Field Practice

How do YOU field practice? do you have a Routine, field games youv'e made up, practice situational shots, How long, How much, with or without a portable, where?
I have always heard field practice makes you better, but have heard little on how to do it.
Gaff

[Nibs Carter]

I try to practice my putting every morning. I work out every morning on my bowflex and in between sets I use my 9 blunts and blowflies to shoot practice putts at my basket in my garage. this gives me up to 24 feet to practice in. When the weather is ok I take it out to my back yard where I have a second basket. second, I go down the street to the park where they have several soccer fields and trees around and between them. I try to envision holes using the trees and other park equipment as obstacles. I then try different discs to make my shot using Hyzers anhyzers etc. I am by no means an expert. I have only been playing seriously for a little over a year but I feel like my game has really improved, and practicing "off the course" makes alot of difference.

[joe]

i learned a long time ago to practice when i practice and play when i play. just throw everything, throw that easy straight 150ft approach shot with your most overstable disc, try to throw a tomohawk with your beat up stingray, launch drive after drive after drive with your midrange discs. forget about what the manufacturer says about the flight characteristics and throw every disc you have in every possible situation and find out for yourself what works.

which parts of my game do i think are weakest? find a spot on the golf course to practice those. if you want to be a pro you better have every shot in your bag so look for opportunities to throw that FH shot that you've been avoiding. many throws branch off from a simple forehand flick (FH approach,FH drive, FH roller, Tomohawk, Thumber) so get comfortable throwing FH shots by actually getting out there and practicing them. force yourself to stand behind that big bush and throw around it. stand behind those low hanging branches and tomohawk approach over them and throw those rollers BH and FH under them. put yourself into the positions in practice that make you uncomfortable when you play with a group.

an open field is great for learning technique to crush drives but nothing compares to being on a golf course for real practice imho.

[Nibs Carter]

I agree with what you said about putting yourself in uncomfortable positions on the course Joe, thats why I use all the trees and park equipment to set myself up for unusual shots. My trouble is the disc golf courses I like to play are all @ 25-30 minutes from my house. So when I drive there I want to play not practice. the park is only a mile down the road, so its alot easier for me to jump down there for an hour of practice. Sometimes my wife never even realizes I'm gone!

[joe]

25-30 minutes away? ouch! i know i'm lucky in that i walk maybe twenty yards out of my room and can start up a round, you are pretty lucky to at least have some baskets and a park to throw in. blunts and blowflies are great for indoor practice, i used to have a stack of them i used inside my basement.

when i first started touring i always wanted to play a few rounds on the course before the tourney started but after awhile i realized that no matter where i went, i had played a shot just like that somewhere else. mental game is something we can practice anywhere, anytime.

[Nibs Carter]

Great talking with you Joe. How long you been golfin'? I use a blunt to putt with as well. It gives me alot of confidence when putting. They stick like glue on the chains. I don't understand why they are not more popular?

[joe]

14 years now. seems like yesterday when i started. i like blunts/gumputts a lot but probably not seen in pro play more often because they are very low speed overstable and high speed very understable. not a good combo when the wind picks up. one great advantage they have is that if you hit grass under the pin you will practically stick like glue, alternatively if you hit grass 40ft away you now have a 40ft putt. the first run flat top green blunts were one of my favorite discs ever but unfortunately not made anymore. i hit the basket on a 480ft downhill drive with a blunt when everyone else was coming up short with their drivers.

if they are working for you that is all that matters, confidence when putting trumps all.

[Nibs Carter]

I do have a couple of those green ones. One of them feels like its made out of sponge rubber! Then I have a couple of the newer purple ones. 3 white blunts and 3 orange blunts. I have one green blowfly and one white blunt in my bag. I throw them on anything from @ 40-50 and in. (except if its windy then I use my gator)

[ghstinshll]

I will take my whole bag out to the soccer/rugby fields in my area, and just like the originator said... I throw them ALL, through each shot I have, and see which ones perform the best, etc... For example, I learned that my sidewinder rolls to the left & isnt as topheavy, and my roadrunner rolls to the right. Because of that practice I know my situational decisions to make on which rolelr I want to throw. Spike Hyzers, thumbers, forehands, forehand putting, etc.

Also, the idea of practicing when you practice, and playing whenyou play is correct for the most part. I will also go play around in rder to practice - but what's most important is knowing EXACTLY what each fo your discs will do, everytime you throw them. That way you're making logical choices, not simply picking & hoping. I feel like I can walk into any course & make good decisions now because of my practice efforts. Not that I'd win, but at least play respectably! (-:

[Michael Gaffney]

I get out to my park once or so a week, it gets the kids out of the house. I've been taking my machlite out lately and at least 14 discs and 4 putters. I try to throw at least half of those straight or anhyzer, approach with the putters then putt each of my throws. Havnt decided whether it is helping much, I do get allot of throws in a short period of time. Having issues with competitive play, I dont do it much so I think that is an issue. how can you add a competitive feel to your practice?
Gaff

[Nibs Carter]

Mike I still have not overcome the mental thing in tourneys. I play good golf during league and rec play. But in tourneys I just seem to choke. Someday when I grow up I hope I get better!

[Jay Joseph]

To help overcome the mental things I suggest reading a (ball) golf psychology book. My favorite is Zen Golf by Dr. Joe Parent. Stop at a book store and find the sports section. Then find the books on ball golf. Scan through the book titles looking for ones that deal with the mental side of golf. I also have some audio books on the subject. I like to listen to them as I travel in the days leading up to a tournament or on the way to a tournament. It helps to put me in the right frame of mind.

Nibs, these books will address why you play good golf during league and rec rounds but struggle in tournament play. It will also give you techniques and tips to overcome choking.

If you're serious enough about disc golf that you take the time to practice in a field and play tournaments then working on the mental side of your game is something you shouldn't over look.

I only get beat physically, not mentally.

[Blazo]

A great ball golf pyschology book is called "golf is not a game of perfect." I still use mental philosophies I read in that book like 10 years ago!