The 2022 DGPT All-Star Weekend was awesome. Last year’s gig clearly left something to be desired, but Jeff Spring and the entire DGPT team came through in the clutch this time around. As a writer and editor, there certainly was no shortage of storylines coming out of the event:
- Eagle McMahon can hit clutch puts, if need be.
- Calvin Heimburg throws way farther than you thought.
- On-paper, the MPO and FPO “underdog” rosters won out.
- Catrina Allen feels pretty comfortable with her new DGA plastic.
And if I had to provide a fifth, it’d come from this clip – pay close attention:
🚨ALERT🚨@eagle_wmcm can park holes with his left hand too. pic.twitter.com/FIGFa05pvh
— Disc Golf Pro Tour (@DiscGolfProTour) February 16, 2022
Did you catch that, by chance?
That’s right: The Young Bird can now throw (at least) 360 feet with his left hand. He went for it during the doubles round with Kevin Jones. And though he came up about 60-ish feet short, he went for it yet again during his head-to-head matchup with Heimburg the very next day …
The result? Parked.
Instantly, disc golf Twitter lost its collective mind, throwing out hot takes like yesterday’s milk. Some suggested Eagle might go weeks or months without tossing another forehand. Others went as far as claiming the off-hand movement was destined to be “the future” of our sport …
Eh, better pump the brakes on that one, Richard Petty.
Left-handed throws aren't the future of the sport, though some will go for it. In the past, Eagle's made it clear that he's throwing less forehands as a way to prolong his professional career. Throwing left-handed helps with that, of course.
— Green Splatter (@GreenSplatter) February 13, 2022
A few things to consider:
First, All-Star Weekend (literally) means nothing
Heck, there wasn’t even a full-blown, individual winner this year. Think about it: If ever there was a time to run ill-advised death putts, flip your disc, instead of using a mini marker or, you know, opt for multiple off-handed throws instead of a sure-fire sidearm, this would be it …
When it counts, it’ll be a different story – and yes, all of those things happened in Tucson.
It might look a bit janky, but James Conrad has a 300-foot forehand in his bag. It’s probably at least somewhat consistent, too. But there’s a reason our current World Champion is petrified of going to it at any point during an Elite Series event when it’s clearly the better option …
He’s not comfortable with it; it’s foreign to him.
When it matters, Eagle will be able to relate.
Second, McMahon didn’t invent the whole ‘left-handed’ craze
Whether due to injury, curiosity or perhaps insanity, these golfers beat him to the punch:
- Cam Todd
- A.J. Risely
- Zoe AnDyke
- Jessica Weese
- Nikko Locastro
There are others, I’m sure …
When was the last time you saw any of the above lean on a left-handed throw outside of a mere practice round? Nikko didn’t develop a reliable sidearm until four or five years ago, and he still prefers it over what Dana Vicich called “a killer lefty throw that he used to use in competition.”
Woah, back up – let me get this straight:
So he’s got a strong left-handed game like Eagle. But even Locastro, with a forehand not worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as Eagle’s, still chooses the flick over going lefty …
That’s telling.
Lastly, Eagle’s sidearm is the greatest the game has ever seen
Eagle is one of the game’s farthest backhand throwers. On a good day, he’s arguably the best putter, too. But both of those skills pale in comparison with what he’s doing with his flick.
Distance-wise, Ryan Sheldon has him beat, but Eagle’s still comfortably hitting 500-plus feet with a forehand. And those aren’t sweeping S-turn hucks, either – they’re smart, accurate golf shots. He does this consistently. And he’s been doing it for what feels like an eternity …
Like many before him, McMahon started experimenting with left-handed play to 1) keep him on the course while battling an injury, and 2) prolong his disc golf career. If his elbow and shoulder tendons refuse to cooperate, he’ll become the turnover king – and the occasional lefty, as well.
But if they do, there’s no reason to put away the very weapon no other disc golfer on the planet possesses. To do so would be to choose a cheap parlor trick over God-given talent …
It’d be a shame for disc golf.
Fortunately, assuming he’s physically able, Eagle won’t do that. He loves the sport and his fans too much. Furthermore, he knows what’s gotten him to this point in his career – a well-rounded game, but a forehand that gives him a host of options not available to other disc golfers.
So, over or under one left-handed throw from Eagle this week in Las Vegas?
We’ll gladly take the under – you can take that to the bank.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Great points, but Eagle has said that he wants a formidable left hand game, so count on it. Also, Jessica Weese consistently goes to the left hand in competition.
Hey, Donovan!
Two things:
1) If you had to “ballpark,” and I know it’s a tough ask the number of left-handed throws Eagle will average this season during Elite Series events, what would you put that number at? Because I’d be willing to bet it’s nestled somewhere between zero and one – time will tell, though …
2) And yes, Jessica does throw left-handed, but on her Facebook page, at the start of the 2021 season, she actually mentioned that she hoped she’d not have to throw left-handed for a LONG time, referencing her injury, of course. One would presume that, when she does it, it’s out of a need to keep her body happy and not necessarily because she feels it’s a tremendous competitive advantage …
But who knows?
Perhaps this really is “the future.”
I’ve been wrong before …
It’ll happen again … and again, and again, and again, etc. Haha.