Your first Ace

OK, so it's been about seven years since I posted a topic in a forum - back when I was regular at the Counting Crows official web page (it's been a few days since I've answered one, and that one (in this forum) beeing the first topic I answered in seven years). Hence I might be a bit rusty. but I would like to talk about everyones first Ace. And beeing rusty and all I haven't checked if there's already a thread about this so i'll just go ahead and post this one...

Well... I have been playing regularly for about 4-5 months now and about 4 weeks ago i made my first Ace. It was kind of a lucky bonce of a (make that three) trees although the anhyzer line was good to begin with...

What I wanna know is the following:
* Did you see the disc go in?
* What thoughts rushed through your head when you made your first Ace?
* What kind of course was it made on?
* What disc did you throw?
* Did you manage to calm down right away or what did the tee-off at the next hole feel like?
* How many Aces do you have?
* Is an Ace always a lucky shot or is it skill?

In my case, I didn't see the disc go in but I kind of heard it - since it was a "no-chainer" thet bounced of atleast two trees - it didnät make too much of a sound. The disc was a beat up DX Aviar wich I use for almost all my short to midrange anhyzer shots. I was kind of shaky sfter my first Ace but I managed to pull it together for the following drive on the next hole. Concidering my fluke with the tree bounces I would have to say that this Ace was a lucky shot but every throw i make (if it's not rediculosley far from the basket) I aim for the basket so an Ace isn't always a lucky shot.

Here's a map of the course I was paying (my home course) and the Ace was on hole no. 5.

http://www1.idrottonline.se/ImageVault/Images/height_1000/width_100...

And yes, this was my first and so far only Ace, hence the satisfaction and curuoisity I guess...

And yeah, excuse my bad English, I'm Swedeish after all...

/Henke

[Fat Tire Flier]

Since I just got my first ace no more than an hour ago i thought id come and share.
It was on a 150ft hole dead straight with trees on both sides so your only real option is to go straight.
I threw my 175 r-Pro Dart and it floated straight and in. I was so excited but of course it happened on the rare day that I play alone...
I was able to birdie the next hole (a first for me) and hit basket for the one after (another first) so the ace really gace me that extra boost of confidence.

[808]

My first ace was crazy. prior to this i had hit chains on blind holes and ran to the pin to see my disc lying on the ground next to the basket. It was a hot June day in 2001, I was at Hudson Mills Monster course on hole #4. This hole is slight left, pin is blind with a valley in the middle of the hole. I decided to break out the Cyclone I had purchased on the way to the course. Step up to the tee box, virgin flight, ..let's start our lives together right with this beautiful fly-dye Cyclone. A slight breeze picks up in the trees, yet all is calm, run up and release, ...comes out a little sloppy and begins to cut left early. My virgin flight is not looking good, cuts through the foliage unscathed, and CLINK!!!! The pin is about 350ft or so across a little man bridge. I let the others players throw as doubt runs in my mind...i've seen this before I thought. Casually walk across the bridge, then begin to pick up my pace, turn the corner and there it is, my cherry has been popped. I decided to retire the disc with only one flight under it's belt. One throw, off the tee and in for my first ever ace. The monkey was off my back. I framed the disc and now it resides above my computer.

[Jackson]

My first ace was a forehand Viper to a blind pin earlier this year at our club's first night of league for 2009. I was just trying to park the disc, not put it in. So it was total luck (as most aces are), and my only one to date. I was actually a lot less excited than I thought I would be, and the $15 ace pool did not change that much. I did, however, never throw the disc again, and I have it displayed in a spare bedroom at home. Since I have a real job, I can afford to buy whatever discs I want. What's another $8 Viper? And it is nice to remember the shot by.

[Ian Macpherson]

A lot of the time confidence with a disc is built by using it many times.. Meaning a beat-in disc may be more useful to a person than a brand new one.

If you're throwing a disc accurately enough to ace, could be one of those go-to discs that you don't want to hang up.

[Henrik Westerlund]

I have still to learn the lingo of the disc golf world... I know a lot of the terms but the shorts are more difficult. As I am Swedish it might be therefor I have problems with it. RHBH and simple stuff is easy to figure out and as may CD be, but right now I can't figure it out... So as a previous poster asked "was your ace CD?" got me wondering and I wanna know what it means...

[DiscGolfFlyMart.com]

First Ace was 1996 and I did not see it go in. I threw a Cyclone and I still have it and the league scorecard from that round. I thought "I'm not a virgin anymore' I was aiming for the basket so just a little luck maybe? Don't remember the next tee shot...it was at Munster community park in Indiana...a small city park course. I recorded my 27th ace about a week ago on the white course at Lemon Lake in Cedar Lake, IN....home of the 2010 Worlds...

Bart

www.DiscgolfFlyMart.com

[Nascar Dave]

My first ace was a long time ago but I remember it very clearly. I saw it all the way, it had a couple of air-bounces, up and down, then right before it hit the chains, it banked slightly to the left and hit dead center.
I remember thinking I couldn't believe I hit an ace, I even fell backwards onto my back and kicked my feet in the air and yelled as loud as I could.
It was on a course that is no longer there, it was pulled due to other park users, soccer fields etc, and one of the first left-handed friendly courses in Dallas. Now the baskets are at BB Owens up the road a little bit.
The disc was a Lightning B2 Stealth, it is a huge dinner plate of plastic with little grooves on the lip. I still have a couple new ones just like it but don't throw them anymore. I used to use them for rollers too as they would roll a mile.
As far as calming down, nope, not for a while, in fact that round went right in the tank. My heart was pumping like a jack-hammer and I was all over the course after that. I think I finished like seven over. I don't remember the next hole or any of them after that.
I have twenty-six aces now and have been lucky enough to average almost two per year in that timespan.
I think most aces are luck. I mean sure you practice, then throw your drive as near to your line as possible but at the end of the throw, it either breaks or doesn't, gets affected by the wind or doesn't, goes in or splashes, yeah, I think luck.

[dobbins66]

What I wanna know is the following:
* Did you see the disc go in? Yes, I had been playing for two years and hit it on New Years Eve playing with the two guys who got me started. I was the first ace any of us had.
* What thoughts rushed through your head when you made your first Ace? I'd hit lots of metal & chains previously only to have them kick out so I was just shocked when it fell in the basket.
* What kind of course was it made on? Shillito Part #4 (Right placement ~310' ) Lexington, KY - Mainly open with a few large trees to beat and some brush on the edges of a few holes.
* What disc did you throw? Yellow Star Wraith with 2006 Bowling Green Ams Stamp
* Did you manage to calm down right away or what did the tee-off at the next hole feel like? I was fine and had a good drive the next hole.
* How many Aces do you have? 12 now, 10 Forehand (2 of them skips) & Two Thumbers (Same disc on same hole & collected an Ace pool both times $212 total)
* Is an Ace always a lucky shot or is it skill? Combination of both, You have to be skilled enough to give it a chance and hit the right line but once it gets most of the way there it's all luck(wind, twigs, chain outs,etc...). I probably hit solid chains 10 times (or more) before ever getting the first one to stick.

[Paul Ostendorf]

My first ace was probably the best feeling that I've ever had in my life!... Yes it was better than losing my virginity!(She wasn't all that hot)Anyway, I was at Calvary Hill in St. Cloud, MN with my younger brother. It was a Sunday and had no idea that it would happen. We were at hole number 15, and I had my First Run Flash in my hands. There were trees off to the right and a tennis court off to the left. The distance was about 300 ft with two little hills going along the way. I step up to the tee like every other and get myself set, begin my step, proceed and throw! It felt good, the release and the level of the disc. As I'm watching it, I was thinking, "That's a pretty good throw." As it keeps going, it starts to S, and just as it's curving left, it catches the chains and drops into the basket! I jumped as high as I possibly could with my brother and starting losing my mind. I couldn't believe that it just happened! After that, my nerves were rattling like mad. I still threw pretty well. I think reason behind that was momentum! Aces can make you think that anything's possible, or at least within reason!

[The FORCE]

Good ace! I don't know the exact distance but great job. An ace is a pretty lucky shot but somewhere in your mind you probably planned on it going in the basket, which makes it a planned out shot and for that I applaud. I hit my first ace about 4 years ago after playing for about a year. It was hole 15 at Knollwood Park in Kalamazoo, Michigan. There were 2 witnesses and they both had never seen an ace before. It was with a Millenium QMS at about 730pm in the fall so it was almost dark outside. Smashed chains and it was on after that. I have 37 aces now and 9 of them this year. Just aced after a 3 month drought at Robert Morris Park Hole 8 with a pro-d challenger. Just as exciting as the first. Of course I was running the ace, otherwise it would have been a lucky shot and a bad decision. Put a 1 on the card and another ace in the books and move on :)