Field Practice is no Joke...

[maikemafia]

My farther drives 330+ are with a Monster and Orc. They both turnover at first (high speed right pull and as they die down on speed they fade back left. they end up where I want them with a nice s-curve. But I'm still thinking a less stable and possible lighter disc will give me a little extra footage on open holes.The reason is that with these overstable discs like the Orc and Monster is that I have to pull the disc on the drives, or anhyzer angle. I think that trying to pull the disc is causing me to loose speed and snap that I need.

 

[Star Shark]

Field practice for me hurts lately. Been doing it for a little over 2 years and for the first few months I got steadily better. Ever since then, however, I've been getting steadily worse. I've lost all the distance I gained and also lost a bunch of my accuracy. I might well be worse than when I started and I have no idea why. It's hard to watch yourself get worse at the only thing in life you still care about.

 

[nicoga3000]

I guess I'll give my two cents. As a newer player (played on and off last year and have really started to work myself this year), I've found field practice so incredibly useful to improving my game. I guess it's just like ball golf (which I've played for 16 years) in that you don't run out to the course the day you buy your first set of clubs and start hacking away at the ball. You really need to spend time at the driving range to get a feel for it all. I don't think disc golf is any different (well, a little...grab your first set of 3 discs and go play a round to get pumped/hooked on the sport, haha) - I feel that [as a newer player], you need to spend time throwing discs in the field to get the fundamentals down.

When I go to a field, I pick a tree in the distance as my target - this way, I AM throwing with a purpose outside of distance. I work to improve my form, power, and my accuracy/consistency. To go out to a field and chuck discs around with ONLY power in mind is not helping you unless you're already spot on with your accuracy.

The other HUGE thing going to a field has done for me: teach me to relax. When you step up to a tee box, you see the basket and pull out your long distance driver, pick your line, and run up and power that disc into oblivion. For better players, this is great - I play in a league every Thursday, and the experienced players throw a nearly straight shot 400'+, layup a solid approach, and putt in for par. For me, when I was trying to muscle my shots (just like in ball golf), I was not only shanking my throws, but I wasn't getting near the distance I was in the field with a simple step and pull. I realized in my practice that if I just take it easy and work my natural rhythm, I was going to improve a LOT faster. After my last practice session, I literally knocked 14 strokes off of my average score at the local course later that day - it was amazing!

I guess field practice has a time and a place for everyone. Personally, I love going out to throw in a field. I've had nothing but success with my hours spent doing so. I don't think there's any better way to improve your foundation skills for the game. But, a field won't teach you how to throw that hyzer shot into OB, around a tree, back in bounds, right next to the basket for par. Things like that are learned through experience.

 

[hyperspike]

field practice helped me get rid of my (most of my) OAT throws...that was worth it right there, but i do really enjoy field practice... helps your game in so many ways...but lately ALL my practice has been on putting...

 

[Bubbajoe]

I love field practice. I am spoiled though. I have a football field surrounded by tree lined hills right out side my front door. From a players stand point it's been huge for me as far as leaning to drive. But the real value for me has been unwinding after work. There's nothing better than taking a stack of Eagles or Aviars out to the field and letting fly!

One problem I have had, however, is taking what I've learned on the field to the course. It's way to easy for me to get caught up in the distractions of the game and slipping back into what ever bad habit I was trying to work out.

 

[bazillion]

Field practice-wise, I'm probably the world's worst person to listen to but hey, this is the internet and everything you read here is true, right? So ...

I'd really like to be able to practice more. The only time I get out to an open field is when my wife's shopping somewhere and there's an open field nearby - I'll say, "Have fun, honey, call me when you need a lift home" and go throw.

That said, I tend to play one of two games when practicing:

1) For distance, I'll play north vs south (or east vs west) and shoot discs back and forth across the field, throwing each disc from where it lies. Each time a disc crosses the "goal line", that team scores a point. Yay.

2) For accuracy, I'll pick a target (my bag works well), hike out about 30-50 yards and see how close I can get. Then, do the same thing except put my discs on a hyzer line. Then an annie line. Then a spike line. Then the phone rings and it's time to go

Living down in So Cal though, places to throw are few & far between Much different from Oklahoma, to be sure.

 

[riffraffrasta]

Then the phone rings and it's time to go

Living down in So Cal though, places to throw are few & far between Much different from Oklahoma, to be sure.

That's exactly how it goes for me most times too. Winds are probably different then living in oklahoma also huh?

Does anyone cap the amount of drives they throw? I like to keep it in sets of about 15.

 

[cmcolomb]

Field practice is ok, but I can't seem to get the same results in an actual round that I get in an open field. I do recomend new players practice in a open field to learn throws, and how different discs fly.

This partially - I find that I lost that drive or desire to shoot it close when I am throwing at nothing.

When there is a basket or a target in play, there is more desire to play, IMHO.

 

[Roc Rocket]

Field practice and putting practice are a lot of fun (at least to me), and after a few months it's easy to see how much better I'd gotten than my friends who didn't do it.

 

[Star Shark]

Hmm. When I go to the field, I'll throw drivers for 4-5hrs, often. I'll mix it up with sidearms and rollers and such but I don't seem to have any problems with endurance.

I've developed some OAT recently out of nowhere so I'm working on that, but it's OAT with nose-up. I've got alot to work out.

 

[jenb]

I have been doing quite a bit of field practice lately and it is helping a lot. My form is becoming better and more fluid, snap is better, distance is increasing along with accuracy and consistency. Might be a little off topic but I typically throw 10-15 drives and then go pick them up. Then I normally start a little behind my furthest and throw back down towards my bag. I feel like this gives me variation with the wind and keeps me from running all over the place. Anyone else have tips on their field practice routine they would care to share?

I have been doing field practice morning and night for about ten weeks. I am using my fenced back yard, which is 225 feet corner to corner. I can throw over the fence in one direction, but not in the other, so I can really only drive in one direction. I plan to eventually put up a barrier netting to allow me to drive in both directions.

I have designated the far corner as a landing zone, and drive for it with 5 discs of the same mold and weight. Then I go take a position from a basket in the middle of the yard based on where the worst drive landed (i.e., in the corner is closest, others are further away), and approach the basket with 5 putter shots. Then I take the worst approach and try to putt out 5 times. Repeat with different conditions (i.e., mandos and/or must flick, etc.)

I have been frustrated that, even though it seems like I am getting better, it hasn't shown up in my round ratings yet. Just this week, it started feeling like I just got the knack for driving cosistently straight, and I went to a local course last night I haven't played since I started the field practice. I beat my best score there by 7 throws, parking the holes a couple of times, and even hitting the pin on my drive from the tee. I looked up the SSA for that course from those tees, and it looks like that round would possibly have been rated about 850, which is 100 points above my rating, or maybe even 920.

I also have a 5 foot gap between the garage and the house that I can drive through into the back yard, so that is another tee position that can force me to practice hitting a close gap. I plan to start using that soon, as I still have a problem with hitting trees right in front of the tee.

 

[jenb]

Hmm. When I go to the field, I'll throw drivers for 4-5hrs, often. I'll mix it up with sidearms and rollers and such but I don't seem to have any problems with endurance.

I've developed some OAT recently out of nowhere so I'm working on that, but it's OAT with nose-up. I've got alot to work out.

I had this same issue very recently (pain, oat, nose up) and I found that lifting both arms, elbows and all, to shoulder level and moving them as a unit solved my problems. So both arms are in the rotational plane of the shoulders. I don't know why I thought to do it, but afterwards, I recalled seeing Des Reading doing it in her pre shot routine a few months ago.

 

[JoshEpoo]

I also have a 5 foot gap between the garage and the house that I can drive through into the back yard, so that is another tee position that can force me to practice hitting a close gap. I plan to start using that soon, as I still have a problem with hitting trees right in front of the tee.

Throwing discs straight at your house is pretty white trash. I'd recommend doing this particular drill with real trees somewhere other than your yard...

Field work is great but only if you're smart about it. Pretty easy to waste a bunch of time and actually get worse at disc out in the field if you're not following a program.

 

[Midnightbiker]

This partially - I find that I lost that drive or desire to shoot it close when I am throwing at nothing.

When there is a basket or a target in play, there is more desire to play, IMHO.

Get you some soccer cones from Walmart (3$) and use those as targets. Field work really helps you work on your throws, and you can see what discs will do that. You can try something over and over till you get it right. I also take new players to an open field to work on their driving before I ever take them to the course.

 

[Caldwell5161]

There are these soccer fields that I grew up playing on right by my parents house. When I go home to visit I'll jet over there for a little while and throw from one goal to the other. I'll throw from different sides of the field and sometimes from down the little hill behind one goal. I aim to get them in the goal as I figure it's like getting it in the circle and I should have that putt all day. It's a full sized field so 360 full feet of beautiful flat grass with predictable winds. It really taught to me to release nose down and flat with a faster disc. Oh and also how to absolutely bomb hyzer flips.

 

[VictorB]

lots of stuff

Just a couple of things I'd comment on - a few specific points, and a couple of general points everyone can use as well.

1. Your practice routine is good. Eventually you'll feel limited by what you can do in your yard, make a jump and head to a big, wide open field after that.

2. Don't get tied up in your round ratings! They are simply a judge of how you have played in the past - not really a current reflection of your game. If you feel like you're improving, then you probably are. You know your game better than a formulated number.

3. As for accuracy, play what I call 'bocce disc'. Toss a putter/midrange out in an open field (to a comfortable but challenging distance), and take 5 more shots to get as close to where that landed as you can. Fantastic practice, and make it harder by using 5 different discs or using different lines/types of shots. Every shot within 10 feet is a point, every shot within 5 feet is 2 points. Play a game to 20. If you do this once a week, your midrange game will improve dramatically, and your accuracy off the tee will benefit as well.

4. Footwork is the primary key to hitting lines off the tee. If your movement line from the back of the tee to the front points directly at a tree, your chances of hitting it are significantly higher. Remember, your shoulders go where your hips take you, and your hips follow where your feet are moving.

A little more on topic...
I don't do as much field practice with drives as I used to. It would probably benefit me to do so, since I am still familiarizing myself with my primary driver (OrionLF) after slowing down speeds a little. Most of my practice these days is for accuracy and consistency instead of distance, where I believe I have maxed out as far as I can throw without putting undo strain on my back.

 

[hector69]

I have been practice driving in a field near my home for the last 3 months and kept thinking I was getting nowhere - no translation to my actual rounds, and then suddenly things started coming together and I was hitting spots farther down the fairway than I have ever thrown.

I keep reading about people slowing down their approach and after trying this things started to get better. I am simply walking up the tee pad reaching back and snapping through.

There is no better thing than practice (of course using proper technique is good), you have to throw a ton of discs, and build your musles and your muscle memory. I have gone from 280' to 350' on my best drives and the average is coming down.

 

[jenb]

Throwing discs straight at your house is pretty white trash. I'd recommend doing this particular drill with real trees somewhere other than your yard...

What if it's a double wide trailer with a redwood deck? Does that make it ok?

 

[i_throw_bricks]

Am I the only one that thinks field practice is fun?

Not at all. I love field practice. The only issue is time. Sometimes I don't have time for 18 holes, so I just do field practice. Other times I only have enough time for one or the other, so I play a round. It's only a couple times a month that I have time for both.

 

[UncleSweat]

I have a huge field to practice in right in front of where I work. I love going out on my lunch break and throwing as hard as I can.