Thursday, December 8, 2011

Vibram's Trak a true breakthrough disc

I’ve tested all of the Vibram discs by now, and reviewed most of them here. All the reviews have until now have had a common theme: The main thing that makes them different from all other discs on the market (the grip and durability of rubber) has definite value, and it earns them consideration for a spot in your bag based on that alone. Each of the discs has been worthwhile in it’s own right, and performed as advertised.

Vibram started with lid-like putters that seem most suitable for driving, but worked well for putting due mainly to the grippy-ness of the rubber compound from which all their discs are made. Their first driver – the Ascent – is reliably overstable for me, but once again valued mostly for the way it comes to rest more abruptly on contact with the ground as opposed to other drivers that tend to skip. Again, the rubber is THE main reason I liked those discs. Otherwise, I’m one of those veteran disc golfers who has dozens (and more dozens) of discs and buys them much less often now because what I have works fine for me.

Then I tested the Trak.

This stable driver seems to do something for me no disc has ever done- something that as a lefthanded player is particularly valuable: It holds a gradual turnover line for a very long time. I’ll try to explain it with as much detail as possible, because I believe it is very significant, even ground-breaking. Click here to read the rest of this post at the new home of this blog, www.schoolofdiscgolf.com. And please bookmark it for future reference.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Be A Sponge, Part 2

NOTE: As a reminder, this blog has migrated to the main site for School of Disc Golf. Please bookmark the new site today!

Be A Sponge, Part 2: Pay Attention to Detail

DaLearning Curve, the School of Disc Golf’s instructional blog, has coined and often comes back to several themes. ‘Disc Golf in a Vaccuum’, for instance. ‘Be a sponge’ is another. This is a return to the ‘sponge’ theme.
The previous post under this heading (‘Want to Play Better: Be a Sponge‘) didn’t focus on the absorbent characteristics of a sponge, but rather the practice of ‘wringing out’ every bit of talent and knowledge one already possesses to maximize performance. In a nutshell, everyone will make errors in execution at one time or another, and that is unavoidable. It happens less to better, more consistent players, but it happens. However, mental errors are much more systemic and easier to avoid or even practically eliminate with the proper mindset. It’s worth the read if you haven’t seen it yet.
This post, however, goes back to the absorbent nature of the sponge, with three specific suggestions on how to soak up new information that can help you improve.
  1. Observe and learn from players that are much better than you
  2. Observe your own game from a detached, analytical viewpoint
  3. Listen to your body
Click here to read the rest of this post and learn more above the three points listed above.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Vibram’s first mid-range disc fills a niche in my bag

Well, I spoke too soon. Domain forwarding issues have forced me to post dual entries here and on my new Wordpress site for now.

It’s kinda pointless to review a disc and discuss flight characteristics without some form of context in terms of the person throwing the disc. Describing a disc by comparing it to other discs (“it’s like a Roc on steroids!”) is, for the same reason, of limited usefulness. Disc golfers vary greatly not only by armspeed but also in a number of other ways, like preference for hyzer/anhyzer/S-turn flight and general skill level and experience. So it should make sense that a disc that flies naturally straight according to one person’s perception won’t result in the same experience for someone else.
With that being established, in reviewing Vibram’s first mid-range disc, the Ibex, I’ll share some characteristics of my own disc golf game to provide some of that context. Hopefully it’ll give you a better idea of how you might be able to use the Ibex and other discs I review in your game. Here’s my disc golfer profile, in a nutshell:
  • more than 20 years playing disc golf with a top rating of 999, and still constantly seeking ways to get better
  • successful competitive player due to a well-rounded game rather than a big arm
  • slower arm speed due a rotator cuff injury, maxing out at maybe 380 feet with accuracy
  • play primarily in Santa Cruz county, where most fairways and greens are fast and/or sloped
The Ibex that Vibram sent me to test is in their regular (as opposed to soft or hard) X-Link rubber compound. I find that some of the appeal that the Ibex has for my game is directly related to slogans Vibram touts about their entire line. To quote the top of every page on their website: “Exceptional Durability, Unequaled Grip, Consistent Performance”. After throwing the Ibex for a few weeks now (plus having tested other Vibram models for a much longer period of time), I can attest to the veracity of all three claims. And it is these characteristics that have me giving the Ibex and other Vibram discs a long tryout for a spot in my bag.
Most of my non-putter discs have for years been made of various types of high-tech plastic, like ESP, Star or Champion. Playing on the fast terrain of DeLaveaga and surrounding courses for years, I’ve become accustomed to taking the skip into consideration when planning and executing shots. But Vibram discs provide a great alternative to that strategy, when needed, with their tacky rubber surface. Whether the Ibex lands at a steep angle or perfectly flat, it usually ends up pretty close to where it first touches down. With a weeny arm now, sometimes I need that skip to reach the green, and in those cases I won’t throw a rubber disc. But it’s all about having the right disc for each shot, and now I’ve got discs that don’t skip when I don’t want ‘em to.
Another benefit directly related to the rubber compound that makes Vibram unique is the fact that the grip expands shot-making possibilities. Case in point: sometimes I am faced with one of those ‘tweener’ shots where the distance and lie seems too long for a putter, and too short for a full, smooth mid-range disc. I’m finding that throwing the Ibex with a fan grip works great in these situations, providing the same accuracy-centric control I would get from one of my putters, but with the added distance I need. In the past I had to throw a putter harder than I’d want to, risking the loss of some aim, or another midrange with a fan grip on the comparatively slick ‘high tech’ plastic, which didn’t inspire confidence.
In my case, the other mid-range discs in my bag are only moderately stable. If I put an anhyszer angle with some height on a throw with my Champion Cobra, for instance, it’ll hold that angle for a long time. If I throw it hard and flat and low, there is a good chance it’ll turn over and hit the ground too soon. With the Ibex I now have a disc that I can throw flat and expect to hyzer fairly quickly, yet it won’t skip like a flat stone on a quiet creek when it hits the hard dirt of DeLa. Once again, that’s valuable because it fills a void in my bag.
To sum it up, the Ibex is worth a look because as a mid-range disc its inherent qualities as a rubber disc fit perfectly with the way a mid-range disc is intended to be used. It flies further that a putter, yet offers more control and predictability than a driver (and most other mid-range discs). Add to that the fact that the rubber texture also greatly improves grip and helps it stop on a dime, and you’ve got one heck of a mid-range disc.

Monday, October 10, 2011

New blogging location

Beginning today, DeLaBlahg will be blogging at http://schoolofdiscgolf.com. Please begin following us there. Same disc golf-related subject matter, just a different URL. Thanks!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Some disc golf tips have nothing to do with playing better

After a couple decades playing disc golf, DeLaBlagh has confirmed a few basic tenets related to the duller - as opposed to the finer - points of the game. These observations have nothing to do with playing the game, or at least not directly. But they can make your overall experience more enjoyable.

Minimizing lost discs
  • The golf disc industry thrives on the fact that people seem to really care about what color disc they throw, or what is stamped on the discs they throw. Players seem to really like multi-colored or tie-die discs in particular, and those discs tend to cost the most, too. But they are among the likeliest to be lost, because the variegated patterns are the hardest to spot when obscured in bushes and groundcover- even if the colors in the disc are bright. It's a cruel fact that the discs with the appearance you find most attractive are often the easiest to lose.
  • Seemingly much more obvious is the fact that black discs and dark green discs tend to get lost more often as well. Seems like a no-brainer, but people still buy them, and manufacturers are happy to supply them. We're not saying there's a conspiracy here, just good 'ol capitalism. And don't think it's OK because the discs you have that are black or green are putters. Those can get lost too, especially when it's getting dark out.
  • Bottom line: if your goal is to lose as few discs as possible, throw solid, bright colors, and put your name and some type of contact info on them in large, bold print. If your main objective is to hold onto those discs you come to know well and trust, appearance shouldn't be part of the equation.
Rashes, Bites and Burns
We're based in Santa Cruz, and used to view our year-round disc golf outings as a chance to work on our tans. But the flip side to our temperate weather are the nasty perils of poison oak and wasps that build nests in the ground, practically invisible until it's too late. We've long since given up wearing shorts on the courses around here. We usually wear long, thin nylon 'shell' pants that provide protection against the evil that lurks just off the fairways while adding little or no discomfort on hot days. Full shoes are a no-brainer.

Although we don't really get excited about courses in grassy parks with no hazards to worry about, it's nice to be able to dress lightly when playing disc golf once in awhile. But in all other cases, why risk it? A personal best round is quickly ruined when the indiscriminate nature of, uh, nature strikes. Remember the Father on Caddyshack?
 

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Pro Worlds recap- NorCal shines

Haven't had the energy yet since the last day of the event to look at all the numbers, but one stat jumps off the page. Of the eight people crowned World Champion of disc golf on Saturday, 6 come from and live in Northern California. Only two of them call any of the Worlds courses home (Nate Doss and Jon Baldwin, DeLaveaga), and Nate is on tour and away from DeLa most of the season. And he doesn't play much in the off-season. It wasn't a Santa Cruz thing so much as a NorCal thing.

My conclusion here is twofold, and both are points I've made in this space before.
  1. Northern California has more concentrated disc golf talent than anywhere else in the world, and it's not very close.
  2. The courses in NorCal present challenges most disc golfers - even most top pros - just don't see very often.
I won't spend much time on the superior player angle as I've done that before. Suffice it to say that in addition to dominating the winner's podium, the two other players that provided the biggest threat to Doss are from NorCal as well: Derek Billings, who led for the first two days and shot a -18 in the opening round, and Josh Anthon, the greatest player to not yet win a major.

As far as the courses go, it seems that most top players are conditioned by typical disc golf courses to play ultra-aggressive golf. Rarely do they get themselves into trouble that results in more than one bogey stroke at other courses. Bad drives usually result in settling for par rather than deciding how to minimize the damage. Not so at most NorCal courses, nearly all of which combine sloping, rugged terrain, dense foliage and challenging layouts.

To those tempted to say that the NorCal players had an advantage from being familiar with the courses, my response is qualified agreement. NorCal players are privileged to learn playing a form of the game much closer to traditional golf than what most others experience. Game management is of the utmost importance, and it is this trait more than any other that made the difference at the 2011 Pro Worlds.

The 27-hole round is also something that requires adjustment, and perhaps those that have played tournament rounds at DeLaveaga were better-prepared in that way as well. If your mind is conditioned to maintain focus for 18 holes, and then you have to another 1.5 hours . . . . that's when mistakes and errors of judgement happen.

I know somewhere, someone who knows Tom Schot and his PT Barnam ways well believes Tom just pulled off the Hustle of his great career. But those that know Tom really well know that's silly. He doesn't care who wins so long as the world hears about it and it advances the sport. 

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Which Worlds course will be talked about years from now?

Maybe the headline of this entry should have had a qualifier related to DeLaveaga. Those that have never played DeLa may lean in the direction of the iconic Santa Cruz course because of its long storied stature and the fact that she still deserves her reputation and still requires a 1000-rated round to shoot par.

Those that have played DeLa in past Masters Cups or other events may choose to go another way, though. They may remember which of the three other, much newer courses provided the greatest tournament challenge. That remains to be seen, of course, but DeLaBlahg can provide a small bit of insight from the perspective of a local.

First of all, generalizations that hold true for all four courses: The combination of trees, slanted and non-grassy fairways and variable winds adds up to difficult pars if you don't place your drive where it needs to be. But for the most part, the length of the holes is reasonable- not long just to make the hole a tough par 3 or 4- or 5 (Pinto Lake, Hole 11, 1280 feet). These courses have plenty of other factors adding to the challenge.

Ryan Ranch
Ryan Ranch is so beautiful right now, so dialed in with the sweet teesigns and basket toppers, it reminds us a femme fatale-type assassin. Many of the baskets are close enough to craggy brush and trees that you'll find yourself straddle-putting often. The winds can get up pretty good since it's mostly exposed. It's long enough that if you arm can get fatigued at the end of a long day, you'll do well to monitor your performance closely and adjust accordingly during the last 9 holes here- just like at the other 27-hole layouts.

CSUMB Oaks
The likeliest of the four courses to have wind be a major factor. If the wind is up in a major way, play to minimize the damage. It's tough because the direction changes so often, with the course being the closest to the Pacific Ocean. But this course isn't a birdie-fest on the calmest of days, so unless you're in the Open division and vying for a top spot, lots o' pars are good here too.

Pinto Lake
Tom Schot's attempt to match his achievement at DeLaveaga is mostly successful at Pinto Lake. You may not like a couple of the holes that have thread-narrow dirt roads for part or all of the fairways (we don't) but they are exacting and everyone has to play them. Most of the holes have yellow OB rope left, right, and in some case behind the pin. Make sure you know where that rope is on every shot. Especially on the meadow (upper) holes, which look so wide-open and innocuous after the first 4 holes, the OB can creep up on you very easily- especially if there is any wind to speak of.

The guess here is that Pinto Lake will stand out from the three courses not called DeLaveaga. It has the significant advantage of being the location for the semi-finals and finals, after all. It's the only course the top divisions will play more than once. But that's the only reason we cast our vote for Pinto Lake. The other courses are epic as well, and they're all tough, technical, long, and a big departure from the courses most competitors play regularly. We like to envision conversations years from now among people who played the 2011 Pro Worlds, spirited debates about which course ended up being pivotal in XXXX XXXXXX being crowned World Champion.

Be aware of the lake on the one hole where it actually comes into play (14).


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Poison oak, next week's weather, and fashion choices

Everything that has been posted on the Worlds site and various Facebook pages so far about treating poison oak is more or less correct. Wash thoroughly with soap and/or use Worlds sponsor Zanfel or Technu. The sooner you do it, the better in terms of severity and prevention of spreading. But wouldn't it be better to prevent exposure in the first place?

One of the main things you can do to lessen exposure is simply wear long pants. The weather is supposed to be quite mild during the 2011 Worlds, with highs on the hottest course (Pinto Lake) possibly never even reaching 80 degrees. Remember, too, that Northern California has very low humidity.  Getting a tan isn't worth it if it means also experiencing Poison Oak, which is many times more potent than Poison Ivy. And it'll be overcast most of the time anyway.

  • DeLaBlahg packs a travel size/trial size pack of 'Wet Wipes' in our disc golf bag for times when we know we've contacted the vile weed. Immediate cleansing with the wipes seems to neutralize the toxic oils. Read it somewhere, and it's always worked for us.
  • As you keep your eye out for the leafy poison oak plants on the ground, don't forget that the gnarliest (literally) plants are the vines that climb trees. They don't have many leaves, but if you get scratched by one and it breaks the skin, look out. To be safe, steer clear of any dry, brittle-looking vines you see creeping up trees.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Tidbits on the Worlds courses; local TV news coverage

DeLaBlahg accompanied Nate Doss and Valarie Jenkins to a local TV Station early this morning, then joined them for a practice round at Pinto Lake. The live segment with the local morning news co-anchors went well, and clips should be re-posted on the Worlds homepage and Facebook page as soon as the station makes them available. For now, here is the first segment as captured by the Discmasters camera on the camera on the action.


The morning news team, which is small and amazingly capable, ended up doing two segments that were both a couple minutes in length. Review of the entire show later in the day on DVR showed that they even plugged the disc golf segments twice as teasers beforehand- although the repeated called it 'Frolf' until we corrected them during a break. In both segments, co-anchors Colleen Chen and Tamara Berg toss putters toward an orange powder-coated DGA basket and ask Val and Nate questions. After receiving some basic instruction both showed improvement. The sound cut out some on the live broadcast during the second segment, but not enough to ruin it. That's important, because according to the show's producer they get a bunch of viewers right at the end, tuning in for the CBS Early Show which follows it.

Nate Doss and Valarie Jenkins with Colleen Chen of KION News
We're hoping to get more coverage on KION/FOX 35 before the end of the tournament, so stay tuned.

Course Notes- Pinto Lake
Headed to check out a couple of the Worlds courses after the TV studio shoot. After a stop at Ryan Ranch to check out the new tee signs, benches, and 'basket-toppers'(all looking incredible), we headed to Pinto Lake.

Volunteers were hard at work laying out what will be the words '2011 Pro Worlds' in 80-foot tall letters, along with a correspondingly large KEEN logo on the course's 1200-foot hole, #11. It'll be so big it will cover most of that long fairway and be visible from 30,000 feet. When it's done, cameras in airplanes and/or helicopters will hopefully capture some images we can share.

The rest of the course is looking great - even better than great - but for those heading out to practice for the Worlds, a few important notes:
  • The yellow OB rope that will be put down on the first five holes and holes 14-18 should be there in the next couple days (by Wednesday August 3rd). Until then, pay attention to hole maps and look for the low-protruding 4 x 4 posts that define most of the OB right now.
  • Watch out for yellowjackets on holes 10 and 12, in both cases within 50 feet of the basket.
  • Even though this also should change in the next day or two, hole 12A doesn't have a basket (it has a tone-pole, much of a tee (two markings on the ground) or signage (none) as of Monday August 1st around Noon. Here's how to get there and then on to Hole 13: After completing hole 12, walk back up the hill along the OB line to the right, to keep safe from being hit by drives on 12. When you get to the tee for 12, you'll see the tee for 12A not far behind it. After finishing 12A, walk down to a trail on the right that cuts across toward Hole 13.
  • Hole 18's basket will be moved from it's normal position about 75 feet longer, into the open grassy area short of the restrooms. There is a stake to mark where the basket will be- hopefully in, you guessed it . . . a coupla days. Max. There was already plenty to polish up in the next few days, and that sign is gonna be huge.

Monday, May 2, 2011

The 'Worldwide Broadcast TV Premier' of DiscmastersTV

So here's the lowdown on the TV show: We've got the first episode complete and online on our YouTube channel here. We have enough footage already for the first four episodes, but will be shooting more soon.

We now also know when the show will air on local Santa Cruz cable. If you're interested in helping it get aired in a different community, let me know. Here are the initial Santa Cruz show times:

+    Sat    05/21/11    03:00 PM    Channel 27/73
+    Fri    05/20/11    08:30 PM    Channel 27/73
+    Thu    05/19/11    06:30 PM    Channel 27/73
+    Tue    05/17/11    01:00 PM    Channel 27/73
+    Mon    05/16/11    09:00 PM    Channel 27/73


Future episodes feature Nikko Locastro, GreGory Barby, Jon Baldwin, Shasta Criss, and a bunch of other local and Pro players. Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

A Discmasters teaser plus, uh, "Gourd Disc Golf'

After months of filming and editing, the TV show I've been working on is set to debut on Community TV and YouTube in April- this month. It stars Nate Doss, Valarie and Avery Jenkins and a host named Jack Tupp, and features entertaining characters such as Gregg Barsby and Nikko Locastro, along with a strong sampling of locals from the Santa Cruz disc golf scene. We figure with the Pro Worlds coming here in the summer, people might like an insiders view of what goes on here year-round.

We've created a couple completely different trailers. One is an explanation of the different types of content the show will have (and that one will be posted very soon), and this one is random clips from the show set to . . . music. I have a censored and non-sensored version posted here, since a few of the lyrics are not acceptable in genteel society. Check 'em out and decide for yourself whether you think the show will be any good. And check back here for more details on when and where the show will air. We'll have a Facebook page and website up soon.


 

Now for the Gourd Disc Golf. Seems the guy in the picture below has decided that plain old disc golf is already passe, and the real sport of the future is played with gourds, or pieces of gourds. If you must know what he's up to, see if you can figure it out at the site where the picture is posted, www.cabinmadeartworks.com.