etdefender19
Eagle Member
One year ago today I bought starter sets for my two boys and myself and we headed to the little 9-hole course here in Elk Grove. We played 18 that day - I kept score the second nine and shot a 33. My PB on that nine is now 22! I have become hopelessly hooked to this sport.
In any event, here's my "One Year" ITB
Vitals:
Years playing/experience: One year
Right/left-handed/ambidextrous: Although I'm technically ambidextrous, I play DG exclusively right-handed – throwing things is one of the few things I don't do very well left-handed
Throwing Style: With very few exceptions (noted below), I throw BH 250' and closer, FH for shots longer than that.
Golf Distance (avg/max*) for putter/mid/driver: PnAs - PA3/Spike: 180/220'; Mids - FH:Tyrant 260/280', BH: Thief 240/270'; DDs – Kahu/Destroyer: 310/350'
* Max distance is the greatest distance you can throw your top 2-3 drivers with any regularity
Optional:
Age: 51
Sex: M
Other sport proficiencies?: Baseball (I play about 60 games a year in adult rec leagues, and pitch in about half of those). I used to play quite a bit of ball golf (I had a 14 index about ten years ago) but dislocating my left shoulder playing baseball and the subsequent surgeries and re-injuries have made my RH ball golf swing very painful (so I'm now learning to play left-handed). I was also a pretty good bowler way back in the day
Injuries/handicaps?: Injuries from baseball: my knees are complete junk (although I can predict the rain really well), both shoulders are messed up, including a rotator cuff tear on the outside of my throwing shoulder (when I pitch or play DG, it only REALLY hurts if my mechanics go way out of whack - otherwise, it's just a constant dull ache like my knees). I have tendonitis in my right elbow and a couple of bulging discs in my lower back – both of those flare up from time to time, but rarely affect my DG game. Other than that, I'm in perfect physical health, LOL
Additional Information: I wish I had found these forums sooner than I did (about seven months ago) – would have undoubtedly saved me from some bad disc purchases that I made early on
What do you like/dislike about your current bag?: I generally like my bag even though I carry a ton of discs. Part of the problem is that the discs I throw well FH, I can't do squat with BH (and vice versa). I also am constantly getting new/different discs and my bag never seems to have much stability. However, I did play a recent round at a course I'd never played and used all but two of my discs over the course of the round, so I was pretty happy with my bag/options at that point.
Specific areas of desired feedback: Not sure really. I've been thinking for quite some time that I'd do one of these when I hit one year playing just to see where I am, somewhat for self-evaluation as much as for feedback. That said, in everything athletic, I'm very open to constructive criticism/advice, so I will eagerly listen to any feedback
Immediate and long-term goals: 2017 goal is to play in a few PDGA tournaments (I've played in my local group's monthly a few times and stress about it as much as any baseball game I ever play – including national tournament games). Another immediate goal is to have a bag I'm not constantly switching discs in and out of. I'd also like to develop a more consistent BH distance game, and more form consistency in general
The Bag:
Max Distance Drivers (weight/plastic/model/(condition)/use):
168 Star Boss (fairly new) – I use this one for distance drives where I don't have a ton of room to throw a big "S" that the Kahu needs and don't want the big fade of the Destroyer. I just picked up a 171g version in G-Star plastic to try out for this spot.
170 Atomic Kahu (new) – Bomber max D driver. I love this disc and can get it out to 350' in the air on flat ground pretty regularly. Downside is that it needs a lot of room to work (flies best on a big "S") so it becomes pretty much useless for me unless the hole is really wide open.
159 Star 4x McBeth Star Destroyer (fairly new) – I use this one for when there's danger left or otherwise need it to finish to the right. Fades much more reliably than the above two discs. I also picked up a 160g G-Star version to try out for this spot.
167 Star Teerex (getting beat in but still stable) – I use this primarily for long cut rollers. Sometimes, I'll use it for drives where I need more than 300' and a big, sweeping finish to the left (it turns over for me every time FH).
I've tried a crapload of distance drivers but finally settled on the above four. Some of the rejects include: Colossus, D2 Air, Daedalus, Missilen, Raketen, Katana, Groove, Nuke, Cannon, Champ and Blizzard Wraiths, Champ and Blizzard Bosses, Champ Teerex
Control and Fairway Drivers:
175 Opto Riot (new): BH shots 275-300' or so that need to fade out left.
174 Z-Elite Crush (beat-in): FH shots 275-300' mostly. I'll also use it as my primary driver if the DDs aren't working as I get a pretty consistent flight with this one. Finally, this one works well as a thumber disc too.
173 Evolution Pro Assassin (getting beat in): The disc I throw the farthest BH. I grip lock it almost as often as I don't though, so I don't throw it that often – need more field time!
175 G-Star Firebird (perfectly seasoned): I use it for low-ceiling FH drives, some rollers, 250' big fade flick shots, thumbers, and it becomes my primary FH driver on windy days.
166 Z-Elite Predator (brand new): trying it out for all of the shots that are currently handled by the Firebird hoping that it works as well in a couple of those slots to save wear and tear on the Firebird.
170 Opto Vision (getting beat in): straight (or slight fade) BH shots between 250-275'.
173 BioFuzion Thief (newish – recently lost my perfectly seasoned one): all types of BH shots between 220-260'.
174 Lucid Witness (beat in): Only in the bag for when I need a 230-260' BH shot on an anny line. There's one hole on my home course that this disc is perfect for.
Mids:
174 ArmorFlex Tyrant (perfectly seasoned): Probably the one disc I can't live without. It's certainly the one I throw most consistently. I use it for almost every shot between 250-280', it reliably hooks up for me every time and is great for every imaginable FH line I throw.
171 GoldLine Trident (beat in but still stable): I call it my "trick shot" disc. I use it for rollers, thumbers, and the occasional tomahawk shot. If I'm in jail, the Trident breaks me out.
174 HydroM Andro-C (perfectly seasoned): Another one I can't live without. It's probably the only disc in the bag I can consistently throw well both FH and BH. I use it for just about any utility shot between 150' and 250' that isn't a straight line to the chains.
176 DyeMax Verdict (new): Limited use for this one: Flick shots between 200-250'. Sometimes, I'll use it for a shorter BH shot that really needs to fade left.
175 300S M4 (beat in): Straight BH upshots and drives between 150-225'
I've tried a wide variety of other mids, including all the "classics" (Mako3, Roc, Comet, Buzzz), but this current lineup is pretty set for now
Putt and Approach:
174 ZeroMedium Spike (new – replacing one that just got a big gouge in it): I use this for just about every possible upshot between 75-150'. It will turn right if I need it to, fade left if I need it to, and go straight if I need that (presuming I throw it correctly). I could even circle putt with it if I needed to for some reason. I love this mold – very versatile PnA disc.
175 Organic Scale (new- replacing one that got too beaten in): I use it for short upshots that need to fade and also as my windy day circle putter. I also use it for little, short rollers
175 ChalkPit Serpent (seasoned perfectly): Most upshots under 75'-100' or so that I'm not taking a run at making for whatever reason. My lay-up putter, basically
175 Organic $$$ Wizard (new): The latest putting putter. I've also tried a Judge, Aviar, Scale, Voodoo, PA-3, Iridium, and probably some others I can't recall off the top of the dome.
In any event, here's my "One Year" ITB
Vitals:
Years playing/experience: One year
Right/left-handed/ambidextrous: Although I'm technically ambidextrous, I play DG exclusively right-handed – throwing things is one of the few things I don't do very well left-handed
Throwing Style: With very few exceptions (noted below), I throw BH 250' and closer, FH for shots longer than that.
Golf Distance (avg/max*) for putter/mid/driver: PnAs - PA3/Spike: 180/220'; Mids - FH:Tyrant 260/280', BH: Thief 240/270'; DDs – Kahu/Destroyer: 310/350'
* Max distance is the greatest distance you can throw your top 2-3 drivers with any regularity
Optional:
Age: 51
Sex: M
Other sport proficiencies?: Baseball (I play about 60 games a year in adult rec leagues, and pitch in about half of those). I used to play quite a bit of ball golf (I had a 14 index about ten years ago) but dislocating my left shoulder playing baseball and the subsequent surgeries and re-injuries have made my RH ball golf swing very painful (so I'm now learning to play left-handed). I was also a pretty good bowler way back in the day
Injuries/handicaps?: Injuries from baseball: my knees are complete junk (although I can predict the rain really well), both shoulders are messed up, including a rotator cuff tear on the outside of my throwing shoulder (when I pitch or play DG, it only REALLY hurts if my mechanics go way out of whack - otherwise, it's just a constant dull ache like my knees). I have tendonitis in my right elbow and a couple of bulging discs in my lower back – both of those flare up from time to time, but rarely affect my DG game. Other than that, I'm in perfect physical health, LOL
Additional Information: I wish I had found these forums sooner than I did (about seven months ago) – would have undoubtedly saved me from some bad disc purchases that I made early on
What do you like/dislike about your current bag?: I generally like my bag even though I carry a ton of discs. Part of the problem is that the discs I throw well FH, I can't do squat with BH (and vice versa). I also am constantly getting new/different discs and my bag never seems to have much stability. However, I did play a recent round at a course I'd never played and used all but two of my discs over the course of the round, so I was pretty happy with my bag/options at that point.
Specific areas of desired feedback: Not sure really. I've been thinking for quite some time that I'd do one of these when I hit one year playing just to see where I am, somewhat for self-evaluation as much as for feedback. That said, in everything athletic, I'm very open to constructive criticism/advice, so I will eagerly listen to any feedback
Immediate and long-term goals: 2017 goal is to play in a few PDGA tournaments (I've played in my local group's monthly a few times and stress about it as much as any baseball game I ever play – including national tournament games). Another immediate goal is to have a bag I'm not constantly switching discs in and out of. I'd also like to develop a more consistent BH distance game, and more form consistency in general
The Bag:
Max Distance Drivers (weight/plastic/model/(condition)/use):
168 Star Boss (fairly new) – I use this one for distance drives where I don't have a ton of room to throw a big "S" that the Kahu needs and don't want the big fade of the Destroyer. I just picked up a 171g version in G-Star plastic to try out for this spot.
170 Atomic Kahu (new) – Bomber max D driver. I love this disc and can get it out to 350' in the air on flat ground pretty regularly. Downside is that it needs a lot of room to work (flies best on a big "S") so it becomes pretty much useless for me unless the hole is really wide open.
159 Star 4x McBeth Star Destroyer (fairly new) – I use this one for when there's danger left or otherwise need it to finish to the right. Fades much more reliably than the above two discs. I also picked up a 160g G-Star version to try out for this spot.
167 Star Teerex (getting beat in but still stable) – I use this primarily for long cut rollers. Sometimes, I'll use it for drives where I need more than 300' and a big, sweeping finish to the left (it turns over for me every time FH).
I've tried a crapload of distance drivers but finally settled on the above four. Some of the rejects include: Colossus, D2 Air, Daedalus, Missilen, Raketen, Katana, Groove, Nuke, Cannon, Champ and Blizzard Wraiths, Champ and Blizzard Bosses, Champ Teerex
Control and Fairway Drivers:
175 Opto Riot (new): BH shots 275-300' or so that need to fade out left.
174 Z-Elite Crush (beat-in): FH shots 275-300' mostly. I'll also use it as my primary driver if the DDs aren't working as I get a pretty consistent flight with this one. Finally, this one works well as a thumber disc too.
173 Evolution Pro Assassin (getting beat in): The disc I throw the farthest BH. I grip lock it almost as often as I don't though, so I don't throw it that often – need more field time!
175 G-Star Firebird (perfectly seasoned): I use it for low-ceiling FH drives, some rollers, 250' big fade flick shots, thumbers, and it becomes my primary FH driver on windy days.
166 Z-Elite Predator (brand new): trying it out for all of the shots that are currently handled by the Firebird hoping that it works as well in a couple of those slots to save wear and tear on the Firebird.
170 Opto Vision (getting beat in): straight (or slight fade) BH shots between 250-275'.
173 BioFuzion Thief (newish – recently lost my perfectly seasoned one): all types of BH shots between 220-260'.
174 Lucid Witness (beat in): Only in the bag for when I need a 230-260' BH shot on an anny line. There's one hole on my home course that this disc is perfect for.
Mids:
174 ArmorFlex Tyrant (perfectly seasoned): Probably the one disc I can't live without. It's certainly the one I throw most consistently. I use it for almost every shot between 250-280', it reliably hooks up for me every time and is great for every imaginable FH line I throw.
171 GoldLine Trident (beat in but still stable): I call it my "trick shot" disc. I use it for rollers, thumbers, and the occasional tomahawk shot. If I'm in jail, the Trident breaks me out.
174 HydroM Andro-C (perfectly seasoned): Another one I can't live without. It's probably the only disc in the bag I can consistently throw well both FH and BH. I use it for just about any utility shot between 150' and 250' that isn't a straight line to the chains.
176 DyeMax Verdict (new): Limited use for this one: Flick shots between 200-250'. Sometimes, I'll use it for a shorter BH shot that really needs to fade left.
175 300S M4 (beat in): Straight BH upshots and drives between 150-225'
I've tried a wide variety of other mids, including all the "classics" (Mako3, Roc, Comet, Buzzz), but this current lineup is pretty set for now
Putt and Approach:
174 ZeroMedium Spike (new – replacing one that just got a big gouge in it): I use this for just about every possible upshot between 75-150'. It will turn right if I need it to, fade left if I need it to, and go straight if I need that (presuming I throw it correctly). I could even circle putt with it if I needed to for some reason. I love this mold – very versatile PnA disc.
175 Organic Scale (new- replacing one that got too beaten in): I use it for short upshots that need to fade and also as my windy day circle putter. I also use it for little, short rollers
175 ChalkPit Serpent (seasoned perfectly): Most upshots under 75'-100' or so that I'm not taking a run at making for whatever reason. My lay-up putter, basically
175 Organic $$$ Wizard (new): The latest putting putter. I've also tried a Judge, Aviar, Scale, Voodoo, PA-3, Iridium, and probably some others I can't recall off the top of the dome.