no aces after 4 years of playing

[chain_ape7]

I have a friend who beats me pretty often in MA1 - he's been playing pretty steady for over 15 years - no aces. I have 2 in just over 18 months of playing. I would trade the 950-980 rated rounds he shoots for my aces in a heartbeat!!

 

[zugthug1705]

I play a short course a lot (only 4-5 holes over 200 ft). It's pretty easy to get aces if you play it a lot, but I get much more satisfaction out of going out to a course with all longer holes and getting a bunch of birdies.

Now a tournament ace, that would be a different story.....

 

[markmcc]

I got my first ace at about 15 months of play and I was jazzed. I was playing the course for the first time and got it on a short (157') hole with a blind basket. I enjoyed that ace for a few days and honestly haven't thought about it since.

I generally play more difficult courses where the odds of an ace are much lower, but I enjoy the challenge of those courses more. I'm sure that I'll get more aces in the coming years, but I don't really think about it.

It sounds like you are playing well, so trust that your first ace will come along when the time is right!

 

[pmorgan1214]

Like JeremyKShort said, It takes luck to put it in the basket. Honestly if your parking every hole and getting birdies that is what you want. I would rather shoot -15 down at a course than -5 on a course with an ace. dont get me wrong ACES are nice. I only have 3 true aces. I have plenty of hole in ones. I have about 9-10 hole in ones.

 

[sgamerp]

Someone told me once, "an ace is just a bad shot, because if it didnt hit the chains on a big skip, it most likely would have been deep and a long comeback putt"

And I agree with this. Most aces I have seen/had woulda been 30+ ft out because it woulda hit and skipped. Or just blown by all together.

People who say aces are bad shots are silly, Aces are mostly over thrown shots. But if it goes in on 1 throw, it's not a bad shot at all because the goal is to put the disc in the basket.

I mean the same thing could be said for someone who nails a 75 foot + shot.

Now saying Ace Runs are bad shots is something totally different.

 

[pmorgan1214]

People who say aces are bad shots are silly, Aces are mostly over thrown shots. But if it goes in on 1 throw, it's not a bad shot at all because the goal is to put the disc in the basket.

I mean the same thing could be said for someone who nails a 75 foot + shot.

Now saying Ace Runs are bad shots is something totally different.

I disagree an ace is a bad shot. Its great to get one but all in all if you go long on a lot of holes then you are in some serious trouble. not even pro's get aces all the time but it takes luck to get one. and some serious pain if you miss.

I have seen people almost ace by inches and end up taking a 3 or a 4 because of missing it and the putt that they had left them in bad shape. :\

 

[whitefedora]

Yeah, I'm personally quite proud of my score of 18 on 18 holes. Too bad they were all bad shots...

 

[sgamerp]

I disagree an ace is a bad shot. Its great to get one but all in all if you go long on a lot of holes then you are in some serious trouble. not even pro's get aces all the time but it takes luck to get one. and some serious pain if you miss.

I have seen people almost ace by inches and end up taking a 3 or a 4 because of missing it and the putt that they had left them in bad shape. :\

Right... but an Ace goes in the basket in one shot. A missed ace or race run can be called a bad shot.... but the second it lands in the basket in one shot, it becomes a shot.

 

[bradharris]

People who say aces are bad shots are silly, Aces are mostly over thrown shots. But if it goes in on 1 throw, it's not a bad shot at all because the goal is to put the disc in the basket.

I mean the same thing could be said for someone who nails a 75 foot + shot.

Now saying Ace Runs are bad shots is something totally different.

To me a low percentage shot is a bad shot, even if the result ends up okay. I won a playoff on a bad shot once. I released a bit late and my teebird flipped into the really thick rough. Fortunately, it managed to miss everything and fade back out into the clear. It was a bad shot with a good result.

A shot that's traveling high speed chain high is probably a bad line because if it doesn't catch the chains, it's going to cruise well past. But on those rare occasions, it can get lucky and catch. Again, a bad shot with a good result.

But you can also have good shots that finish in the chains. A disc that's fading out and finds metal is probably not going to end up outside the circle even if it misses everything.

 

[Questatement]

I have seen people almost ace by inches and end up taking a 3 or a 4 because of missing it and the putt that they had left them in bad shape. :\

How does a hyzer spike that missed chain by inches end up more than 10' from the basket?

Same question for a disc landing flat and already slowed to around 5 mph.

I get that most holes have varible risk reward ratios when attempting an ace but some (about 1/3 for me) have zero risk... why not go for those?

 

[sgamerp]

To me a low percentage shot is a bad shot, even if the result ends up okay. I won a playoff on a bad shot once. I released a bit late and my teebird flipped into the really thick rough. Fortunately, it managed to miss everything and fade back out into the clear. It was a bad shot with a good result.

A shot that's traveling high speed chain high is probably a bad line because if it doesn't catch the chains, it's going to cruise well past. But on those rare occasions, it can get lucky and catch. Again, a bad shot with a good result.

But you can also have good shots that finish in the chains. A disc that's fading out and finds metal is probably not going to end up outside the circle even if it misses everything.

yeah but that's the thing, the minute it lands in the basket it's 100% an ace, and 100% a good shot. It did what needs to be done in 1. Yes there is some luck, but if the rule is to get the disc in the basket in as little possible shots as you can and you get it there in 1, no matter how it got in it's a good shot.

Once again, the minute it doesn't go in the basket is when the debate on weather it's a good or bad shot can come in.

 

[pmorgan1214]

Yeah, I'm personally quite proud of my score of 18 on 18 holes. Too bad they were all bad shots...

i take it your stating that if you aced every hole on the course then you would have to play the lottery. I will stick with my assessment and state that acing a hole is a bad/lucky shot. anytime you ace a hole is because you overthrew the hole. if you overthrow the hole and leave yourself with a 30-40 foot putt yu go from a duece oppourtunity to a par if not bogey depending on your putt.

 

[sgamerp]

i take it your stating that if you aced every hole on the course then you would have to play the lottery. I will stick with my assessment and state that acing a hole is a bad/lucky shot. anytime you ace a hole is because you overthrew the hole. if you overthrow the hole and leave yourself with a 30-40 foot putt yu go from a duece oppourtunity to a par if not bogey depending on your putt.

But you can't assume that because i went for an Ace, that by not going for it and laying up you are having a good shot. I have had plenty of shots where I didn't go for the ace and I went safe and still skilled or slide extra distance.

 

[pmorgan1214]

yeah but that's the thing, the minute it lands in the basket it's 100% an ace, and 100% a good shot. It did what needs to be done in 1. Yes there is some luck, but if the rule is to get the disc in the basket in as little possible shots as you can and you get it there in 1, no matter how it got in it's a good shot.

Once again, the minute it doesn't go in the basket is when the debate on weather it's a good or bad shot can come in.

just because it goes in the basket still does not make it a good shot. unless you call it and state that you are running the shot. If your on the pad and go im going to ace this and you do then that is a good shot.

In my mind i state if i ace a hole then i got lucky that i hit the one line that was perfect. That does not happen unless i have a bad shot. I had a pro in a tournament that aced a hole and he said that was a bad shot because he was trying to park it. It was not what he was intending to do.

 

[pmorgan1214]

But you can't assume that because i went for an Ace, that by not going for it and laying up you are having a good shot. I have had plenty of shots where I didn't go for the ace and I went safe and still skilled or slide extra distance.

you are someone correct. still a bad shot with good outcome. also there is a hidden factor here. You could be having a bad round get a nice skip and then get the ace. your bad round changed to a good round because your mindset changed from negative to a positive mindset.

but per what were talking about, i still say it is a bad shot unless you were meaning to do it. It becomes luck and skill but if you skip 50 feet passed and get a 3 or a 4 then you will say i should have just layed up or darn that was close.

 

[whitefedora]

To me a low percentage shot is a bad shot, even if the result ends up okay. I won a playoff on a bad shot once. I released a bit late and my teebird flipped into the really thick rough. Fortunately, it managed to miss everything and fade back out into the clear. It was a bad shot with a good result.

I get what you are trying to say here. And with this point I mostly agree. You had a bad shot that ended well. Though here you were not planning on doing this, so to call it a bad shot is understandable. However, it is undeniable that the results were a "good shot"

A shot that's traveling high speed chain high is probably a bad line because if it doesn't catch the chains, it's going to cruise well past. But on those rare occasions, it can get lucky and catch. Again, a bad shot with a good result.

This point I disagree with. If you are some crazy skilled player that practices nothing but 100 foot lasers with a star boss and make the shot 10/10 times, that isn't a bad shot for that person. It does seem crazy, but when someone pulls off what they are trying to do, it's definitely not a bad shot

But you can also have good shots that finish in the chains. A disc that's fading out and finds metal is probably not going to end up outside the circle even if it misses everything.

Now for 99% of players that decide on that same 100 foot hole to laser a boss they are going to attempt something stupid and will probably miss. They are both attempting a bad shot and will probably end up with one as well. However, if they make it, then they did what they intended and pulled off a good shot.

I'd say that this argument is based on a when to call it a bad shot difference. Prior to the shot, it could be bad. No matter what though after it is an ace, it is a good shot.

 

[bradharris]

yeah but that's the thing, the minute it lands in the basket it's 100% an ace, and 100% a good shot. It did what needs to be done in 1. Yes there is some luck, but if the rule is to get the disc in the basket in as little possible shots as you can and you get it there in 1, no matter how it got in it's a good shot.

Once again, the minute it doesn't go in the basket is when the debate on weather it's a good or bad shot can come in.

The goal is to score as low as possible. It's not reasonable to step up to a tee expecting to score a 1. You're playing for birdies. So a good shot is one that can set you up for a birdie opportunity. Sometimes, those good shots can find chains for an ace. That was the case with two of my aces.

Sometimes, you take a bad shot where the only chance you score below par is the rare occasions that it catches chains on the way past. These are bad shots with good results.

And other times you just get lucky. For my first ace, I flipped my tee shot over and watched it sail towards the rough. It clipped a tree with shot it right down into the basket. That was not a good shot, but I was happy with how it turned out.

Saying "aces are bad shots" is incorrect, but so is saying "aces are good shots."

 

[bradharris]

Basketball is a good analogy. Offense in basketball is all about finding a good shot. A lot of good shots miss. Sometimes bad shots go in. Generally, a good shot is one that is uncontested, from a reasonable spot on the floor, with rebounders ready under the basket.

Sometimes a guy will heave up a bad shot and it goes in. That doesn't mean it was a good shot, and he may still get a bit of coaching when he returns to the bench.

The situation can also change what makes a shot good or bad. Normally, throwing up a contested 3 is a bad shot. But if you're the best shooter on the team, the buzzer is about to sound, and you're down 3, it's no longer a bad shot.

Likewise, put a 7 foot center all alone at the top of the key. If he fires up a shot, it's probably a bad shot (except for the rare 7 footer that actually has decent range). But put a shooting guard in the same position and it's a great shot, whether it goes in or not.

 

[sgamerp]

All Aces are good shots, because if it's a bad shot with good results it's still a good shot. I mean a bad shot with good results is better then a good shot with bad results.

I mean every ace that has ever happened is the best shot that hole has ever seen.

 

[chrishysell]

many people suffer from ace envy. Be patient and they will come.

Consider this. I have always had a good reputation as a good putter and don't care if my disc misses the basket and skips past. I have been playing for 21 years and I have 153 aces. Easily 40 of them in tournaments. The majority of my aces have been skip aces. My current rating is 981, i'm nearing my 100th PDGA win, i'm almost 51 years old and my favorite color is purple. Be agressive and confident on every reachable shot. Don't be afraid and never believe that an ace is a bad shot.