Playing divisions above your rating

[Audible Vibration]

I'm looking for opinions and experiences from everyone about playing tournaments above your PDGA rating. A little background information...

I've played 2 PDGA events, and have a rating of 823, which is considered novice according to the PDGA. I just signed up for a tourney in the rec division (never see a "novice" division in our area). I've now had 3 people tell me I'm better than that, and should play intermediate. I disagree for a few reasons: PDGA ratings and recommended divisions, the fact that I'm lucky to reach 300', and when I compare my first two tourneys to the intermediate division, I would have come in last, and 27th out of 30. I have noticed that everyone around here plays above their ratings, with advanced tourney winners rated around 900, and people going pro once they hit 920, so I'm guessing that's why everyone thinks I should move up. But the idea that I should just because everyone else does doesn't make any sense.

I personally don't see a reason to pay $10 more to have less of a chance of placing. My long term goal is to raise my rating, but it just feels like a waste of money if I know there is t a chance of getting anything more than the experience. I agree playing with better people will make me better, but I can do that any time for free, and don't feel like a tournament is the best time/place to try to get better. To me it's about testing your current skills.

It's not that big of a deal, but having 3 people mention this has me questioning my decision. Is this something that happens all over, or no? What are you opinions on my situation and is there anything I'm not considering?

 

[BuiltTooLong]

I always suggest to play a division until you A) Win that division or B) Able to place in top 5 in that division without playing your best golf.

A male player with a rating of 823 should feel absolutely ZERO pressure to play intermediate until they creep over the 870ish mark. Even at that point, they still are a ways away from being forced to move to intermediate.

 

[DavidSauls]

Play where you want.

The degree to which people play above their rating varies from place to place. But don't let them coerce you into doing so, just because they did.

At some point, playing above your rating might be what you want, too. For a variety of reasons. If that day comes, don't badger the people below you about moving up, and certainly don't badger the people who are rightfully in the division you're playing, saying they're sandbaggers and should move out.

 

[riltim]

Don't listen to them and play your rating, or at least around it. Playing up is for people who think they're better than they really are.

 

[TimSyl]

There have been numerous threads on this subject. If your rating is 823, I wouldn't play any higher than rec.

 

[Jimb]

I played my first tournament in Rec. I ended up winning the division and got called a bagger. However, I don't really care.

It was my first PDGA tournament. And I had compared my scores on courses I had played vs. tornament scores on the same courses. By those standards, I felt that Rec. was the right division for me.

So do what you are comfortable with and don't be pressured into moving up prematurely. Fortunately I didn't have anyone pressuring me before the tourney to worry about. If I had, maybe I wouldn't have that one win, that I will never forget, nder my belt.

 

[Audible Vibration]

Thanks for the responses so far. Does the division you're playing in affect your rating? If I shot 2 under, would my rating be the same regardless of which division I was in? I'm not sure what all goes into ratings calculations.

 

[brutalbrutus]

Only if the division you are in is playing a different layout than rec. For instance, if the women's, Jrs and Rec division were playing a shorter tee on a couple holes.



Play whatever division you feel comfortable in. I still play rec sometimes depending on the course/weather/field size...or just how fat i'm feeling on a given weekend, lol...

 

[SaROCaM]

I would say you're fine playing in Rec, or whatever division you want as long as you fit in the guidelines, especially if you have only played in a couple of events.

Playing with more skilled players in a competitive setting is different from playing with more skilled players during a casual round. Every shot "counts" in a tournament round, compared to a casual round where people may be trying out different lines, discs, etc. You can get free advice all you want, but the best advice comes from seeing what players actually do when something is on the line.

 

[ToddL]

I'm looking for opinions and experiences from everyone about playing tournaments above your PDGA rating.

...

Is this something that happens all over, or no? What are you opinions on my situation and is there anything I'm not considering?

This is a common problem, especially in "undeveloped" disc golf territory. I think it all comes back to the Pro field. The PDGA says the pro field should be made of players 970 and above. If you live in North Dakota, you have three (3!) players in the state who should be considered pros. In your local tournaments, you might have three or four players above 970, so a lot of the mid-level MA1 players (940) move up to MPO to try to win some cash. That leaves a void in the MA1 field, so the mid-level MA2 players (900) move up to MA1. Then the MA3 players move up to MA2.

IMO, it's not your fault that there aren't enough professional players in ND. If the 940 guys want to play MPO, that's their prerogative. If the 880 guys want to play MA1, that's their choice. You can move up or stay where you are; either way should be fine.

 

[Stardoggy]

Stay in Rec. Crush the competition. Build up that pdga page.

 

[scarpfish]

The lower the division you play in, the more erratic your competition will be from event to event, as people in those bottom divisions tend not to become regulars there. They either move up, or the event they attend is the one of the few they go to.

This is why I say wins in rec and novice usually don't mean crap in determining when to move up. Seeing how you would have done in the above division is a better barometer.

 

[TimSyl]

The lower the division you play in, the more erratic your competition will be from event to event, as people in those bottom divisions tend not to become regulars there. They either move up, or the event they attend is the one of the few they go to.

This is why I say wins in rec and novice usually don't mean crap in determining when to move up. Seeing how you would have done in the above division is a better barometer.

Agreed, IF you play the same tees. Obviously, if you play AM 3 shoot 54 or whatever from the shorts while the winner of AM 2 shoots 51 to win from the longs, you're still a ways away from hanging in AM 2.

 

[Audible Vibration]

This is a common problem, especially in "undeveloped" disc golf territory. I think it all comes back to the Pro field. The PDGA says the pro field should be made of players 970 and above. If you live in North Dakota, you have three (3!) players in the state who should be considered pros. In your local tournaments, you might have three or four players above 970, so a lot of the mid-level MA1 players (940) move up to MPO to try to win some cash. That leaves a void in the MA1 field, so the mid-level MA2 players (900) move up to MA1. Then the MA3 players move up to MA2.

IMO, it's not your fault that there aren't enough professional players in ND. If the 940 guys want to play MPO, that's their prerogative. If the 880 guys want to play MA1, that's their choice. You can move up or stay where you are; either way should be fine.

Wow, thanks for pulling those numbers and giving a great explanation. I am in ND, and I think what you said is exactly right. The majority of 880+ rated players around here will typically play advanced, and usually place pretty well. I think I'm going to stay in Rec, and will re-evaluate once my rating passes 850. Since most of the tournaments I'll ever play are in ND, I probably shouldn't live and die by the PDGA recommendations.

As a side note, it seems crazy to me that you're considered "rec" rated until your rating is at 900. But I would guess there's a separate thread on this subject.

 

[dreadlock86]

if you play in the lowest division for which you qualify, you'll probably be more relaxed and play better. i know that i sometimes end up watching a bunch of guys with 50-75 ratings points on me tee off first and then i'm tempted to try the same line. it's usually a disaster and i should know better but sometimes you start to think you can pull it off, especially if they all hit the line easily.

some people make the opposite argument and i can see their point too. playing in rec sometimes means playing with a card full of people who don't really know the rules, don't know courtesy, and care more about getting $hithoused than golfing. that can be frustrating and distracting.

it's pretty reasonable and prudent to play your rating until you have enough tournament experience to decide that you might be better off moving up. someone has to win rec, why not you?

 

[John M. Fretz]

I played my first tournament in Rec. I ended up winning the division and got called a bagger.

This happened to me too, and I can barely throw 300ft.

:thmbdown:

 

[Stardoggy]

Wow, thanks for pulling those numbers and giving a great explanation. I am in ND, and I think what you said is exactly right. The majority of 880+ rated players around here will typically play advanced, and usually place pretty well. I think I'm going to stay in Rec, and will re-evaluate once my rating passes 850. Since most of the tournaments I'll ever play are in ND, I probably shouldn't live and die by the PDGA recommendations.

As a side note, it seems crazy to me that you're considered "rec" rated until your rating is at 900. But I would guess there's a separate thread on this subject.

It's very regional. 880 guys would get absolutely crushed in Advanced around here. Hell, they'd mostly get crushed in Intermediate.

 

[takman]

Remember, if you play above your rating and don't like it, you're not stuck there.

 

[biscoe]

It's very regional. 880 guys would get absolutely crushed in Advanced around here. Hell, they'd mostly get crushed in Intermediate.

Yep. that is the case in the Mid-Atlantic as well, although we did have an 895 rated player take 1st out of 43 advanced players at our local B tier last weekend with a 1000 rated second round. That is definitely an anomaly though.

 

[roggenb3]

It's very regional. 880 guys would get absolutely crushed in Advanced around here. Hell, they'd mostly get crushed in Intermediate.

Yeah, people here tend to only move up when they are forced to. Not unusual to see 895 players in Rec in A or B tiers, and 970+ players in Adv.