I don't know who else to tell

[HyzerUniBomber]

Typically, this kind of thing goes in the General threads about DG, but I feel like the Tech & Form people are my crew and you guys know me better than anybody.

I played a Team Match play event on Saturday, here in Colorado. I've played it in years past, during various stages of my form build / rebuild / re-re-rebuild life and typically been matched against guys in my world. Intermediate -> Advanced, and I'd do okay.

I signed up this year and in the signup, basically said "I'd probably be a terrible MPO player" or something along those lines - to let the team lead pair me with somebody appropriate. I don't play PDGA tournaments, so I have no rating.

I checked FB prior to the event and see that they've paired me with the Rob Nichols (http://www.pdga.com/player/34319) currently a 1008 rated player, Nick Hanson (Prodigy Tournament Team) 982 and my buddy Ryan (who I play with all the time).

Apparently I was to be the sacrifice bunt to get let our better players have a shot against easier matches. Ohhhh joy, I realize I'm in for at least 2 real torture fests.

Round 1 starts off with me against Rob and for those that have played Birdsnest in Golden, CO we're starting on hole 1. I manage to lace it in the medium pin position for a drop in 2 and he misses his putt. I take another stroke on the 2nd hole and put him into the position where he has to start making bolder moves to make up strokes... which he eventually does, but we go into the final hole tied and both make long putts to tie. I was completely shocked that I'd been able to hang with him and not fall apart.

Next up, Nick Hanson - who my buddy Ryan mentions to me, "This guys is GOOD." And true to form, his grenade and big power hyzers make short work of the high tree guarded baskets. But somehow I manage to stay close and end up tied with him by taking advantage of any opportunities I can, and we both make long putts to finish the round.

Short story: we run to lunch and I feel utterly smoked. I want a nap. I play Ryan, who plays better than I've ever seen him play - making every single putt from inside 50' and he takes me out. I'm proud of him. I go directly home, lay down on the couch and fall asleep immediately.

And honestly, I'm proud of my game. I hung with two strong players that should have smoked me on paper. And the entire reason why I could do that was the work I've put into getting my form right and the help I've gotten from the people here. I was able to rely on my form to get the needed power without being young and strong (which I'm not and they are).

I'd have loved to have made 3 easy putts that got away from me and be telling you that I won, but that's not the game I played and not the skill I have yet.

Thanks guys. Hopefully this'll give some hope that if you're mid-form-change and wondering if it will ever come around... it will. It is not a magic moment, it's just putting in the work and having patience.

And the best feeling ever, was over hearing Rob Nichols saying to Nick Hanson during our round, "He just keeps birdying!"

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

Well sir, I thank you for sharing. This is an inspiration to actually start working on my form harder. It's gonna take a while to get it to where I'd like to be, but if you can do it, then damn it I sure can try.!

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

You know what, now you got me thinking. I have tried to strip down my form before, posted some low quality vids, and attempted to follow the advice here, but I feel like I ended up further away from my goal. So I ask you, as someone who has succeeded in breaking bad habits and forming good ones, where does one start?

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

You know what, now you got me thinking. I have tried to strip down my form before, posted some low quality vids, and attempted to follow the advice here, but I feel like I ended up further away from my goal. So I ask you, as someone who has succeeded in breaking bad habits and forming good ones, where does one start?

The best thing you can do, hands down - is to treat yourself like a science project. Measure, record, repeat.

Video with a camera from the side and behind and then walk through frame by frame and see what the difference is between you and somebody like David Wiggins. Where does it change?

Drills: I do them constantly because they're my warm ups most of the time.

I think the 1 leg drill is the best self-correcting drill that you can do. Stand on plant leg only and throw. It will force you get your weight stacked over your foot and knee and still remain balanced. Adding to that is much easier when you realize that whatever x-step or 1-step you are adding has to get you back into that position.

When you start to seriously go through that process - you are becoming a student of the game. Take it as serious as you'd take it, if you were a classical musician. Utilize coaches and take lessons. Analyze your throw, take notes in a notebook, break it down to 1 motion, work on this daily and of course, listen to your body so you don't injure yourself.

 

[DiscJunkie]

As someone who has benefited from your vids and articles, I rejoice with you.

Being able to take what you have learned to competition is indeed very gratifying.
I have just recently been able to see my hard work pay some dividends at the course, so I know a little about how that feels.

I need to work on the one-leg drill, but your power-pocket drill transformed my understanding of the throw.
Thanks again and good show!!

 

[slowplastic]

How did you manage to not shank some drives or have more than a few regrettable putts in 3 rounds in the same day? That's what impresses me most...with tons of form work there will be a lot of earned consistency, but without being a tourney player to avoid blow up holes is pretty crazy. Trying to keep up with guys like that I imagine means even if you shank your drive you still need to make par. I don't do tourneys and I can score decent in casual rounds or hit a few lines I'm really happy with, but I know I'd have to add some numbers if I was stressed.

 

[NathanNoodleArm]

Good for you HUB!

Thanks to your work here and elsewhere I started to take my game more seriously a few years ago. I played in my first tournament in over a year this past weekend. I was going into the weekend thinking of it as a test to see if my hard work had payed off. The first day it rained steadily all day, totaling two inches of rain with strong winds and fifty degree temperatures. Needless to say I didn't shoot very well but not many people did that day.

Sunday was beautiful and I wound up shooting the hot round in the morning. It was unofficially rated at 944. I was on a card with guys in their twenties and thirties. As a forty eight year old to be shooting ten strokes better than my card mates and out driving them all felt pretty good. My second round wasn't as good and I still have work to do for sure...

Just wanted to say thanks to HUB and all the other folks on here that try to help us out.

 

[ru4por]

Good job, HUB. Welcome to the competition and tournament addiction. This is why many of us play tournaments, the thrill of competing, well.....mostly against ourselves.

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

I have my first single tourney of the year in September. I played it last year but didn't take it too seriously because it was my first and I just wanted to see what it was like. I gotta say my competitive itch got sparked by it.

You sir have helped me decide I want too 5 in ams this year. I'll soon be posting a couple vids as soon as I find the video camera.

Thanks for the inspiration!!!

 

[Shamis]

Great to hear, after having read your blog and watched most of your videos, I'm not surprised at all you can hang with a 1000 rated player.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

How did you manage to not shank some drives or have more than a few regrettable putts in 3 rounds in the same day? That's what impresses me most...with tons of form work there will be a lot of earned consistency, but without being a tourney player to avoid blow up holes is pretty crazy. Trying to keep up with guys like that I imagine means even if you shank your drive you still need to make par. I don't do tourneys and I can score decent in casual rounds or hit a few lines I'm really happy with, but I know I'd have to add some numbers if I was stressed.

I still had my moments, but I really tried to stick with the big dumb hyzer and only turned a disc a few times. I've given up on the aesthetic lines in situations like this: McBeth can pipe a mako3 through a window 250' out.

I will throw over the window if at all possible. Big dumb hyzers saved me quite a few strokes.