks like the editing makes his routing seem alot more tedious than it really is.

I have to admit that I don't have a lot of patience for really involved routines, or people that are overly anal about noise while they're playing. Although most of the people that do that are better than me so maybe they know something I don't. :D

[Geoffro]

I think the 30 seconds rule stands whether its enforced or not. Longer that 30 seconds is just excessive. That having been said, I will admit to on a gusty day, waiting longer than this for a break in the wind. I will think twice about doing that again...

[magictenor1]

I like to play fast. I don't take much time to throw my shots.

[DeafDiscGolfer]

What about guys standing in front of you couple feet away while you attempt to make a good long putts? One guy in our club are very picky about his vision and wants everyone behind him everytime he putts. You know, behind 380 degree visual radius...

I can respect that and agreed too but hey, gotta get used to the visual distractions sometimes...can't do anything about it.:p

[Donovan]

This is 99% mental in my opinion. What the hell were you doing on that walk up there or while you were waiting for someone else to throw. I'll tell you, wasting time and losing their concentration.

It is fine to have a routine; it is actually great for your game. But to have a routine that has tons of wasted movements and anti-productive thinking is plain silly. The longer you hash this stuff out the more time your brain will move on to other things. This is a scientific fact from my days studying psychology btw. It's all in their heads. They need to clear out the cobwebs and start over with something simpler that has purpose and can produce better thinking.

AND for heaven's sakes, start planning your next step right after your last throw and don't wait until it is your turn to start thinking.

OK well, you all know how I feel about this stuff now. :o :D

Sorry if I was a bit harsh. But there are very few GREAT players in any sport that think to much and over do routines. Do you know why that is? Because trusting what you have trained yourself to do, is one of the key steps for getting into "the zone." They know this to be true and trust it. People in "the zone" actually think very little at all and just let it happen as they imagined it would.

[Disc Golf Greg]

I always picture an Individual chain on a basket when Putting. This way I have a larger margin of error. Oh and when I practice in my backyard I have 6 Putters and there always sorted the same way so I know what's next and can rely on the Sonic at the end etc.

[Lewis]

I'm totally in Donovan's camp here: playing fast keeps me loose. The longer I take to make my throw, or the longer I have to wait for someone else to clear out of the way, the more tense I get, and the worse my throw is likely to be. I'll take maybe one or two practice pumps on a tight approach to help me visualize my disc's flight path, but when it comes to putting and driving, I get focused as quickly as I can, and just throw it. Prissing around with the disc (yes, folks, that's how you stutter-pumpers look to me) only stresses me and kills my confidence. I honestly don't see what you get out of it.

However, I must admit, I've developed a habit of flipping my driver end over end in my hands once or twice just before stepping up to the tee box. That's my own little quirk.

[DeafDiscGolfer]

However, I must admit, I've developed a habit of flipping my driver end over end in my hands once or twice just before stepping up to the tee box. That's my own little quirk.

If you did that during tournament, your flipping disc will be counted as stroke. It happen to a friend of mine and man, he was pissed when he learned that he was being counted for the last 5 holes by other player in the card.

Am I right, guys? :confused:

[Disc Golf Greg]

Whhhhat? That's a rule? I don't do that, but come on, kind of steep.

[Sean4287]

Wow, how could that be counted as a stroke? It is a movement in your hand. Also who counts a penalty stroke for five holes and doesn't say anything? wouldn't want to play with that jerk.

[DeafDiscGolfer]

It will be counted if ONLY the disc was completely leaving your hands couple times before its your turn for the tee shot. You know, throwing the disc up in the air a bit and then catch it. That counts as a stroke. I rather to leave my discs in the bag until its actually my turn to throw.

If you are only spinning your disc on your fingers, then you are safe. :)

In my club league, we don't take that too seriously and don't care about that, but in the major or PDGA tournaments, those silly rules are needed to be followed...Sorry man, it sucks sometimes...:o

[trifocal]

I think its a good rule, i.e. its a stroke if a player releases any disc during the course of play. Like flipping another players disc back to him after he has holed out. In effect, its like a practice throw.

I like to run my hand thru the dust in front of the tee pad, it gives me a better release. One day I was playing with a pro and he informed me that, during a tourney, that would count as a stroke against me for disturbing the lie in front of me.

I think there is something in the rules about an audible warning that must be given to a player if one of these technical rules is violated....?

[Lewis]

:eek:

Wow. That's good to know. What's the purpose of rules like that?

[petecarp]

I like to run my hand thru the dust in front of the tee pad, it gives me a better release. One day I was playing with a pro and he informed me that, during a tourney, that would count as a stroke against me for disturbing the lie in front of me.



avery jenkins did that all weekend before almost every shot. kicking up dirt where he found it and rubbing his hands over it. he was not penalized.

[DiscChainBasket18]

avery jenkins did that all weekend before almost every shot. kicking up dirt where he found it and rubbing his hands over it. he was not penalized.

Yeah, all the guys were doing that. But off the Teepad only, not on their upshot or putts.

[trifocal]

avery jenkins did that all weekend before almost every shot. kicking up dirt where he found it and rubbing his hands over it. he was not penalized.

I don't own a rule book, so there you go, but I do wonder if Jenkins was kicking dirt in front of his lie. I suspect some of these rules are related to stuff like ...how much easier a throw can be if I just sort of hold a branch out of my way, so I can make a back swing. That is a no-no...I think.

I do like a dusty hand and now use the dust from behind the tee or from woodchip piles near the base of trees. I haven't got to the point of collecting a plastic baggie of home course dust...lol...but that day is coming.

[Ty9339]

routine is great, but i think 30 seconds is about the limit. i myself being a baseball player and disc golfer have way to many superstitions but have found a way to keep them sane. as far as putting i find the longer i take the worse off i am. its like when you are answering questions on a test your first guess is usually your best. i also agree with trying to be polite visially to the other players in my group.

[ERicJ]

If you did that during tournament, your flipping disc will be counted as stroke. It happen to a friend of mine and man, he was pissed when he learned that he was being counted for the last 5 holes by other player in the card.

Am I right, guys? :confused:

Not denying that it happend; but that's not the rule.


It will be counted if ONLY the disc was completely leaving your hands couple times before its your turn for the tee shot. You know, throwing the disc up in the air a bit and then catch it. That counts as a stroke.

Here are the official rules on practice throws, with the relevant sections in bold. In short, a practice throw must be >2 meters, or in the direction of the target. Neither was true in the example above. Also, in order to be penalized the infraction must be observed by at least two players.

So while flipping a disc in your hand is not a wise thing to do (if you dropped it and it rolled forward, that is a practice throw) it should not have been penalized.


800. Definitions Practice Throw:
During a round, the projection of a disc of a distance greater than two meters, or of any distance toward a target, intentional or not, which does not change the player's lie, either because it did not occur from the teeing area or the lie, or because the player had already thrown competitively from the teeing area or the lie. Throws that are rethrown in accordance with the rules are not practice throws. Provisional throws made pursuant to 803.01 C and 803.01 D (3) are not practice throws. A player shall receive a penalty for a practice throw in accordance with sections 803.01 B or 804.02 A (2).


803.01 B. Practice Throws.
A player who throws a practice throw or an extra throw with any disc any time after the start of his or her round and prior to his or her finishing the last hole of the round (except for throws that must be re-thrown in accordance with the rules, provisional throws made pursuant to 803.01 C and 803.01 D (3), or throws during a suspension or postponement of play) shall receive one penalty throw. The practice throw or extra throw must be observed by any two players or an official.


ERic

[Ty9339]

800. Definitions Practice Throw:
During a round, the projection of a disc of a distance greater than two meters, or of any distance toward a target, intentional or not, which does not change the player's lie, either because it did not occur from the teeing area or the lie, or because the player had already thrown competitively from the teeing area or the lie. Throws that are rethrown in accordance with the rules are not practice throws. Provisional throws made pursuant to 803.01 C and 803.01 D (3) are not practice throws. A player shall receive a penalty for a practice throw in accordance with sections 803.01 B or 804.02 A (2).


803.01 B. Practice Throws.
A player who throws a practice throw or an extra throw with any disc any time after the start of his or her round and prior to his or her finishing the last hole of the round (except for throws that must be re-thrown in accordance with the rules, provisional throws made pursuant to 803.01 C and 803.01 D (3), or throws during a suspension or postponement of play) shall receive one penalty throw. The practice throw or extra throw must be observed by any two players or an official.

ERic where does one find this rule book? does the PDGA website have it? i guess i could just check but i'm a bit lazy thanks
BANG CHAINS

[ERicJ]

ERic where does one find this rule book? does the PDGA website have it? i guess i could just check but i'm a bit lazy thanks
Yes, normally it's available online at the PDGA website (http://www.pdga.com).

But the site has been having issues for the past week or so. As I type this right now... the link to the rules section is broken.

ERic

[ERicJ]

This link is working:
http://www.pdga.com/select_all_rules.php

[PhattD]

:eek:

Wow. That's good to know. What's the purpose of rules like that?

I think the purpose of that rule is so there is no argument about what defines a practice throw. It may not be accurate but it's simple and definable.

[Ty9339]

ericj thanks man appreciate that