After having my life uprooted, and then uprooted once again. With a big hit on my psyche after being broken up with, I have found myself finding what really makes me happy... Disc Golf.
From Dallas to Phoenix and now Salt Lake City, and yet it still feels like I am on vacation. It is a weird feeling, but I know things are starting to look brighter with each passing week. Looking for work was really tough but I have found myself in a great job that is working to offer me more and more. I am very thankful and am ambitious about more opportunities to come.
Disc Golf has always been such a good outlet for me to figure things out. Getting time on the course or in a field just feels productive and natural. I was rewarded with the opportunity to play in the Mello Yello Challenge at Solitude Resort, an A-Tier event. But I had no idea I was going to be playing in the tournament until the day before it started, so I had little preparation. I didn't put in work in the field before hand, hours of putts to figure out my timing, and work on my mental game. I finished decently well but it really turned into an opportunity for me to play even more tournament golf. This is the type of golf I feel I need to get me to the next level. The next step was finding the next tournament I could play in. Cache Valley in Logan Utah was around the corner and I wasn't going to let a good opportunity pass me by. I worked and prepared and put in the right amount of hours in leading up to the tournament and came in with the right mind set to put in a good showing. After the first round I was sitting in 2nd place... I was a bit shocked but I just played smart and let myself play in the moment. And then the nerves set in... I took a few rough bounces in the second round and slipped to 6th place. I left at least 8 strokes out on the course but I feel like every player says this after a tournament. My first time playing on a lead card, it was such a good experience and now I know the feeling of pressure and composure needed to compete in every tournament I play in.
I feel like I am rambling on and not getting anywhere...
There are many things that are changing but am ready for things to continue to improve on the course and in my life in general. I am ready for the next challenge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39EHV8JIef4
Enjoy
Sunset
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
A Work in Progress
After playing in two PDGA events in consecutive weekends I was able to gather quite a bit about myself. Having only played in just over a half dozen PDGA events there is still a great deal to learn but I have found my biggest fault. I struggle from playing inconsistent and making poor shot selection when I feel pressured. Should I feel pressured? Am I putting more pressure on myself than I should? My answer to the questions is yes to both. Being pressured is fine and I should feel it in rounds and learn to manage that pressure and turn it in to a mentality that helps me push forward. Now I will say I put too much pressure on myself playing at courses I know how to play and just making poor decisions when I know looking back what I could have done.
Both tournaments were small C Tier tournaments playing two rounds in a day. What I have found in both of my opening rounds I start hot and am in good shape but then find a stretch of a couple of bad holes and put myself in a hole that I find it difficult to get out of. I will then go out and shoot a solid second round that only if I would have played smart and not found myself in a bad place round 1, I would find myself in a position to place. But with all of these "what if" moments I know that I can do to improve, and remove these from the scenario.
My practice has taken a shift from less round play to more field work. Working on my technique with different shots and different discs. Fine tuning my play style. Understanding what shots have a higher success rate and what discs I need to trust in different situations. My putting has come a long way and will always need work but I have found a great deal of confidence outside the circle, but the biggest problem is finding comfort just inside the circle. Just really a total confidence in putting in general but everything has improved which is a good sign moving forward.
Tons of work ahead.
I am a Discmaniac!
Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7iESu2XuCU
Both tournaments were small C Tier tournaments playing two rounds in a day. What I have found in both of my opening rounds I start hot and am in good shape but then find a stretch of a couple of bad holes and put myself in a hole that I find it difficult to get out of. I will then go out and shoot a solid second round that only if I would have played smart and not found myself in a bad place round 1, I would find myself in a position to place. But with all of these "what if" moments I know that I can do to improve, and remove these from the scenario.
My practice has taken a shift from less round play to more field work. Working on my technique with different shots and different discs. Fine tuning my play style. Understanding what shots have a higher success rate and what discs I need to trust in different situations. My putting has come a long way and will always need work but I have found a great deal of confidence outside the circle, but the biggest problem is finding comfort just inside the circle. Just really a total confidence in putting in general but everything has improved which is a good sign moving forward.
Tons of work ahead.
I am a Discmaniac!
Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7iESu2XuCU
Monday, May 5, 2014
Moving and Moving Forward
There has been a lot to think about lately especially with work changes, moving to Phoenix, and pushing disc golf to the forefront of my priorities. Work has changed... that's all I want to say about that. Moving to Phoenix is the next big stage of my life and I am lucky to be taking that stage with the love of my life, Sydney Bay. This is an interesting period, since I will now have a substantial increase in time to devote towards disc golf and other things. With moving I will have to incorporate myself with a new crowd, new clubs, and new courses. I am looking forward to this but from what I have been able to gather I may still be doing some travel to find tournaments to play in, and on the other hand I do have the Memorial to look forward to. I am not sure what to think but I am ready for a new experience and all the opportunities that come with it.
Moving forward I have been able to string together a collection of good rounds with 4 top finishes at different mini tournaments. It has been a really big boost in my confidence, I feel as all the time I have put into practicing is really paying off. My putting has become more consistent, I trust my midranges and putters more off the box and on the approach. I am learning to read lines, winds, and the game in general. I am powering down more and letting the discs work. I feel there are things I am doing that are helping my game excel. I am allowing myself to play an entire round of golf and not let a shot or missed putt hurt my round. I have trimmed up my bag as well, I am throwing only 6 different discs. This helps me learn the discs and trust what I have in my bag. Which in turn helps me trust myself on the course. I want to continue to push this confidence and take my game further, I plan on practicing more and putting in more rounds each week, but I am uncertain on how many PDGA events I will take part in, I want to allow myself to continue to excel in minis and the occasional PDGA event for a extended period. Once I feel ready I want to make a push and play in tournaments constantly and really push my game further but only when the time is right.
I am ready to push to make something of myself but staying confident, humble, focused and determined will be big.
I am a Discmaniac!
Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6H30cWFBQs
Moving forward I have been able to string together a collection of good rounds with 4 top finishes at different mini tournaments. It has been a really big boost in my confidence, I feel as all the time I have put into practicing is really paying off. My putting has become more consistent, I trust my midranges and putters more off the box and on the approach. I am learning to read lines, winds, and the game in general. I am powering down more and letting the discs work. I feel there are things I am doing that are helping my game excel. I am allowing myself to play an entire round of golf and not let a shot or missed putt hurt my round. I have trimmed up my bag as well, I am throwing only 6 different discs. This helps me learn the discs and trust what I have in my bag. Which in turn helps me trust myself on the course. I want to continue to push this confidence and take my game further, I plan on practicing more and putting in more rounds each week, but I am uncertain on how many PDGA events I will take part in, I want to allow myself to continue to excel in minis and the occasional PDGA event for a extended period. Once I feel ready I want to make a push and play in tournaments constantly and really push my game further but only when the time is right.
I am ready to push to make something of myself but staying confident, humble, focused and determined will be big.
I am a Discmaniac!
Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6H30cWFBQs
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
To Play or Not to Play?
There a handful of B and C tier tournaments coming up, and I find myself wanting to play in each one. I feel if I want to take a step in that direction it would be for good, but at the same time a part of me wants to continue to develop my game with more practice.
The last tournament I played in I had been diagnosed with the Influenza two days before the start. So I didn't feel as confident going in as I could have been. I felt like it was going to be a good choice with Texas showing some of its nicer weather of the year, but in good old Texas fashion it went from 80 degrees to 40s and 50s within a day. It was a wet weekend and with already being sick my focus couldn't stay on the course and my play. With all of that I decided to drop which is something I never would do but I honestly couldn't put out my best golf in my condition.
I feel as if I need to get on a solid run of playing consistent golf, lately that hasn't been the case. I have played some incredible rounds and some awful rounds, but I do feel everything is moving in the right direction. Learning to handle and mange the rounds that are not going my way and try and make them positive. Taking things shot by shot and learning to forget a bad break and just continue to play. Maybe a bit more time and playing in smaller competitive play would help me develop before I immerse myself into playing in a string of tournaments. At the same time what better way to learn than dive in and test myself, I either crumble and learn or I rise to the occasion and ride that high. This is my dilemma and soon enough I will be trying to play a tournament at every weekend but we will see. Gotta keep throwing and practicing to get where I want to be.
Check me out on Instagram @theericoakley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z97lQTLFShU
Enjoy
The last tournament I played in I had been diagnosed with the Influenza two days before the start. So I didn't feel as confident going in as I could have been. I felt like it was going to be a good choice with Texas showing some of its nicer weather of the year, but in good old Texas fashion it went from 80 degrees to 40s and 50s within a day. It was a wet weekend and with already being sick my focus couldn't stay on the course and my play. With all of that I decided to drop which is something I never would do but I honestly couldn't put out my best golf in my condition.
I feel as if I need to get on a solid run of playing consistent golf, lately that hasn't been the case. I have played some incredible rounds and some awful rounds, but I do feel everything is moving in the right direction. Learning to handle and mange the rounds that are not going my way and try and make them positive. Taking things shot by shot and learning to forget a bad break and just continue to play. Maybe a bit more time and playing in smaller competitive play would help me develop before I immerse myself into playing in a string of tournaments. At the same time what better way to learn than dive in and test myself, I either crumble and learn or I rise to the occasion and ride that high. This is my dilemma and soon enough I will be trying to play a tournament at every weekend but we will see. Gotta keep throwing and practicing to get where I want to be.
Check me out on Instagram @theericoakley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z97lQTLFShU
Enjoy
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
I'm Back!
It has been a solid couple of years away from playing the game consistently. With work, injuries and a few other minor set backs, I am making a push to become a professional player. I picked up on Instagram and started a daily Disc Golf post to ensure I get out and play every day to try and better myself and reinvent my game. Check me out @theericoakley. I am on 80 days right now and will try and keep that running as long as I can.
Something that feels different than last time is I am putting much more time into practicing rather than playing constant rounds of golf. Putting focus into certain areas of my game to improve and fine tune. My midranges and putters have seen the most practice, I never felt comfortable throwing them before, but now if I can toss out a midrange or a putter it really helps lower my score.
Getting into a set putting style has been troubling, I have stuck with the P Line P2 with its consistency in the wind and feel in my hand I don't feel as if I am going to miss many putts. I feel as if I pitch/push putt and it has increased my consistency on the course and reduced my bad holes entirely.
Remember to go follow me on instagram and keep on throwing. Thanks for reading.
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5xPugaymDM
Something that feels different than last time is I am putting much more time into practicing rather than playing constant rounds of golf. Putting focus into certain areas of my game to improve and fine tune. My midranges and putters have seen the most practice, I never felt comfortable throwing them before, but now if I can toss out a midrange or a putter it really helps lower my score.
Getting into a set putting style has been troubling, I have stuck with the P Line P2 with its consistency in the wind and feel in my hand I don't feel as if I am going to miss many putts. I feel as if I pitch/push putt and it has increased my consistency on the course and reduced my bad holes entirely.
Remember to go follow me on instagram and keep on throwing. Thanks for reading.
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5xPugaymDM
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