Am2 vs. Am1

[krupicka]

Around here, an 858 average wouldn't even make the prize line in Rec.

[JTacoma03]

Originally Posted by Smcneil

I have been playing for 3 years now and just won my first tourney. I won in am2/intermediate. I was more or less told that I have to move up to Am1 next year. Is this a must? Or I am just going to be ripped on as a sandbagger if I stay in Am2. This is my first year playing in tournaments and did not expect to win. I was hoping to win but everything fell into place for the win. The leader choked and I won on the first playoff hole. It was a pdga b tier event. Please let me know what you think I should do.

Figure out what your rounds were rated. If you're not shooting a 960+ tournament average then stay in AM2. If people call you a bagger then either ignore them, or laugh it off and say that your rating dictates your division and you are a ___-rated golfer so you belong in that division.

As long as you don't DNF tournaments to fix yor own rating then you're fine. Let people be bitter. However, what you said about playing with better people is true - you will get better quicker.

[chrishysell]

It's really up to you to decide. What are your goals? There are some players who want to get out of the am ranks and become a pro as quick as they can. There are others who are more patient. Neither are right or wrong.

[Apoth]

My rating would pretty squarely put me in the rec category (870) but I've recently considered moving up and played my first tournament in int. yesterday. The reason was pretty simple: we've had enough guys playing rec who have chosen not to get a PDGA membership and, therefore, were playing INT and even ADV level golf but still registering for rec. For instance, in the last ranked tournament we had, the average round rating for the top 3 in REC were as follows:

1. 942.5
2. 927.5
3. 923.5

I finally started coming to the thought that if I'm going to have to consistently shoot INT golf to win rec, I might as well move up and start playing with INT guys as that level of competition tends to push me, anyway. It seems to have worked, somewhat. I cashed in my first tournament in Int. yesterday. Didn't cash by much, but I'm still happy.

[solomon.trenton]

this past season I played Rec for the second season and only won one tourney legit. What I mean is I only won 1 tourney with more than 2 people in the field. I placed in several and get ragged on for being a sandbagger but i have several arguments to disagree. If you arent winning every tourney by 10+ strokes and are uber consistent with finishing in the top 3 then its only really up to you if you want to move up. I stay in Rec because i feel it gives me the best chance to win and get CTP's. next year i was planning to move up to AM2 but i wont be able now as I will be coming back from a broken leg and i fear my scores will increase when i was shooting about 5 strokes better this year than i had last year.

[TOURNEYPLAYER]

Originally Posted by krupicka

Around here, an 858 average wouldn't even make the prize line in Rec.

here either. our recs usually shoot in the 900s. with Int winner averaging around 950-960

[mashnut]

It often takes shooting well above the maximum rating for a division to win that division. If somebody is sling that consistently, their rating will reflect that and they'll be forced to move up. If someone occasionally shoots hot, and occasionally shoots poorly, and ends up averaging out inside the ratings for a division, it's not sandbagging on those days where they put a good game together.

[RShott]

Originally Posted by Rondpitt

Ratings based divisions is one of the best things to happen to amateur competition disc golf. (Tournament golf). When players sign up to play the division that they are rated for -- the competition is tough and tight.

But, more often than not there is local pressure (on local events) to play UP a division. And like you mentioned, there is local pressure to MOVE UP after you have done well in only one event.

I have noticed a trend in our area that shows 40%-50% of the players in each am division are actually rated for the division BELOW the one they signed up for. The result? Watered down scores.

I will explain. Half of the Advanced scores look like the top players in Intermediate, and half of the Intermediate scores look like the top players in Rec, and of course --- half of the Rec scores look like the top players in Novice. IMO, it makes no sense.

Sure, there is the occasional player that is flashing up through the divisions faster than their ratings can keep up. But, that is truly the exception.

And for the players that always play up --- don't tell me that you do it to get to play with the "better" players. You might get lucky on the first round and get on a card with the top players, but after that you will be playing with the same fellas that you always play with --- just in a MOVED UP division.

BTW, (also to the folks that always play up) you already know that you will get your butt handed to you on a big regional B or A tier.

My question is why? Why water down the divisions? Why NOT play your rating. That is never sandbagging. It is simply good solid competition.

So OP, go win a few more. Let your rating climb up. (I hope it does) But, in the mean time enjoy the fight in your division. Anybody calling you a bagger is just jealous.

Ron

PS. Does anyone else think that the names of the divisions cause some of this local pressure to move up? There are times I wish we just had AmI, AmII, AmIII, and AmIV. No weird, non-descriptive, seemingly unconnected names.

I agree 100%. Great post.

[Green Aarrow]

I just got my first sanctioned win recently, and posted a couple 2nd and 3rd-place finishes over the summer in intermediate, so I know I'll have some pressure on me to move up to advanced. I hope to next year, but right now I'm 909-rated and I'm waiting until I hit at least 925.

Around me, advanced division usually plays short/long tees or long/long tees, and I don't yet have the long and mid game to consistently challenge.

[BraveThrower43]

I got my first win in rec a few weekends ago. I had played two tournaments before that and done horribly and came out with an 817 rating

But the last two tournaments I played like I knew I could and shot around 900 to win the first one by 8ish strokes and I would have lead Int for the tourney. I was consistantly called a bagger the whole weekend even though I had the lowest rating in the field. Then at the frozen finale I played what I thought was bad golf and ended up losing by a stroke. Ive been thinking about moving up for smaller tourneys and staying in my rated division for A tiers and such(CAC, and Bowling Green). Think its a good plan?