Question about teeing order

[Binky Yutz]

Our group generally flips discs to see who tees first on the 1st tee. Odd disc goes first.

Every other hole is thrown using the "honor" system, however, if the first thrower is not ready
to throw (phone call, restroom break, whatever), whoever IS ready usually steps up to throw, in an effort to save time.
(This is for casual rounds only).

As mentioned by others, the advantage or disadvantage to throwing first is minuscule.

I actually prefer throwing first, but in yesterday's round, I did not have "honors" until hole
14, so naturally, I parked it 6 feet from the basket, for an easy deuce. Had "honors" the rest of the round.

I did not win the round, but I am of the mindset - "It is ME versus the course, not ME versus my card mates."

 

[josephreese]

With the group of people I play with usually, we treat going first as a small prize. We even tend to use language that implies ownership. "It's your box," for example. That bit of fun usually trumps any perceived advantage or disadvantage related to teeing order.

 

[Major Tomahawk]

I call people that steal the box "tee-baggers"!

 

[DanJon]

I run a Match Play tournament where the winner of the last hole gets to choose who goes first.

Adds a nice little mental game aspect.

 

[gdub58]

I prefer to tee in the middle ex. 2 of 3, 3 of 4, or 4 of 5. I plan on seeing if some of the people in the league will try out my theory if letting the winner choose when to tee to see how that option would play out and gather data on whether there was any corolations between when a person teed off and how difficult the hole is.

My God, no - it's already difficult enough sometimes on cards of 4 or 5 to keep track of who should be going in which order. I think with that arrangement I would decline my option of keeping score so I wouldn't have to go through "OK Paul, you still have honors, in which position would you like to throw this hole? 4th? OK, then the order is, let's see......."

Having the box is awesome. I like to play fast, and it's great to be able to dictate the pace of play by being on the tee before anyone else, visualizing my throw, standing there while the scores are being recorded knowing I have earned the right to throw before anyone else.

Sure, it can sometimes be nice to have someone else throw before you if there's wind to contend with or if you are playing an unfamiliar course, but overall I'd still rather be first on that tee, especially in a tournament setting.

 

[JeremyKShort]

Advantage: A well placed shot puts pressure on everyone else after you.
Disadvantage: Everyone else gets to see what the wind does to your disc.

 

[curmudgeonDwindle]

In general, I feel disc golfers can benefit a tremendous amount from studying the rules and history of golf; if nothing else that can help you become a better 'student of the game'. Understanding the psychology of dominance hierarchies, both intellectually and well as intuitively can also be a great help.

Golf is predicated on the concept of honor, which may seem 'out-dated' but actually makes sense when considering the backgrounds and historical context of those who invented it. Golf, when played as a contest vs. others, is also essentially a dominance contest, but one where direct physical confrontation is avoided. 'Honor' is a large part of the 'meta-game' of golf, by presenting additional behavioral constrictions in order to be considered a 'winner'. The old saw 'its not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game' applies. It attempts to reinforce the behavioral standards of 'civilization' (western civilization, I might add).

Being First in anything is actually an honor - especially when it is earned. It also makes you the 'leader', and what do leaders do? (Have you ever considered how craven we think a leader who commands his subordinates to do something he hasn't done or is unwilling to do himself?) A 'good' leader will demonstrate by example. You are correct that sometimes it is an ad to read another's shot, but this rule actually makes things more fair and perhaps more evenly contested, by applying 'pressure' on the leader to anticipate and adjust to new (and perhaps unforeseen) circumstances. It should be lonely at the top.

On a practical level, when I play, I know that I must beat my group to advance or contend. Therefore, if I can maintain 'honor' I can advance and contend. I believe it is a psychological advantage to 'start small'. There's also something to be said for the concept of 'momentum' and maintaining it in golf.

 

[Treeplant]

Teeing off first is a disadvantage. For me, wind is the primary consideration. For courses you've never played before, watching someone else's throw really helps you judge distance. You also sometimes get to hear comments like "Oh yeah, it's OB over there" that you may not have been aware of before.

As a general rule of thumb, I think the newer the course is to you, the more of an advantage teeing off last is.

 

[PEPSIFLAME]

My group tries to let whoever won last hole tee first, but we are pretty chill and usually forget, while caught up in talking, listening to music, and recapping what we did wrong/right last hole.

 

[chainedwraith]

While I do believe there is validity to teeing off last and having seen what the other players have done, this can both create unnecessary pressure (when their shots all go well) or take away pressure (if the card leaders faulter off the tee), so its basically a double edged sword.

To me it plays into the mental side of the game and the confidence more than anything else. If I'm teeing first, it means I'm likely playing decent and I try to ride that mental state as long as I can. Being on the bottom of the card can be demoralizing after several holes in a row especially if you are fighting for payout or lead spot and things just aren't going well.

 

[ranger]

What if the first three guys hit a tree? What are the chances that the fourth will do the same? Almost zero.

Math

 

[ru4por]

What if the first three guys hit a tree? What are the chances that the fourth will do the same? Almost zero.

Math

Well, math actually has nothing to do with it. The odds of hitting a tree have zero to do with any other player on the course. But, of course you may have been being facetious.

 

[ranger]

Well, math actually has nothing to do with it. The odds of hitting a tree have zero to do with any other player on the course. But, of course you may have been being facetious.

There's a limited amount of good throws available. If you see three missed putts, you're guaranteed to hit chains. It's all just statistics. I took a couple of classes in college. Trust me.

 

[air show]

Teeing off first means you are King Dick and everyone else must acknowledge that fact. I'd say that's an advantage.

 

[pauldst]

I think it is outdated. Friends I started out playing with, we just went in alphabetical order, which kept it simple. The honor thing complicates and slows down the game. Now, if I am playing with anyone else, it is usually just one other, and we just go by whoever is ready first.

 

[DiscJunkie]

But, of course you may have been being facetious.

Facetious??
Sarcasm??
Not on DGCR!!!
No, we are serious, intelligent, thoughtful dudes (and dudettes).
Sarcasm is the territory of bitter arm-chair critics and anonymous trolls.
Oh, wait...