What’s in my Bag #7

Current and Previous "What's In My Bag" posts here

I just finished playing in my 6th tournament ever, and I just about DFL'd (again), in Int. That's okay, I'm improving and though I kicked the ground a couple of times yesterday, I had a lot of fun. Just getting some rounds in with friends is enough.

I also have a few things to work on. My backhand, which I've been using since April (about 6 months now) is getting better and better, and while my scores have dropped about 5-7 strokes a round typically (I blow up now and then, too), I feel like with just a bit more time and practice, I'll be able to shave another 5 strokes per round. I'm missing my line just a little many times, and when I start playing from the middle of the fairway instead of the fringes, my shots will all be easier.

On the Friday before the tournament, I followed a doubles pairing of some open studs (Jay Reading, Mike Olse, Brad Miller & Ryan Sawyer). They played the new gold course at Ingleside, a narrow, tangled never-a-good-lie par 65. I knew going in I'd be impressed, and I wasn't really surprised by their play (which was excellent). I was mainly surprised by how easy even their long throws looked. And their 300 footers -- many shots on this course were short drives for placement -- they looked like me throwing a 100 foot upshot. So, I'm clearly throwing WAY TOO HARD.

Way. Too. Hard.

So, that I'm practicing. Also: my putts. Man, some days I got it, some days I don't. I think everyone is that way, but if I can get consistent from close-in, I'll be a lot better.

I practice in a nearby park. It's mostly open and I've been throwing a lot of long drives across that park for the last two years. Now, I'm changing. I'm throwing a lot more in narrow, tree-lined areas, aiming for targets about 200-250 feet away. If I can get comfortable with that shot and a good 25 foot putt, I'll be okay. That's the next level, at least. I'll keep the long open drives going, too, so I don't get too rusty. But these pros showed me that it's not just length but placement. The problem is, these guys can throw it 400 accurately, where I can't even throw it 400. And, when they throw it 400, they put as much effort as I do into my 250-300 drives. I'm glad I spent those 2 hours watching those guys. It helped me understand what is the next piece to take me to the next level.

Now, What's in my Bag?

Discraft Force (ESP) (174g) - See old Bags for more on the Force. Still use it, still love it.

Innova Star T-Rex (175g) x2 - Still use it, for the same reasons as I did in the last WIMB.

My wiped Wraith: "Jesus would shoot an 18"

Innova Pro Wraith (167g) - Still use it, still like it, see last WIMB.

Fairway Drivers most overstable to most understable:

Discraft Flick (171g) - Still love it, still use it. See last WIMB.

Innova Star Teebird (175g) - Still use it, promoted to "Favorite Disc" status. I am using the T-Bird for tons of shots now. It's the default disc and I'll go away only if I have a reason (long hyzer with Force or Flick, more distance with a tailwind from a Wraith, etc). I have been throwing nice, easy, accurate sidearms with this now, especially on the narrower fairways at Ingleside Gold. It's lovely if I don't go all stupid and try to throw it too hard.

Discraft Tracker (174g) - Didn't stay in my bag, I don't think I'll ever use them. They aren't consistent at all (two discs, two different feels, two different flights...). In my trunk, soaking up the darkness.

Kind of a dumb name for a disc. What is it avenging? The disc you broke in half on that last tree? What's the revenge? A shank? Didn't really think that one through, I think. A disc with a lot of potential, though.

Discraft Avenger SS (174g) - I bought these thinking I was getting Surge SS's. Doh! But, I'm happy. They feel almost exactly like a T-Bird, but are more understable. I need more understable right now because I'm not getting the power on my shots I need for my other discs. I had it in my bag all tournament, but I don't think I used it (maybe once or twice). I look forward to getting familiar with it.

Right now there are two discs I really like how they feel: TBird/Avenger SS (thin rim, good control) & Pro Wraith (wider rim, but not wide like a Boss; additionally, it's just some Wraiths, not all of them, unfortunately. But the ones that feel good, feel great!). Other discs feel differently and I think that as I get better I'll be seeking out discs that feel like those. I use a T-Rex and Destroyer but don't really like how they feel as much. The Force & Flick feel quite different, too, but I rarely use them backhand. For backhand, I've starting to understand what I like more.

Not this blurry in real life

Innova Pro Valkyrie (175g) - I bought the Valk because I know a lot of people who throw them. I think for guys like us (my buddies and me), we don't throw as hard so we don't get the glide out of a more stable disc and a Valk helps us there. At first, though, I didn't see much use for it. I used it as the disc I would use in situations I use the Wraith, but I preferred the Wraith by a long shot.

So, it was soaking up trunk sweat until I found a hole I needed it on. Next time I played the hole I had it, put my drive right where I wanted it, and then pulled out the Valk for the second shot (probably 350 feet or so). It did exactly what I wanted. The hole is Ingleside Gold hole 9. You throw your drive over a little embankment with a couple of tree trunks in the way (the trunks grew out sideways, so you have angles to go through. I usually flick a sidearm about 200 feet because I feel most importantly I need to get past that first obstacle, right off the box. Otherwise I'm shooting another drive 15 feet in front of the box, in sand.

Where I usually land that drive, I have a 350 foot second shot that you have to hook left 150 down a 40 foot shule-lined fairway, then have it glide about 200 more feet to the pin. So, I get out the Valk, put a hyzer angle on it, give it a nice pull and I usually get around the bend, have it flatten a little and glide for awhile. I haven't birdied the par-4 hole yet, but I've parred it as often as I've bogeyed it. Ironically, during last weekend's tournament, I placed my drive about 275 but in an area where I couldn't really get a decent shot off. I ended up left into the shule but got a nice out-of-trouble shot with my Buzzz from 60 feet and made a par.

Now, I'm finding more use for that disc because the Open players that could really turn on a T-Rex or Wraith or Destroyer make it glide going on a slight hyzer run down these narrow fairways. I was using my T-Bird, for example, on Ingleside Gold #3, a 585 foot par 4 that hooks hard left (more than 90 degrees). Problem was, I can't get the T-Bird to glide a long way with a hyzer. I can backhand or forehand it straight or to finish with a hook, but on IG you need a disc to hold that glide. For the tournament, for the first time, I used the Valkyrie on #3 and got what was by-far my best drive on that hole. I managed to get it as far as I realistically could, into a spot where 3 of the 4 Open players made it the day before in doubles (the 4th player's shot wasn't as far...).

And the best part is, the Valk, to me, feels similar to the TBird. I have it in Pro plastic and intend to get at least one more, maybe two more, in Pro at the same weight. I'm pretty psyched about it.

I think I still throw too much stable or overstable (backhand). To be fair to me, I do play in very windy conditions and you can really mess up badly with an understable shot into the wind. But, I intend to practice my understable shots more because it's clear that's what the pros are doing. They had so many well placed shots with understable (at least for them) discs. What is understable to Jay Reading is probably overstable to me, but if I go understable for me, I can make the kind of shots he's throwing (though not with the consistency or distance). Understable gives me the chance to throw not-quite-as-hard so I can get just a little better control (read: middle of the fairway!) but still get the distance I would get if I threw stable with more effort. Can you tell I'm excited?

Mid-range most overstable to most understable:

Innova Star Gator (175g) - See next entry.

Discraft ESP Zone (175g) - I use my loan remaining Gator for longer forehand shots that need a little more glide (where I use the Flick for similar length, but with a spike). I don't use the Gator that much, but it's nice to have here and there (about once every other round). My Zone is always used, though. Any forehand approach from 150 and in is a Zone, and I can do a good 150 spike hyzer with it, too. If I need to go around something from close-up, this is the disc I always use. Highly valuable for a guy like me, who's always shanking drives behind obstacles.

Innova Star Cobra (CFR) (175g) - R.I.P. Cobra. I LOVE YOU. But, I just don't have the need anymore. But, I know that other new players will love you, and you'll always be nearby, waiting to be loaned out.

Discraft ESP Buzzz (max) - Buzzz, I love you, but I just got a Roc in a player's pack and you might be challenged. We'll see.

I'm pretty comfortable with the Buzzz already. I can get a nice easy & straight sidearm out of it. I prefer to start my sidearms approaches high and left and bring them in to die at the basket. I'm very comfortable with that shot. Sometimes, though, it's just not there. In the round I shot yesterday, I landed two inches from OB, behind a tree. I had to lean out over OB to shoot back in around the tree (just a trunk, not an obstacle except that I couldn't follow through on a forehand hyzer). I took out the Buzz & flicked it to within 5 feet for an easy par on a tough hole (OB narrows on both sides as you get closer, I'm always struggling to stay in on that hole). It's also a great backhand straight disc and I must confess that I can throw it nearly as far as my drivers even though I'm using the more accuracy but distance-sacrificing fan grip, but I think that is more confirmation that I'm throwing my drivers with too much effort. I ease into the Buzzz and bust it at the last second and often they go as far as my Wraith, TBird, etc, just because with those, I'm busting it all the way through the pull. After watching those Open players, I see that you don't need to bust so hard on the drives.

Putter:

Innova Aviar Putt 'n Approach, DX (175g) - Still going strong, though the Zone is making inroads for putting. The Zone is too stable for putting all the time, I think, though. The Aviar always feels good. I need to find a duplicate soon!

Another shot of the Zone, which I also putt with (though I use it more for short approaches):