USDGC News Release

[Cgkdisc]

I'm not pushing for it but would have no problem with it. I believe it would improve the look and quality of the game, especially since it would significantly reduce sloppy play with foot faults and being able to call them. I could see just having it as a rule for pros as one way to differentiate between ams and pros. Let the ams run-up and foot fault while they learn the game and then buckle down to show more skill to become pros. If we ever get increased spectatorship and TV coverage, our inability or unwillingness to call blatant foot faults as people are watching live will be embarrassing as would our unwillingness to fix the problem.

Considering the new make-up of the PDGA Board, I suspect S&D would have little chance of being approved even if the RC proposed some form of it.

 

[Star Shark]

I stand and deliver anyways but you are taking some potential spectacular shots out of play. For example hole 5 USDGC, I imagine alot less people will throw over the lake and go for the bird if they can't runup.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Very few do as it is. I think there are more than one flavor of the S&D rule possible. I believe the idea would be to stop follow thru stepping past your lie but not necessarily prevent walk ups to the lie including an X-step. That is if this S&D rumor has any substance. The thing about the USDDGC course, is that there are very few places where you can risk throwing full out from fairway locations, let alone many of the tees.

 

[Frank Delicious]

Disc golf is about the accuracy of getting shots to and into the basket. Throwing whatever distance means nothing if it's not accurate. Note that spectatorship at disc golf events after 30 years has still not matched the spectatorship for Frisbee events in the 70s and early 80s. Perhaps precision of execution and accuracy was impressive to spectators of that time and distance in disc golf became a yawn in comparison, except for the participants?

Perhaps something new like flying frisbees interested people or maybe we have less spectators b/c the sport has not evolved to keep up with what people want to see.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Just like softball, most people would rather play it than watch it. And, there's nothing wrong with that philosophy leading to a huge participation sport with few spectators and virtually no pro circuit, just jobs as educators, promoters and equipment suppliers.

 

[Frank Delicious]

So why make a move that would decrease participation and be unpopular with the players?

 

[juju1]

I believe the idea would be to stop follow thru stepping past your lie but not necessarily prevent walk ups to the lie including an X-step.

Wow, now we are extending the circle to infinity? What a joke...

 

[Cgkdisc]

So why make a move that would decrease participation and be unpopular with the players?

I would only support it if it were proposed for pros only which has no bearing on participation in the sport. And why not challenge the pros? They're the ones making the big bucks...

 

[Frank Delicious]

Are you sure that wouldn't affect participation?

 

[Cgkdisc]

The number of PDGA pros has been stagnant for several years with all growth in the Am ranks. The primary reason I could ever see to doing some sort of S&D permanently (other than if the USDGC is actually testing it which we don't know) is if it was felt no other solution could be found for the ongoing problem of foot faulting and pro groups calling them AND the sport was going big time with TV coverage where solving this problem was important for credibility. Lots of veteran DGers have tried to figure out a way to solve the foot fault problem, and so far, no one seems to have a solution better than S&D. Do you? Seriously, that's at the root of this issue.

 

[juju1]

going big time with TV coverage where solving this problem was important for credibility.

I still LMAO when people bring up "big time TV coverage". It ain't happening, sorry bud.

 

[sunspot]

This may seem silly to say this but I think foot faults on run-up fairway drives are not detrimental to whether or not someone is able to win or lose. I could understand the contention if someone went past their mark on a putt, but on a run-up, I do not really understand the gripe.

 

[riverboy1]

This may seem silly to say this but I think foot faults on run-up fairway drives are not detrimental to whether or not someone is able to win or lose. I could understand the contention if someone went past their mark on a putt, but on a run-up, I do not really understand the gripe.

Perhaps it is a means of professionalism. There is a rule in place, and it doesn't look good on the professional body if they don't care that the rule isn't enforced.

 

[NOHalffastpull1]

You jerkoffs are getting lost on another one of Chuck K's diversions.
No one fuckin cares about stand and deliver, YOU ARE MISSING THE GRAVITY OF THIS biennial schedule.

Granted there will be a fine event for the ams in the ODD years,
What will the am rocs be like? sorry cheap shot :shock:

One of my concerns is for those tourneys that are/were USDGC qualifiers.
Is the odd-year event a "wash out"? Drawing power is surely lost in the odd years.
Does the odd-year in europe qualifying/deadline/open registration become just a matter of who can afford to make the trip across the pond?

Sort of elevates the urgency of this upcoming gathering.
If the event only happens every 2 years does that make it twice as precious?

steve timm

 

[JR]

Would the USDGC off year am event be sponsored by Champ Rocs? That would take care of the limited supply issue plus help the AM event in getting sponsorship.

It may not be economically viable for the other US players that haven't already been to Europe to play and cash to cover their expenses. Every other year or not that split between EO and USDGC might drop some touring pros to pro status. I don't imagine many non touring pros coming to Europe anyway except as a holiday. Not too many get enough cash to even cover the expenses as it is now. You'd probably need to be in the top 5 rather than top 10 or 20 in the world to win enough if your sponsors don't cover something or double your winnings etc.

I wonder how the European Open could raise enough money to make it a viable stop for US pros equaling the USDGC. Even though there are lots more of players in the US than Europe and elsewhere I think that the rest of the world might be catching up (no figures whatsoever to support this hunch) and in case they need to travel to the USDGC and the worlds. Spreading the expenses to the US players _too_ is fair in that sense.

I'm not a fan of S&D. If it happens I'd prefer the allowed run up without follow through over both feet planted all the time.

Juju I take televised DG events as a personal challenge but it is that for the entire sport. Avery Jenkins has made attempts at least two years. Finnish national television has had DG on TV at least four times but not entire competitions nor live. DG events takes too long to televise to be interesting to viewers not to mention the need for ad money so it probably won't happen on other than sport channels or at night. If even at night. I'd bet edited compilations of highlights and deciding moments is needed for big time TV. Even for final 9 probably. Nation wide coverage has happened in Finland on a non commercial state owned TV station. Clearly commercial big time channel nation wide TV access in the US is gonna be more difficult. I don't think Feldy's appearance in The Conan O'Brien show hurt the sport.

The longer the piece in US TV the more challenging it will be from ad money point of view so maybe a shorter bit would help. Even getting in a single piece in a US wide sports channel would be a major breakthrough for the visibility of the sport and could very well boost the numbers of players. And interest of sponsors and advertisers. Follow through is needed to convince clothes, shoe, outdoors and sporting equipment etc. manufacturers to advertise and sponsor DG events and TV appearances. Once the first time happens it could open up doors for future spots and maybe longer pieces if the initial showing is commercially viable and good TV in the opinion of the TV station. All this means a concerted effort is needed and I think the PDGA has a major part to play in supporting the push for TV, gaining sponsor and advertiser contacts and following through.

 

[VictorB]

I only have 2 thoughts on this.

1. The 2 year rotation may work out for the best, but most likely just for the AMs. Pro players can't necessarily afford to travel overseas every single year (Japan on even years, Europe on odd years) to make 2 of the biggest tournaments on the schedule.

2. If 'Stand and Deliver' is forced into being mandatory, it will be seen as 'circus golf' almost definitely - making players play a style that no other tournament in the world makes the competitors do. I think you'd be taking away a fundamental approach to the game of golf, as a vast majority of players learned to play using a small run up, even on fairways or shorter approaches. Forcing players to remove their rhythmic delivery from everything but tee shots will almost certainly be more of a detraction to the event because you're imposing unnecessary rules on the players when they can play the other 51 weeks out of the year and thousands of other tournaments without that specific limitation.

That's my piece on this subject.

 

[HeartlessCynic]

I'm hearing it as a spill over from ball golf rules. Basically, disc golf run-up = ball golf tee. Here...

You can use a (run-up/tee) only on your first drive from the tee box. If on subsequent shots if you can not get good distance without a (run-up/tee), you are not a well-rounded player and fail.

In ball golf, the tee sets you up for a stronger max d shot. Ball golfers have to practice also making long shots with out this assistance for shots further up the fairway.

Sounds like a connection they are trying to make to me. Just my $.02, ain't saying I agree or disagree.

 

[Cgkdisc]

While that's a relevant secondary benefit, the driving force is attempting to resolve the foot fault problem.

 

[Jesse B 707]

is there HUGE foot fault problems every year that im not aware of?

 

[Cgkdisc]

Every day, in fact somewhere in the world, at this minute, there's a foot fault happening and most are never called. Whoa, there goes another one...