New Perspective... And More CD2 Love

Last weekend I had the incredible opportunity of being at an event and not participating. This was very new to me, considering I want to play every single event and have the opportunity to challenge myself. Being able to caddy for an amazing disc golfer, Tina Stanaitis, was a great way to gain a new perspective on the game. I was assessing situations differently; I was seeing things I had not seen before. I did not always give my advice, this was incredibly hard to stick to because Tina knows her game best and in reality she knows exactly what she can and can't do. After watching her crush her rounds on a bad back, and put up an incredible round and put her self in second place, I couldn't contain myself, so I went out and played as many of the holes as I could. Seeing the holes from a different perspective helped me make better decisions and control my game. This got me thinking about how I have prepared and practiced off the field or course, so I began watching more rounds of golf. Watching many different players and how they look to play. I used to watch hours of soccer and focus on smaller points in the game to assess how I would handle them the next time I was on the field. This translates very well to disc golf; you see the decisions someone makes and the outcome, and in the back of your mind you think and analyze what you may have done. I am greatly anticipating how this will impact my game in the long run but I have a new found desire to put more time into the little things with my practice and finding consistency that will hopefully carry my game to the next level.

That wasn't the only thing I was able to take out of the weekend. Watching Tina compose herself on the course, through pain, through pressure, and even a couple of missed putts, she always had a smile and kept pushing forward and enjoying the game. This is something I feel very strongly about, being able to compose yourself on the course and truly enjoy the game for what it really is, something special. I want every disc golfer to make note of these small things and help us all grow together.

Everyone knows how much I rave about the CD2, and today is no different. I have recently found a new use for the CD2... Sidearm! I took something I heard Big Jerm say to heart about how using an overstable disc on a sidearm is only going to hurt your arm and lessen your ability to throw over long periods of time. After putting a ton of time in the field, I can now control my sidearm more and save my arm a great deal of energy by working with angles and letting the disc do what it will naturally do. I have even been working with the MD3 and FD to work in even different sidearm shots to give me more shots in my arsenal. The characteristics of the CD2 make it a perfect candidate for sidearms because it is a disc that doesn't mind a lot of power and snap, as long as you get your angles right the disc will carry an incredibly long way with very little effort. Having this versatility with one disc gives me an incredible amount of confidence that if I ever find myself in a situation where I have no idea what to throw I can trust that a CD2 is generally going to be my best bet. When in doubt pull the CD2 out!

As always, thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Keep those Putter Pants on and remember to always have the Most Fun!

Thanks Eagle for the tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mTRvJ9fugM
Enjoy!

A New Year

A crazy ending to 2015. I didn't keep up with my blog and that was a disappointing piece of 2015. I really wanted to keep putting my thoughts down so I could look back and keep myself from taking any steps back, which is basically what happened... I have been finding myself again holding myself to a high standard and not having as much fun when I play and I couldn't understand why. I know I am playing my best when I am happy and joking around, but I lost sight of that and expected perfection from myself. It was a fundamental downfall to my recent play. I have done some incredible things and some atrocious things on the course . I have never missed more 20 footers in my life, all because of lack of focus and concentration, but most importantly lack of FUN.  I can't tell you how crazy a difference it makes when you just change the wording of your self talk. I went from using the words 'don't', 'bad' and 'worst' to using words like 'do', 'good' and 'better.' These really helped translate my overall mood. I would look to motivate myself more rather than bring myself down. The best times I have had are when I look at a shot and throw a shot that normally nobody ever takes, I commonly say before I throw 'Most fun wins, right?' and that just eases my mind and helps me enjoy what I am doing. I realize I am jumping around a ton but the moral of the story is just have FUN. Enjoy this beautiful game, each and every throw. I lost it for a moment but I now realize that I won't let it go again. Thank you Tina for helping me find this again, you're the best.

Wrapping up the end of 2015, I played a handful of tournaments and did some great things and some not so great things. I had an absolute blast just getting out and enjoying my days. I have now settled into a job in California working for Discmania and I couldn't be happier. The opportunities are endless and I can't wait to see what comes next. I plan on hitting plenty of tournaments and putting in more time and effort to practice and overall health.

Look forward to more posts and videos.

Let me know what you guys want to hear about next.

Vlagh!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Remember to have the Most Fun and keep those PutterPants on. Hope you enjoyed it. Cheers!

Sidenote: Thanks to my new sponsor Deuce Squad! So pumped for the Squadmania collaboration!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcm7VFDSU_0
Enjoy