Entered My First Tournament

[jabruzzo3]

I just signed up for my first tournament, the NutSac Swamp Stomp at Calvert Park, MD.

I am looking for any and all advice as to preparation leading up to tournament and during play.

 

[Chiefstang]

Ask questions if you're not sure about something. the people in your card will likely be glad to help you out. Better to ask than break a rule you weren't sure about.

Adjust your pace of play. A tourney round plays slower than a casual round. Every player waits for the others to throw, and stays out of their line of sight. Don't hurry, wait until it's time to approach your disc and throw. After a player makes his putt, let them clear the disc out of the basket before you throw.

Have fun! It's still disc golf, but playing in a tourney just feels different, IMO. I played my first tourney a few weeks ago on my home course, and it felt like my first time there. It was a blast!

Be on time... Better yet, be early. There will likely be more out of bounds/mandos than you're used to, and you want to be at the player's meeting to know about it. It's also nice to throw some warmup shots. I tend to goof my first throw alot, and it sucks when it really counts.

Bring plenty of water/snacks. A two hour casual round will take three hours in a tourney. You don't want to be hungry/thirsty.

Most of all, however: Have fun!!

 

[New013]

I've wondered what the deal was with practice before tourney rounds. Are you allowed to get there much earlier and play two or three holes to warm up? I too usually screw up my first drive so I'll toss one of my mids down first as practice.

 

[jongoff09]

You can get there as early as you want and play as much as you want to warm up. If its a course that is new to you and you are playing it blind, then I would say to at least walk through the whole course before the first round.

Edit: To the OP- YMMV, but I don't play rounds the day before a tournament, all I do is practice pitching and putting because those are key parts of the game. For everything else, I make sure that I am ready for the tournament 2 days before it starts. This saves energy for tournament day(s).

 

[pchitti]

My tourney tips, and what I do.

Try to get plenty of sleep the night before.

Make your self stretch and warm up before rounds.
Start a practice routine for putting / warming up. Can save you strokes and help prevent injury.

Bring a cooler with plenty of ice, sport drink of choice and water.
Snacks are great to have and help keep up energy. Light lunch if one is not provided. Im not a fan of leaving the park for lunch.

I wash my discs the night before and check for any damage. I decide on what plastic I will have in the bag along with alternates in a second bag in case of weather changes.

I bring extra socks and if possible a pair of shoes. Same with extra shirt and shorts/pants.


Good luck and have fun man.

 

[tmahan]

I believe they are marking some new OB areas for this tourney to increase difficulty (Calvert is short and flat). There is also some safety motivation for this as most of the holes are jammed in pretty close together. Make sure you know where these OB areas are before you start the round and mind the mandos on #6 and #17 (and find out if there are any new ones, especially from the blue tees).

 

[Star Shark]

Yeah. Play there a day or two before the tourney and ask the locals if there are any layout changes you should know about beforehand. I just played my first tourney (The Summertime Open) and the best advice I can give is don't go in expecting too much. Just relax and throw; you're not gonna beat your own field let alone the pro field. Check the weather. If it's going to be hot out, take a cooler full of waters/sports drinks in your trunk to reload on between rounds or even after 9 holes.

 

[jabruzzo3]

Thanks guys. All great tips that I will take with me. I have always played with friends, never with strangers, so I play the Sunday Doubles today at Calvert Park. Met alot of great guys, but it did feel very different. I was very tight and my form was all out of wack. I may need to play a couple more before the tournament.

 

[GLong]

definitely play more dubs at Calvert before the tourney. When I started playing I only had 2-3 friends that played and they never wanted to go out so playing with strangers is nothing new to me. I understand that it could make you feel uncomfortable.

If this is your first tourney I would imagine you will be playing Rec or Intermediate. You may play short tees both rounds but you may play a mix. Make sure you are comfortable with both.

I also recommend not playing the day before. You are not going to unlock the holy secret of DG greatness the day before a tournament. Give your brain a break. Maybe go out and toss some putts but no more than 30 min or so.

As far as warming up goes, i recommend the minimum amount. Throw some putts, maybe 10-15. Go throw a few holes and throw a few drives on each, throw each disc at least once. If you throw FH and BH, throw some of each. Then go back and throw a few more putts. Then just get ready to 'do your thing' and play to the best of your ability. Don't try to park holes that you never park. Don't try to throw a roller when you haven't tried one in 6 months. Play within yourself and stay within your comfort zone. Playing well in tournaments is about keeping mental focus and shaking off the competitive nerves.

 

[hyperspike]

for me i really screwed myself at one tourney... went out and did field practice about two days out from the toureny and in the second round i had NOTHING left.

The night before get plenty of sleep, don't drink too much the night before.

BIG ONE - take off your shoes between rounds, it will help you unwind and get more fresh for the next round.

days before, if you have a practice basket, just do about 15 min a day of putting from a make able distance to build confidence. and try to put pressure on yourself like you would in a tourney. Some times i think like ok this was ur 3rd shot so u are trying to save par or something like that to simulate rounds.

total change of clothes with you just in case.

get there early and play to warm up.

 

[GameDayTested]

I've never performed extremely well at tournaments, but I would say to forget how well you are performing. It's not the end of the world when missing a putt. Smile and knock down the next one.

 

[IHearChains]

I've wondered what the deal was with practice before tourney rounds. Are you allowed to get there much earlier and play two or three holes to warm up? I too usually screw up my first drive so I'll toss one of my mids down first as practice.

Maybe you and the OP already know this, but just in case, I will mention it:

There will be a 2-minute period before "start" is called, when no throws are allowed. You'll know when that is because everyone will holler "2 minutes" around the course. Any throws after that time will be added to your score.

 

[charris414]

welcome to the next step in getting better at disc golf ... much of what was said above is spot on ... biggest thing is not getting upset at how well or how bad you will play during the tournament. I'm in the middle of my 7th year of tournaments, and I still have holes where I underperform and make silly mental mistakes ... World Class Pros are just that for a reason.

That said, here's a checklist of things to have with you heading into any tournament:

your discs
backup and alternate discs depending upon wind and weather (remember DX is great for rain)
towels
pencils
mini marker discs
extra clothes (socks, shirts, shoes)
stool
umbrella
money (for food, throw-offs, sweet merch that you want)
bug spray and/or suntan lotion

Tournies are as much about the social aspect as it is about actually playing. So remember to have fun even when you're grinding through a tough stretch.

 

[jabruzzo3]

Thanks guys. I really think I am going to have a lot of fun. I realize this is my first tournament, so if I just play to my ability, it doesn't matter where I finish. It will only get better!

 

[bradharris]

There's a tournament at Calvert on 7/10?? I'm going to be in DC that weekend, intriguing...

 

[jabruzzo3]

Brad -

You can register on-line at PGDA. Only two rounds: first round from short tee's second round from long tee's. Should be alot of fun. Hope to see you there.

 

[bradharris]

Brad -

You can register on-line at PGDA. Only two rounds: first round from short tee's second round from long tee's. Should be alot of fun. Hope to see you there.

I found the registration. I'm just trying to coordinate with the guys I'm going to visit. Hopefully I can get the whole crew out there. They'd all be tournament first-timers as well.

 

[jrawk]

I haven't played in a tourney at calvert yet, but when i do, i will be sure to ask if there are any mandos on the hole we're on.
I suspect they're clearly marked for tourneyment play, but some of them weren't so obvious last time i was there.

 

[jspector]

I heard they may be playing 3 rounds, so be ready for some endurance..

 

[jabruzzo3]

I know the TD was re-painting the mando's so they should be visible. I also hope he goes over them in the morning meeting. I am not sure if he will mark the drop zone for missed mando's or if it is up to the players to monitor. I heard two rounds, first from red (short tee's) and second from blue (long tee's) unless someone talked him into three rounds.