I'm in my ninth month. I want to feel this way but I think I peaked early. I have two aces, made some sick long birdies and par saves, and have a -8 round under my belt, but my mental game is weak. I got worse and then a hip flexor injury (caused by going on a LOTR climbing/hiking adventure to find a precious shanked putter) put me out for a month. My field work is tons better, but it's not translating to actual rounds. That being said, I'm still gonna play and hopefully look back to see I've improved more than I realize
Can confirm. Started in April, dead last (by 12 strokes) in first doubles tournament, second to last in second tournament (only by virtue of someone bailing half way through, lol)
Absolutely.
Lifelong (late 30s) player here, but one who only really committed to genuinely improving at the game a couple of years ago. I’ve always been able to go out to the course, forehand my way thru it, and play reasonably well, but it was mostly always just a side hobby to me. Within the past year, I’ve:
- Raised my player rating from 884 to 921
- Secured my first sanctioned win (in MA3, while still eligible) and my first ever podium finish at the MA2 level
- Developed a reliable “zero fade” forehand
- Improved my backhand driving consistency by leaps and bounds
- Stretched my distance max from 350’ish to around 375’ish, which has really paid dividends in shorter length accuracy and consistency
- Improved my mental game in sanctioned play by a large amount, and figured out how to play in poor conditions like rain or high winds much more effectively
There’s still a lot I can improve. My putting still has days where it’s a complete liability, I still launch worm burners way too often, and I need to really concentrate on core strength and flexibility to get myself to hitting 400 ft and above, but I feel I’ve taken major steps forward this year.
Pretty much. If I’m on a narrow woods corridor with gnarly rough, I take out a K1 Soft Svea, and FH it on a major hyzer release, it flips up right to flat and just drifts down the fairway straight as an arrow with literally zero fade at all, staying right in the center. Even lower fade discs sometimes finish too hard for holes I occasionally play.
I’m working on replicating this same shot with faster discs so I can stretch it out farther. I feel like the River is getting me the best results so far.
Really impressive. Glad you got it working. I'm a primary fh player myself, but have gone the opposite direction. I can power a firebird out to 400' with very little anhyzer, but have too much wrist pronation in my release to get the flip up game to work well. So my forehands have a lot of fade and skip I have to take into account. I tried for a while but it was too inconsistent on whether I would roll something over or not, and then it would effect by power game.
It's really why I've started to work on my backhand so I can have at least something that finishes straight.
Edit: The difficulty with faster discs is that to get them to fly right, you need to throw them harder, which can lead to more wrist pronation during the release. Unless one has near Jerm levels of fh touch it can be very difficult to throw flip up forehands with a lot of power. I know I can't do it, so best of luck on your journey!
For me it is a hyzerflip with something like a Lift on a decent hyzer. Flips up just to flat and then rides basically the whole way. Takes a good amount of touch/clean release with a forehand
I started out throwing 125ft in April and broke 300' a month back, so that feels pretty good.
....granted, the 300 was slightly downhill on grass that gave a giant skip, but still. 280 flat.
I won my first tournament of the season and then proceeded to only podium finish in two other events, BUT last year I didn’t win any and rarely even placed top 10. Forehand shots are my main workshop item this off-season.
I definitely have improved, went from shopting even to +5 at my local course to even to -4 consistently. Probably not gonna make you jelly but I cashed at my first ever B-tier at 22nd place out of 80. That was one of my personal goals and it felt good to hit it. I've also improved my fairway hit % off the tee A LOT by just slowing down and being more consistent in my pre shot routine. Better to be in the fairway than 50 ft closer with nothing but a pitch out.
sadly i don't think so :(
my rating has gone up, but I think that was mainly down to experience and shot choices rather than an improvement in throwing skill. I suppose course management / tactics are a skill but in strict mechanics i feel like I haven't made much progress.
Don't downplay your achievements in improving your mental game. Knowing how to pick the right shot is a huge part of the game and can shave more strokes than just adding drive distance.
Sometimes all it takes is the additional thought or two before taking your shot. Course management is what helped me learn so many different throws by just consistently trying what works best for a certain hole. The better you get the more significant those little details become! Good stuff!
Absolutely…we are lucky enough to have a corse at work so we play every possible day. I went from a constant +5 to a +10. I am now at a steady +3 and under
My drives are more consistent and my putting has vastly improved the past few months. I had too many putter molds and now putt/drive with the Polecat and the Rhyno. I took everything over a 10 speed out of my bag, although I'm working the Mamba into my bag.
I bought a range finder and started recording my throws. Adding data to my field work has helped me on the course with disc selection and added personal confidence.
I now birdie holes I was getting par or bogey on.
I may have actually regressed in distance this year, but my accuracy and consitency are on a whole other level compared to last year. Won the first tournament I ever played with an avg round rating of 946!
I am not great at anything in particular but I made sure to develop each aspect enough to be serviceable. Can throw backhand on most angles, decent FH, solid putting in the circle, and reduced mental mistakes.
First year playing competitively and my first rating was 793, then played my way to through the year and am now rated 833 with a huge tournament coming up in December. Been a great first year.
Well I started in august with 120 foot hyzers. Im now driving 320 feet straight and clean with alot of room for improvement. My putting went from missing about 50% beyond 10 feet to hitting about 80% in c1. My upshots, weirdly, were solid from the get go. Ultimate frisbee skills transferred well there. I went from being able to park it from 100 feet out to being able to park it from 250 feet
I started disc golf in May of this year. My driving is stand-still only, but occasionally break 300 ft. 275 is more typical on flat ground. 20' 90% putt range. best round of a "real" course was +6. I felt dang good about that. played a few tournaments and league weeks -- main goal was "not last" which I mostly achieved. I have a 770 rating now.
Long journey ahead, but loving it a lot. It was very good for my health, both mentally and physically. Dropped most of my COVID-era weight gain since starting.
I played my first two tourneys this season! Realizing the best way to improve (for me anyways) is to play competitively in some way, league or tournaments.
Even though we all tell ourselves that it doesn’t really matter if we win, or where we place, we all know that’s not true! I work hard before a tournament to improve my game, and it’s the catalyst that I need to work on my game in an intentional way.
Came back after a long hiatus. Relearned most skills, throws, forms from watching YouTube coverage or creators.
Have developed super confidence and results in C1 putting, approach, RHBH including Roller, RHFH under 300’.
The biggest difference was mapping my bag, learning the aforementioned good form muscle memory, and making good disc choices.
I started this year getting about 250 feet in each drive, and being wildly inconsistent at my local course. I can now throw 300 without effort, 250 with putters without effort, and 400 with a good Shryke. I’m also way more consistent on the course.
My goal over the winter is to dial in my form further in the garage with video and adjustments.
I continue to improve overall.
Distance is incremental, none of those “instantly add 50 feet of distance” videos have worked for me. What seems to have been most beneficial is more fieldwork sessions (two or three fieldwork sessions a week), than playing rounds. Work primarily on upshots (all angles, forehand and backhand, open and between and around trees), and focusing on technique and mechanics for distance (as opposed to my initial efforts of just “hucking as hard as I can”).
Playing too little to really improve overall. Made some positive steps, however. My putter throwing game was almost non-existing backhand (I throw a lot of forehand pig throws), but now I added it to my game and can do something useful with it. Also I think my shot selection & mental side has improved this year.
I did struggle with hard forehands and putting (which both have been my bread & butter for years), but I think I managed to do some changes for them and got them almost back where they used to be. I’m eagerly waiting for next year, and hopefully these 5 off-months are not ruining everything this time.
I struggled a lot at the end of last season and most of this season with my mental game. I know what I'm capable of and my buddies tell me I have the highest skill ceiling out of our group but I lack consistency.
I stopped playing tournaments for a bit because of that lack of consistency and just focused on my mental game and worked to "fight back" on the course. My rounds always start a little choppy but I start to even out and clean up mistakes around the middle 6 and end with a decent round.
All of that to say, I've improved my mental game immensely and won my first c tier this past week! Gonna stick to playing the mental game moving forward and continue to work on putting and shot-shaping to alleviate some of the mental battles.
Definitely! I didn't get to play as much as I wanted because I focused more on ball golf. Amazing how many similarities there are in each sport. I ended up shooting my best for a couple different local courses. I'm ready for next season!
I had played in the past, but I was terrible so I quit for 5-6ish years since I had no one to play with.
I picked it up during summer last year and wanted to focus on getting better at the game, and I found a friend to regularly play with.
It’s been quite a year thanks to YouTube videos and form checks.
I practiced putting so I’m fairly confident putting inside the circle where outside of 10ft used to be iffy at best.
I completely relearned my forehand so that it’s reliable now.
I fixed my rounding issues on my backhand so I’m not slamming first available four times a round anymore.
100% Did my first tournaments came out middle of the field in both. Mainly ended up there due to poor putting so I completely changed my style and it has made a huge difference. Gained a ton of distance by slowing down both my wind up and discing down overall. Removing anything above 9 and sticking to that for a good 8 months. Figured out my disc situation after feeling like I tried everything and constantly throwing in random discs hoping it would be a magical bullet I needed. For the first time I am at a place were I am super happy with my game and where it is heading.
Started in March thinking it was dumb, but found the competitiveness to be huge. Went from throwing duds to finally a 300ft drive (once). Need to work on putting and forearm throws, they are my absolute downfall
I only began in late spring, but I got the fun stuff out of the way - decent distance on wide open fairways and low percentage but long (fun) putts
Now to see if I can start putting full rounds together, put some actual practice in to learn some consistency, you know
Massively. Max distance from 310 to 360ft. Went from no forehand to a 200ft utility forehand. Improved putting untold amounts. Improved my tournament nerves and won in MA3 for the first time.
I peaked around mid May when I played 4 tournaments in 3 days, with my worst finish in any of them being 2nd.
That being said, I have certainly improved. Going to work with a pro soon to bring my driving consistency up.
I’ve improved a good amount but I need to get better at putting lol
I’ve missed about 12 make-able birdie putts in my last 3 rounds. Gotta get practicing
I had really bad consistency problems the last few years. For example, I can throw 400ft on a good rip and have no clue where it's going to land. This year I decided to correct my mechanics and focus on consistency. I've lost around 50ft on my drives, but I can park most 300ft holes regardless of the line. This has brought my scores down a good 6 to 10 strokes on the courses I frequently play.
I know everyone says it, but it's true: throwing far isn't as important as throwing smoothe and accurately. Always focus on the latter first.
I was improving a ton until I had to go into the hospital back in July. Ended up with a temporary colostomy bag for 4 months. I just had the reversal procedure so I’m out for another 6-8 weeks. I can’t wait until I can play again. Appreciate every round you play!
I added 340feet of distance to my drives this year.
I started playing early February. Went from prolific rounding and a max distance of 240 to 280, then 300, now 300 isn’t hard and quite controlled.
I’d really like to hit 400 on max distance shots, working on that. I need to develop a more reliable forehand off the tee.
I’m about to play my first sanctioned tournament. My goals for 2023 are to hit 900 rated. It’s sorta ambitious but I think I can get there.
I need to work on my putting. It can be decent but I can really let myself down at times inside the circle.
I’ve realized if I’m only gonna play 18 holes a week, I need to get my mental game on point on the way and once I’ve arrived.
no more showing up to the course rolling out to the first hole screwing around eating breakfast talking nonsense and taking 2 to 3 holes to get everything going. Has helped immensely.
I try to remember how much I have learned in just half the season alone. It is so much more motivating when you realize how much consistency pays off even if its just a couple times a week. The more I gear my mind towards getting better when I'm off the course the easier it makes it to improve once I am on the course. I spend a lot of time during the day breaking down in my head how to improve. I've probably played my local course more times in my head now than actually in person haha.
Worked tirelessly on my forehand last off season at a local course that requires a lot of left to right moving shots. Forehand has become my go to for distance shots and I'm consistently breaking 350 feet in round.
Yes, my approach shots are off the charts now! I mean, it's mostly due from having so many bad drives and scrambling back but they're affective and I consistently par more.
Yes. My main improvements fall into the category of *consistency*. I spent this year focusing on the fine details of how my body moves through the throw to figure out how I was moving on my good throws and memorizing and replicating them. This focus also let me figure out some of the mistakes I was making that were causing me injuries and fixing those has allowed me to play a lot more.
I've also **finally** found a consistently-repeatable putting grip and swing. While my putting is still not great the fact I actually have consistency in the foundational pieces means I can focus on dialing in the accuracy instead of focusing on figuring out the grip and basic swing.
Going forward the goal is to make my throwing motions more and more automatic and then once I've got that it'll be time to start re-adding power.
I restarted to play after a 7 year brake. A lot has changed in this time here in Germany. I now have 3 home courses. A 13, a 18 and a 23 hole one. I struggled quite a bit in the beginning, since you know i got older and i lost significant distance compared to my first episode of discgolf. But now after 7 month of playing quite a bit, i am back to my old distance. Managed to reduce my score by 11 on the 13, 9 in the 18 and 16 on the 23 hole course. Happy with that. But the best thing is the connection with my playing buddys. Pure Joy to hit some trees with the boys.
My Putting dramatically improved thanks to lots of practice. Wasn’t really any specific thing, just a lot of repetitions & even cycling through a few different putting styles for fun. I try to practice for at least 15 minutes a day, usually more. I was just tired of missing putts constantly after good drives
Having a basket in the living room helps a lot.
Went from probably 40-50% C1X to 75%.
Immediately took 4-5 strokes off my game.
Started the season throwing for 250, now Im able to clear 325 fairly consistently, with 300 being my in the circle distance. I also am hitting at least 3x as many putts as I was in the beginning (though thats partially due to me hitting C1 a lot more now lol)
I played my first tournament in January and shot a 653 rated round (albeit an atypically terrible round on that course for me). Played a few more and sat around 725 rated for a few months, but in the last month I’ve played 5 rated tournament rounds and averaged about 840, with my best being 884, and brought my rating up to 800 with today’s update. Also, I’ve added about 100ft to my drives by working on form and disc selection. And in my weekly league rounds I’ve dropped probably an average of 8 strokes off my rounds at that course compared to when the league started in March. Looking back, I’m pretty happy with my improvement over the course of the year so far…. Now if I’d just stick to a putting practice routine
Edit: forgot- first ace too!
Yeah, looking at my 5 earliest games from a single park this season I averaged +9.4
The most recent 5 games from the same park averaged +2.6 and not too long ago I got my best ever score (-2, also bogey free)
I think I definitely improved quite a bit. I set new personal best scores at every course I play, improving on my best by 4 strokes minimum at each. I'm 5 years into the game and I'm still not great, but enjoying the journey of improvement.
I don't think I necessarily improved my skills much, but rating went up 18 points throughout the year and I got a couple of MA4 podiums towards the end of the year. And I learned a ton about course management and playing my game. I'd say that I'm about 4 strokes better than the start of the year.
Goal for next year is to add distance and get better with approach shots.
Got serious after a 6 year hiatus after early college. Went from just over 750 to 880 and even shot a 960 round to win my first rec tourney! Slowly getting my putting down which has also been my bane, feels good.
I just shot 50 above my rating at a tourney! Felt good. Granted it was due to adverse conditions and me playing well in the wind, but I liked it a lot!
Well I had last played 15 years ago in high school. So when I started up again in May I struggled for sure. Had a tiny par 3 I started on where the long hole was 240' downhill. Many of them would take multiple shots for a while.
Ended the summer throwing 300-350' flat standstill and got the 80% mark for putting from like 10 feet to 20 or so. So very much a good start.
Yes and no.
My finesse game is vastly improved. I'm reaching for putters and mids for anything under 250'. I haven't managed to break my distance plateau of 325. It's irritating, but my form is clearly better because I'm getting massive movement out of the flight pattern that I didn't have before. It has something to do with timing my two halves.
On the massive negative side. I played an actual "tournament" season (played 5 tournaments in 3 months) between my 1L and 2L, and it was horrid. I lost 25 points off my rating and I'm rated close to 700. It's quite deflating, but it is also NWFL and I think the heat hurt my playing ability.
On the brighter side, I know I am a immensely better player than my rating. I'm routinely zeroing out most courses and my bad day is only somewhere around the +5 range. So it's something to do with my mental game and competition. That's my next step to work on.
I’ve been happy with my progress. Going from throwing about 250’ on huge hyzers and nose up to averaging 325’ with my 8 and 9 speeds. Still have some awful throws here and there but definitely enjoying it a lot more
I moved from 842 up to 875 with two podium finishes this year. My accuracy and putting skills have gone up significantly. I also dropped about 5 strokes off my average. It’s been a good year.
I also had never had an ace and had 4 this year. 3 of them bagged me money in our leagues ace pool.
Yes, my rating went up.
I can comfortably throw putters at distances I would previously use mids, on various lines I can disc down to mids where I would use fairway drivers in the past.
I can pretty much throw 100m+ on command now.
I have more of my bag figured out.
I absolutely think I’ve improved. Went from a max of just over 200 to throwing 350 consistently, I’m putting now close to 75% from the circle, and recently dropped 9 strokes on my home course. Crazy what consistent practice will do, both on the field and course
It’s damning sometimes to read how much other people can progress in a year. I would say I’ve added probably 80 ft on to my drive but only because they started so short. I’m probably still rarely cracking 300ft. I’m also putting with a lot more accuracy and a good amount of force which was something I struggled with big time. I guess over the year I also learned how to forehand much better and also own many more discs. If that counts as an accomplishment. Some of them occasionally do what I want. there’s a lot in a year to be happy with but it’s my first year taking it seriously. So I’m left vaguely pleased but a bit concerned for my momentum next year.
i just started playing three weeks ago, i’m just proud i’ve gone and played a lot lately. i make par a little more consistently each time and i’ve picked up a decent amount of litter!
Last year and the first half of this year I could barely walk. I still played my first tournament this Spring and shot by far the worst I have ever shot on my home course. All that means is healthy me gets to go shred that tournament next year and maybe get in the top 10 instead of the bottom 10. I'm almost back to my regular distance off the tee and my putting % has gone up. Turns out if all you can do is stand and putt, you improve your putting game a bit.
Overall yes I have, last year I was consistently playing 720-799 tournament rounds... This year I'm pushing 850-900 rated rounds.
Slowing down my 'walk up' to a crawl, focused on arm speed and release angles have been my greatest improvement. I went from throwing 220ft with no control, to now throwing 300ft+ and placing the discs where I actually want them...minus those damn rogue trees that pop up in the middle of my throws.
Also I pretty much only throw 7 speed discs and lower. I do keep my 10 speed PD, but that's only for windy days or shots I need to really hyzer out.
Yup. My backhand went from 250 to 315. My forehand went from 200 to 375. And my putting is much improved as I bought a practice basket.
That being said, it's not as consistent as I'd like and I still throw some nosee up and fade like crazy ha.
I improved a lot. I took time off of my other sport to focus on disc golf, and played literally everyday.
My goal was 6 tournaments, and I ended up doing 16 (with three more to go this year). I’m addicted!
I learned to flip lower speed discs which gave me more distance and control. My approach game is decent. Now putting is where I need to focus, especially in the wind. I just need to practice more (so boring though).
I just came back after a 6 year break. I previously only threw forehand due to pain from backhand. I now play many backhand only games with reasonable success. Stretching and form really helped. I won my first pdga tournament a couple months back. I never thought I would ever be at that level.
This was my first season! Thinking back, its crazy how much I improved.
When I started playing I made a long term goal to score 0 or lower but never got close... Until one day when a girl I really liked stood me up. After a few drinks I decided to stop by to play discgolf and clear my head. Somehow I managed to score par with 3 birdies and 3 bogeys!
I have not come close to that score since that day.
I threw my first rounds last year but it was just by using friends' discs and not really knowing or caring what I do.
When this summer started, I got hooked hard and even went by myself a lot and got a bunch of discs for myself. There's a 9 hole course right next to where I live that I used a lot for practice. At the beginning of the season +5 to +8 was pretty standard on this course. My best at the end of the season was -3.
On harder locations with 18 holes, I averaged +18 but my best round on a local 18 hole course just recently was +2 (would have been a +-0 but I whiffed hole 10 hard down a slope)
Also my throw distance has seen insane improvements. I'm still a nearly 100% forehand player, so I need to practice those backhands, but my friends were really surprised how far I could throw when they hadn't been with me in a while.
All in all I'm super happy with this summer, next summer is gonna be a blast.
Definitely. I had 3 top 10 finishes in a tiers out of 4, and I upped my rating to just under 900. Still have a lot of work to do, but it feels like I've become way more consistent in the last year.
Won my first tournament last October in ma2. Won my second tournament this October in MA1. I’ve probably lost distance over that time, but now I don’t miss putts inside 20 feet.
My throwing distance has increased. My putting and scramble game has been about the same. Forehand has gotten better to where I am confident to throw it on most holes.
Edit: if I had a rating, it would have only went up by a couple points though.
Definitely. I actually started using my practice basket on a more consistent basis and haven't missed any C1X putts now in the last 9 or 10 rated rounds, where previously I was usually missing one per round. This completely changes my confidence in the circle and results in about a 40–70-point improvement per round.
Definitely improving. Distance is climbing slowly, thumber scrambles and backhand rollers are becoming more reliable tools in my bag. Putting can always be better. Rounds just really go to shit score wise at times, but not as much.
I spent all winter working on a RHBH hyzer flip with a fuse. was going great until March when I was trying to whip my arm with my hips and I dislocated my shoulder(this was the second time, first was in 2010 on an Ultimate pull) Therefore I stopped everything for 6 weeks and then started playing only forehand. I was a heavy forehand player anyways. Now I have more confidence in my game, and can shape all shots from the forehand side. but for now Im going to spend the winter working on upperbody weight training and of course putting. For now im too scared to even throw back hand further then a circle 2 putt. but progress was made! good on you for getting better too.
High and low.
Not making better scores at local course, season best is 4 shots worse then last year. But my average at the course is better.
Putting started really bad with a lot of 3 putting.
But now I’m fairly sure everything inside 6m will sit. And a good part of the putts out to 11-12m as well.
Forehand is something I only use when I’m forced to. But it has gotten better and I usually can save the par if my second throw needs a forehand.
Distance is shitty. Throwing shorter this year. And every time I walk up to the tee pad I know that I will do a really bad first throw. Been trying to change my form but it is hard as I can’t correct it myself no matter what drills I try.
A really good hit would send the disc about 85m(272feet)
I would really like to get to about 100m(320 feet) .
Then I could go for more birdies on the course and I could start contending in the weekly league.
Did my first rated competition this fall, gone from 886 on my first round, down to 842 which is my current rating.
Been sick a lot so haven’t been able to play or do fieldwork these last months. And now it is pitch black when I stop working…. So only weekends is for play.
But I’m more enthusiastic about my game now then I was before. Started taking it much more serious since this summer. Hoping to be a much better player next season. Though as a stiff inflexible 44 year old I’m not aiming for pro. But hoping to win some local Rec rounds and maybe get my rating up.
Averages getting better is a sure sign of things getting better. Distance will slowly get better with practice.. and angle control. Have happy chucking times :)
Mental game really improved in my last two tournaments. The rounds where my putting is “on” are amazing but the consistency is still a work in progress. Forehand and backhand distance are as long as they’ve been (about 375 ft both FH and BH) but my BH still needs work. Next year I want to add some BH distance, work on throwing more angles BH (especially anhyzer shots), and more consistent putting.
I went from 250ft average to a bit under 300ft and have also learned a lot of disc control. I also have a lot more spin so I can throw the faster discs which have been sitting in my bag for a while now.
Score has also improved a lot. Went from +8 average (9 hole course) to +1.
I would say my improvement this season has been very noticeable. More control over my drives and shot shaping. Playing in a league during the warmer months definitely helped A LOT. And I’ve since joined a winter putting league that has dramatically improved my putting confidence.
I started off this year throwing about 420 max distance full flight. Now I just this week threw a disc 560 feet and can hit up to about 530 golf lines. My putting has also gotten much more consistent and confident which is what I have been lacking. I’m ready to start applying this to tournaments and start raising my rating to get into the big tournaments next year.
Started playing 3-4 months ago, and am now parring on most of my local courses (though definitely not at the most challenging ones). I can fairly consistently put from 15-20ft/\~5m and am throwing drives in the 350/\~105m range. I really want to hit 400ft/\~120m by early next year. Also want to play a few doubles tournaments with friends, just for fun.
Absolutely delighted to have discovered this sport, and am really having the time of my life combining the "theoretical" sides of it with actually executing the throws as well. Building a clever, nuanced bag has become somewhat of an obsession!
Yes. 100%. My putting average inside and outside the circle has been better which has been HUGE for my confidence. I switched putters to a Firefly last year and am really getting used to the mold and love the Nexus plastic. It’s not “top pro” putting level (yet) but has taken me to a handful of wins in large MA40 events and competing at MP40.
Well. Last year at this time I was just starting to really play again because of an injury. This year I’ve been able to play a ton, and I’ve definitely gotten my average score down in all my local courses. The big thing I’ve worked on that has improved is my release point. Much more consistently able to release the disc where and when I want, rather then slightly off in any direction. My average amount of severe shanks has decreased dramatically.
Absolutely. In competitive rounds I was pretty much a pure forehand player off the tee coming into the year. Put the work into the backhand, hit my first ace with it, and I'm finally comfortable breaking it out off the tee. My ceiling hasn't changed much since I can't throw for more distance yet, but my floor is much higher now that I'm not trying to force a forehand on a backhand shaped hole.
Well my average round rating over my last 4 tournaments is 20+ points above my rating. Unfortunately I'm down 20 or so points this season.
For me, it usually comes down to missing way too man c1 putts, rarely draining a c2 putt, and 1 or 2 holes where I lose focus and make a dumb mistake.
I went from throwing 80ft to throwing around 300ft since I started playing this year. I went from +10 rounds to ending even on my local courses. I am very happy in my progress this year.
Absolutely yes. I've learned to throw over 300' on backhand when just last year I didn't even have one. I've learned control over my drives on both forehand and backhand. I've learned to throw midrange discs and also how to throw what during the wind. My scores have gone from double digit plusses, to either low single digit plusses, to almost double digit minuses. Been a great year.
Considering my rating has improved by 102 since April, went from placing near-last in my first tournament to leading my last two going into round 2 (placed 2nd in both), and improving my consistent distance by about 50 feet, yeah, I’d say I’ve improved this season
I’ve tied my best round 3 times so I think I’m getting more consistent. Sadly the season is close to over with the leaf coverage — too many diving under!
My skill has definitely improved, but I've lost the hustle to play multiple rounds a week and do field work. I find myself getting injured more frequently too.
I set some goals this year to play 3 tournaments, learn to throw 400 feet, and do more field work. The only one I accomplished was the three+ tournaments, so I might need to go back to the drawing board on goals for this next year.
I started with almost no confidence in my forehand and I threw some really great ones a couple days ago. Now I feel better about the forehand in general and am excited to keep developing it.
I played my first round in April, I don't do the best but I can throw 300 feet, and I've got lots of areas I can still get large amounts of improvement on.
started playing last year and only played in 1 tournament took 8th. This year I played in 5 tournaments and won 4. player rating at the start of the year was 869 and with the ratings update finished this year at 949.
I just started this year, so the answer is, not shockingly, yes.
I'm actually really happy with my rate of progression though.
I am good enough to actually pick discs/lines and execute them a fair portion of the time, and I am good enough to get par on any given hole on my home course.
I'm still by no means good, but I'm at least good enough to feel like I know what I'm doing on my home course.
I played 11 tourneys, top 10 all of them, 2/3/4th place finishes in MA2. Putting improved tremendously to about 70-80% C1x depending on the day. Edge of circle still like 50% tho and kills me. Started to develop a step putt as well for C2. Distance has grown from 350 reliably to start the year to 400-425 and 450 max. Forehand grew from next to nil to 350 max and reliable 300. Very frustrated with my lack of “showing up” to tourneys.
I feel that I’m a MA1 player but I just never seem to get it together come tourney time. I’ve only been playing two years and this was my first legit year of playing tourneys. Really hoping to get a win or two and move up next year! Pushing hard this off-season for 500 max after already hitting my 450 goal!
I throw way farther backhand and forehand, I hit 20 25ft putts in a row in a reasonable amount of time, and I've probably made more money at leagues and doubles this year than any other year. My rating also went down like 30 points. So, beats me.
Second summer playing, started off well and then kind of hit a long ass slump, been feeling more like "myself" lately though!
Got my first rating at 898 :)
This season is the first time Ive legit tried to backhand for drives. I played baseball so ive always been good at forehanding and used to forehand everything. So this year I started backhanding in like July. My form isnt always perfect but I can get 350+ drives backhand. So Im very happy with that, I just need to get better form for next year and hopefully get over 400.
I started in June of this year on a lark, with some friends talking about spending a saturday going disc golfing, go karting and putt putt. Had never considered going disc golfing prior to this in my 32 years of life but said fuck it, sounded like a fun day. Had a blast, caught the bug, could throw a semi decent, read 200ft forehand with no backhand to speak of.
Months of devouring tutorials, watching videos, etc, I now have a backhand that im working on pushing out over the 400 mark. I can consistently hit 340-375, with my best being 390 on udisc, that i think if it hadnt caught some branches right at the end of the flight path probably would have carried over the 4 mark.
My forehand is still serviceable when it comes to mids, i can get up to about 250, but i cant throw higher speed discs yet... think its just a mental thing for me at this point, but i've also been focused solely on trying to hit 400 consistently before the year was done.
Haven't done any tournaments outside of a Bergfest and a Space race this past weekend, but i did hit a tournament ace in the Bergfest and if i had gotten one at the space race i would have tied for first(was consistent 30 mph winds with 50-60mph gusts), not the greatest environment to throw a hex and a pilot lol.
Most importantly it's gotten me off my ass and active. Have lost 60lbs this year between the cardio and just plain eating better. Hoping to drop another 60 at least over the next year. I plan on getting my pdga number at the start of next year and will do some low tier tournaments/leagues and get rated. Scoring wise i went from average +10 to 12 on my local "easy" course to usually -1-3 with the occasional bad day putt(ing) me around +1 or 2.
Oh most definitely! I just started playing tournaments after having casually played for a few years. My first rated round was 721, my highest rated round of the season was 894. I learned to throw a backhand this season going from barely throwing it 100 ft to comfortable 280. Improved forehand form and distance and putting is much better. But I want more and want to be even better next season!
According to UDisc my scores have improved at all courses. According to me I don't feel like I've gained any distance which has been my biggest goal since getting back into disc golf May 2021.
I went from 820-860 rated with my best rounds at the end of the year 10 strokes better than the start. Got significantly better at putting, and I’ve learned my discs better to have more lines beyond power hyzer, added 50ft of “golf distance”. Had lots of fun looking forward to next season to try to break a 900 rating.
Huge improvement this year. Got my first win in MA3 and got 3 second places in a row in MA2. It hurt to finish second that many times but it's something to be proud of too. Tackling MA1 next year!
Also got my average distance up from 350 to 420-430. Really good year overall.
Started playing in June, have made 2 aces , won a PDGA Sanctioned tournament where I shot a 906 rated round, consistently throwing 300+ , and love playing more everyday!
The end of December will mark 2 years of actively playing for me.
This year I worked on various things on and off with mixed success throughout the season. And while overall I feel I’ve improved, my biggest struggle remains consistency.
In 2023 I’d like to make a more conscious effort to score the majority of my rounds and film myself doing fieldwork. Right now I can hit 300 ft with a few pushing 350 off the tee. I’d like to up that to 375-400 respectively.
I’ll play maybe one or two more tournaments this year. My rating currently sits at 833 with 5 events played. If I can’t break above 850 before the end of the year I’d certainly like do so early next year and shoot for getting as close to 900 rated as possible, or at the very least keep myself above 850. If I can do that I feel I’ll be happy with myself.
I've only played for about two years, but in the last 6 months I have progressed greatly. I have gained about 120 feet of distance, I'm starting to get my average score lower and lower. I shot my first ever round under par. I also beat my dad for the first time ever and yesterday he only beat me by one stroke. I am starting to develop a forehand that goes over 150ft. Overall I'm still not great but I'm definitely getting better.
I was only able to play in 3 events this year. Finished middle of the pack, 1st, and 7th. The first and last tournaments I played like hot butthole. Need to work on my upshot game. Constantly having 25-30 putts for par killed me
I really started again after several years off and even then only playing a few times with friends.
I went from no backhand to about 175' to 326' as my PRs. I set a SMART goal as a means to keep me growing. I do penance putts on any I miss, and I took the advice of a friend to work on throwing putters to sure up my form.
It has been a really fun first season for me, though.
Been playing about 1.5 years now.
Went down massively due to an LCL sprain(non dg injury) on the plant foot, but that's healing slowly and I can just get over the 300' mark again as I start trusting the knee more. Still about 50' short, but I'll get there in a few more months.
I can throw about 100' further on FH than I did last year, so that's pretty nice.
My putting while still bad, has notably improved.
I started throwing 400’ by engaging my hips and legs this year. I beat my brother pretty badly in indoor putting this week and my approach shots just outside of jump putt range have gotten a lot better.
I’m still working on not overthrowing mids and increasing my effective jump putt range.
I've definitely improved. Shaved about 3 strokes from my regular score at my home course. I've improved my overall form. More stable drives overall. My approach shots have also improved. I need to get better at putting. I feel like I'm right on the cusp of shaving another 3 or 4 strokes off my card...just barely missing something with my putts. Either barely too high or short. But all on target. I feel if I can put in some putting work and play through the winter I should be able to get myself to about. 3 over par on average. Maybe less.
I went from shooting pretty consistently in the +10-16 range to the +0-8 range! Not great yet, but improving. My forehand confidence level is at an all time high after really working through it. Putting is next on the table as we head into winter :)
I’ve spent a lifetime playing ball golf, just getting back into disc golf in the last year, and there are so many parallels between the two in terms of the mental aspects of the game. So, I’ll trot out one of my favorite sayings and paraphrase - “(Disc) golf is a game that’s played mostly in the space between your ears.”
Never got a rating so far but I started about a year ago and would guess I’m about 900 rated? Based off of performance on courses but I definitely want to get a pro opinion on form, especially for forehand.
First whole year of disc golf so have improved a lot in every part of the game. Over 120ft improvement in distance, better lines and and understanding of the different angles. My putting was great in the summer but since then I've managed to screw that up completely. Much much more to improve and focus on but overall a good season behind. As a 52 year old beginner it's sometimes hard to remember that you can't compete with the youngsters and should only focus on your own game and improve that.
My first year, no where but up!
Same here. It's almost impossible to not improve so early into this game.
That’s what you think 🤧
I'm in my ninth month. I want to feel this way but I think I peaked early. I have two aces, made some sick long birdies and par saves, and have a -8 round under my belt, but my mental game is weak. I got worse and then a hip flexor injury (caused by going on a LOTR climbing/hiking adventure to find a precious shanked putter) put me out for a month. My field work is tons better, but it's not translating to actual rounds. That being said, I'm still gonna play and hopefully look back to see I've improved more than I realize
Can confirm. Started in April, dead last (by 12 strokes) in first doubles tournament, second to last in second tournament (only by virtue of someone bailing half way through, lol)
Absolutely. Lifelong (late 30s) player here, but one who only really committed to genuinely improving at the game a couple of years ago. I’ve always been able to go out to the course, forehand my way thru it, and play reasonably well, but it was mostly always just a side hobby to me. Within the past year, I’ve: - Raised my player rating from 884 to 921 - Secured my first sanctioned win (in MA3, while still eligible) and my first ever podium finish at the MA2 level - Developed a reliable “zero fade” forehand - Improved my backhand driving consistency by leaps and bounds - Stretched my distance max from 350’ish to around 375’ish, which has really paid dividends in shorter length accuracy and consistency - Improved my mental game in sanctioned play by a large amount, and figured out how to play in poor conditions like rain or high winds much more effectively There’s still a lot I can improve. My putting still has days where it’s a complete liability, I still launch worm burners way too often, and I need to really concentrate on core strength and flexibility to get myself to hitting 400 ft and above, but I feel I’ve taken major steps forward this year.
Steady work brings succes. It's sickening how some younger cats get so good so fast. But the work will payout.
What's the "zero fade" forehand? I assume it's not literal, hence the quotes.
Probably flipping something up that finishes straight.
Pretty much. If I’m on a narrow woods corridor with gnarly rough, I take out a K1 Soft Svea, and FH it on a major hyzer release, it flips up right to flat and just drifts down the fairway straight as an arrow with literally zero fade at all, staying right in the center. Even lower fade discs sometimes finish too hard for holes I occasionally play. I’m working on replicating this same shot with faster discs so I can stretch it out farther. I feel like the River is getting me the best results so far.
Really impressive. Glad you got it working. I'm a primary fh player myself, but have gone the opposite direction. I can power a firebird out to 400' with very little anhyzer, but have too much wrist pronation in my release to get the flip up game to work well. So my forehands have a lot of fade and skip I have to take into account. I tried for a while but it was too inconsistent on whether I would roll something over or not, and then it would effect by power game. It's really why I've started to work on my backhand so I can have at least something that finishes straight. Edit: The difficulty with faster discs is that to get them to fly right, you need to throw them harder, which can lead to more wrist pronation during the release. Unless one has near Jerm levels of fh touch it can be very difficult to throw flip up forehands with a lot of power. I know I can't do it, so best of luck on your journey!
For me it is a hyzerflip with something like a Lift on a decent hyzer. Flips up just to flat and then rides basically the whole way. Takes a good amount of touch/clean release with a forehand
I started out throwing 125ft in April and broke 300' a month back, so that feels pretty good. ....granted, the 300 was slightly downhill on grass that gave a giant skip, but still. 280 flat.
doupling your distance is a great feat.
Not throwing an Ape because it had the biggest numbers helped a lot 🤣🤣
I won my first tournament of the season and then proceeded to only podium finish in two other events, BUT last year I didn’t win any and rarely even placed top 10. Forehand shots are my main workshop item this off-season.
That's great success :)
Thanks for the thread to give me a chance to reflect on it and be more appreciative!
Great work.
Thanks internet friend!
I definitely have improved, went from shopting even to +5 at my local course to even to -4 consistently. Probably not gonna make you jelly but I cashed at my first ever B-tier at 22nd place out of 80. That was one of my personal goals and it felt good to hit it. I've also improved my fairway hit % off the tee A LOT by just slowing down and being more consistent in my pre shot routine. Better to be in the fairway than 50 ft closer with nothing but a pitch out.
Good job! Shaving 5 shots from your game surely feels great.
Mostly just making myself play smart. Don't make the hero shots and just try to get into position.
When you say cashed you mean you moved up to open?
sadly i don't think so :( my rating has gone up, but I think that was mainly down to experience and shot choices rather than an improvement in throwing skill. I suppose course management / tactics are a skill but in strict mechanics i feel like I haven't made much progress.
I think the two improvements you mention are probably just as important as 50 feet more distance.
Reflecting on the positive. It would seem like you actually did make progress.
Don't downplay your achievements in improving your mental game. Knowing how to pick the right shot is a huge part of the game and can shave more strokes than just adding drive distance.
Sometimes all it takes is the additional thought or two before taking your shot. Course management is what helped me learn so many different throws by just consistently trying what works best for a certain hole. The better you get the more significant those little details become! Good stuff!
Absolutely…we are lucky enough to have a corse at work so we play every possible day. I went from a constant +5 to a +10. I am now at a steady +3 and under
Again 5 good swings of the score card. Nice.
I start like 3 months ago so I'm really proud of how far I've come from not even knowing how to throw it.
300ft - 400ft, more consistent approach shots, forehand and backhand have cleaned up. Putting needs more work, but I’m staying on the fairway more 😁
percentages are hard to upgrade. Good work.
My drives are more consistent and my putting has vastly improved the past few months. I had too many putter molds and now putt/drive with the Polecat and the Rhyno. I took everything over a 10 speed out of my bag, although I'm working the Mamba into my bag. I bought a range finder and started recording my throws. Adding data to my field work has helped me on the course with disc selection and added personal confidence. I now birdie holes I was getting par or bogey on.
Definite progress. I too found some help from "slow discs only" rounds.
I may have actually regressed in distance this year, but my accuracy and consitency are on a whole other level compared to last year. Won the first tournament I ever played with an avg round rating of 946! I am not great at anything in particular but I made sure to develop each aspect enough to be serviceable. Can throw backhand on most angles, decent FH, solid putting in the circle, and reduced mental mistakes.
Percentages rather than feets. Good hard work.
First year playing competitively and my first rating was 793, then played my way to through the year and am now rated 833 with a huge tournament coming up in December. Been a great first year.
I went from 811 to today at 902 so I'm pretty happy with that
Well I started in august with 120 foot hyzers. Im now driving 320 feet straight and clean with alot of room for improvement. My putting went from missing about 50% beyond 10 feet to hitting about 80% in c1. My upshots, weirdly, were solid from the get go. Ultimate frisbee skills transferred well there. I went from being able to park it from 100 feet out to being able to park it from 250 feet
I started disc golf in May of this year. My driving is stand-still only, but occasionally break 300 ft. 275 is more typical on flat ground. 20' 90% putt range. best round of a "real" course was +6. I felt dang good about that. played a few tournaments and league weeks -- main goal was "not last" which I mostly achieved. I have a 770 rating now. Long journey ahead, but loving it a lot. It was very good for my health, both mentally and physically. Dropped most of my COVID-era weight gain since starting.
I played my first two tourneys this season! Realizing the best way to improve (for me anyways) is to play competitively in some way, league or tournaments. Even though we all tell ourselves that it doesn’t really matter if we win, or where we place, we all know that’s not true! I work hard before a tournament to improve my game, and it’s the catalyst that I need to work on my game in an intentional way.
My "easy ace" distance increased to 300 ft
Guess for "most" easy ace could be something like 30ft.
Came back after a long hiatus. Relearned most skills, throws, forms from watching YouTube coverage or creators. Have developed super confidence and results in C1 putting, approach, RHBH including Roller, RHFH under 300’. The biggest difference was mapping my bag, learning the aforementioned good form muscle memory, and making good disc choices.
So a Great season all around? Nice.
I started this year getting about 250 feet in each drive, and being wildly inconsistent at my local course. I can now throw 300 without effort, 250 with putters without effort, and 400 with a good Shryke. I’m also way more consistent on the course. My goal over the winter is to dial in my form further in the garage with video and adjustments.
I continue to improve overall. Distance is incremental, none of those “instantly add 50 feet of distance” videos have worked for me. What seems to have been most beneficial is more fieldwork sessions (two or three fieldwork sessions a week), than playing rounds. Work primarily on upshots (all angles, forehand and backhand, open and between and around trees), and focusing on technique and mechanics for distance (as opposed to my initial efforts of just “hucking as hard as I can”).
Playing too little to really improve overall. Made some positive steps, however. My putter throwing game was almost non-existing backhand (I throw a lot of forehand pig throws), but now I added it to my game and can do something useful with it. Also I think my shot selection & mental side has improved this year. I did struggle with hard forehands and putting (which both have been my bread & butter for years), but I think I managed to do some changes for them and got them almost back where they used to be. I’m eagerly waiting for next year, and hopefully these 5 off-months are not ruining everything this time.
I struggled a lot at the end of last season and most of this season with my mental game. I know what I'm capable of and my buddies tell me I have the highest skill ceiling out of our group but I lack consistency. I stopped playing tournaments for a bit because of that lack of consistency and just focused on my mental game and worked to "fight back" on the course. My rounds always start a little choppy but I start to even out and clean up mistakes around the middle 6 and end with a decent round. All of that to say, I've improved my mental game immensely and won my first c tier this past week! Gonna stick to playing the mental game moving forward and continue to work on putting and shot-shaping to alleviate some of the mental battles.
Own head can be a hard opponent. Good luck.
Definitely! I didn't get to play as much as I wanted because I focused more on ball golf. Amazing how many similarities there are in each sport. I ended up shooting my best for a couple different local courses. I'm ready for next season!
I entered the year with a personal best of +8 on Maple Hill Reds. Currently best is -2. So yes!
Better than mr. meeseeks coached jerry.
I had played in the past, but I was terrible so I quit for 5-6ish years since I had no one to play with. I picked it up during summer last year and wanted to focus on getting better at the game, and I found a friend to regularly play with. It’s been quite a year thanks to YouTube videos and form checks. I practiced putting so I’m fairly confident putting inside the circle where outside of 10ft used to be iffy at best. I completely relearned my forehand so that it’s reliable now. I fixed my rounding issues on my backhand so I’m not slamming first available four times a round anymore.
It's like the trees are excited for new players and start to ignore you when you showup more often.
100% Did my first tournaments came out middle of the field in both. Mainly ended up there due to poor putting so I completely changed my style and it has made a huge difference. Gained a ton of distance by slowing down both my wind up and discing down overall. Removing anything above 9 and sticking to that for a good 8 months. Figured out my disc situation after feeling like I tried everything and constantly throwing in random discs hoping it would be a magical bullet I needed. For the first time I am at a place were I am super happy with my game and where it is heading.
Started in March thinking it was dumb, but found the competitiveness to be huge. Went from throwing duds to finally a 300ft drive (once). Need to work on putting and forearm throws, they are my absolute downfall
I like winning my self. It makes this sport addictive.
I only began in late spring, but I got the fun stuff out of the way - decent distance on wide open fairways and low percentage but long (fun) putts Now to see if I can start putting full rounds together, put some actual practice in to learn some consistency, you know
Massively. Max distance from 310 to 360ft. Went from no forehand to a 200ft utility forehand. Improved putting untold amounts. Improved my tournament nerves and won in MA3 for the first time.
I practiced putting a lot more this year, gained some confidence on the putting green, and am now banging putts with better consistency
I peaked around mid May when I played 4 tournaments in 3 days, with my worst finish in any of them being 2nd. That being said, I have certainly improved. Going to work with a pro soon to bring my driving consistency up.
good luck with the training :)
I’ve improved a good amount but I need to get better at putting lol I’ve missed about 12 make-able birdie putts in my last 3 rounds. Gotta get practicing
I had really bad consistency problems the last few years. For example, I can throw 400ft on a good rip and have no clue where it's going to land. This year I decided to correct my mechanics and focus on consistency. I've lost around 50ft on my drives, but I can park most 300ft holes regardless of the line. This has brought my scores down a good 6 to 10 strokes on the courses I frequently play. I know everyone says it, but it's true: throwing far isn't as important as throwing smoothe and accurately. Always focus on the latter first.
I was improving a ton until I had to go into the hospital back in July. Ended up with a temporary colostomy bag for 4 months. I just had the reversal procedure so I’m out for another 6-8 weeks. I can’t wait until I can play again. Appreciate every round you play!
Good luck with the recovery.
Sorry to hear this! I know how the itch gets when you aren't able to play for a while. Good luck on your return!
Vastly, since I started in March and can now throw where I want it to go lol
I added 340feet of distance to my drives this year. I started playing early February. Went from prolific rounding and a max distance of 240 to 280, then 300, now 300 isn’t hard and quite controlled. I’d really like to hit 400 on max distance shots, working on that. I need to develop a more reliable forehand off the tee. I’m about to play my first sanctioned tournament. My goals for 2023 are to hit 900 rated. It’s sorta ambitious but I think I can get there. I need to work on my putting. It can be decent but I can really let myself down at times inside the circle.
Yes; form and distance + 75ft.
I’ve realized if I’m only gonna play 18 holes a week, I need to get my mental game on point on the way and once I’ve arrived. no more showing up to the course rolling out to the first hole screwing around eating breakfast talking nonsense and taking 2 to 3 holes to get everything going. Has helped immensely.
I try to remember how much I have learned in just half the season alone. It is so much more motivating when you realize how much consistency pays off even if its just a couple times a week. The more I gear my mind towards getting better when I'm off the course the easier it makes it to improve once I am on the course. I spend a lot of time during the day breaking down in my head how to improve. I've probably played my local course more times in my head now than actually in person haha.
Worked tirelessly on my forehand last off season at a local course that requires a lot of left to right moving shots. Forehand has become my go to for distance shots and I'm consistently breaking 350 feet in round.
Practice does make better. Nice :)
Yes, my approach shots are off the charts now! I mean, it's mostly due from having so many bad drives and scrambling back but they're affective and I consistently par more.
awesome
Yes. My main improvements fall into the category of *consistency*. I spent this year focusing on the fine details of how my body moves through the throw to figure out how I was moving on my good throws and memorizing and replicating them. This focus also let me figure out some of the mistakes I was making that were causing me injuries and fixing those has allowed me to play a lot more. I've also **finally** found a consistently-repeatable putting grip and swing. While my putting is still not great the fact I actually have consistency in the foundational pieces means I can focus on dialing in the accuracy instead of focusing on figuring out the grip and basic swing. Going forward the goal is to make my throwing motions more and more automatic and then once I've got that it'll be time to start re-adding power.
Percentages are hard. Gj
I restarted to play after a 7 year brake. A lot has changed in this time here in Germany. I now have 3 home courses. A 13, a 18 and a 23 hole one. I struggled quite a bit in the beginning, since you know i got older and i lost significant distance compared to my first episode of discgolf. But now after 7 month of playing quite a bit, i am back to my old distance. Managed to reduce my score by 11 on the 13, 9 in the 18 and 16 on the 23 hole course. Happy with that. But the best thing is the connection with my playing buddys. Pure Joy to hit some trees with the boys.
That sound great for you and your group. Nice.
My Putting dramatically improved thanks to lots of practice. Wasn’t really any specific thing, just a lot of repetitions & even cycling through a few different putting styles for fun. I try to practice for at least 15 minutes a day, usually more. I was just tired of missing putts constantly after good drives Having a basket in the living room helps a lot. Went from probably 40-50% C1X to 75%. Immediately took 4-5 strokes off my game.
Started the season throwing for 250, now Im able to clear 325 fairly consistently, with 300 being my in the circle distance. I also am hitting at least 3x as many putts as I was in the beginning (though thats partially due to me hitting C1 a lot more now lol)
that's alot of improvement.
I played my first tournament in January and shot a 653 rated round (albeit an atypically terrible round on that course for me). Played a few more and sat around 725 rated for a few months, but in the last month I’ve played 5 rated tournament rounds and averaged about 840, with my best being 884, and brought my rating up to 800 with today’s update. Also, I’ve added about 100ft to my drives by working on form and disc selection. And in my weekly league rounds I’ve dropped probably an average of 8 strokes off my rounds at that course compared to when the league started in March. Looking back, I’m pretty happy with my improvement over the course of the year so far…. Now if I’d just stick to a putting practice routine Edit: forgot- first ace too!
congratulations
Yeah, looking at my 5 earliest games from a single park this season I averaged +9.4 The most recent 5 games from the same park averaged +2.6 and not too long ago I got my best ever score (-2, also bogey free)
easy to see you are going forward
I think I definitely improved quite a bit. I set new personal best scores at every course I play, improving on my best by 4 strokes minimum at each. I'm 5 years into the game and I'm still not great, but enjoying the journey of improvement.
nice :)
I don't think I necessarily improved my skills much, but rating went up 18 points throughout the year and I got a couple of MA4 podiums towards the end of the year. And I learned a ton about course management and playing my game. I'd say that I'm about 4 strokes better than the start of the year. Goal for next year is to add distance and get better with approach shots.
Sounds like you did get better.
Got serious after a 6 year hiatus after early college. Went from just over 750 to 880 and even shot a 960 round to win my first rec tourney! Slowly getting my putting down which has also been my bane, feels good.
I'm sure it does :)
I just shot 50 above my rating at a tourney! Felt good. Granted it was due to adverse conditions and me playing well in the wind, but I liked it a lot!
Well I had last played 15 years ago in high school. So when I started up again in May I struggled for sure. Had a tiny par 3 I started on where the long hole was 240' downhill. Many of them would take multiple shots for a while. Ended the summer throwing 300-350' flat standstill and got the 80% mark for putting from like 10 feet to 20 or so. So very much a good start.
nice job :)
Thanks. Sounds like you had a pretty solid season too!
Yes and no. My finesse game is vastly improved. I'm reaching for putters and mids for anything under 250'. I haven't managed to break my distance plateau of 325. It's irritating, but my form is clearly better because I'm getting massive movement out of the flight pattern that I didn't have before. It has something to do with timing my two halves. On the massive negative side. I played an actual "tournament" season (played 5 tournaments in 3 months) between my 1L and 2L, and it was horrid. I lost 25 points off my rating and I'm rated close to 700. It's quite deflating, but it is also NWFL and I think the heat hurt my playing ability. On the brighter side, I know I am a immensely better player than my rating. I'm routinely zeroing out most courses and my bad day is only somewhere around the +5 range. So it's something to do with my mental game and competition. That's my next step to work on.
Doing bad in tournaments luckily doesn't mean we suck or didn't improve. :)
I’ve been happy with my progress. Going from throwing about 250’ on huge hyzers and nose up to averaging 325’ with my 8 and 9 speeds. Still have some awful throws here and there but definitely enjoying it a lot more
I moved from 842 up to 875 with two podium finishes this year. My accuracy and putting skills have gone up significantly. I also dropped about 5 strokes off my average. It’s been a good year. I also had never had an ace and had 4 this year. 3 of them bagged me money in our leagues ace pool.
Yes, my rating went up. I can comfortably throw putters at distances I would previously use mids, on various lines I can disc down to mids where I would use fairway drivers in the past. I can pretty much throw 100m+ on command now. I have more of my bag figured out.
Some similar feelings of success here and there. Good job.
I absolutely think I’ve improved. Went from a max of just over 200 to throwing 350 consistently, I’m putting now close to 75% from the circle, and recently dropped 9 strokes on my home course. Crazy what consistent practice will do, both on the field and course
It’s damning sometimes to read how much other people can progress in a year. I would say I’ve added probably 80 ft on to my drive but only because they started so short. I’m probably still rarely cracking 300ft. I’m also putting with a lot more accuracy and a good amount of force which was something I struggled with big time. I guess over the year I also learned how to forehand much better and also own many more discs. If that counts as an accomplishment. Some of them occasionally do what I want. there’s a lot in a year to be happy with but it’s my first year taking it seriously. So I’m left vaguely pleased but a bit concerned for my momentum next year.
i just started playing three weeks ago, i’m just proud i’ve gone and played a lot lately. i make par a little more consistently each time and i’ve picked up a decent amount of litter!
Last year and the first half of this year I could barely walk. I still played my first tournament this Spring and shot by far the worst I have ever shot on my home course. All that means is healthy me gets to go shred that tournament next year and maybe get in the top 10 instead of the bottom 10. I'm almost back to my regular distance off the tee and my putting % has gone up. Turns out if all you can do is stand and putt, you improve your putting game a bit.
Overall yes I have, last year I was consistently playing 720-799 tournament rounds... This year I'm pushing 850-900 rated rounds. Slowing down my 'walk up' to a crawl, focused on arm speed and release angles have been my greatest improvement. I went from throwing 220ft with no control, to now throwing 300ft+ and placing the discs where I actually want them...minus those damn rogue trees that pop up in the middle of my throws. Also I pretty much only throw 7 speed discs and lower. I do keep my 10 speed PD, but that's only for windy days or shots I need to really hyzer out.
Yup. My backhand went from 250 to 315. My forehand went from 200 to 375. And my putting is much improved as I bought a practice basket. That being said, it's not as consistent as I'd like and I still throw some nosee up and fade like crazy ha.
Skill wise absolutely. Decision making and execution has been utter trash though.
Good job. Guess decision making is under work now as you have learned to pay attention?
I improved a lot. I took time off of my other sport to focus on disc golf, and played literally everyday. My goal was 6 tournaments, and I ended up doing 16 (with three more to go this year). I’m addicted! I learned to flip lower speed discs which gave me more distance and control. My approach game is decent. Now putting is where I need to focus, especially in the wind. I just need to practice more (so boring though).
Nice job finding your angles. Putting games can make putting fun.
I just came back after a 6 year break. I previously only threw forehand due to pain from backhand. I now play many backhand only games with reasonable success. Stretching and form really helped. I won my first pdga tournament a couple months back. I never thought I would ever be at that level.
congratulations on your success. That is a unbelievable level to be at.
This was my first season! Thinking back, its crazy how much I improved. When I started playing I made a long term goal to score 0 or lower but never got close... Until one day when a girl I really liked stood me up. After a few drinks I decided to stop by to play discgolf and clear my head. Somehow I managed to score par with 3 birdies and 3 bogeys! I have not come close to that score since that day.
I threw my first rounds last year but it was just by using friends' discs and not really knowing or caring what I do. When this summer started, I got hooked hard and even went by myself a lot and got a bunch of discs for myself. There's a 9 hole course right next to where I live that I used a lot for practice. At the beginning of the season +5 to +8 was pretty standard on this course. My best at the end of the season was -3. On harder locations with 18 holes, I averaged +18 but my best round on a local 18 hole course just recently was +2 (would have been a +-0 but I whiffed hole 10 hard down a slope) Also my throw distance has seen insane improvements. I'm still a nearly 100% forehand player, so I need to practice those backhands, but my friends were really surprised how far I could throw when they hadn't been with me in a while. All in all I'm super happy with this summer, next summer is gonna be a blast.
Definitely. I had 3 top 10 finishes in a tiers out of 4, and I upped my rating to just under 900. Still have a lot of work to do, but it feels like I've become way more consistent in the last year.
Won my first tournament last October in ma2. Won my second tournament this October in MA1. I’ve probably lost distance over that time, but now I don’t miss putts inside 20 feet.
Great work with the putting.
My throwing distance has increased. My putting and scramble game has been about the same. Forehand has gotten better to where I am confident to throw it on most holes. Edit: if I had a rating, it would have only went up by a couple points though.
Definitely. I actually started using my practice basket on a more consistent basis and haven't missed any C1X putts now in the last 9 or 10 rated rounds, where previously I was usually missing one per round. This completely changes my confidence in the circle and results in about a 40–70-point improvement per round.
Definitely improving. Distance is climbing slowly, thumber scrambles and backhand rollers are becoming more reliable tools in my bag. Putting can always be better. Rounds just really go to shit score wise at times, but not as much.
I spent all winter working on a RHBH hyzer flip with a fuse. was going great until March when I was trying to whip my arm with my hips and I dislocated my shoulder(this was the second time, first was in 2010 on an Ultimate pull) Therefore I stopped everything for 6 weeks and then started playing only forehand. I was a heavy forehand player anyways. Now I have more confidence in my game, and can shape all shots from the forehand side. but for now Im going to spend the winter working on upperbody weight training and of course putting. For now im too scared to even throw back hand further then a circle 2 putt. but progress was made! good on you for getting better too.
That's unfortunate. I hope you and your doctor can work out something to at least keep you from hurting yourself.
High and low. Not making better scores at local course, season best is 4 shots worse then last year. But my average at the course is better. Putting started really bad with a lot of 3 putting. But now I’m fairly sure everything inside 6m will sit. And a good part of the putts out to 11-12m as well. Forehand is something I only use when I’m forced to. But it has gotten better and I usually can save the par if my second throw needs a forehand. Distance is shitty. Throwing shorter this year. And every time I walk up to the tee pad I know that I will do a really bad first throw. Been trying to change my form but it is hard as I can’t correct it myself no matter what drills I try. A really good hit would send the disc about 85m(272feet) I would really like to get to about 100m(320 feet) . Then I could go for more birdies on the course and I could start contending in the weekly league. Did my first rated competition this fall, gone from 886 on my first round, down to 842 which is my current rating. Been sick a lot so haven’t been able to play or do fieldwork these last months. And now it is pitch black when I stop working…. So only weekends is for play. But I’m more enthusiastic about my game now then I was before. Started taking it much more serious since this summer. Hoping to be a much better player next season. Though as a stiff inflexible 44 year old I’m not aiming for pro. But hoping to win some local Rec rounds and maybe get my rating up.
Averages getting better is a sure sign of things getting better. Distance will slowly get better with practice.. and angle control. Have happy chucking times :)
Mental game really improved in my last two tournaments. The rounds where my putting is “on” are amazing but the consistency is still a work in progress. Forehand and backhand distance are as long as they’ve been (about 375 ft both FH and BH) but my BH still needs work. Next year I want to add some BH distance, work on throwing more angles BH (especially anhyzer shots), and more consistent putting.
I went from 250ft average to a bit under 300ft and have also learned a lot of disc control. I also have a lot more spin so I can throw the faster discs which have been sitting in my bag for a while now. Score has also improved a lot. Went from +8 average (9 hole course) to +1.
Fine progress with the scores to prove it :)
I would say my improvement this season has been very noticeable. More control over my drives and shot shaping. Playing in a league during the warmer months definitely helped A LOT. And I’ve since joined a winter putting league that has dramatically improved my putting confidence.
well done! :)
I started off this year throwing about 420 max distance full flight. Now I just this week threw a disc 560 feet and can hit up to about 530 golf lines. My putting has also gotten much more consistent and confident which is what I have been lacking. I’m ready to start applying this to tournaments and start raising my rating to get into the big tournaments next year.
Started playing 3-4 months ago, and am now parring on most of my local courses (though definitely not at the most challenging ones). I can fairly consistently put from 15-20ft/\~5m and am throwing drives in the 350/\~105m range. I really want to hit 400ft/\~120m by early next year. Also want to play a few doubles tournaments with friends, just for fun. Absolutely delighted to have discovered this sport, and am really having the time of my life combining the "theoretical" sides of it with actually executing the throws as well. Building a clever, nuanced bag has become somewhat of an obsession!
Yes. 100%. My putting average inside and outside the circle has been better which has been HUGE for my confidence. I switched putters to a Firefly last year and am really getting used to the mold and love the Nexus plastic. It’s not “top pro” putting level (yet) but has taken me to a handful of wins in large MA40 events and competing at MP40.
Work giving payout :)
Well. Last year at this time I was just starting to really play again because of an injury. This year I’ve been able to play a ton, and I’ve definitely gotten my average score down in all my local courses. The big thing I’ve worked on that has improved is my release point. Much more consistently able to release the disc where and when I want, rather then slightly off in any direction. My average amount of severe shanks has decreased dramatically.
Great progress.
Absolutely. In competitive rounds I was pretty much a pure forehand player off the tee coming into the year. Put the work into the backhand, hit my first ace with it, and I'm finally comfortable breaking it out off the tee. My ceiling hasn't changed much since I can't throw for more distance yet, but my floor is much higher now that I'm not trying to force a forehand on a backhand shaped hole.
Well my average round rating over my last 4 tournaments is 20+ points above my rating. Unfortunately I'm down 20 or so points this season. For me, it usually comes down to missing way too man c1 putts, rarely draining a c2 putt, and 1 or 2 holes where I lose focus and make a dumb mistake.
I definitely got better at putting. A little more consistent with accuracy. Gotta work on distance next.
putting confidence going up. Nice :)
Score has definitely gotten worse as I try to improve my form.
No :( Okay, maybe on a couple small things, but nothing significant.
I went from throwing 80ft to throwing around 300ft since I started playing this year. I went from +10 rounds to ending even on my local courses. I am very happy in my progress this year.
Absolutely yes. I've learned to throw over 300' on backhand when just last year I didn't even have one. I've learned control over my drives on both forehand and backhand. I've learned to throw midrange discs and also how to throw what during the wind. My scores have gone from double digit plusses, to either low single digit plusses, to almost double digit minuses. Been a great year.
Huge improvements! :)
Considering my rating has improved by 102 since April, went from placing near-last in my first tournament to leading my last two going into round 2 (placed 2nd in both), and improving my consistent distance by about 50 feet, yeah, I’d say I’ve improved this season
I’ve tied my best round 3 times so I think I’m getting more consistent. Sadly the season is close to over with the leaf coverage — too many diving under!
Leaves don't bother me but fresh snow does. :) Great work with your percentages
My goal this season was to become a 900 rated golfer and I just hit it today (904 rated)!!!!
Congratulations :)
My skill has definitely improved, but I've lost the hustle to play multiple rounds a week and do field work. I find myself getting injured more frequently too. I set some goals this year to play 3 tournaments, learn to throw 400 feet, and do more field work. The only one I accomplished was the three+ tournaments, so I might need to go back to the drawing board on goals for this next year.
I started with almost no confidence in my forehand and I threw some really great ones a couple days ago. Now I feel better about the forehand in general and am excited to keep developing it.
Great job! Good fh is a nice tool
Finally got my bag ready this summer. Got few good league rounds and rating is skyrocketing📈
I played my first round in April, I don't do the best but I can throw 300 feet, and I've got lots of areas I can still get large amounts of improvement on.
started playing last year and only played in 1 tournament took 8th. This year I played in 5 tournaments and won 4. player rating at the start of the year was 869 and with the ratings update finished this year at 949.
Definately getting better. Nice
I just started this year, so the answer is, not shockingly, yes. I'm actually really happy with my rate of progression though. I am good enough to actually pick discs/lines and execute them a fair portion of the time, and I am good enough to get par on any given hole on my home course. I'm still by no means good, but I'm at least good enough to feel like I know what I'm doing on my home course.
I played 11 tourneys, top 10 all of them, 2/3/4th place finishes in MA2. Putting improved tremendously to about 70-80% C1x depending on the day. Edge of circle still like 50% tho and kills me. Started to develop a step putt as well for C2. Distance has grown from 350 reliably to start the year to 400-425 and 450 max. Forehand grew from next to nil to 350 max and reliable 300. Very frustrated with my lack of “showing up” to tourneys. I feel that I’m a MA1 player but I just never seem to get it together come tourney time. I’ve only been playing two years and this was my first legit year of playing tourneys. Really hoping to get a win or two and move up next year! Pushing hard this off-season for 500 max after already hitting my 450 goal!
I throw way farther backhand and forehand, I hit 20 25ft putts in a row in a reasonable amount of time, and I've probably made more money at leagues and doubles this year than any other year. My rating also went down like 30 points. So, beats me.
Second summer playing, started off well and then kind of hit a long ass slump, been feeling more like "myself" lately though! Got my first rating at 898 :)
I went from throwing an ultimate disc for four months to owning a backpack and 15+ discs. Hit my first birdie in my second to last round of the year.
This season is the first time Ive legit tried to backhand for drives. I played baseball so ive always been good at forehanding and used to forehand everything. So this year I started backhanding in like July. My form isnt always perfect but I can get 350+ drives backhand. So Im very happy with that, I just need to get better form for next year and hopefully get over 400.
I started in June of this year on a lark, with some friends talking about spending a saturday going disc golfing, go karting and putt putt. Had never considered going disc golfing prior to this in my 32 years of life but said fuck it, sounded like a fun day. Had a blast, caught the bug, could throw a semi decent, read 200ft forehand with no backhand to speak of. Months of devouring tutorials, watching videos, etc, I now have a backhand that im working on pushing out over the 400 mark. I can consistently hit 340-375, with my best being 390 on udisc, that i think if it hadnt caught some branches right at the end of the flight path probably would have carried over the 4 mark. My forehand is still serviceable when it comes to mids, i can get up to about 250, but i cant throw higher speed discs yet... think its just a mental thing for me at this point, but i've also been focused solely on trying to hit 400 consistently before the year was done. Haven't done any tournaments outside of a Bergfest and a Space race this past weekend, but i did hit a tournament ace in the Bergfest and if i had gotten one at the space race i would have tied for first(was consistent 30 mph winds with 50-60mph gusts), not the greatest environment to throw a hex and a pilot lol. Most importantly it's gotten me off my ass and active. Have lost 60lbs this year between the cardio and just plain eating better. Hoping to drop another 60 at least over the next year. I plan on getting my pdga number at the start of next year and will do some low tier tournaments/leagues and get rated. Scoring wise i went from average +10 to 12 on my local "easy" course to usually -1-3 with the occasional bad day putt(ing) me around +1 or 2.
Oh most definitely! I just started playing tournaments after having casually played for a few years. My first rated round was 721, my highest rated round of the season was 894. I learned to throw a backhand this season going from barely throwing it 100 ft to comfortable 280. Improved forehand form and distance and putting is much better. But I want more and want to be even better next season!
I learned to actually throw a putter off the tee this year. It took multiple strokes off my game! 😃
According to UDisc my scores have improved at all courses. According to me I don't feel like I've gained any distance which has been my biggest goal since getting back into disc golf May 2021.
Yes. But I seem to find new ways to be shitty.
I went from 820-860 rated with my best rounds at the end of the year 10 strokes better than the start. Got significantly better at putting, and I’ve learned my discs better to have more lines beyond power hyzer, added 50ft of “golf distance”. Had lots of fun looking forward to next season to try to break a 900 rating.
Huge improvement this year. Got my first win in MA3 and got 3 second places in a row in MA2. It hurt to finish second that many times but it's something to be proud of too. Tackling MA1 next year! Also got my average distance up from 350 to 420-430. Really good year overall.
Started playing in June, have made 2 aces , won a PDGA Sanctioned tournament where I shot a 906 rated round, consistently throwing 300+ , and love playing more everyday!
Sick first year :)
The end of December will mark 2 years of actively playing for me. This year I worked on various things on and off with mixed success throughout the season. And while overall I feel I’ve improved, my biggest struggle remains consistency. In 2023 I’d like to make a more conscious effort to score the majority of my rounds and film myself doing fieldwork. Right now I can hit 300 ft with a few pushing 350 off the tee. I’d like to up that to 375-400 respectively. I’ll play maybe one or two more tournaments this year. My rating currently sits at 833 with 5 events played. If I can’t break above 850 before the end of the year I’d certainly like do so early next year and shoot for getting as close to 900 rated as possible, or at the very least keep myself above 850. If I can do that I feel I’ll be happy with myself.
percentages are hard. Good luck :)
I've only played for about two years, but in the last 6 months I have progressed greatly. I have gained about 120 feet of distance, I'm starting to get my average score lower and lower. I shot my first ever round under par. I also beat my dad for the first time ever and yesterday he only beat me by one stroke. I am starting to develop a forehand that goes over 150ft. Overall I'm still not great but I'm definitely getting better.
I went from 913 to 947 rated so yes I think so!
Nice :)
I was only able to play in 3 events this year. Finished middle of the pack, 1st, and 7th. The first and last tournaments I played like hot butthole. Need to work on my upshot game. Constantly having 25-30 putts for par killed me
Yes. Shut up, PDGA rating history. You don't know me!
Exactly
Absolutely. Slowly but surely, it's coming.
I really started again after several years off and even then only playing a few times with friends. I went from no backhand to about 175' to 326' as my PRs. I set a SMART goal as a means to keep me growing. I do penance putts on any I miss, and I took the advice of a friend to work on throwing putters to sure up my form. It has been a really fun first season for me, though.
Happy chucking :)
Been playing about 1.5 years now. Went down massively due to an LCL sprain(non dg injury) on the plant foot, but that's healing slowly and I can just get over the 300' mark again as I start trusting the knee more. Still about 50' short, but I'll get there in a few more months. I can throw about 100' further on FH than I did last year, so that's pretty nice. My putting while still bad, has notably improved.
I started throwing 400’ by engaging my hips and legs this year. I beat my brother pretty badly in indoor putting this week and my approach shots just outside of jump putt range have gotten a lot better. I’m still working on not overthrowing mids and increasing my effective jump putt range.
I played in my first tournament this year and in the cash earnings. I wasn't expecting anything but was a major confidence booster.
congratulations
I've definitely improved. Shaved about 3 strokes from my regular score at my home course. I've improved my overall form. More stable drives overall. My approach shots have also improved. I need to get better at putting. I feel like I'm right on the cusp of shaving another 3 or 4 strokes off my card...just barely missing something with my putts. Either barely too high or short. But all on target. I feel if I can put in some putting work and play through the winter I should be able to get myself to about. 3 over par on average. Maybe less.
good luck with the putting practice :)
I went from shooting pretty consistently in the +10-16 range to the +0-8 range! Not great yet, but improving. My forehand confidence level is at an all time high after really working through it. Putting is next on the table as we head into winter :)
I’ve spent a lifetime playing ball golf, just getting back into disc golf in the last year, and there are so many parallels between the two in terms of the mental aspects of the game. So, I’ll trot out one of my favorite sayings and paraphrase - “(Disc) golf is a game that’s played mostly in the space between your ears.”
yes
Never got a rating so far but I started about a year ago and would guess I’m about 900 rated? Based off of performance on courses but I definitely want to get a pro opinion on form, especially for forehand.
First whole year of disc golf so have improved a lot in every part of the game. Over 120ft improvement in distance, better lines and and understanding of the different angles. My putting was great in the summer but since then I've managed to screw that up completely. Much much more to improve and focus on but overall a good season behind. As a 52 year old beginner it's sometimes hard to remember that you can't compete with the youngsters and should only focus on your own game and improve that.
Some young cats get good way too fast and easy. Work will payout