2014 United States Disc Golf Championship

[IHearChains]

because the ceiling is lower for success with it. easier to learn and easier to adjust to new plastic but can't take you as far in the long run as learning the more difficult, more nuanced backhand.

That ceiling would only be low if you have personally set a low ceiling for yourself.

If the only time you think to use a forehand is on left-to-right meathook lines, then of course it doesn't take "nuance".

Some players set a higher standard for themselves.

 

[threevok]

...Also, people kept saying JohnE should have layed up on 17. How exactly do you lay it up on that hole. You're throwing downhill and have to finish right inside the hay bales but not in the water. I don't see an easy line on that hole.

Isn't there a short layup area to the left? Feldberg layed up last year there. Maybe it was deleted this year.

I wonder how tough that shot really is? I think I could get it most times if no one was looking (and no wind). Anyone played it?

Also, I hate to see a title pissed away on one hole, but everyone had to deal with it. Just disappointing because it doesn't tell the whole story of the tournament.

 

[krupicka]

There is a layup area not too far off the tee. Makes the second shot much easier as it changes the angles a bit. But... If you haven't practiced laying up on that hole, then it is still easy to screw up that first toss and go OB anyway.

 

[bradharris]

Isn't there a short layup area to the left? Feldberg layed up last year there. Maybe it was deleted this year.

I wonder how tough that shot really is? I think I could get it most times if no one was looking (and no wind). Anyone played it?

Also, I hate to see a title pissed away on one hole, but everyone had to deal with it. Just disappointing because it doesn't tell the whole story of the tournament.

There is still a short layup area. It cuts down distance and changes the angle a bit so that you can hyzer in more easily.

It can definitely be a tricky shot, and as the stakes get higher, that green starts to look really small. In all four of my rounds, I missed my first attempt and hit the green on my second.

 

[teej21012]

You are correct threevok, he could have layed up.

 

[notroman]

It's not a tough shot. You have about 90-100ft in front of the pad that's in bounds. From there it's another 150 or so feet to the green. Anyone at that level can make an easy 3 of it.

 

[notroman]

JohnE probably could've thrown a turbo putt in from the lay up zone like he did at Renny Gold that one year.

 

[JC17393]

Also, people kept saying JohnE should have layed up on 17. How exactly do you lay it up on that hole. You're throwing downhill and have to finish right inside the hay bales but not in the water. I don't see an easy line on that hole.

There's sixty feet of fairway directly in front of the tee that is in bounds. Pitching up to a spot there allows a much wider array of shot angles and a shorter throw in general.

Part of the difficulty of hole 17 is the tunnel from which you have to tee off. It forces you to throw a relatively flat shot to get out. Flat flight makes it much tougher to stop the disc on a dime on that postage stamp green. Add in that by throwing backhand, John (and Paul and Will and Pat for that matter) were turning over their shot to aim it at the fat part of the green on the right and their shots are susceptible to gliding longer than intended. Which is exactly what happened to John's first shot, leading to him overcompensating and coming up short on his second and third attempts.

Laying up takes the tunnel out of play. It's a 160-170 foot shot to the green from there (slightly longer if you're playing for the wide side on the right). Still a relatively simple shot for players of this caliber. Players of lesser skill than they are able to execute it for a 3, I've seen it done. There's no case for "you can't lay up" on that hole. You can choose not to, but the option is definitely available.

 

[oddjob]

iirc, will chose to lay up all 4 rounds the first year he won it.

 

[bfowler]

Makes a lot more sense now too. I was among quite a few pros watching and a number of them were talking about why he didn't lay it up in that situation.

There's sixty feet of fairway directly in front of the tee that is in bounds. Pitching up to a spot there allows a much wider array of shot angles and a shorter throw in general.

Part of the difficulty of hole 17 is the tunnel from which you have to tee off. It forces you to throw a relatively flat shot to get out. Flat flight makes it much tougher to stop the disc on a dime on that postage stamp green. Add in that by throwing backhand, John (and Paul and Will and Pat for that matter) were turning over their shot to aim it at the fat part of the green on the right and their shots are susceptible to gliding longer than intended. Which is exactly what happened to John's first shot, leading to him overcompensating and coming up short on his second and third attempts.

Laying up takes the tunnel out of play. It's a 160-170 foot shot to the green from there (slightly longer if you're playing for the wide side on the right). Still a relatively simple shot for players of this caliber. Players of lesser skill than they are able to execute it for a 3, I've seen it done. There's no case for "you can't lay up" on that hole. You can choose not to, but the option is definitely available.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Did anyone throw a FH on that hole? seems like it would be pretty easy at that distance and able to aim higher while shooting for a larger part of the green to land on...? Maybe the angle just doesn't work from the tee but watching it this weekend I kept wanting to see a FH on 17.

 

[Streets]

Did anyone throw a FH on that hole? seems like it would be pretty easy at that distance and able to aim higher while shooting for a larger part of the green to land on...? Maybe the angle just doesn't work from the tee but watching it this weekend I kept wanting to see a FH on 17.

Bradharris did

 

[Aim For The Chains]

FO A DUCE DUCE?!

 

[bradharris]

Did anyone throw a FH on that hole? seems like it would be pretty easy at that distance and able to aim higher while shooting for a larger part of the green to land on...? Maybe the angle just doesn't work from the tee but watching it this weekend I kept wanting to see a FH on 17.

Bradharris did

FO A DUCE DUCE?!

I threw Drones at it forehand. In rounds 1,2, and 4 I wussed the first throw and left it short of the hay bales. In round 3 I rolled over on it and sent one into the lake on the left.

In all four rounds, I put my second attempt on the green in putting range. Missed only one putt for the 4.

For players that have the confidence in their forehand, it's definitely a much easier shot.

 

[tampabay]

Did anyone throw a FH on that hole? seems like it would be pretty easy at that distance and able to aim higher while shooting for a larger part of the green to land on...? Maybe the angle just doesn't work from the tee but watching it this weekend I kept wanting to see a FH on 17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEIYlhYGmgE&index=94&list=PL0pnwGzvwYqbXq6JDNCjE8QaIilwPB5Za

Nate Sexton does around 37:40

 

[IHearChains]

Did anyone throw a FH on that hole?

I think Sexton did.

edit...replied too late LOL

 

[JC17393]

Throwing a forehand on 17 depends a lot on your choice of disc for a shot like that. It's a downhill 250 foot shot. If one's choice is a driver, that would make it a very touchy shot. Throw it too hard and it's in the water, throw it too lightly and it could go offline or be heavily impacted by the wind. And that's before taking into account that the grass is super short which can lead to big skips. Of course if 250 downhill is about the extent of your forehand hyzer range, it sets up perfect. I have to think all of these guys can forehand past 250 on a slight downhill, and they feel like they have better distance control backhanding a putter.

 

[tampabay]

Throwing a forehand on 17 depends a lot on your choice of disc for a shot like that. It's a downhill 250 foot shot. If one's choice is a driver, that would make it a very touchy shot. Throw it too hard and it's in the water, throw it too lightly and it could go offline or be heavily impacted by the wind. And that's before taking into account that the grass is super short which can lead to big skips. Of course if 250 downhill is about the extent of your forehand hyzer range, it sets up perfect. I have to think all of these guys can forehand past 250 on a slight downhill, and they feel like they have better distance control backhanding a putter.

For the reasons you mentioned it seems like throwing the FH is laying up for the 3 whereas throwing the BH is giving you a run at a two.

 

[bradharris]

For the reasons you mentioned it seems like throwing the FH is laying up for the 3 whereas throwing the BH is giving you a run at a two.

You can lay up a forehand for a 3 by playing way right to the fat part of the green. But most forehand shots are aiming just to the left of the green trying to fade into putting range.

Throwing forehand means you can throw something really overstable that will crash into the ground when you want it to. I chose to throw Drones because I know that they're going to start to fade at the perfect time, and once they hit the ground, they're not going anywhere.

 

[tbird888]

Does anyone know if Schwebby threw a thumber? Seems like it would've been the best choice depending on the wind.