Green Splatter spotlight: Step inside the mind (and game) of Andrew Marwede

To date, here’s what we know:

• He’s tall.
• He’s lanky in limbs.
• He’s got a great head of hair.
• He’s forehand-dominant, too.

But this is the obvious stuff everybody knows about Michigan native and DGA-sponsored pro, Andrew Marwede. Maybe it’s just me, but for as much as I’ve come to admire his game over the years, I can’t help but see him as a gentle giant of sorts. I’ve spent a grand total of zero minutes in Marwede’s company, but on the surface – to me, at least – he seems like the kind of cat who’s quiet and keeps to himself, but never shocks anybody when he makes moves on the Pro Tour.

With the above in mind …

What’s REALLY going on in that pretty little head of his?

Putting, flick tips, backhand distance, tummy butterflies, etc.

Keep reading to find out.

How did you get to be one of the world’s best putters?

“So, I originally was not even close. I started out as a very poor putter, actually. I’d foot-fault on most of my putts, I later on figured out. I’m a pretty true push-putter, so I generate most of my power from my up-and-down motion. This gives me an advantage on my aim-point, I’d say. I struggle in the wind a little bit more than most people, because I don’t spin putt as proficiently. 

“The way I got to be one of the best putters in the world is simply practice. But not just any kind of practice – it’s finding ways to practice pressure-packed situations. What’s helped me the most is lots of putting games with one of my good friends and first touring partner, Reid Frescura.

“Competitive putting games mimic the pressure of a tournament-situation putt. From there, I’ve kind of thrived in that setting. I’ve been practicing ever sense. And here we are today.”

What’s the single-most impactful putting tip you’d give our readers? What can help them improve their short game?

“The most impactful tip is to be 100% confident.

“I don’t care if you have the worst putting form ever, if you have confidence that you are going to make a putt versus somebody who has perfect form, but thinks they’re going to miss, you are going to out-putt that ‘better putter’ every time.

“When approaching a putt, I try to have a clear head and a clear mind. Internally, I’m not worried about what’s behind the basket or the disc rolling away. I’m thinking about how dead-center the putt’s going to be, and how good it’s going to feel to go get it out of the basket, you know? It’s 100% all confidence that translates so much to being able to put the disc in the basket.”

How did you come to adopt the one-finger forehand grip? It’s weird …

“I can’t list the names, but I’ve probably heard of maybe five, but certainly less than 10 people who are touring or really good at disc golf who use the one-finger forehand grip, so it’s not common.

“I was never taught disc golf. I just did it. And I did it enough to where I became really good. But when I started, I actually used to just pinch the rim of the disc – I didn’t tuck any fingers. I couldn’t throw the disc as far as I can today, but I could still rip it out there 300 feet or so, just by pinching the disc.

“So when I started messing with some different grips, I just put one finger in there and pinched that thing almost as hard as I could – the pointer finger and thumb, I mean. I get some pretty decent pop out of it. I feel like I get more pop with one finger than most people do with two.

“I’ve tried to go the two-finger route, but I roll my wrist every time. On my good throws, maybe I could get a little more distance, but what I’ve found out is that, with one finger, it’s easier to keep the nose of the disc slightly down. It’s easier to set the disc on a hyzer angle, too. I’m not great at flex forehands, so this works best for me.

“If any of your readers struggle with hyzer forehands, the one-finger option is something to look into. When you think of two-finger power throws, you think of Chris Clemons. He throws much farther than me forehand, but he powers the disc through his shot.

“For one finger, I feel like it’s much more poppy – it’s more finesse. For me, it translates to my game very well, because I like hyzer-flipping the disc and hitting gaps with lots of snap. That’s just the way I learned to play the game, and it’s helped me out a lot.”

Many of our readers have no forehand of any kind. As you see it, what can they do to develop something serviceable?

“You don’t need a 400-foot forehand to be competitive with it. Starting out, you’re going to want to practice throwing understable to stable – meaning straight – discs. The problem people have when they want to learn a forehand is that they can’t get the disc to go anywhere, but they’re reaching for the most overstable fairway driver in their bag, so it makes sense.

“The disc dumps right. And that’s it.

“You don’t want to get accustomed to having to flex everything all the time, though the force-over is a good skill to learn later on. The best beginner practice you can do is learning to forehand understable fairway drivers – learn the touch they require to fly right. Angle control is the biggest thing with forehands. If you practice with understable discs to learn angles, your forehand will go a long way.

Andrew Marwede throws a beautiful hyzer flip forehand approach on Hole 3 and moves into solo 4th place! pic.twitter.com/mQSXBkTBOa

— Disc Golf Pro Tour (@DiscGolfProTour) August 5, 2023

“Also, to go along with that, work on forehanding neutral, stable putters. If you can flick a putter straight, you’ll have all the touch in the world for more advanced discs – a Breaker, a Zone, etc. 

“You’re probably not going to want to forehand a putting putter in a tournament, but if you can practice the touch they require, you’ll be able to get up and down from 150 feet from just about anywhere. This is an essential skill, so it’s worth the effort.”

In your opinion, do taller, more lanky disc golfers have a distance advantage? Why or why not?

“I’m somewhere between six-foot five and six-foot six. And yes, I think there’s an advantage. I’m a terrible example, because I’m in the bottom 20% of people on tour, as far as backhand distance is concerned.

“But still, overall, I’d say yes.

“In any sport, being taller makes for longer levers. This matters for throwing a disc.

“Personally, I’ve not yet seen any advantage, but it’s a work in progress. If I throw over 400 feet, not even kidding, I’m pretty happy. I don’t throw very far. If I really mush on one, I’ll scrape 440 feet. I’ll call my mom afterwards and tell her, but yeah, my distance is nothing special.”

DGA has been around forever, but not everybody knows about its lineup. What’s the best disc to start with for a newbie to the manufacturer?

“Oh, this is a tough question …

“I’ll pick one, but I’m going to give you two answers, because there are two that immediately come to mind – the Pipeline and the Squall. Whenever I meet somebody who says they throw DGA, but only one mold, it’s almost always the Pipeline.

“It’s the straightest fairway driver you’re ever going to find. After working it in a bit, it starts to get understable. But fresh, it’s a true hyzer-flip-to-straight frisbee. If you’ve never thrown one, pick one up. During a field work session, it’s likely to fly as far as all your favorite distance drivers – the thing just bombs. So that’s my first answer.

“But right behind it is the Squall. I’ve mentioned the Squall, because there’s nothing really like it out there, as far as I’m aware. It’s a six-speed ‘midrange’ that flies like a fairway driver, so it’s super easy to throw.

“Just like the Pipeline, it’s dead straight, but it’ll go 30 to 40 farther than your other midranges, regardless of manufacturer. It’s not great for every shot, but if you need extra distance with a midrange, the Squall is going to work wonders for you. Both discs are super sweet to play around with.”

Build out your ideal, four-man card for a Pro Tour event …

“Not including me, right?

“Okay, right on.

“I’m going to go with a card of James Conrad, Nate Sexton, Calvin Heimburg and then probably Paul Ulibarri. Yeah, that’d be my card. James Conrad is the nicest person on the planet. I’ve played with him a handful of times over the years, and he’s never mad, which is astonishing to me. He always has a very positive attitude towards everything.

“Nate Sexton is definitely my favorite disc golfer.

“Calvin Heimburg is just amazing to watch play in-person. And it’s the same thing with him – he’s just a super nice guy. He definitely has a different sense of humor, which is fun to be around, but he’s kind and level-headed. You’re never going to have a bad time sharing a card with Calvin.

“And with Ulibarri, he’s a jokester. When you’re playing a serious round, it’s refreshing to not always have to be so serious. Paul’s like a little break from the intensity of the sport.

“Light, positive vibes.”

What’s the most nervous you’ve ever been during a disc golf tournament?

“The most nervous I’ve ever been was a couple of years back at the 2021 Idlewild Open. 

“Anybody reading this article probably knows what happened, but I did not win. That was definitely the most nervous I’ve ever been in a single moment in time, because you don’t get too many of those chances on the Pro Tour, unless you’re Paul McBeth or Ricky Wysocki.

“That was definitely the most nervous I’ve ever been. The first hole of the playoff, I had to make a 30-footer on an elevated basket to keep the playoff going. As an experience, the playoff itself was the most nervous I’ve ever been.”

You’re one of the Pro Tour’s more promising talents. What’s currently keeping your game from taking things one step higher?

“I’m definitely the worst-best, 1030-plus-rated disc golfer on earth …

“I have to be.

“My backhand and my backhand distance need work. As everyone in the history of disc golf says, ‘If only I could throw 100 feet farther.’ I have an amazing forehand. I have an amazing putt. And I can scramble well, too.

“It’s something I’ve been working on – it’s slow progress. Once I figure out how to throw the backhand properly and add a little bit of distance, I think it’s going to be a different game for me. I’m excited to try and learn that sooner, rather than later.”

As a professional disc golfer, when was the last time you were in awe of something you saw on the disc golf course? What was it? What happened?

“This is a tough one …

“I’m going to go with the first time I ever played with Eagle McMahon. I can’t actually name the tournament – I don’t have the best memory. But it would be playing with him in-person for the first time.

“Seeing how fast the disc released from his hand was almost unfair. It felt like I wasn’t even playing the same game as him – it was insane. Any fan of disc golf who hasn’t been to a Pro Tour event needs to go and follow their favorite pro who bombs. I don’t care who it is – just watch him.

“It’s almost a life-changing experience for a disc golfer.”

In your opinion, what would be the pinnacle of a Pro Tour tourney takedown? What event do you covet above all else and why?

“I don’t want to be cliché and say Worlds, but I’ll stick with a Major and say USDGC. Ever since I first started playing the event, I’ve always felt like I’ve played three good rounds, and one round is holding me back. It’s a style of course that fits me well, being forehand-dominant.

“Also, the amount of OB works well for the safe way in which I play. I’m fine playing a hole for par, while many guys aren’t. Winthrop Gold is that one course at which I’ve always felt I could succeed. Four great days in a row is what’s required, and I think I can string them together one year.”

I have to ask: How did this whole cookie-as-a-mini thing start? Do you still do it? What’s the point of it?

“It was my first year touring, and I was going to be on JomezPro for the first time. I was super nervous. A good buddy from my hometown suggested I do it as a joke. He said I wouldn’t do it, but I figured I might as well make the most of the exposure.

“It took some of the pressure off, because again, I was nervous around the JomezPro cameras. It was funny, so why not? It’s 100% legal, too. It doesn’t go against the PDGA rules of what a mini needs to be. There was no real reason. I just thought it was funny.

“If I take a bite out of the cookie, it means I made the putt, so I’m going to reward myself for it. I still do it, but not very often, because I don’t want to overdo it. Every once in a while, though, I’ll bust it out and surprise everybody.”

Looking for somebody to pull for on the Pro Tour?

It was one 20-minute phone conversation.

I’m hardly scoring an invite to the guy’s wedding.

But 20 minutes was all it took for me to double-down on my Marwede fandom. Having spoken with him, it’s clear there’s a humility about the guy that’s frequently absent amongst athletes.

Even disc golfers.

McBeth, Wysocki and McMahon are all humble enough in their own right, but their disc-golf games are so out-of-this-universe great, it’s hard to relate to them on any kind of level. In spite of him being able to kick your butt (and mine) up and down any course on earth, I don’t care how long you’ve been in disc golf, in 30 seconds, you’ll feel like you’ve found a friend in Andrew.

In need of a new rooting interest on the MPO side of the Pro Tour in 2024?

Give one of the “good guys” of disc golf your full support.

Go get ‘em, Andy.

Have anything to add? Take to X to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.

Editor’s Suggestions:

• Review: The Millennium Draco
• Gripe No. 50: Losing a golf disc in the snow
• Disc golf: How playing holes ‘backwards’ can lower scores

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.