Here’s my disc golf story …
Perhaps yours sounds familiar.
I started playing when a buddy of mine asked me to tag along for a round. After we finished, I immediately went to the closest Play-It-Again Sports and bought my first discs. From there, I proceeded to play five to six rounds a week. In no time at all, I’d fallen hard for the sport …
Head. Over. Heels.
All I wanted to do was throw. When I wasn’t on the course, I often found myself thinking about how my rounds would go when I got there. Friends and family took notice. They’d frequently ask if I ever got tired of it all. Each time, my reply was quick, simple and abundantly obvious:
“Not a chance.”
However …
Things would change.
I loved the game, but I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated each time I played. My skills weren’t up to snuff – that’s how I felt, at least. Whenever I saw somebody getting a full flight out of their Star Destroyer or crushing a putter 375 feet off the tee, I grew angry. They knew what they were doing, while I was lucky to throw a driver farther than a midrange.
Eventually, I put my bag down …
I didn’t pick it up for three years.
In time, I felt the itch of disc golf again. And when I couldn’t help but scratch it, I rediscovered why I fell in love with the sport in the first place. Better yet, much to my surprise, I’d developed a real passion for improving my abilities – and for being patient and humble with the process.
* Disclaimer: Not everybody needs three years off, but a short break can prove refreshing.
Here are the main two lessons I learned when I got back into things:
- Lesson No. 1 – It’s okay to admit you’re burned out on what you love.
- Lesson No. 2 – If you’ve forgotten how to have fun, you might be there.
Burnout can happen to anyone
In an interview before the 2023 Las Vegas Challenge, Drew Gibson was asked about his 2022 season. Gibson explained how he felt his win at the 2022 version of the event was a result of his work in the off-season. He’d trained at an elite level every day since the end of the 2021 season.
But while this created an electric start to his campaign, only halfway through the 2022 DGPT calendar, his brain and body were fried. Or, as he put it, “I was done.” As such, this year, he drastically reduced the amount of time he spent practicing – and he feels good about it.
Rediscover the fun of throwing a disc
Interestingly, during that same press conference, Catrina Allen was asked about her off-season, as well. Known within the Pro Tour for her unrelenting work ethic, her answer was surprising:
“I didn’t actually throw a disc until January 9.”
See (or hear) for yourself:
For perspective, the 2022 Disc Golf Pro Tour Championship ended October 16, 2022. That means nearly three months passed without Allen so much as sniffing a golf disc …
When was the last time YOU did that?
Cat’s comments made it clear she was bothered by the end of her 2022 season, outright stating that she “wasn’t having fun throwing the frisbee.” Instead of grinding her way through emotional turmoil, she took some time off to recalibrate. And wouldn’t you know it …
She took down Vegas again in February.
So, what now?
When I finally came back to disc golf, I still had terrible form. And yet again, my midranges flew farther than my drivers. I did, however, know where I wanted my game to go – it’s made all the difference. It’s been three additional years since the comeback, and I’m as pumped as ever.
My distance has improved, too.
If you find yourself regularly mad during rounds, putting the bag down for a bit might not be the worst idea in the world. Sometimes a break is all that’s needed to get things right again.
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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Man…. I gotta say, this article is a spitting image of what happened to me in the great game of “Frolfing”. I started at an early age, maybe 12-14y/o, living in New Berlin and having friends show me the game at the local Valley View course. But at some point got frustrated and left the sport for maybe 5 solid years. I only used maybe 1 or 2 discs when I went, and it went barefoot…idk why. And I used them for putting, driving, and approach/midrange shots. Not an ideal way to play if you’re putting from 20 feet away with a 12 speed driver.
Eventually, in my mid 20’s I found a spark again to play. So I did. And to my discovery the technology and range of “discs”, since the last time I had picked one up, had increased in number of brands, range, plastic, and mobility of what was being offered in the past. To give a spectrum of time, I started to throw in spring 2002, stopped in 2012 and picked it back up in 2018 or 2017 at some point.
What I gained the most from the game, when I picked it back up in 2017-2018, was trying to be a better player and discovering new ways to do what I was doing. And what I learned was I had a ton of bad habits in how I threw and my mind game of how to approach a shot. Lesson 1 learned was…. “Hate a bogie more than you love a birdie. And follow thru with your body movement, and not your arm is key! ”
The break in time between playing helped me appreciate it more and think of it in a more positive and competitive way. Now I get it, know when to throw one disc over another, and how to throw them. I feel I understand it more and can manipulate any situation I have to throw into. Definitely a lot to learn still and a lot to improve. But I’m confident, and I’m having a blast!
Thank you for the insight you had. It made me reminisce of my own journey of disc golf, AKA, ” Frolfing”!
My man, thanks for reading – and sharing your story!
Gonna tweet out something you said: “Hate a bogie more than you love a birdie.”
Not sure if that’s an original to you or not …
But I love it.
Also, don’t know your handle, but I’ll still give you credit.
Thanks for reading!
Great article Chris! Really captures how alot of us feel starting out. I know when I was still in college, I only ever played with guys from the University team. It was so frustrating watching them all birdy holes that I was struggling to double bogey. I finally had to take a few years off, until last year when I started back again. They were so thrilled to have me back and start helping with my form, and I can finally par the holes they are still birdying.
Congrats, Pierson!
We’re happy to have you back in the sport …
(and hopefully, for good this time)