Week 4 - 5/22 through 5/29: Putter & Midrange Work

[Blake_T]

Where to perform the drill: On the course
What you will need: Your normal array of putters & midranges

Task:
Play 3+ rounds carrying only putters and (true) midranges (fairway drivers and old school drivers are not mids, examples of old school drivers: cobra, storm, eclipse, etc.). If you cannot throw putters and mids beyond 125', you will likely have to do some field work before successfully completing this drill. After 3 rounds compare your scores to your normal round. Unless you have a freakishly long course (average hole length > 300'), your scores should ideally be within 5 strokes of your average score.

Your goal is to see how much D and control you can push out of your midranges and putters (most players do not come near their potential with these discs).

[Pagan]

I did this very thing last weekend. I took my banger, putt'r, mrv, and wasp out and played a few rounds. Ironicly I scored 2 lower than my norm on my best round!

. This is most likely due to our course having a lot of shorter technique holes. On three holes I threw my banger off the teepad. I found that the wasp has a fairly good range for a "midrange disc". I was able to push it to within 40-60' of basket most times on the ~300' holes. On the 400' holes I took a long drives with wasp, and a follow up with banger for a fairly easy three.

I was telling a friend about it and I plan to play a few rounds with him like this again.

[distantdg]

so i have been using my midranges and putters for about a month now, and now can play just about any course in my area without pulling out a driver. i can now push my wasps and buzzz's to the 330' max but consistently at least 310' everytime without worry of turning them over, which used to be as far as i can throw my drivers so looking forward to how far i can push the drivers out. My scores have remain about the same with a +/- 3 strokes, but i feel much more confident in my technique and just feel as i am a better player now.

[lacrimosa]

I spent a week playing with just wizards, and really learned a lot from it. As most people can't reach most pins driving off the tee with putters, it really gives you a chance to learn different kinds of approach shots. (ie, using wrist rolls for holding consistant hyzer/anhyzer lines yet keeping the elevation of the line constant to get around and under brush). Putters are also great for throwing downhill w/ a tailwind, given enough height, as they'll just glide straight forever with very little fade at the end.

[MrTasses]

So I have done this in the past for learning purposes, more than taking advantage of my midranges. After playing about 5-6 rounds using either only midranges, or a midrange and a putter it really helped out my game. It made me understand which disc is the better one to use on given shots.

I got the idea of playing winter night golf with just a putter and a mid from some local pros. The great thing about it is realizing what I can do with a mid or putter when forced to. The other huge advantage is I was forced to learn some course managment when I didn't have a driver to throw.

[garublador]

I did this this last weekend, but only brought one mid (S Element X) and one putter (Med-Soft Wizard) with the intention of beating them up some and to get my "groove" back. I actually threw two "rounds" per hole, one with just the putter and one with just the midrange. After a few frustrating holes I saw some genunie improvements.

Some hilights were a 230' open hole that I landed within 15' with both discs. The WIzard was a hyzer flip and the Element-X was a big knife hyzer. That doesn't sound all that impressive, but the way I had played the last couple weekends, it was a miracle. Another high point was a 333' hole that I came up 10'-15' short on with the Element-X. It peaked at 15'-18' but took a farily wide 'S' so I'm thinking I may still have some off-axis torque in my throw. It's nice to know that's something I can do, though.

One think I noticed was how difficult of a time I had controlling my Element-X for approach shots. It was really hard to get the distance right and even if I did the fade was either brutal or virtually non existant, depending on how high it was and how much spin was on the disc. Both of those were kind of hard to control, too. I also had more cut throughs on putts with it than I've ever seen. With just as bit of hyzer and hitting to the right of the pole I was guaranteed a cut through.

[Takeichi]

I used a 173 S wizard a 175 dx gator and a 175 Champion shark. i got 5 over, my normal is around 2 over. I now throw about 300 with a wizard pretty accurately and 350 with the gator and spider. i use the gator for fh and spider for bh. A lot of the hole are around 420' so just getting pars was my goal. Thanks for posting this training. i figured to try it and it helped immensely in the tourney i was in. I now know my limits with my approaches and mid game

[Donkeypuncher]

Damn, my local course averages about 300' per hole but I'm still going to try it. I have noticed that when I use a longer midrange for holes I stay straight and usually get withing 60' of the basket, where a driver will sometimes end up 100' past or hit a tree and be 100' in front.

Would a Z storm be considered a midrange? It doesn't say midrange but it is classified as one on this site. I can throw it a little over 300' so I do consider it mid.

[Thatdirtykid]

z storm is a tweener. If its the only mid mold you throw use it, but if you throw others try to play w/ out the storm.

[DrRyan]

I routinely played this way when I used to live in Kansas City and played at Rosedale park. Even when stretched out to the tips(>6300) I am able to have a putt on all but maybe 4-6 holes. It certainly helps that the generally southwesterly wind pushes Rocs a long way. The Roc is hands down my favorite disc and I am continually telling people, "learn to throw the Roc"(just ask the phisherman), then learn to throw your drivers. I played with a friend who played on the PDGA tour for a while and he is the one that got ME to throw the Roc. His explaination was, "if you are able to throw the same disc drive after drive, you will get that KNOW where that disc is going every time. Similar to what Gateway Dave M. taught me when playing some rounds with him...never throw a "bigger" disc than you have to. Meaning, if you can get the putter there throw the putter, if you can get the mid-range there, then don't throw the driver and put the mid under the basket.

After playing Roc only rounds off the tee, I can easily throw a Roc 400+ with a tailwind. Without a tail wind, easily 330-350 depending on elevation gain/loss. This is one of the best skills to learn in my opinion.

[Fritz]

One of the reasons I love to practice and entire round with putters and mids only too, is you can really get a sense of how wind effects those discs.

An example, this weekend my random doubles partner was concerned about her shot because of the crosswind. I told her, use your KC Pro Roc, throw it to the right on a slight hyzer line. She thought I was nuts, and threw her Champ Orc. Totally over shot the hole and was a good 100 feet away. I told her, try your Roc now. So she did and parked it. She always thought that the Roc would get owned in that type of crosswind, and I told her it actually favored that kind of wind. Only reason I know that is from my practice of mids and putters only on the course.

[zj1002]

We finally had a sunny day today so I decided it was time for some midrange practice. 10 Roc's(various molds/plastic) and 3 Wiz. On most holes I would throw multiple but would always go back and play from the first Roc. I ended up at +1 which is a lot better than I thought. I usually play around par on this course. I 2 putted on 5 holes for par within 30ft, so my drives were spot on for the most part. I had 3 bogeys on some longer holes, 2 of which I took 2 putts on. Got to bomb some roc's into a tailwind off a hill. I gotta say bombing roc's 400+ is lots of fun. It has made me totally rethink my game, a lot of shots just got a ton easier.

this is my course on campus i played at:
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=936&mode=ci
perfect for what I needed. I can't wait to see how it changes my shots on other courses

i am actually going back out to throw after I eat, for some reason I had a hell of a lot of fun

[Star Shark]

Yep, it's amazing how little you actually need your drivers. I've gone out to Sylmar and shot -2 with just a Shark while my record with full bag is -5. It also makes you play much smarter when you know there are holes you just can't reach with a mid. You think alot more about placement. Where can I put this shot to make my up the easiest. Since Sylmar is basically a drive and putt course for me, this kind of practice is essential or I'll lose my ability at the upshot <which has been the strongest part of my game>.

[zj1002]

I just played -2 when I back out. 4 birds, 2 boggies and to many missed putts. I need to pracitce putting 30ft and in, because I left 4 more birdies out there. I did alot more driving with my beat SS Wiz and had better results. also practiced turning on my heel and found my accuracy improved ten fold when I had my footwork right. this isnt really a pitch and putt course either. lots of hills and elevation changes plus the 6 short holes wind through a forest. I over drove some of those shorties and had problems on the come back putts, which means I probably just start driving with a Wiz on those. I have learned more about placement in today than I did in my first 2 years playing this sport. one of those days where things finally click

[elnino]

Did this yesterday and all i can say is Rocs are amazing!

just Rocs and Wizards played a wooded course and well i hit trees all the time...with just Rocs and Wizards i hit maybe 3trees in 36holes off the tee.....i usually hit around 12trees per 36holes.

1. I can throw Rocs a lot further than i thought. Maybe up to around 350 without flipping them.
2. Wizards are more stable than i thougth don't need VPs can get most shots with wizards...but a vp and a firebird are really required....i think i need a roc+ for shaping lines not for stability in the wind.
3. I can shape Rocs with forehand flicks and really avoid those freakin trees....this shot is a must

Thanks for this exercise really help me get away from trying to bomb every hole all the time.