Pop a chill-pill: Other people can touch your golf discs

There are people in this world who hate having their heads touched. I get that sounds crazy, but if you know one of these people – or you are one of these people – you’ll have witnessed first-hand that they’re completely capable of flying off the rails like a psycho without a moment’s notice.

I know this, because for as much as I love him, my dad’s one of them. Growing up, wrestling in the living room was all fun and games until I jokingly touched his head – or worse, his face. At that point, all bets were off, and I was wise to bolt as soon as possible to avoid a tanned hide.

Here’s another real-world example …

If you’re an MLB guy, Adrián Beltré was infamous for this.

See for yourself:

Now for disc golf.

Similarly, there are disc golfers who loathe the idea of anybody else’s hands touching their frisbees. This isn’t necessarily something that comes up all the time, but it does happen.

For example, if a buddy or cardmate bags a disc you’ve thought about purchasing, you might ask if you could see what it feels like in the hand or give it a toss or two on an upcoming hole …

This is where things (can) get awkward.

There’s usually a diverted gaze, maybe a shuffling of the feet – and then?

“No.”

Weird, right?

I’ve been on the receiving end.

I was tossing with a guy I didn’t know all that well. He parked a hole with a “Destrulcan” Star Destroyer. As such, he tapped out with the same disc he’d thrown from the tee – said Destrulcan. 

I then commented on how I’d always wanted to see what a Destrulcan felt like in the hand, given its strange profile. Without missing a beat, respectfully, I asked if I could see it for a second.

Word-for-word, his response was as follows:

“Keep your distance, kid. I don’t like people touching my tools.”

Things were weird for the rest of the round …

We haven’t played together since.

In his defense, without asking, if I’d simply reached for his prized disc and gotten to second-base with it directly in front of him, I could understand the annoyance – but that did NOT happen. I kept things normal and natural. Obviously, the same can’t be said of his wacko response.

Care to cop a feel of the stuff in my bag?

• First, ask.
• Then, fondle.

Seriously, unless your hands are covered in peanut butter or human blood, I’ll always give the green light. No, people don’t have a right to touch your golf discs, but outside of a few (possible) germs, there’s no transference of bad ju-ju or anything. As the headline indicates, pop a chill-pill.

Relax. Share your plastic. Grow the sport.

No harm, no foul.

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