Are my expectations too high?

[Peot]

Guys,

Been reading this forum and the forum at DGCR and am trying to pick up all the necessary techniques to improve my game. I played a bit with my friends in the fall of last year, but really got into the game and started playing in late March/early April. I've been playing a lot (summer break from school), so I was pretty bummed to shoot an 800 and a 740-750ish round in the tournament I just played in (I DNF'd my last round, which was going to be in the low 700's, not because I care about my rating but mostly do to frustration and mental fatigue).

Am I expecting too much of myself? My putting is easily the best part of my game, since I seem to get good and accurate snap and I putt aggressively. I don't get much snap on drives, however. I've been reading all the threads, watching More Snap 2009 and the Beto vids on youtube, etc. but I can't seem to break the high 200's outside of a good tailwind throw with a Roadrunner or a Sidewinder. This is most frustrating for me also since I play a pretty high level sport, so not grasping something athletically irks me quite a bit. But again, am I expecting too much too early? I guess this is kinda tl;dr, for which I apologize.

[Mike C]

Everyone learns at a different pace.

I started out the spring before last, really got into it last summer. Throwing 350' came naturally to me just from playing and watching what good players on the course did when they threw. It took me a few months to be able to beat the person who showed me the sport when it comes to raw distance.

There's this Kachtz (sp?) guy on here and DGCR that was throwing over 500' within weeks of trying out the sport.

I know people who have played for over a year and would be hard pressed to break 300'.

It's my belief that barring limitations such as physical disability or having too many obligations to put in serious practice (Kids, work etc.), anyone can get as good as they want to be.

[Dr. Burd]

I would say that in your tournament game especially, yes, you're setting your expectations too high. Playing under pressure is difficult enough as it is. I can't imagine playing a tournament the first year I played...

Frustration is your worst enemy. You have to be relaxed to throw well, and especially to throw far. If your forearm is tense, your throws will suck and won't go far at all. Don't worry about your rating, keep practicing, and avoid tournaments until you've built more muscle memory/better form and most importantly, gained confidence.

If you MUST compete, find a less formal setting. Get a bag tag if there's one available in your area, or find a super-chill league to play at.

[Thatdirtykid]

Stick with it and keep your expectations high, but don't get discouraged. Surround yourself with players better than you, and spend more time in the field than on the course, the rest will come.
Tourneys are a different story, they take practice for a lot of people, and there is no where better to strengthen your mental game.

[Cisco]

Pull later in your throw. When you think you are pulling late, and are using your body from bottom to top until the pull, pull even later. Then ponder life and disc golf, keep the disc as close to your chest as possible as it passes you, and PULL LATER!

I improved the most IMO when I was throwing a putter, mid, and a slow fairway driver and only those for pretty much a whole year(20-40 rounds). Once my fairway driver(gazelle) was just plain not going any farther(300-315) without having to throw it really high, I moved up to a leopard/Z XL, which are just a little faster. After only a few weeks I was getting 310-340 with those discs and I could actually appreciate something like an orc or wraith(350+). I know I don't throw far, but getting to 350 made a ton of difference in score, and if I get a good pull the wraith gets to 370-400.

Now my go-to disc is an eagle because it acts like my gazelle did, just farther. Teebirds go a little farther than an eagle for me, and the wraith should probably be an orc for me, but I like that the wraith won't flip over for me even on a not so good throw and still go about the same distance.

What sport do you play? There IS something that you can take from it and apply the mechanics to disc golf.

[USAnarchy]

Yes and no.

Do you know your skill level and what your capable of? Yes

Do you know how consistent you are in normal play? Yes

Now take both of those and throw them out the window.

Tournament play is more like a chess match, where as casual golf is more like playing checkers.

Tournament play requires patience as you will be waiting longer in between shots and holes.

It requires more focus and attention to the task at hand. People tend to be a little quieter than normal, so small noises (someone messing with their bag, people shuffling around, etc) tend to sound louder and end up a little more distracting. Because your trying to focus more, as you found out, you tend to get exhausted mentally faster.

Best way to practice for tournaments? Find 3 or 4 others that want to get better at playing tournaments and play little "mock" rounds.

Break out the stools, take your time, and have everyone try and get into their own zones. Dont take multiple shots. And if possible, make sure at least one or more of those people are better than you are. This way it puts pressure on you to perform. Be sure to keep score, and if you want to make sure you have a reason to focus, then throw down 5 bucks or so or have the losers buy the winner a few beers or something. Shoot, you could even make up your own bag tags or a tokens that the winner gets to keep until the next time you play.

Just remember, everyone is different, and what may work or help me might not necessarily help you.

This is why ultimately, the best way to practice for tournament play is to play in tournaments.

[Mike C]

That description of tourney games is spot on. They're a whole different animal. Especially if you're like me and you try to play at a quick pace during casual rounds so you can fit in multiple rounds.

[Peot]

To answer some of the questions: I wrestle, and I definitely don't think that not playing in any more tournaments is the answer. I want to be good, and I love to compete, so I can't imagine that stopping altogether until I get better is the answer.

I mainly throw Gazelle/Leopard/Roadrunner/Buzzz/Wizard, with probably 80% of my throws being Buzzz. I'm planning to improve with some putter rounds (Wiz/Magic/Summit) and a lot of field work. I'm also toying with my grip. I use a three finger grip for mids and upshots, and a kind of odd grip for putting with my finger on the rim and the rest of my fingers fanned out completely under the disc. I don't think it's all that consistent though, so I'm working on switching to a more traditional fan grip.