Breaking out of Plateaus

[djjeremiahj]

As we grow, sometimes it seems like we get stuck in plateaus (or "ruts"). What do you do?

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I'm stuck in one currently, i know that i am still progressing forward, but it seems like most of my skills are worse than a few months back.

It's weird, outside the extra distance i get now, one year ahead, i recall being a much better player a year ago.

maybe i'm better and playing with better players?

maybe i was delusional a year ago?

[ArcheType]

My key has been making small changes. I don't revamp everything, ever. I'll just disc down and play normally. Then I'll tweak small parts of my throw, from pull angle, to weight transfer, etc, but I change them all individually.

[JoshEpoo]

A plateau isn't a rut. In the most literal sense, they are nearly opposites. In terms of disc golf, a plateau indicates you've reached the maximum potential for your throwing form.

If you want to break through, you will need to actively try to learn and make some significant changes to your game. Short term, that means your scores get worse. Long term, they should get better. Learning to throw a disc often comes in stages with a lot of little plateaus on the way to 350-400 feet and then one major hump to get over. Developing big snap and throwing 450+ is hard and probably requires a total rebuild of form for most people.

A rut is just a lapse in your mental game for a long period of time.

[wolito]

Originally Posted by JoshEpoo

A plateau isn't a rut. In the most literal sense, they are nearly opposites. In terms of disc golf, a plateau indicates you've reached the maximum potential for your throwing form.

If you want to break through, you will need to actively try to learn and make some significant changes to your game. Short term, that means your scores get worse. Long term, they should get better. Learning to throw a disc often comes in stages with a lot of little plateaus on the way to 350-400 feet and then one major hump to get over. Developing big snap and throwing 450+ is hard and probably requires a total rebuild of form for most people.

A rut is just a lapse in your mental game for a long period of time.

The key to this post is that you need to make changes to your throw. I assume that you are speaking of distance plateaus of which everyone gets. For me it was trying different techniques in my throw until I understood the mechanics of it enough that would enable me to get more distance. It took a little time but now I am throwing farther. It also takes motivation to work on a particular aspect of your game, even if you know it might suffer for a bit in order to get the results that you want.

[ZBoazMobster]

I don't wanna think I've plateu'd.
I am changing things about my game tho. I play with different people as much as possible. I've disc'd down. I'm even thinking I should play less often. Maybe the every day thing is holding me back, along with old company, drinking, high speed discs... and whatever else.
I know I can do better.

[GLong]

Originally Posted by ZBoazMobster

Maybe the every day thing is holding me back, along with old company, drinking, high speed discs... and whatever else.
I know I can do better.

I don't play everyday anymore. I find that after a certain point you get worn out physically and mentally, and the law of diminishing returns takes effect. I usually don't play more than two days in a row. And by 'play' I mean either play rounds or field practice. I will still go out and putt a bit on my basket, but that's it.

I also don't drink at all when I am playing DG. That may sound ridiculous to some people, but I just can't do it. I'll have ONE when it's super hot out in the summertime, and a random one here and there, but that's it. More than one and I can feel the impairment in my throwing. I'm not a small dude (6'2 200) but have a low tolerance for booze and probably only drink 5-8 times a month max. I also have been partaking in herbals less and less while playing over the last few months, and prefer to play tourneys dead sober now.

[Discwrangler]

Evolve. Change up routine. Constant variance will prepare you for the unexpected.

Workout. Workout differently.

Find weaknesses and work on them. It's easy to do the things you're good at, but really, we need to work on what we suck at.

When I'm at putting practice and the disc isn't going in, or I can't find a rhythm, I remind myself it's just practice...then I go throw upshots or some other shot. Come back to the putting later.

[biodarwin]

Originally Posted by Discwrangler

Find weaknesses and work on them. It's easy to do the things you're good at, but really, we need to work on what we suck at.

This is key. Honest self-evaluation is very difficult for most people.

[drickanderson]

I'm changing my strategy to playing par golf. I've been obsessed with distance for too long now, and I get caught up in trying to 'deuce' every hole. I find that I get derailed easily if I throw an errant drive, and it just starts to build from there. Starting this week I've been shooting for 3s on every hole, and it's making a difference. I find an easy spot to layup from that I can hit from the tee, shoot there, then layup for the easy three. It makes it so much easier on me mentally than trying to hit the basket every time from the tee.

I also changed my grip this week to add spin to the disc. For now, it's reduced my distance a little on my high-speed stuff, but my fairways seem to float forever, and once I can control it a little bit, I think my higher speed discs might actually gain from where they were.

Either change your strategy, your technique, or both. Shake things up a bit. Something as simple as changing your grip can make it feel like a completely different game.

[bthoma1]

Originally Posted by biodarwin

This is key. Honest self-evaluation is very difficult for most people.

Different sport, but thats what Michael Jordan did. He took what he thought was his weakest and made it his strongest. When he first started he didn't have the best jumper, well he worked on that and BAM. Then he was criticized for not being a good defender, next year he is NBA all defensive. Take your weakest and make it your strongest.
Myself personally my driving was the best part of my game. So I worked on my putting and approach, now they are at the top and my drives don't suck just not my bread and butter anymore