So, I saw something the other day about that tall fella, Lauri Markkanen, the basketball player, getting into disc golf. Kinda cool seeing guys from other sports pick it up. It actually got me thinking, you know? I haven’t been out to the course in a bit, felt like I needed to shake the dust off myself.
Decided right then, yeah, gotta go throw. Went digging in the closet for my bag. Found it under a pile of other stuff. Grabbed my usual suspects – a couple drivers I can halfway control, my trusty mid-range, and the putter that feels right in the hand. Looked outside, seemed okay, not too windy which is a blessing around here. Tossed the bag in the back seat and just drove over to the park.
Got there, wasn’t too crowded, thankfully. Sometimes you get stuck behind big slow groups, you know? Anyway, I walked around a bit first, did some arm swings. Don’t want to pull anything on the first throw, been there, done that. Started just tossing my putter back and forth lightly, getting the feel back in my fingers.
Working on those Drives
Alright, enough messing around. Headed to the first tee pad. Took a breath, tried to picture a good flight. My main goal today was just trying to be smooth. Less jerky power, more smooth release. First throw? Eh, not great. Bit wobbly, didn’t get the nose down. Second one felt better, flew flatter, got some decent distance for me. Still, not gonna impress anyone, but it felt more like it. Threw a stack of my drivers off that tee, maybe five or six throws. Some turned over too much, one hyzered out early. It’s always a mixed bag when you’re shaking off rust.
Trying to Dial in Approaches
After picking up my discs, I walked down the fairway. Dropped a few discs maybe 150, 200 feet away from the basket. This is where my scores usually go bad. Need to get these approaches closer. Pulled out my mid-range. Focused on just getting it near the pole. Had one really nice shot, landed right by the basket, tap-in range. Felt real good, that one. Then, of course, the next one I threw too hard and it sailed way past. Consistency, man, that’s the killer. Tried a couple forehand flicks too, still feels super awkward for me but gotta practice it sometime, right?
Putting Practice Woes
Spent the last chunk of my time at the practice basket. Gotta make the putts if the rest of your game is messy. Started close, like 10-15 feet. Clink, clank, clink. Mostly going in, building a little confidence. Then I stepped back to the edge of the circle, maybe 30 feet.
- Made one! Yes!
- Missed the next three low. Hit the cage.
- Another one high, bounced off the top band. Ugh.
- Finally sunk another one.
It’s just a grind, putting practice. Repetition. Trying to get that same motion every single time. Some days it clicks, other days… well, you saw.
Picked up all my discs, bag felt heavier going back to the car. Arms felt it a little. But it was good to be out. Good to just throw. Seeing that Markkanen guy playing might’ve lit the spark, but once you’re out there, it’s just you and the disc and trying to make it fly right. Doesn’t matter if you’re a pro athlete or just some regular dude like me. It’s fun to just get out and chuck some plastic. Definitely need to get back out sooner next time. Keep the rust away.
