IchLebeErneut
Newbie
This is no first ace or under-par post, but I'm just so happy about these milestones, I wanted to share their stories somewhere. Before I jump in, I want to preface by saying that I've been playing since late March of this year, I never threw a Frisbee before disc golf (that I can remember), and I'm a 20-something female with a noodle arm who couldn't backhand more than 50ft in the beginning.
First Birdie
While waiting for a few friends to arrive for a round today, I decided to practice a few holes. One of the holes I played was a dog-leg right about 50ft off the tee and then about a hundred feet to the basket (Hole 7 at Apex Nature Park, if you know it). My drive was perfectly straight (a drive I would have taken on almost any other hole...) and landed over 50ft away from the pin at the bottom of the hill. I planned on a little upshot, because this noob cannot putt more than 20ft, let alone uphill. All I had to do was throw a soft backhand around the two medium sized trees about 20ft in front of me. Simple right? Well, I missed my line, the disc slipped through the 4ft gap between the trees, floated onward, and snuck over the rim of the basket. It didn't touch a single chain link, just landed quietly inside. It was the most ridiculous thing to watch. And best part? It's the very same hole I first made par on too.
RHBH Distance
I had hoped the birdie boded well for the round. It indeed did not. I felt humiliated almost the entire time. My friends, who I introduced to disc golf less than two months ago, can outdrive me even when their discs fade and crash hard. I try to remind myself that they're guys and they've played ultimate for a couple years, so realistically they have more experience. But it's just so freaking difficult to remember when I've put in so many hours of practice to improve my form and theirs is pretty terrible, and they still outdrive me. They don't rub it in at all, by the way. They're supportive and kind. It's just my competitive side manifesting in an unwanted way. Anyways, when I got home, I was so frustrated and unhappy with how I played, I went out to the nearby field to practice. And practice I did, for nearly two hours. Film drive, watch drive, analyze, adjust, repeat. Finally, as purple twilight descended, everything clicked together. My 152g yellow Valkyrie sailed over the field in a lovely straight line and nestled in the brown grass on the opposite side. Over 200ft. An unexpected first. I needed that drive tonight. I needed to prove to myself that I can even when it feels like I can't.
RHFH Distance
I recently found the perfect forehand grip for me, something I'm extremely happy about because I'm a natural at forehand and I've been anxious to utilize it more. The little bit of forehand practice I did tonight was focused on finding a comfortable follow-through and increasing speed. I tried using the x-step to get my hips loaded and increase torque. It added so much power and bettered my timing. It also helped with my follow-through. My back leg doesn't ram into my front anymore but instead comes alongside and I turn, like with backhand follow-through. No discomfort at all; it's fantastic! With this newfound power, I threw the Valk (or Jade, don't remember which) and discovered it landed over 150ft away, my new forehand record. Finally, I feel like I could use forehand for drives and not just upshots. Woohoo!
Final Thought
I practiced so much today, I have my first disc golf blister!
TL;DR
First birdie on a 185ft dog-leg hole with a 50ft uphill approach shot.
First time driving 200ft backhand.
First time driving 150ft forehand.
First disc golf blister.
First Birdie
While waiting for a few friends to arrive for a round today, I decided to practice a few holes. One of the holes I played was a dog-leg right about 50ft off the tee and then about a hundred feet to the basket (Hole 7 at Apex Nature Park, if you know it). My drive was perfectly straight (a drive I would have taken on almost any other hole...) and landed over 50ft away from the pin at the bottom of the hill. I planned on a little upshot, because this noob cannot putt more than 20ft, let alone uphill. All I had to do was throw a soft backhand around the two medium sized trees about 20ft in front of me. Simple right? Well, I missed my line, the disc slipped through the 4ft gap between the trees, floated onward, and snuck over the rim of the basket. It didn't touch a single chain link, just landed quietly inside. It was the most ridiculous thing to watch. And best part? It's the very same hole I first made par on too.
RHBH Distance
I had hoped the birdie boded well for the round. It indeed did not. I felt humiliated almost the entire time. My friends, who I introduced to disc golf less than two months ago, can outdrive me even when their discs fade and crash hard. I try to remind myself that they're guys and they've played ultimate for a couple years, so realistically they have more experience. But it's just so freaking difficult to remember when I've put in so many hours of practice to improve my form and theirs is pretty terrible, and they still outdrive me. They don't rub it in at all, by the way. They're supportive and kind. It's just my competitive side manifesting in an unwanted way. Anyways, when I got home, I was so frustrated and unhappy with how I played, I went out to the nearby field to practice. And practice I did, for nearly two hours. Film drive, watch drive, analyze, adjust, repeat. Finally, as purple twilight descended, everything clicked together. My 152g yellow Valkyrie sailed over the field in a lovely straight line and nestled in the brown grass on the opposite side. Over 200ft. An unexpected first. I needed that drive tonight. I needed to prove to myself that I can even when it feels like I can't.
RHFH Distance
I recently found the perfect forehand grip for me, something I'm extremely happy about because I'm a natural at forehand and I've been anxious to utilize it more. The little bit of forehand practice I did tonight was focused on finding a comfortable follow-through and increasing speed. I tried using the x-step to get my hips loaded and increase torque. It added so much power and bettered my timing. It also helped with my follow-through. My back leg doesn't ram into my front anymore but instead comes alongside and I turn, like with backhand follow-through. No discomfort at all; it's fantastic! With this newfound power, I threw the Valk (or Jade, don't remember which) and discovered it landed over 150ft away, my new forehand record. Finally, I feel like I could use forehand for drives and not just upshots. Woohoo!
Final Thought
I practiced so much today, I have my first disc golf blister!
TL;DR
First birdie on a 185ft dog-leg hole with a 50ft uphill approach shot.
First time driving 200ft backhand.
First time driving 150ft forehand.
First disc golf blister.