Success of high level athletes in disc golf...

[SonicGuy]

Btw, the undisputed best athlete PDGA member is Ben "funky" Askren. Not even close. That is the type of athleticism the op is talking about. Not chubby Nate Doss supposedly being not so bad in high school, a verifiable top tier athlete.

 

[McFer]

Btw, the undisputed best athlete PDGA member is Ben "funky" Askren. Not even close. That is the type of athleticism the op is talking about. Not chubby Nate Does supposedly being not so bad in high school, a verifiable top tier athlete.

I just don't see what advantage being a wrestler or MMA fighter would bring to disc golf. Beyond the ability to walk the course. But I see guys who are 10 beers in at 11am who can successfully do that. Beyond that, raw strength means so little in terms of throwing something.

Now, if there was an XFL type "battle" for tee box honors or something...

 

[BradC]

a serve could be a monster thumber or tomahawk.

See Schwebby.

Wasn't Yeti a D1 football player?

Feldberg mentioned college soccer, no idea on what level he played on.

 

[Monkeypaws]

Athletic ability comes in many shapes and forms.

It obviously helps your game if you are coordinated, have good balance, some strength, have good twitchy muscle and reflexes. Advantages to be sure, but not prerequisites for the average chucker who works hard and practices effectively.

Between the ears is another animal.

 

[The Mad Cow]

i wonder how John McEnroe might have done at disc golf.
great tennis player... also good at throwing stuff

 

[Jay Dub]

i wonder how John McEnroe might have done at disc golf.
great tennis player... also good at throwing stuff

I heard an interview with him this weekend. They asked McEnroe what it was that made him such a good tennis player. He said he has no idea, he just went out and played.

 

[SonicGuy]

You guys are being dense. The argument isn't that drawing athletes from other sports will make them amazing, the argument is that disc golf is so small time that people with actual athletic potential never choose DG as their sport. If Ben Askren had chosen DG as his primary sport early on life and dedicated similar energy he would blow all current players out of the water.

 

[heartman]

Youre acting like there is no good athletes in disc golf.... Paul Mcbeth was thinking about stepping up to pro baseball

I think I'll step up to pro baseball.

damn ... that was easy as pie

 

[runningDoc]

You guys are being dense. The argument isn't that drawing athletes from other sports will make them amazing, the argument is that disc golf is so small time that people with actual athletic potential never choose DG as their sport. If Ben Askren had chosen DG as his primary sport early on life and dedicated similar energy he would blow all current players out of the water.

its a moot argument though.... this has been covered so many times with regards to soccer and the USA fielding a competitive team.

what if Lebron James, Russell Westbrook, Randy Moss, and Marshawn Lynch played soccer instead as kids?!

I'd (being a proud american) would like to think that the USA would DOMINATE EUROPEAN FOOTBALL but who the hell knows.... Maurice Clarett didn't really pan out in Rugby and there's always some olympic level sprinter who fizzles out at NFL tryouts.

all things being equal? hell yeah superior athletes would do great in DG if they dedicated all their time and effort in disc golf... just like how the do well in the NBA, NFL, MLB, Top Division Soccer ect or any sport... DUH of course they will.

theres not point in arguing that generalization, but you still have to play the game to see the results. So even in top level sports you're going to get the fat pitcher/ short caucasian wide receiver (like wes welker or endleman who's columbine numbers aren't special)/john daly's/Dustin Pedroia 5'6" MLB MVP/ect... thats whats makes following sports fun the outcomes and how some genetically superior Gattica created super being can still lose to the regular looking schlub.

 

[Nemmers]

Good form has nothing whatever to do with athleticism. That's why a string-bean like Simon Lizotte holds the world distance record. Like Meghan Trainor said, "it's all about that torque."

(Probably screwed up those lyrics, but my teenagers say I'm catching on.)

 

[Moose33]

Were you talking about me in the Op?

I was a D2 pitcher with an 87-91 mph sidearm fastball. Tried to make it pro but never could stay healthy long enough for anything than a half season of Indy ball.

Has being a decent athlete in a skill based sport helped learn disc golf? Sure, I throw forehand drives over 400 and I've only been trying hard at diac golf for about a year and a half. Can throw some good overhead and et out of trouble shots too.

But I still get beaten by a stroke or two at league by old guys who can barely throw 300 but don't miss any putts under 30ft.

 

[brutalbrutus]

^ This. Being able to throw 500 or 600 or even 900 feet doesn't mean you will have the ability to make a 30ft putt when it matters most. Mcbeth is the best in the world right now because he has ALL the shots, not just a big arm.

 

[DiscgolfStu]

If Ben Askren had chosen DG as his primary sport early on life and dedicated similar energy he would blow all current players out of the water.

One of the more interesting theories out there is that raw athleticism ("talent") is a myth (well supported, too). The 10k hour rule that was made popular in Gladwells Outliers came from years of sport science data showing that, if done correctly and with the proper instruction, a person can become an expert at really any motor skill in, give or take, 10k hours. They also need to be intrinsically motivated, have access to facilities a supportive environment...but the point you are making is not all that earth shattering - if you play multiple sports, get a strong foundation of fundamental motor skills, train hard at something and specialize at the right age you will probably excel. Problem is, dg doesnt have the same infrastructure the other sports mentioned in this thread have. There's no "Long Term Athlete Development Model" for dg. We dont yet have angry disc golf dads signing their 4 year olds up for U-6 advanced and making them take 500 putts before dinner. So yeah, if super athlete Ben Askrew wants to train hard at other sports with complimentary skills, then flip to dg, he'll probably have an easier time picking up the game. I agree with you and the OP on that point. I do think its short sighted though, to assume the guys at the top dont have a combination of a half decent athletic background and 10k hours of experience under their belts.

 

[sidewinder22]

Lizotte is the prototype build to throw, Askren is not.

 

[DanJon]

Lizotte is the prototype build to throw, Askren is not.

Agreed. Long and limber over big and burly.


It's like having a wide receiver vs a linebacker.

 

[broomerang]

Lizotte is the prototype build to throw, Askren is not.

His build would be hard to beat for raw distance. Perhaps Dwight Howard or another otherwise lanky guy with a solid base to generate more power from the lower body.

 

[runningDoc]

His build would be hard to beat for raw distance. Perhaps Dwight Howard or another otherwise lanky guy with a solid base to generate more power from the lower body.

^weird fact... Dwight Howard is only 6'9" but has a 7'4" wingspan. Plus if he'd play DG you know he'd miss 50% of his 20foot putts!

Randy Johnson! 6'10"

^in the end someone that tall would have trouble in wooded courses and probably have to putt from his knees a ton.

 

[broomerang]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsddjadDL9I

And that was just a slider...

Imagine what he could do with a high speed driver. No tree would stand a chance!

 

[runningDoc]

I maybe biased because he's my favorite player ever, but I believe Pedro Martinez would be the best DG'er ever if he decided to dedicate his heart and soul to this game.... maybe some of the Maple Hill people can knock on his door in his house outside of Boston and ask him to play this wonderful sport.

^you know pedro would stare down McBeth or Wysocki before every putt.

 

[knettles]

If you are good at swinging something a bat or golf club, it's going to transition well to distance, but not necessarily playing a round of disc golf. Katchz is the semi-pro you are referencing, he was also a long ball golf competitor with some ridiculous club head speed like 130mph, so his pure swing mechanics have been honed quite extensively, that's Jamie Sadlowski territory. Throwing far is not the same as playing competitive disc golf, I think he was playing around 950 rated disc golf. That's a far cry from beating the top pros. The mental game is bit different in disc golf/ball golf than other sports than are more reactionary.

On the subject of throwing far and being an athlete, I don't think you need to look much further than Christian Sandstrom or Ville Piippo. Sandstrom competed in high level fitness competitions and has extensive knowledge in bio-mechanics and won something like 10 straight distance titles. His record was beaten by David Wiggins who is also very athletic, I think he had baseball scholarships lined up but decided to go pro disc golf. Wiggins record was beaten by Lizotte who is perfectly built to throw far and he is also very athletic. Ville was an Olympic javelin thrower and holds the world record for the longest cell phone toss. Sandstrom and Ville have never been able to compete with the top pros despite all their athletic prowess and distance.

What??