From practice to the course

[coogs]

Ok, I need some help with an issue I'm having once I step foot onto the course. During practice, whether it be putting, driving, etc., I'm money. All putts from within 30' fall in and I have nice, solid drives. However, once I step on the course to play a round, it's as if all those good things have gone out the window and I'm back to square one.

I miss putts from within 20' and I can't make it to the pin on a hole that's only 290'. If anyone can help, what's my problem with the transition from practice to round?

[Rooster]

i seem to have the same problem. my thought, it's all mental. you don't realize it and you don't feel it but the pressure is there. i don't know how to tell ya to fix it becuase i haven't fixed it yet. its weird, i know, but im sure eventually it will go away. at least i hope it does.

[presidio hills]

i know what you're talking about. i think part of it is that a lot of the shots you're forced to execute on the course are different than the ones you practice. it's hard to transfer the feel of practice shots into new shots that you weren't practicing... which is why it's important to practice a lot of different lines, ranges, winds, woods vs. field etc...
it's good to go out and get the overall feel of 'throwing' vs. getting the feel for a simple hyzer, flat, anhyzer all seperately.
i think the same is true with putting. it's good to practice straddle and traditional stance. putts from the knees. anhyzer/hyzer/flat putts. nose up nose down. whatever you can think of.

[The Clergyman]

Yup. I hear ya'. Next time you're putting in a game try to remind yourself to stop just before you putt (or get a partner to tell you) and then assess how tense you are. I bet you're tight, especially in the arms and upper back.
That tension takes away your feel for depth and the result is that the disc can go anywhere.
Frankly, during a game, I convince myself that I'm just throwing a warm up shot and I'm way more loose in the arms. Usually works for me.

[Weebl]

Practice how you play. I've been trying to practice lately, instead of just fireing away disc after disc, I think what line I want the disc to take, envision it, watch it flip up in my mind, go through the pullback and pullthrough in my mind, take a few deep breaths to loosen up the muscles and execute. I give myself a routine to work with so I can do the same thing on the course flawlessly. For putting, I make sure I don't Sally it, gun it to the chains loose wrist with a snap at the end, stare at the smallest speck of rust/weld on the chainlink I want to hit and block all other senses but touch and sight.

[TexasOutlaw]

Your mental game needs work. For putting, I have slowed down my routine way down. Of course, I got a warning today for too much time; it seems they've changed the time alloted to 10 secs.

How do you practice? Do you have a chance to practice holes? I like to go out about noon because there will not be anyone out here in the high noon heat so that I can practice holes that have given me trouble.

[Torg]

I find that when I practice I throw disc after disc, not really taking a lot of time between them. As I get a little into the practice my throws get smoother, with less hitches in the middle and my drives get better because of that. The same is true of my putting. If I overthink a putt I miss, I need to step up and throw pretty quickly.

My advice...When you get ready to throw a drive on a course make the whole thing smooth and fast. I actually spend more time making sure my grip is right as I step on the pad than I do getting ready for the shot. If a drive feels smooth and fast (assuming I practice correct form) it will come off as long or longer than the drives in my practice throws.

[branley]

I think attempting to visualize yourself in the situation of a real game is key. I'm new to disc golf, but am trying to use some of the same principles I used in my 15 years of Martial Arts training. When I would prepare for a tournament then I found that visualization really helped me prepare. I visualized things going wrong and how I would deal with them, and I worked to try to be able to calm myself and focus. I felt like it made a difference over time. Trying to make your practice as much like a real game is important too. I just wrote an entry on my disc golf site about practice earlier today too. Not sure if it will help:

http://www.yourdiscgolfreporter.com/2006/07/05/best-location-to-practice-disc-golf/

- branley
Your Disc Golf Reporter