The Fire

[slowRoll]

This has been on my mind lately and thought it might be a good conversation piece for the masses. Whatever you choose to do in life, you need to be interested in it to be successful. Discgolf is no different. As we first find the game we get excited and start playing every week, reading and learning all we can about proper technique, start playing more than just once or twice a week, begins to enter tournaments, etc. And so it goes.

To become great at something we all need more than just basic interest in a subject, we need "The Fire". The Fire makes us think about it while we're driving to work, or while we're in the bathroom. We find a way to throw a few putters in the park during our lunch breaks, or maybe just squeeze in 9 holes on the way home even though we have other things we need to get done that day.

The few, the special among us have a fire that burns so brightly that it causes them to become consumed, almost fanatical. These people that also have natural talent are most of the same people you will see on top of the leader boards in your area. You all know the ones I'm speaking of. The Fire can become a danger to the person if they don't keep things in perspective. This is very apparent in online gaming where people can lose their job in real life because they are too wrapped up in their online life.

I ask you now, who here has The Fire?
How long have you had it, and what do you do to maintain it?

I fear that I have lost mine this year. I won my first 2 tournaments playing Advanced and never even got excited. I find myself thinking more and more of other things on long car rides, and discgolf is becoming more of just an afterthought. I've enjoyed casual rounds with buddies, but now have no desire to even play competitively. Where has my fire gone? I don't know, but I suspect this may just be a phase. Most things in this world move in cycles, this may be just another example.

My story is just one example, please share yours. It's always exciting to hear the newbies to the game, their enthusiasm is contagious! I would like to hear from you all and hopefully not have this turn into some sort of gripe thread with guys that are burnt out on the game. That's not the point.

Please discuss The Fire and how it has played a part in your development. Thanks, and have a great day.

 

[prerube]

This sounds like some cheesy thing my principal would make us do.
I have garth brooks "standing outside the fire" in my head now"

 

[prerube]

We call them weak, those who are unable to resist the slightest chance that might exist, and for that forsake it all.....

 

[skinner21]

damn it Prerube, now I have that song stuck in my head.

I definately go through times where the fire burns a little low, but I've never been very good and have only been in a handful of tournaments. For me, it sometimes gets extremely frustrating because I know what I need to do to get good form or just lower my scores, but I can't find the time to get where I want to be, so I go out for a casual round and suck because of my lack of practice.

 

[prerube]

Find kids and noobs who will awwwwh and ahhhhh at a 300ft drive. That will make you feel better.

Need a new song for your head? My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard and they're like its betta than yours, damn right its betta than your I can teach you, but I have to charge.

 

[slowRoll]

This sounds like some cheesy thing my principal would make us do.
I have garth brooks "standing outside the fire" in my head now"

Way to just mock my thought out idea without giving any actual effort yourself. I should have known better. Trolling is a predictable response when someone actually takes the time to type up and ask a thought out question.

 

[prerube]

I was tame. You gave us an assignment to do. I had to lighten it up a bit.
If you want to see troll I can handle that : "boohoo I am so great that I win advanced divisions and don't care anymore."

 

[ninepoundhammer]

.....stupid Garth Brooks song:wall:

 

[HeartlessCynic]

I have Jimi Hendrix in my head, a better 'Fire' titled song.

 

[waynewf]

So basically, you discovered something new, got really into it for a while, and now you're a bit bored and are spending more time doing and thinking about other activities....just sounds like life in 2010 to me. Obsessive compulsiveness coupled with a short attention span and voila. A new hobby comes, becomes old, and it's on it way out the door. No big deal.

I'm not sure what your point was though...was there one? You're not as obsessed with DG as you used to be? Well that's a good thing, obsession is bad.

 

[prerube]

So basically, you discovered something new, got really into it for a while, and now you're a bit bored and are spending more time doing and thinking about other activities....just sounds like life in 2010 to me.

Sounds like life to me it ain't no fantasy
It's just a common case of everyday reality
Man I know it's tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you're caught up in some tragedy
It sounds like life to me

it fits the situation too.

 

[slowRoll]

Find kids and noobs who will awwwwh and ahhhhh at a 300ft drive. That will make you feel better.

Did you even bother to read the post? It's not about me. I'm doing just fine, I'm just not as interested in discgolf right now. I make a good living and provide for my wife and kids. My house is almost paid for and my car is nicer than most.

This was deeper than that. Perhaps it's just that you have no depth since you didn't understand that I was talking about the common driving force that makes people succeed in life. Perhaps you are just bitter because 4 months of the year you have to shovel snow. That would probably be enough to grate on any man. Lunchtime here. I'm sure this will not go well since the first person here just took a dump on this thread. This had potential to be a good conversation piece, but now it will probably lose steam after 2 or 3 pages of people cracking jokes and taking shots at one another. Thanks for that prerube, you really contributed to making something better this morning.

 

[bizarbies]

I had the "Fire" so much this season it cost me my relationship!! I guess that I spent to many hours putting and not enough on her. Oh well, the course will always be there, girls may not be. If I could only find a girl that was into DG as much as I was........ Im dreaming right. Wishful thinking.

Biz
Team Bert

 

[prerube]

Did you even bother to read the post? It's not about me. I'm doing just fine, I'm just not as interested in discgolf right now. I make a good living and provide for my wife and kids. My house is almost paid for and my car is nicer than most.

This was deeper than that. Perhaps it's just that you have no depth since you didn't understand that I was talking about the common driving force that makes people succeed in life. Perhaps you are just bitter because 4 months of the year you have to shovel snow. That would probably be enough to grate on any man. Lunchtime here. I'm sure this will not go well since the first person here just took a dump on this thread. This had potential to be a good conversation piece, but now it will probably lose steam after 2 or 3 pages of people cracking jokes and taking shots at one another. Thanks for that prerube, you really contributed to making something better this morning.

DC doesn't get 4 months of snow, besides I grew up in Florida. Since when does snow make people bitter?
This thread was too much like an afterschool special and too much like an assignment to be taken seriously.
"Tell me what drives you in life"
This is a forum, jokes make the mornings great. Maybe humor is what you lack?

you are bragging. I win advanced and don't care, my car is nicer than most, my house is paid for. WHO CARES are you applying to be our CPA? Call Tony Robbins to release the fire in you!

 

[waynewf]

Did you even bother to read the post? It's not about me. I'm doing just fine, I'm just not as interested in discgolf right now. I make a good living and provide for my wife and kids. My house is almost paid for and my car is nicer than most.

This was deeper than that. Perhaps it's just that you have no depth since you didn't understand that I was talking about the common driving force that makes people succeed in life. Perhaps you are just bitter because 4 months of the year you have to shovel snow. That would probably be enough to grate on any man. Lunchtime here. I'm sure this will not go well since the first person here just took a dump on this thread. This had potential to be a good conversation piece, but now it will probably lose steam after 2 or 3 pages of people cracking jokes and taking shots at one another. Thanks for that prerube, you really contributed to making something better this morning.

Wow, so sensitive! Seriously though, we're all happy that you are so successful, but your thread basically amounts to, "I like disc golf. It is very fun. I don't play as much as I used to. Why do you like disc golf?"

I mean, come on...."deeper?" You've got to be joking-

 

[scarpfish]

Well this thread went to nowheresville quick now didn't it?

And yes slowroll, I agree with you, if you want to succeed at something, its a whole lot easier when you have the passion to follow through the regimented study and practice one needs to make it happen.

That being said, most people who take up DG have no desire to "succeed" at it. They have no interest of joining the PDGA, playing tournaments, or playing competitively in any way. Some folks just want to get some exercise. Some want to blow off some stress. Some want to spend a couple of hours with their friends chewing the fat while chucking some plastic. Even when things are technically competitive, it is often very easy going. This, along with the ability to play being dirt cheap, is the major appeal for a lot of people who take up the game.

 

[waynewf]

OK I'm sorry, I'll take this post seriously...
I like disc golf a lot because it is fun. I also like to throw things and being outside is nice unless it rains, then i don't like disc golf because wet shoes are no fun. I like it when I throw far and beat my friends, but I like my friends to be good too so they don't feel bad.
My mommy bought me a brand new red disc that I like a lot because it's red like my bike. I like to ride my bike a lot, but not too fast downhill because falling is scary!
I also like squirrels and there are lots of squirrels on the disc golf course. I'd like to take one home but daddy says squirrels don't make good pets but we'll see.

 

[chrishysell]

Slowroll, it sounds to me like you need to set your goals higher and do everything you can to achieve them. That includes practice and travel to events.

When I 1st started playing disc golf as an am it took me 3 months to go advanced and I started winning. I played in a Supertour and was paired with Gangloff and Brent Hambrick. While not getting rude Gangloff was very critical of the fact that I was an am and was beating them both. He said he wasn't that good when he was the Pro Rookie of the Year. I decided I no longer wanted to be an am, I wanted to be the ROTY. I finished the year and then dedicated myself to being the best pro I could be. They put me and the top ROTY contender up on the stage and went through all of the bla bla bla records I had broke and everything. The other guy got the award. Later Ron Russell became World Champ.

Maybe I lost the fire and never became that guy. Eventually points series began in my state. I rededicated myself to being the best in my state. I did it for a long time.

Life has disappointments, just find some new goals to achieve and move on.

oh yeah, don't let video games get in the way. I lost 3 years in my disc golf goals trying to maintain the #1 status online.

 

[prerube]

I can count to potato.

Goal are important

 

[gcr_russell]

I only got the fire for disc golf after rediscovering the sport when I course was put in where I live. I needed to find a hobby to occupy my time and it quickly occupied most of my free time. At first I only slowly got better and then the improvements came in leaps and bounds. Unfortunately I live far enough away from tournaments and have too heavy a work schedule to regularly play in tournaments, but still make it out to them as regularly as possible. I have seen a very noticeable improvement in every tournament I've ever played with this past weekend winning Duos in the Desert in Advanced with a lower rated partner. I see myself on a slow and steady path to being an open player and eventually being competitive in the division. I even brought a couple discs on my first date with my now fiancé.