by Dan Beto

This criteria is based on the teaching’s of Blake Takkunen and Daniel Beto.

This article I am writing about explains numerous things about this game that can help the newer players as well as the more experienced, more established players to help them with accuracy plus distance as well as mentality. 

First off, I would like to explain some things to the players about discs.  I want them to shy away from the latest and greatest for right now.  Grabbing a new disc that just came out might be exciting because all of your friends have one, or you think your game will just fall apart without it or thinking that you will become a better player.  If you are learning with discs that are too over-stable (Firebird or Predator) and too fast (Wraith, Destroyer, Force, Boss etc.) and throwing plastic that beats in horribly, not enough, or takes forever (ESP/Star, Z/Champion, X/Pro)  you will not develop most of the important skills needed in this game.  Blake’s teaching’s are from the form and techniques of the best players in the world and that means the difference between the 990 rated players and the 1000 rated players.

“When you are really good, I mean REALLY good. It does not matter what you throw because you can beat anybody with a paper plate.”
-Blake Takkunen
.
Top professional Disc Golfers in the world may throw these new fast over-stable discs, but what people do not seem to understand is the fact that these are players that are 1000 rated players and have learned how to shape shots and they have learned superior control and accuracy along with world class power and have tons of experience and practice hours but they still only throw these fast over-stable discs when they absolutely “need” to.  They learned everything from the old slow DX plastic drivers that beat in fairly quickly.  This theory has actually been proven to be true many times again.  There are so many molds and plastics available today that it is very easy to shy away from older discs that you should be learning with because they are essential.  I say learning with because after a while you will get good enough to where you will have learned great control and you will know how to shape shots and ultimately you will have more knowledge on how discs are suppose to fly so you can manipulate shots easier and better.  The only way to achieve maximum control is to throw short, and work your way up.

It is easier to learn this game with proper discs so you know how to manipulate shots.

“The trouble that most of us find with the modern matched sets of clubs is that they don't really seem to know any more about the game than the old ones did. “
–Robert Browning

You may hit a drive farther with a faster and longer disc that is made for more distance, but what else is it really doing that the other drivers can not?  Most of the time, you are fighting just keep it in the fairway.  My advice is Golf is a very un-forgiving sport, so play it forgivingly. 

You do not need three different midrange discs for three different midrange shots.  If you have one mold that beats in great such as a DX Roc, you do not need anything else because if you have three of the same disc beaten in you have already covered three midrange shots.  “Why have one midrange that will ultimately be used the same as if your using three different midrange discs?” 

In traditional ball golf, 14 clubs is the minimum that you should have that are very necessary because you need them because you will use them and they do very different things on the course in one round.  There is no overlap in the golf bag.  In disc golf, you need much less clubs (disc molds) because plastic beats in eventually unlike clubs in ball golf.  A 5-7 maximum disc mold in your bag is necessary but no more than that otherwise there will be an overlap and you will have a hard time managing your bag setup.  Plus it is the least expensive way.  

Think simple!

Shot Shaping
Of course you can make an under-stable disc turnover.  You can also easily make a very over-stable disc hold a hyzer line, as well as making a straight disc fly straight. 

But can you make an under-stable disc hold a hyzer line?  Can you make a very over-stable disc turnover and end flat?  And can you make either one of those discs fly straight and end flat?

This is a very important thing to learn on the golf course.  Best way to practice this is out on the course with a maximum of three discs with you.  You will also notice that you will most likely shoot better scores, but if not, you will apply better course management guaranteed. 

When you have such a limited amount of selection you are more prone to ensure you hit the line needed because you will not have a specific disc for any specific shot so you tend to make that line possible with what you got. 

What most people do not realize and maybe including you also, is that you are using body English.  Body English is a big part when you make a very over-stable disc fly straight or turnover or an under-stable disc hold a hyzer or fly straight without turning it over.  When you make a disc turnover you are leaning your body to the right, when throwing a hyzer you are leaning your body to the left, and when you are throwing straight your body is balanced forward (for right-hand-back-hand throws.  Left handed players or right hand sidearm throwers just reverse). 

Another thing that can help also is your wrist position.  When you release the disc many people do not try to manipulate their wrist when in reality can become very helpful to ensure keeping the disc at a certain angle.  If you are throwing hyzer just rotate your hand until your palm is facing down.  If you are turning something over it may be easier to turn your hand up facing the sky a little more.  If you want to be in between just keep your wrist neutral.  That is the idea. 

Aiming

Aiming is the process of strategically placing targets to direct an object. 

The process of ultimately throwing the disc in the basket or Disc Golf.

You know when you pour water inside a cup you get it in every single time? Just like when you pick up food with a fork you can get it in your mouth and perfectly place it on your tongue every time without spilling or missing in some degree?  You have to be exact right? Or at least within very close quarters otherwise it will go on the floor. You do not have to think about it, you just do it. This is aiming.  You are aiming not to keep it from falling on the floor, but to pour it inside the cup or place it perfectly in your mouth!  You do not have to think about it because you know how to do it, you had to practice it. Once you do it for a while and practice for a while it becomes a part of your subconscious brain and you just do it. 

If you want to throw a certain line, you will hit that spot you want to hit because you are not holding back because you’re aiming to park the hole just like you are aiming to pour the water in the cup.  Just like walking you do not think about it you do it.  If you ever really thought about the mechanics of walking and you are pressurized you will trip over your own feet.  You never trip unless something gets in the way right? well nothing is really getting in the way from you throwing the disc and no one is trying to trip you, no one is trying to psyche you out or jumping in front of you to screw your shot up, they are patient, quiet, and obedient.

Sometimes you will hit a tree yeah, a tree is there, but if you do not go for a tunnel shot at least at 75% power, and chances are, you are going to shank because you are wussing out the shot; you don’t wuss out when you walk, or pour water inside the cup.  If you hit a tree oh well whatever but you will have a better chance to just go for it rather than trying to wuss it. 

"Be like water, you pour water inside the tea cup, the water becomes the teacup." - Bruce Lee

When you practice you concentrate on just giving it the correct height and line you want to manipulate on your putts and drives and upshots etc...What you are doing is aiming; you’re aiming with your subconscious Mind when you practice this extensively with tons of pressure and trial and error in the fields and then after that you go to the course and forget all about it and let your subconscious take over.  This takes a lot of practice to perfect.

Routines are to bring focus level.  That is all it is, it calms you down to get you to a level mind set, a clear mind set.  You learn the mechanics through practice.  Never practice in a tournament or competitive play; you just do it on competitive play.  What practice is, is to train your conscious mind so your subconscious mind can naturally react.  That is why it is critical to learn correctly.  Work on ALL stuff that is boring and may piss you off, but do it correctly and really work hard on it.  When you play a tourney your mind will just do it, but only if you let it.  That means getting all of those negative thoughts released from your brain, continue with your routine, look at what you want to throw on which line and where you would like to land (but not end up), and just throw. 

Take a week or so of training yourself in the fields, then take a few days off...then play a competitive round without thinking about anything, just play.  That’s how I trained myself.  I
took everything in from my mentors and trained hours on end for a few weeks, took a few days off, went to the course and knew what I was suppose to do and did it with a very high degree of success.  Your throws will be strange out in the fields at times, or all the time.  It does not matter because you are working on aiming and mechanics and of course this will not be perfect.  The field is where you train yourself to think this way.  Work on manipulating lines and pick a spot you want to land the disc.

You want the disc to travel “through” one point (apex) and “beyond” another point (apex) before it hits the ground.  If you are not landing in your desired area...then change your “apex” in the sky to hit the landing spot you want the disc to go.
.
Just a quick note!  For those of you confused on the word “apex” all it is, is just picking a spot in the air that you want to hit.  It can be a box, a circle, a small rhino, a floating head, whatever it may be as long as it is not too big.  I would say 1’ X 1’.  If it will help you in practice feel free to have it as big or small as you would like.  This is practice so you have to have something you can hit fairly easily so it might be a good idea to start a little bigger.

That’s how you train yourself to aim then you will just do it.  You have to train yourself to trust your stroke.