Phoenix, AZ

Dates

12-November-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/74542

Recap

Played MA40 division, 1 round 27 holes. Pretty windy at Buffalo Ridge Park which was to be expected. Took my time on shots, really went through my routine and didn’t fret about messing up off the tee (still changing my swing).

Putting was off, I was super nervous because I wasn’t sure how to play the wind on each putt, haven’t practiced wind + new spin putt. That being said, missed probably 5 putts I shouldn’t have but it is what it is. Had a good time and ended up second behind a friend so it was all good.

Usually I get fatigued and start throwing worse when playing so many holes (27), while hiking up and down a mountain, but I held on pretty strong. I will attribute it to not throwing as hard as I can every hole. I made sure to hit like 90% max except 2 really long holes.

Scoring

Missed a few birdie opps, and on holes I know most of the field didn’t have chances on so it really hurt when I missed those putts. Stayed out of trouble for the most part and was able to recover when my tee shot got out of sorts.

Mostly pars, 3 birds, 4 bogeys.

2nd place finish in MA40

Bag Highlights

Bagged all Discraft again.

Discraft Paige Pierce Nuke – Buffalo ridge is all rocks and more rocks. This nuke was brand new, by the end of the round this nuke was beat in and bombing so far.

Discraft Get Freaky Zone – Used this disc on almost every approach and rescue shot, it got me inside circle every time.

3 Learnings

1. Bogey on first hole, didn’t let it affect me, just played and knew birdies were out there. Later got a bogey late in the round while watching scoreboard, I let it affect me.
   1. Don’t watch the leaderboard, play your game.
   2. Bogeys happen, so do birdies.
2. An etiquette mistake I made. I like to get to my disc and get take a look, even if I’m not out. To hurry up play.  This can confuse card mates as to whether I am trying to play out of turn or not. I’m not, but it’s confusing and could affect their game.
   1. Stay back, players are pretty good about letting you take your time on a shot, no need to rush up to my disc.

Scottsdale, AZ

Dates

08-November-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/72847

Recap

Played MPO division. Have been playing very poorly at league. I started off real hot this time around but finished like a beginner golfer.

I am working on a new swing so I can attribute a lot of the damage to not knowing where my disc was going to go off the tee box, but I even messed up a few upshots and putts to help me salvage par. Also working on a new putting stroke I guess.

On the Bright side, I made 4 putts outside of circle 1 with my new putting stroke. It was crazy!

Scoring

Last place for Pro AGAIN! Started off 3 down through 5 holes and then the wheels fell off.

Bag Highlights

Went all Discraft today, I think the brand covers all the shots I need.

Discraft 6 Claw Luna – Even though I threw it 120 ft out of bounds near the end of my round, it went really far and really straight   I’m going to swing by the shop and pick up a few more Lunas in Z and maybe 6 claw if they have any left.  It’s a nice straight flying putter with lots of control and distance. I can use it off the tee, for upshots, and even putting (imagine that).

Discraft 2023 Tour Series Thrasher – Hyzer flip bombs away. Right now the main way for me to get those 350-400 ft shots on the course.

3 Learnings

1. Stay focused, don’t let a bogey throw you off. There are lots of holes.
2. When working on a new swing, throw shots you know you can make. i.e. don’t try to throw a putter 320 ft when you can just throw a mid easy there.
3. Keep working on the new putting stroke, making long distance putts finally.

Scottsdale, AZ

Dates

21-Jully-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/72847

Recap

Played MPO division. Played very poorly and went OB a lot of times. Lots of excuses, woke up at 4:30am, 119 degrees outside, and sore from weight lifting. In the end though, I think I needed to concentrate more and adjust for how I felt.

The course was a little different this week and probably will be on going. Marty setup some mandos which did increase the difficulty on the holes. Some holes I played the same as always while others I was unprepared game plan wise.

Scoring

5+, last place for Pro (19 players). Started off playing the first hole great (hole 18 over the water), parked the second hole (hole 1) and had my putt spit through the chains. I had 2 total Spit throughs.

Bag Highlights

Axiom Crave 164g. This thing goes far and straight. Hit the basket on 15.

Discraft Zone OS 174g. I actually used this a few times this week to get out of trouble. Specifically a forehand flex approach where I needed the disc to fly in that path and land flat.

3 Learnings

1. Get sleep, being tired does not help my game
2. Smooth is far. The shots I tried to get some power on caused a lot of extra strokes.
3. Changing putters. Envy glow plastic is too slippery for my putting putter. Great for throwing.

Mesa, AZ

Dates

05-Jun-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/69905

Recap

Played MPO division. Very tired for the event. Again, need to get my sleep in the night before.  Shot ok, was holding it down and fell apart on the last few holes as my energy ran out.

Scoring

3+, last place for Pro (4 players lol).  It was 115 degrees out so it was a small turnout.

Bag Highlights

No discs were “working”, because I wasn’t working great

3 Learnings

1. Get sleep, being tired does not help my game
2. Get pre-shot routine together.
3. Play to win, was to chill this round when I should have been attacking.

Mesa, AZ

Dates

12-Jun-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/69905

Recap

Played MPO division. While I got last place, I finally started scoring. Started off on a bad note but turned it around after a few holes

Scoring

-2 , last place for Pros again (6 players)

Bag Highlights

Discraft Raptor (Tour Series) – I live and die by thumbers on this course

MVP Uplink – I find this a lot easier to throw off the tee than a putter when I need something to fly straight and maybe fade to the right. Saved me on the holes where I really had to hit my line instead of a tree.

3 Learnings

1. Putting, practice practice practice
2. Get pre-shot routine together (still working on it).
3. Actually warm up, throw a few holes prior to the round

Mesa, AZ

Dates

22-May-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/69905

Recap

Played MPO division. Nothing was clicking. Haven’t played the course in a while and a lot of things have changed (Red Mountain North).  I finished “ok” but I really did miss a lot of shots. Most likely sleep, need to make sure I get plenty of sleep Sunday nights.

Scoring

Didn’t really make moves until the end of my round. Lots of putts missed and started making them at the end of the round

Bag Highlights

Discraft : Nuke OS : ESP – Wow, I am finally launching forehands. The Nuke OS is helping me overpower the disc. It’s also works great for shorter (250ft) skip shots.

Discraft : Raptor : Tour Series 2022 – Red Mountain is my main Thumber course. When in doubt, look up.

3 Learnings

1. Get sleep, being tired does not help my game
2. Hurt my elbow recently, wear the arm bands. It helps relieve the pain and keeps me from being afraid of throwing max power.
3. Think about different discs. I played the whole course just throwing my “usual” disc on the course. Could probably have scored better if I considered my whole bag each throw.

Scottsdale, AZ & Fountain Hills, AZ

Vista del Camino Park

Fountain Hills

Dates

2-Mar-2023 to 5-Mar-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/64603#MA40

Recap

This is the event I’ve been waiting a year for because I missed registration last year. I got a lesson the weekend before because I had been falling back to my old swing. The lesson paid off.

3 day event

Day 1 (Vista) I played ok, just tried to get around the course and I made a couple of mistakes.

Day 2 (Vista) I played really well, without knowing it, and shot the best round out of the division for both days. Put me into first place by 2 strokes!

Day 3 (Fountain) Fountain is a tough course for me, the combination of twisting winds and water cause me to get penalized a lot. I went into the day with a game plan and did my best to execute.  By hole 3, the rest of the card had caught me (water on 2). I played slow and steady, just surviving the peninsula holes. Bad break on 1 of them I hit off the top of the basket and the wind blew my disc 30 ft away into the water.

Coming into 13, I was a few strokes behind and I knew I had to give it my all.

13 is a short 300 ft hole, I birdie it.

14 is a long 375 down hill hole that you have to place your disc just right or you end up way short or skip out of bounds. Birdie

15 is a super long hole, 426 ft into a head wind. End up about 70 ft short but tell myself I have to make the putt. Throw it in! Birdie

I’m now 1 stroke in the lead.

16 short 300 ft hole but double mando. Rush to the tee super excited about my make….miss the mando. Everyone else birdies.

Everyone pars out the last 2 holes because they are near impossible with our divisional length to birdie.

Lose by 1 stroke

Scoring

Round 1 rating : 943

Round 2 rating : 962

Round 3 rating : 934

Bag Highlights

Westside : Sword : Tour Series – This disc bombs. It’s the only reason I even had a chance to birdie some of the longer holes on the courses. In it’s current state, it’s just stable enough that it won’t flip over on me.

Discraft : Nuke OS : ESP – Saved the day on my forehand shots. I just learned how to throw better forehands from my lesson and a nuke OS is the only thing I trusted to give it a full swing. It performed perfectly.

3 Learnings

1. I birdied 3 holes in a row (2 very difficult ones) when I decided I “needed to”. How can I transfer that drive and need to an entire round of golf? Get “In the Zone”.
2. Routine. Missing that mando coming down the stretch shows how important it is to follow a consistent routine. I would have picked a different disc and I would have aimed a better line had I gone through my entire routine.
3. Carrying the bag actually helped me keep a better tempo for the round. Picking it up and putting it down allowed my heart rate to settle before choosing a disc or shot, it kept my shoulders engaged and muscles warm.

Mesa, AZ

Emerald Park

Dates

25-Feb-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/67581#MA1

Recap

Played MA1 for this event as the MA40 group was only 1 person. Did pretty well round 1 all things considering and made it to the lead card for the second round. Round 2 did not go as well, definitely had some fatigue and some nerves hit because the players on the card were really good. I tumbled down to the bottom of the division after round 2 but I had fun.

Scoring

Round 1 rating : 924

Round 2 rating : 843

Bag Highlights

Discraft : Nuke : Z – Disc was consistent and my goto off most the tees.

Discraft : Meteor : Big-Z – Lots of the lines at this course can be a straight shot right at the basket. This meteor has just the right amount of stability to throw lasers 320 and in.

3 Learnings

1. Mental game, no one else cares how you are playing. They aren’t watching every little shot you take. Play your game, the nervs are self created.
2. Still doing my old swing, I need to figure out where I went wrong.
3. Might need to change to a more forceful putt. It was quite breezy and some putts were missed because of the wind.

Scottsdale, AZ

Dates

8-Feb-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/66108

Recap

Played MPO division. Played well. The course was playing “easy” as there was very little wind and the ground play is getting very skippy. I made a nice jump putt to an elevated basket on 18 (death putt). I was driving decent, for sure scoring on the 300 ft or less holes. My putting started off strong and then I missed an easy putt. This caused me to question my putting the rest of the round and I had to be really close to the basket to get a birdie. Going to work on my mental game this week.

Every time I played it safe I was not rewarded. Being aggressive was is how I need to be.

A member of my card, Greg Chance, made an ace on hole 8. Putter dead at it.

Scoring

7 birdies, 2 bogeys. Rating : 948

Bag Highlights

Discraft : Raptor : Tour Series 2022 – Thumbers. Thumbers saved my round. As I was not confident in my swing today, being able to throw a guaranteed dart to 320 ft is exactly what I needed.

Discraft : Anax : ESP – Starting to really like this disc as I have one broken in and one new.  It has a reliable finish so I’m not afraid to put it over the water.

3 Learnings

1. Putting is mental
2. Need to do drills through the week because I’m already falling back to my old swing.
3. A bad hole is not the end of the round. Reset, every hole is it’s own event.

Mesa, AZ

Dates

6-Feb-2023

PDGA Link

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/67166

Recap

New league at Red Mountain. I believe the league was at Papago in the past.  Big turn out for a first week on a new course, on a Monday.  Played pro card but with all guy I know and played AM rounds with. We are all kind of leveling up at the same time. First time playing the new layout at Red Mountain. Some holes are the same, many are new. I did play a practice round there so I did have an idea how to play most of the holes.

I was doing pretty well, slow and steady wins the race. Last hole I hit first available tree and my disc bounces and rolls OB behind me. Re-tee, hit second tree. Thumber over the top of trouble, missed a 60 foot jump putt to finish my round with a double bogey on a very easy to birdie hole. This is why I love disc golf, always something that can be improved.

Scoring

5 birdies, 2 bogies and a double bogey. Rating : 824

Bag Highlights

Discraft : Raptor : Tour Series 2022 – Thumbers. Thumbers. Thumbers. They actually got me in trouble on 2 holes because I’m starting to throw them really far. Could be the disc getting beat in.

Discraft : Luna : ESP 6 claw – Just picked up this PB 6 claw Luna and it’s a straight flyer. Can hold hyzer too.  I think this is going to be a secret weapon of mine.

3 Learnings

1. Always follow your routine and imagine your disc flight
2. Don’t try to over power the disc, smooth is fast.
3. Putting is looking real good, continue with this stroke and practice it in the back yard a lot.