For the life of me, I can’t find the source …
Real professional, right?
I think it was during an interview or a practice-round YouTube video – I don’t remember. Whatever the case, Ezra Aderhold talks about feeling pressure while competing. Though many shy away from the limelight, he says he enjoys it – it’s nice, as it gets him beyond “the normal.”
The bulk of my days are spent at my computer: I write, edit and publish – hardly extreme. In fact, taking my dog on his nightly walk is the closest thing in my life to X-Games material …
Competition fixes that.
With the end of the year coming up, if you’re looking for something new or exciting to inject some immediate energy into your life, try competitive disc golf – getting started is simple:
- Step No. 1 – Gear up – this is the easy part.
- Step No. 2 – Nab (or renew) your PDGA membership.
- Step No. 3 – Hit up your area’s next-available league night.
Yeah, this’ll stretch you a bit …
But the benefits are WELL worth the discomfort.
First, you’re actually training for something.
I put in too much time with my practice basket to impress a few random passersby at the park. The same thing goes with the local soccer fields. Hard work for the sake of hard work builds character, but it’s nice to see it directed at something – like not taking dead-last at a C-tier.
Second, you stretch yourself.
I’m talking physically, as well as mentally. I’m still in my early 30s, but a three- or four-round tournament over two days takes it out of me – I feel it all over my body. And while the incessant walking depletes any and all energy reserves, it’s the mental fatigue that REALLY wears me out.
Which brings me to my third point:
Watching DGPT coverage is WAY more enjoyable …
It’s now relatable.
It’s easy to laugh at Eveliina Salonen during a C1X brain fart. It’s even easier when she lets loose two (or three) times during the same round. But rest assured, during a lazy league night, you’ll feel a fraction of the pressure she lives with from 12 feet with a five-mph headwind …
And you’ll still wet your pants.
Casual disc golf is hard; competitive disc golf is brutal.
Lastly, and perhaps most important of all …
You become part of an awesome community.
Disc golf is young. And because of it, it’s far from perfect – I write plenty about this. But most of the people you’ll encounter in the competitive scene don’t care about how good you are – they want you to improve. It’s scary to do new things; it’s not as scary when you’ve got support.
There’s ZERO wrong with casual disc golf – if that’s your jam, keep shredding.
But if you can, compete …
Your love of the game will only deepen.
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Here to provide another angle.
I started playing disc golf as a way to avoid competition. I found it in high school as an outlet.
Disc golf was something I could do on my own, with low stakes, and the only person I could compete with was me. No teammates, no opponents, and nothing on the line except the number on the card at the end of the round.
It allowed me to scratch a physical itch without taking my anger out on anyone else.
I tried competing a few times and actually did find a good community for weekly leagues. But tournaments aren’t for me. Too much of the competitiveness that I sought to avoid found its way back.
Why do I play so much these days? I’m fortunate enough to travel a ton and get to play incredible courses all over the country, and I certainly don’t want to roll up to Maple Hill and flounder on the red tees.
All that to say disc golf is a meditation. And I get my fix a few times a year when I can watch pros on DGN play courses I’ve played, instead of understanding the pressures of competing.
Awesome comment, Craig!
Here’s my favorite line from it:
“Disc golf is meditation.”
It’s my belief there are WAY too many disc golfers who want to compete, but are scared to …
If that’s you, by all means, jump in head-first – you’ll love it.
But it sounds like you’ve found your “niche” in the disc golf world …
By all means, keep at it – thanks for sharing!