Disc golf Twitter is amazing.
During the European Open, I was scrolling through my timeline and saw this:
It’s crazy how we only saw this Nikko situation because Chandler Kramer was on fire. I doubt this gets talked about much by word of mouth.
— Evan (@DoubleZeroDG) July 22, 2022
Some goofy, blonde guy in gym shorts who only throws forehand is the one the reason we see punishment to Nikko’s antics. Wild.
I checked the replies – some guy with the username “Chandler” clapped back:
I had so many people tell me about this tweet that I came back on Twitter just to respond to this. If it wasn’t obvious already, I’m goofy blonde guy. pic.twitter.com/RSkoxQ0jSi
— Chandler (@Cbk518) July 22, 2022
Whoops.
It’s hard to blame disc golf fans for not knowing about Chandler Kramer, let alone the fact he has a Twitter account. Kramer’s stellar play in this year’s European Open was the reason the cameras were rolling and just so happened to capture cardmate Nikko Locastro’s epic, on-screen blow-up.
Yet, in a tournament where a high-profile player was DQ’d and a hard-fought battle for Nokia’s top prize took place between Paul McBeth and Eagle McMahon, complete with chlorine-green hair, it’s Kramer’s play that just might be the MOST lasting of memories coming out of Finland.
How did a guy with only a 2.89% chance of making a lead card prior to the start of the European Open end up being the talk of the disc golf world? What black magic brought this about?
An accident.
Chandler Kramer’s disc golf beginnings
Two-and-a-half years ago, out of the goodness of her heart, Kramer’s sister bought what she thought was an ultimate frisbee for him as a Christmas present. It turned out to be a golf disc. Out of genuine curiosity, Kramer wanted to figure out how to make the “mystery plastic” fly.
Speaking with Green Splatter, related Kramer:
“I learned to throw forehand through trial and error, for the most part. Once I got to a certain point where I could control the disc and put it almost anywhere, I decided that I pretty much wanted to be forehand-exclusive. I knew my accuracy and power were pretty good and figured that, if I just kept playing, it would get even better. My backhands at the time weren’t going as far as my forehands, which is another reason I decided to stick with only forehands.”
As Terry Miller of the Disc Golf Network reported during coverage, Kramer entered his first tournament in July of 2020. Before registering, he asked a friend what division he should enter. He was advised to go with Recreational. Naturally, he proceeded to sign up for MPO, instead.
The result?
He cashed and shot a 955-rated tournament.
And thus, the legend of the forehand wunderkind was born.
Chandler Kramer: The forehand specialist
“Do you even backhand, bro?”
I’m not sure Kramer has ever been directly confronted with that kind of condescending, meme-laden inquiry. But whether you’re trying to clown on him or not – it’s a good question.
Here’s his response:
“To all the people who have commented on me needing a backhand, I can throw one. I choose not to, since it’s not as accurate or as powerful as my forehand. In the coming off-season, I plan on working on my backhand, so that I can throw it every now and then during tournament play.”
For the record, he DID throw one at the European Open – round one, hole one.
The result?
A bogey.
While some fans might criticize his flick-only approach, Kramer sees it as an asset:
“I get the advantage of looking at where I want to throw the entire time. I personally think it’s easier to control forehands compared to backhands.”
Furthermore, he’s not worried about the longevity of his right arm:
“I have never had any elbow issues at all while throwing. I tore my labrum in a freak accident during a tournament last summer, but I know that shouldn’t happen again. It took me about a month to recover from that, and I haven’t had any pain since.”
Chandler Kramer and his disc golf future
Kramer went from a relative nobody within the disc golf universe to two top-ten tournament finishes in back-to-back weeks – one of which took place at an international major.
How exactly does this change his long-term goals?
“The long-term goals that I set at the beginning of this year seem as though they can be achieved before my career is over. A lot of the short-term goals I set have been completed already, as well: to cash at a DGPT event, qualify for USDGC and get on coverage.”
On the MPO side, it’s rare to see a forehand-only thrower achieve this kind of success, especially so early on. Famous flickers like Nate Sexton and Jeremy Koling come to mind, but they don’t shy away from the backhand when a line calls for it. Sarah Hokom certainly gets extreme with her flicks, but she’s an FPO talent. However fleeting it might be, Kramer’s found success …
And though he’s confident, the disc golf world is still reeling:
Accidentally?
— Chandler (@Cbk518) July 23, 2022
I told you disc golf Twitter is amazing.
You can call him a novelty or even a compelling character, but his game is NO accident.
Quipped Kramer:
“Do I need a backhand? Of course I do. Do I need it to be successful? I guess we’ll find out.”
We’re ALL about to find out – this’ll be good.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Editor’s Suggestions:
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- Innova: Why you should buy more ‘Factory Second’ discs
- Jeff Spring: Do trans disc golfers have an FPO advantage?
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