Making Better Decisions

On paper, disc golf seems easy. Throw the disc at the target and the fewest strokes wins. Seems easy enough! However, once players hit the course a revelation takes place; this sport can be difficult and unpredictable. Enter decision making and course management. There are decisions to be made on every single shot you throw. The key is to simplify the process of decision-making via a clear head. Keys to better decision-making include knowing your strengths, doing your homework on the course, making better “misses,” not trying to park every hole, and creating a pre-shot routine. Combining all of these elements will give you a clear process by which to arrive at the right shot for each situation on the course.

Know Your Strengths

Let’s start before you even arrive at the course. Know your strengths. This comes from practice rounds and field work. Be honest with yourself and understand your strengths. And on the contrary, be honest with yourself and understand your weaknesses. For example, even though a shot may shape better for a forehand it may still be the right decision to throw a backhand if it is your more favorable shot. When faced with multiple options for a shot I always recommend throwing the shot you are most comfortable with.

Michael Jordan once said this:

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Learn from your failures and successes. Look back on shots and think about why they were (un)successful. There is so much to be learned from experience when looked at through an objective lens. Use this to your advantage!

Do Your Homework

No excuses that the dog ate your homework or you did not know that OB was just over that hill. Study every course you play! If you are playing a course you are unfamiliar with then get a local to play with. They will be able to take you to school on landing zones, windy sections, OB zones, etc. This will lend itself to easier decision-making when in a competitive setting. The idea of studying a course is to know what type of shot you will throw in nearly all situations. The following are elements to include in your course research:

• Throw from drop zones in case you go OB.
• Check distances with your rangefinder to assure disc selection.
• Throw multiple shots from each tee to see what is most comfortable.
• Check wind conditions throughout the course.
• Study holes you want to be more aggressive with versus holes you simply want to play for par.
• Make note of any specialty items to bring (ie; extra water for long courses, retreiver, rain coat, sunglasses, towel, umbrella, handwarmer, etc.)

Make Better “Misses”

One huge factor that separates great players from the rest of the pack is, believe it or not, their misses. Great players typically miss to the “good side” of their target. The “good side,” eh?! Yes. Here’s an example. There is a 300-foot hole that is wide open except for a water hazard short of the basket. The obvious miss is to go long. But how often do players try to park the basket and end up in the drink?? The “good miss” here is to take the water hazard out of play and end up 20 feet long. This is course management. This is what saves you strokes all over the course.

Better misses may not always get you the birdie but it will minimize the risk of bogeys. When added up over the entirety of a round this type of course management and execution will save you countless strokes. Reign in your desire to be aggressive on every hole and make the CORRECT shot for the task at hand.

Don’t Try To Park Every Hole

But the goal is to park every hole, right?! While it may seem like the right idea, don’t try it on EVERY hole. You will get yourself in trouble. The key here is to minimize risk so you can maximize your chances of having a putt for birdie. Have confidence that you will make a 25 footer and give yourself a larger gap on your shot rather than taking a more aggressive route to try and park a hole and risk losing strokes.

This goes hand in hand with making better misses. The key here is to make decisions based on the path of least resistance. Find the largest gap for your shot and throw it there. Even if the line is impossible to park the hole, give yourself a chance at birdie. This takes discipline and can be difficult to implement when standing at your lie. Stay strong in your process and develop the ability to see the course with wise eyes.

Pre-Shot Routine – Focus for 15 Seconds

The bulk of your shot-making decisions happen in the moments right before you release the disc. This is why it is important to develop a 15-second pre-shot routine. Simply take 15 seconds before your shot to calm yourself and go through your decision-making process. This will add consistency to your game and allow you to settle into your shot.

Start with a deep breath and assess all the factors that go into your shot. Use all aspects mentioned in this article to arrive at the best option. Let go of any doubt and fully commit to the shot as you visualize the line to the landing zone. Allow confidence to pervade your decision as you begin your run-up. It sounds like you may be entering the ZONE! We can only hope.

Bringing It All Together

The intention of making better decisions on the course is to minimize risk and allow for a more enjoyable round. Stress occurs when players do not have a clear process for decision-making. Take the time to develop a personalized approach to your game and you will reap the rewards both mentally and on the scorecard. I leave you with a quote from one of the greatest ball golfers of all time, the “Golden Bear” Jack Nicklaus:

“Success depends almost entirely on how effectively you learn to manage the game’s two ultimate adversaries: the course and yourself.”