Headphones

[gammaxgoblin]

I navigate and manage a fair amount of anxiety (internal pressure to play well) and social anxiety (playing with other people) during league and tournament play (and casual tbh). I have found that listening to music helps me block out a lot and focus better. I also feel disconnected from my cardmates when I do this. Would you recommend I do what is best for me and listen to music to play my best or forego the music to be considerate to cardmates? I have tried the one earbud thing and it isn't the same effect as having them both in. Im just asking for the feeling on the card when a player has their headphones in and isnt chatting much. I also guess if Im asking if its okay to not chat much and focus on my game or whatever thoughts are out there. =) Thanks!

 

[jupiterboy]

Do what works. I expect people will figure it out. Also, lots of people like open-back headphones because of the way they sound but also because you can also hear ambient noise. Grados and like this, and I like them pretty well.

I suspect there are some "open-ear" buds that are pretty good. If you keep the volume modest, you can probably tune in and out depending and do OK. Not recommending these, but something like this might work well. (kinda like playing with quiet people)

https://cleeraudio.com/earbuds/arc-...ntoYAGi1bsWczuZRltSGwLthK7F6ctCgaAt-aEALw_wcB

 

[sillybizz]

I used to play with the local deaf league, loved it and they loved having me. Don't know sign language at all. Body language if you can read it is more important. Do what works for you, you have no obligation to make them feel a certain way. Take care of you first.

 

[foxdawg10]

I navigate and manage a fair amount of anxiety (internal pressure to play well) and social anxiety (playing with other people) during league and tournament play (and casual tbh). I have found that listening to music helps me block out a lot and focus better. I also feel disconnected from my cardmates when I do this. Would you recommend I do what is best for me and listen to music to play my best or forego the music to be considerate to cardmates? I have tried the one earbud thing and it isn't the same effect as having them both in. Im just asking for the feeling on the card when a player has their headphones in and isnt chatting much. I also guess if Im asking if its okay to not chat much and focus on my game or whatever thoughts are out there. =) Thanks!

Do what works for you. As long as you take part in group calls and such, you are free to socialize as much or as little as you want.

 

[redflyer717]

I haven't used them, but have heard a few people play with bone-conduction headphones. https://lmgtfy.app/?q=bone+conduction+headphones

They do crazy science stuff to transmit sound without the function of traditional earbuds/headphones. They leave your ears open to communicate with your cardmates while allowing you to listen to music to calm your anxiety.

 

[Hampstead]

I used to play with a guy who had ear buds. I didn't care that he wasn't social, but he wasn't actively engaged in the round either. When taking scores you'd have to physically touch him to get his attention. He wasn't helpful when looking for a lost disc unless you once again physically got his attention. Do your thing, but try not to be that guy.

 

[txmxer]

First, I tried bone conduction when I was cycling a lot. Kind of a worst of all worlds IMO.

Might be better in DG, but I doubt it. You want to shut out the world and bone conduction is just more stuff. When cycling, the ambient noise made it so I couldn't hear the headset. Maybe it would be different for you.

Take what Hampstead said and just tell your card mates up front what you are doing. It's a bit awkward, but I think they are more likely to be okay if you let them know your deal than just start out appearing anti-social.

 

[ejvogie]

First, I tried bone conduction when I was cycling a lot. Kind of a worst of all worlds IMO.

Might be better in DG, but I doubt it. You want to shut out the world and bone conduction is just more stuff. When cycling, the ambient noise made it so I couldn't hear the headset. Maybe it would be different for you.

Take what Hampstead said and just tell your card mates up front what you are doing. It's a bit awkward, but I think they are more likely to be okay if you let them know your deal than just start out appearing anti-social.

Yeah, let them know you have social anxiety, and they'll be cool if you're disconnected. If they're not, they're not people you want to be connected with in the first place.

 

[foxdawg10]

Yeah, let them know you have social anxiety, and they'll be cool if you're disconnected. If they're not, they're not people you want to be connected with in the first place.

I wouldn't share that you have social anxiety, just do your thing, and be there for the group when you need to be. Unfortunately some people are d*cks and wouldn't understand.

A lot of people wear headphones for a variety of reasons, it really wouldn't stick out that much.

 

[wolfhaley]

I wouldn't share that you have social anxiety, just do your thing, and be there for the group when you need to be. Unfortunately some people are d*cks and wouldn't understand.

A lot of people wear headphones for a variety of reasons, it really wouldn't stick out that much.

Some people are just tolerant of others though, and have compassion for other's situations, especially if a reason was given. More often than not in my personal experience.

To the OP. Do you.

 

[HyzerRoc]

I haven't used them, but have heard a few people play with bone-conduction headphones. https://lmgtfy.app/?q=bone+conduction+headphones

They do crazy science stuff to transmit sound without the function of traditional earbuds/headphones. They leave your ears open to communicate with your cardmates while allowing you to listen to music to calm your anxiety.

I use them for cycling, but you can use them to listen to music while playing discgolf just as well. This kind of headphone uses a solid block of plastic that will vibrate to transfer sound to your ears. It is easily drowned out by other noise like wind, cars and talking cardmates so it is just what you are looking for. Listening to music with them works better than podcasts as podcasts can become difficult to understand when other noise drowns it out, doesnt matter as much for music. The pair I have is fairly comfortable to wear and lasts about 8 hours before I need to recharge it, which is enough for any given day.

 

[ohtobediscing]

^^^This. :thmbup: Although, as someone mentioned above, I find they don't work well for cycling. On the 3rd hand, tuning out your surroundings while cycling is bad juju.

 

[txmxer]

^^^This. :thmbup: Although, as someone mentioned above, I find they don't work well for cycling. On the 3rd hand, tuning out your surroundings while cycling is bad juju.

I wanted to be able to listen and still hear the world around me when I was cycling. But I don't want to use a speaker. I don't want to listen to someone else's music and they probably don't want to listen to mine.

 

[mostlynorwegian]

I navigate and manage a fair amount of anxiety (internal pressure to play well) and social anxiety (playing with other people) during league and tournament play (and casual tbh). I have found that listening to music helps me block out a lot and focus better. I also feel disconnected from my cardmates when I do this. Would you recommend I do what is best for me and listen to music to play my best or forego the music to be considerate to cardmates? I have tried the one earbud thing and it isn't the same effect as having them both in. Im just asking for the feeling on the card when a player has their headphones in and isnt chatting much. I also guess if Im asking if its okay to not chat much and focus on my game or whatever thoughts are out there. =) Thanks!

Whatever works. As a bit of a anxiety driven wallflower myself. Either do one. Or do the other. No matter what the earbuds may be trying to perform. They are still there in your earhole. You can't really have it both ways. If you talk to your disc about the trees and other stuff about the whats and whys of your discs overall life while its in your (in)capable hands while your headphones are in. Who cares.

 

[Nick Pacific]

Pro tip for ear buds - I use alcohol wipes to clean mine once every couple days, those little square ones that come in a pack of 100 for a couple bucks work great for this. You don't want to shove dirty ear buds that never get cleaned in your ears, that would seem obvious, but I bet most people do. I wear mine for work, I don't like them for disc golf because I've found that being able to hear my drives makes finding them a lot easier, plus I'm a talker/bragger anyways : )

 

[uncle pennybags]

I've been using Aftershokz (bone induction) since they came out for tournament rounds. (in causal I just use a wonderboom on a low volume)

The current crop of wireless ones are really light and don't slip around for me when I'm throwing hard and snapping my head. I've had more than a few people comment that they needed some after seeing me jamming out while sitting waiting for a hole to clear up. I've always been able the hear my surroundings since I keep the volume low on the Aftershokz. If I turn it up to max it's like jamming portable speaker in my face.

I also liked them for cycling. But it was basically the same scenario, volume low and it's like a background track in my head. Sometimes the wind would blow in my ears louder than the music.

 

[Shallows]

I navigate and manage a fair amount of anxiety (internal pressure to play well) and social anxiety (playing with other people) during league and tournament play (and casual tbh).

I would try to address the core issues here rather than leaning on a technological crutch. Sounds like these issues are robbing you of a lot more joy in life than just low scores on league night.

 

[BillFleming]

If you play sanctioned tournaments/leagues....this is the rule on music:

PDGA Competition Manual 3.01 General para C.

Players are not permitted to have audible mobile phones or audible pagers on the course during any competitive round. In addition, personal music players and other devices must be used exclusively with personal headphones and the volume must be kept at a level so as not to be heard by other players, prevent the player from effectively interacting with their group during scorekeeping tasks, or provide a safety hazard for the player by not hearing "Fore!" calls from other players or warning blasts by the Tournament Director. Failure to interact fully with your playing group due to personal music players and other devices is considered a courtesy violation subject to courtesy violation rules and penalties.

I've played with people who use one earbud, two earbuds, bone induction 'headsets', and I have no problem with any of that. The players who used two earbuds would turn off/remove one when they weren't throwing...so they could hear conversations between cardmates...but they would use the second one to help tune out any distractions while throwing. I only have an issue if I and/or other cardmates are constantly trying to get the attention of the person having both ears 'occupied' and not being able to hear us.

 

[RAHfrolfer]

There seems to be a lot of support for wearing headphones to perform better here so I am sure I will get a bunch of flak for saying this but....

Why go to league night if you have to completely tune everyone out to enjoy it? Why not just play on your own? Or with friends who you don't become anxious to play with? I just don't understand wanting to be social but being completely antisocial in order to do so. I never play as well in league night for a variety of reasons but the point for me is not to win golf, but to have an enjoyable experience. If I was on a card where everyone was wearing headphones, I'd turn around and walk away. I play disc golf on my own all the time, isn't the point of league night to be social? So who cares if you don't play as well as you "could"? No one will die. You won't lose your job. Why not go, play, enjoy some chit chat and let your game be what it is. Personally, I would far rather play with someone who is congenial and accepting of their limitations than some guy tuning the world out so they can dominate disc golf. I'll skip the card with that guy every day.

Interestingly, the rules quoted above indicate that completely tuning out competitors is a courtesy violation. So the rules suggest that a certain amount of social is expected in disc golf.

 

[ChrisWoj]

There seems to be a lot of support for wearing headphones to perform better here so I am sure I will get a bunch of flak for saying this but....

Why go to league night if you have to completely tune everyone out to enjoy it? Why not just play on your own? Or with friends who you don't become anxious to play with? I just don't understand wanting to be social but being completely antisocial in order to do so.

You don't have to understand them. They don't have to understand you. They can play leagues without needing to justify why or how they engage as long as they're following the agreed rules of the engagement.

I never play as well in league night for a variety of reasons but the point for me is not to win golf, but to have an enjoyable experience. If I was on a card where everyone was wearing headphones, I'd turn around and walk away.

Lucky for you, you'll rarely if ever in your life have to encounter that.

I play disc golf on my own all the time, isn't the point of league night to be social? So who cares if you don't play as well as you "could"? No one will die. You won't lose your job.

What the ****?

Why not go, play, enjoy some chit chat and let your game be what it is. Personally, I would far rather play with someone who is congenial and accepting of their limitations than some guy tuning the world out so they can dominate disc golf. I'll skip the card with that guy every day.

Okay. Do that. You have that freedom. Just like they do.