Is putting too easy? too hard? Just right?

[Flip Hyzerman]

I'm sure he'd like to see less competition at NTs and A-tiers as well; hope they can set that up for him.

With Paul McBeth mentioning he would like to see narrower baskets put into play what do you think personally. Is putting too easy, too hard or just right for you?

 

[JC17393]

This. Just because the best out there make it seem too easy doesn't mean it should be made harder for everyone. Making the standard basket smaller would be like the NBA making free throws longer because they are too easy for Ray Allen.

I'd support small baskets at NT events....because I wouldn't have to use them.

I think the analogy we're looking for as far as shrinking the target at our top events compared to keeping our targets the same for normal play is pin locations in ball golf. Pin locations for PGA tour events are very often set (and rotated during the event) in the most difficult positions available on the putting surface. We're talking placements that they don't cut when the course is open to the public the other 50 weeks out of the year.

Not only that, but they cut and water the greens differently for events compared to normal play. PGA greens are typically set up to be far faster than you find them outside of tournament play.

What that adds up to is that tour pros are putting on greens and at hole locations that are much more difficult than the typical. I can definitely see where narrowing and/or shortening target areas for the highest level pro events could create a similar difference on our courses.

 

[Pbmercil]

This is ridiculous. a short time ago people were complaining that their putts were not going in enough and we needed drastically redesigned baskets to alleviate the problem. Now it is that too many putts go in so we should make it harder. Here is what it really comes down to...

I for one never put much stock in that. Personally I think the mach 3's and discatchers hit that sweet spot perfectly of enough catching ability while still needing to hit a specific point on the target. Compare that to say, the new prodigy basket where they pretty much grab anything that hits any part of the chains, and there is less of an emphasis on hitting a point in the basket and no need for speed control at all. I'm personally not a fan.

 

[BrotherDave]

I think basket height is a variable that needs to be changed more than narrowing target area. I'm not saying a raised pin every other hole but break up the uniformity, especially on flat courses.

 

[youdidwell]

Remove the chains all together and make it just a basket/barrell if you want to make it like Ball Golf.

 

[SonicGuy]

Two completely different things. Illegitimate misses are the problem you're talking about, and that always needs to be decreased if possible.

No such thing as an illegitimate miss, you just putted too hard. Chain outs and pole outs don't happen with correct speed control.

 

[sidewinder22]

I think Veek really is from the year 9595 and we will playing speed Ring Toss after Anti-Basket Legislation passes. Enjoy those silly baskets and discs while you still can. Muhawhaw!

 

[thrembo]

I say that we get rid of the baskets alltogether, and go back to throwing at trees.

 

[BrotherDave]

The last thing dg needs to do is emulate the difficulty of a sport that is losing members in droves and is seriously talking about making their holes bigger.

 

[araytx]

I voted "just right"... but that's because of current technology.

IF...we could get
1) a basket that will keep all good putts in and not spit them out, and
2) a basket that would not let bad putts luckily stay in or fall in, ...then
I would vote "too easy."

With the amount of luck still involved in current baskets I don't see making them smaller. I would if they technology would keep all good putts in.

 

[Moose33]

I don't think many changes need to be made, but I would not be against making the basket narrower and cage a bit smaller as long as the chains all catch as well as some of the newer premium baskets like the one from Prodigy or the Titan. Both of those are very good catchers and if all caught that well if have no problem with a more narrow target.

It would reward on target putts more and punish slight errors as well.

 

[Pbmercil]

The last thing dg needs to do is emulate the difficulty of a sport that is losing members in droves and is seriously talking about making their holes bigger.

I know the idea that ball golf is losing its players due to its difficulty is a popular thing to throw around, but I think it ignores a much bigger issue with that sport, money. Golf is expensive to play and golf courses are expensive to maintain. The average household in the US has less discretionary spending money then they did 10 years ago, which means expensive sports like golf have a smaller market. Talking about golf's decline without talking about the economics involved is missing the point entirely IMHO.

 

[tomte]

I think basket sizes are good. Now personally I would like to stop the obession with making baskets that catch better and better. If we are going to continue down that road I would like to see smaller baskets.

True. Sounds stupid to build baskets that are supposed to catch everything and then complain about that they catch everything

Making the standard basket smaller would be like the NBA making free throws longer because they are too easy for Ray Allen.

You know that Jodie Meeks has the highest FT% this season? And Steve Nash the highest career FT%... opcorn:

I think the analogy we're looking for as far as shrinking the target at our top events compared to keeping our targets the same for normal play is pin locations in ball golf. Pin locations for PGA tour events are very often set (and rotated during the event) in the most difficult positions available on the putting surface. We're talking placements that they don't cut when the course is open to the public the other 50 weeks out of the year.

So if ball golfers are able to move the pin, why can't we? Move it in the corner next to OB, or right behind a tree so you don't have 360° access to the basket. Raise or lower the basket. Ever tried to put into a basket that is not standing straight up? Move them from round to round so the players have to use different upshots. I think there are enough possibilities to make it more difficult without making it frustrating for amateurs and replacing thousands of baskets. Could be good for the economy though and maybe bring out some new manufacturers

Anyway - are there any stats on made putts inside the circle? Would be nice to know if the pros make 95% or 55% so we actually can discuss the severity of the problem.

 

[BrotherDave]

I know the idea that ball golf is losing its players due to its difficulty is a popular thing to throw around, but I think it ignores a much bigger issue with that sport, money. Golf is expensive to play and golf courses are expensive to maintain. The average household in the US has less discretionary spending money then they did 10 years ago, which means expensive sports like golf have a smaller market. Talking about golf's decline without talking about the economics involved is missing the point entirely IMHO.

My local course costs a little more than 20-30 for 18 holes with a cart and you can get golf clubs thrown at you if you don't need the latest and greatest. Golf ain't as expensive as it used to be. I probably spend more on dg than golf thanks to gas and trying new discs every other month.

 

[Declarkus]

Talking about golf's decline without talking about the economics involved is missing the point entirely IMHO.

The Tee It Forward campaign is addressing both difficulty and money. A quicker pace of play allows for more rounds per day. Executive courses are becoming popular for those that don't want to spend 5+ hours on the golf course. There was a Real Sports segment talking about how increasing the hole size would cut an hour off a round. I think it's silly and Stimpmeter rating has a bigger impact in ball golf, but the pace of play does translate into $$.

Also, nobody has mentioned wind. Ball golf putting doesn't really have to factor in wind, but DG putts get tricky when the wind is kicking.

 

[JC17393]

The last thing dg needs to do is emulate the difficulty of a sport that is losing members in droves and is seriously talking about making their holes bigger.

They're talking about making their holes bigger for recreational play only. They're not enlarging the holes that the PGA Tour guys are putting into.

I think the discussion here is centered on doing the reverse of that...shrinking the target size for the tour players, not your everyday recreational players. The idea is to make the game more difficult for the best players while keeping it right where it is now for the rest of us.

 

[joecoin]

I say remove the target altogether. Get your disc inside the circle and you have holed out. A 30 feet diameter target. I might even get my first ace!

 

[B3NDER]

I'll bet I ADD almost 18 strokes a round just from putting, on a regular 18 basket course. :doh:

Too hard...for me. That being said, leave the basket size alone.

 

[sumo21]

Here's what it amounts to: if you're not willing to work at it, then you'll accomplish nothing. Every excuse that I could think of, made me push that much harder, that much longer. My next step, in a few years would be just like the McBeast said on that video.

 

[roggenb3]

You know that Jodie Meeks has the highest FT% this season? And Steve Nash the highest career FT%... opcorn:

Who? I am not at all a basketball fan, and I am 25 and live in WI, so the only relevant basketball I ever watched involved Ray Allen and Sam Cassell. :|

Glad to see that keeping the baskets the same size is dominating the poll results though.