The term “best” is subjective.
Still, it’s hard to beat this advice …
I’m confident most will agree.
I first heard this during a local doubles round three or four years back. I don’t know how your area organizes these things, but my club will often divide players into A-level and B-level pools. Naturally, A-level players are 950-rated or higher, while B-level players include everybody else.
To make sure nobody’s left without a partner, they’ll randomly draw names from each pool. You likely won’t end up partnered with your buddy, but it’s a process that ensures competitive play. At the time, I was a B-level player. And as luck would have it, I was paired with the best MPO player in our club – he carried me that day. En route to a win, he shared THIS with me …
Write it down:
“Don’t play the best shot you can imagine; play the best shot you know you can throw.”
Here’s what I love about this …
- It works for Simon Lizotte.
- It works for the seasoned MA1 disc golfer.
- It works for the first-timer who competes with a starter set.
- It works for the dude playing for little more than bragging rights.
Case in point?
It works.
For example, take a shot few amateur golfers (confidently) have in their arsenal – the backhand roller. To get to the pin, the line might call for it. Other guys on your card might throw it, too. But if you know you have no business busting it out, make reaching the pin a two-shot task.
It’s boring.
But then again, most calm, under-control golf is – that’s the point.
Getting beyond ability, it’s situationally relevant, too. If you’ve ever heard Jeremy Koling talk about “taking your medicine,” this is what he’s getting at: It might suck, and it might look dumb, but it’s your best bet for not royally ruining your round with a single, bone-headed decision. In jail, instead of attempting a miracle shot to advance up the fairway, simply pitch-out to safety.
Without divine intervention, you know you can execute the shot …
So do it.
Tournaments aren’t for experimentation – they’re for scoring. And if yours is a disc golf game not yet racking up birdies en masse, feel free to switch out “scoring” for “playing your best.”
I don’t care if it’s USDGC, a local B-tier or league night – keep this advice at the forefront of your mind. It’s amazing what a simple switch in mentality will do for your end-of-event result. Put this into practice the next time scores matter. Over time, you’ll see for yourself it’s gold.
Play smart. Score better.
Take down tournaments.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Editor’s Suggestions:
- Disc golf: The top 5 on-the-course snacks
- Disc golf: The demoralizing power of the tap-in
- Disc golf: I feel weird letting somebody caddie for me
Real quick, if you happen to buy something through a link in this article, there’s a chance we’ll get a small share of the sale. It’s how we keep the lights on. To learn more, click here.
