Nice Sign

Winter Training

Whispers and murmors of winter training rounds have been trickling my way. It seems certain enterprising members of the tour have been putting their holiday vacation time to good use, with exhibition rounds and practice sessions aplenty.

First there was scattered word of a round between Saito and Shankar on Saito's home turf. Ravi, defying the many critics, apparently handled Saito with relative ease (although the posted scores did not seem particularly impressive). I think this was probably an important round nonetheless, because it thrusts into the spotlight two competitors who will most likely be locked in combat in the coming season. Despite the result, the general consensus seems to be that Saito will be putting a fair amount of pressure on the Shankmeister in the coming season and may soon overtake him. Unfortunately, Shanks may not have the same amount of time to devote to our beloved sport as he once did whilst meanwhile Saito is undergoing an intense training regiment, is privately coached and has state of the art facilities set up in his abode. This should be an exciting match-up to track in the coming season.

Shankdog apparently contined his Newbie thrashing tour with a visit to Burke Lake Park where he met up with athe tour's first papa, G-Bru, for three full rounds. Word on the street is that Ravi manhandled Greg with some stellar play. Personally, I think its great that Ravi is able to get a couple wins under his belt against these relative newcomers. Hopefully this will translate into more confidence and a more consistent performance on the course when he actually comes against some of the tour's more highly ranked players.

Speaking of highly ranked players, Mr. Mills decided to head south this week for some more optimal training conditions. Word is he has not wasted the opportunity. Chester and Mike apparently squeezed a few rounds in and rumor has it Mike made a significant step in terms of his driving distance and overall ability. To quote the man himself, his game is looking "sharp" and he has "played a ridiculous amount of disc this week" and has been "throwing the disc farther then ever." Yikes. Mr. Guns, sir, I hear you are in the market for a doubles partner?


Meanwhile, the Maddog himself, of course a perennial contender with numerous tour victories under his belt, has also been out there honing his game in response to all the training taking place. The Maddog headed out to Buffemville for a solo round of 27 to perfect his skills and get used to some new plastic. Is there anyone not practicing?

Yes. Unfortunately, myself. Nada, zip, zero. I am feeling a bit anxious about not taking part in any of these sessions - Will season 4 finally be my undoing? I have been measuring the angles and I am thinking I can sacrifice some aesthetics to squeeze a basket into my apartment. Its probably not going to impress the ladies, but it I think drastic measures may need to be taken in order to keep up with the curve.

For me? Awww you shouldn't have....

Well the Secret Santa gifts are starting to roll in. Despite the efforts of a few crack code breakers, the anonymity of the givers has largely been maintained.

I received mine yesterday and they are pretty sweet, including the hot off the presses Special Blend Orc (limited production run almost sold out!), combining the speed of champion and the grippiness of pro plastics. I had a heart-to-heart last night with this disc and all I can say is watch out during Season 4, cause this lil red orc (playable scrabble word btw) is going to kick more ass than...well, than an ass kicking machine. Even better, I have big plans for the Buzz, which will hopefully fill a certain maw in my bag when it comes to tricky approaches.


One of our loyal readers has sent a few pics of presents en route. I am hesitant to post them here before received by the lucky recipient but hey i just can't resist. Someone went above and beyond the call of duty, decorating with their heart, soul and well developed festive aesthetic:

Then again there are some mutterings going on. Good natured mutterings of course. For example, a certain pimp daddy received a shiny new rule book (my vote thusfar for most appropriate gift) which he was perhaps not overjoyed about, although I guess this really is more of a gift for the rest of us, as it can become wearisome to have to constantly reprimand pimps to "play your lie!". The Shankmeister also however received a very nice instructional vid - which all of us could certainly benefit from and perhaps with proper study the Raven will be holding a clinic for the rest of us in Season 4. Of course he also need not worry about losing his brand new disc - as we have proof positive that it floats...

Here is a shot of what Saito received. Damn fine looking haul if you ask me. That full color disc looks almost too pretty to actually throw. Perhaps it deserves a place of honor on the mantle as I'm sure Tomoko will agree that it qualifes as fine art. That towel will also come in handy once Saito starts wiping the floor with us next season. Giver = TOBEREVEALED

Hanukah came a bit early for Guns , the proud new owner of a Spider which seems to have a very precise touch, and an XS, which to quote Marshall Street is ... well actually we better not quote them as it is not too flattering. But i'm sure Mike will do wonders with this underappreciated piece of plastic.

Please send more pics of loot for posting!

ben

Holiday Disc Exchange

The secret gift exchange is on this Holiday Season with Chet, Greg, Guns, Burgler, Saito, Mr. Norwalk, Maddog and Shankmeister all participating. Tomoko has generously agreed to supervise the secret randomizing with some programming help from Chester.

It seems each of us may take a very different approach to the occasion. For instance, in a recent email, Greg wrote:

Why not add a little special touch and personalize our holiday gifts? You know, embellish a little here and there with a well-placed tuft of feathers, braided pipe cleaners, or puffy stickers...Just to get your crafty creations on a roll, how about a few quick squiggles with a glitter pen? or maybe some shiny sequins? or even a full-edged application of Lee Press-On nails? This would definitely kick it up a notch! Of course, for those not so artistically inclined this might be a challenge, but I guarantee you'll grow to love the sight of your own personalized putter sailing through the sky trailing a tail of shimmery tinsel in its wake!

I must give props to the festive spirit, however I am secretly praying that Greg is not my assigned santa. Unicorn stickers mess with my concentration.

Anyway here are the ground rules for the exchange:

1. Total spent must be at least 20 dollars EXCLUDING shipping costs.
2. Gifts must arrive by December 25th
3. Get me something cool

There are many online disc retailers but here are two of the more popular ones amongst our frequent disc purchasers:

Gotta Go Gotta Throw (Saito can give you a complete rundown of their specials as well as the owners private phone number)

Marshall Street (Dave and I went to this shop recently and it is stocked!).

Anyway, you should be able to find some good deals. Ring in with anything I've missed and lets keep this thread updated with relevant news in the comments (although it seems stating preferences is in disfavor).

Just When You Thought....

...the season was over certain tour members somehow managed to squeeze in two seperate rounds this week:

First, Ben and Mike M. snuck away to FDR, where in the past Guns has reigned supreme earning him the title of Mr. FDR due to his consistent success there and status as course record holder. Well this day would be no different. Mike was in fine form, administering a bludgeoning to our Season 3 (and 2 and 1) Champ that would leave him doing some soul searching for days. Millsbury's forehand was on, he had some monster drives, including a few of the best we've seen on the long par 4 number 6. He was also looking quiet confident with the back hand valkyrie shots and brought a steady putting game to the table. Ben, however, was in a different place, a sad lonely place that involved many weak drives and deplorable putts. The trees reverberated with his screams of frustration as he tried to exorcise the demons that have plagued him at this course. In the end, Mike took this exhibition event handily with a final score of +4 (new course record) to +10.

Next, Ben Mike M. and Saito found themselves at Tyler State Park for a full day of cold weather disc. The long johns and off hand gloves were in effect this day to combat the near freezing temperatures, but that didn't stop Ben from getting hot early and keeping the heat applied all day long. The format was 2 seperate 27 hole exhibition rounds with a cold hotdog grubbing break in between (courtesy of den mother Tomoko).

Round 1 saw Ben open with two straight bogies but then settle down and find his groove. He birdied 4 of the next six holes using the "tongue out-putter in" technique illustrated in the photo. By hole 12 the scores were Ben -2 Mike +11, Saito +13. Yes folks, thats a 13 stroke lead after 12 holes. What happened to Mike M this day? All the more confounding considering his recent stellar play at FDR. The turning point really came at about hole 9, which offers a treacherous ravine off the left, and even bigger cliff beyond the basket, all sandwiched with an OB road off to the right just to keep you honest. Well both Saito and Mike found themselves ensconced deep in the ravine while Ben kept it tight for par. The gulf just seemed to grow of its own accord after this hole. Interestingly, going into the final 9 holes of the first 27 hole round, Saito was legitimately threatening Mike for second place (they were tied most of the round). Alas, the final 9 played to Mike's strengths and he managed to break out with a few much needed birdies to seperate himself from the tenacious Blake prodigy. When all was said and done Ben made a strong statement with a +5, Mike meanwhile carded a dissapointing +16 with Saito falling off at the end to finish +21.

Round 2 looked like it might prove more competitive, considering Mike's strong play at the end of round 1. Ben started off by double bogeying the extremely easy hole 1 though (with saito tripling, ouch), giving Mike a 2 stroke lead roght off the bat. Ben again settled down however and was able to build a two stroke lead of his own over Mike and Saito. A triple bogey for our hero on that damnable hole 9 however brought the scores back into parity with everyone now tied at + 5. This was the critical juncture in the round, who would step up and who would go home crying for mama? Next hole, birdie for Ben, par for saito and bogey for Mike. Mike wasn't quite crying yet though (although i could have sworn i saw a tear as he retrieved his disc from yet another hazard, see photo), that would come later. After a few more holes, Ben found himself with another tidy lead of three to four strokes over the two challengers. Mike's will to win had wilted (and the mental errors mounted) after a few frustrating holes in which he missed two mandotories (this was Saito's golden opportunity to take down a tour veteran with a strong move but he also missed the same mando!), shanked a few short puts and seemed confused as to which driver to pull out of the bag. Going into the final 9, ben held steady at +6, Mike was at +10 and saito had slipped to +12. Even with all the frustrations, Mike could potentially make a move with a great back nine. Twas not to be though as Ben held strong as Mike missed some key opportunities, bringing the final result to +8 for Ben, Mike +11, Saito +20.

A fun day and one in which Saito was in the mix in the early and middle stages but tended to fade towards the end. On one particularly painful hole depicted in the photo, we see precisely how far Saito's initial drive made it from the tee. If this course was only 18 holes, Saito would have had a very competitive score. I know Mike was up late this night contemplating how close he came to being bested by the relative newcomer, a fate consensus agrees will probably be destined for one Mr. Shankdog in the coming season...

The Dream Team Rides Again

This weekend dave and myself have decided to return to Maple Hill for a best disc doubles tournament. A real one this time, as opposed to our little fantasy league this page so dedicatedly chronicles. Tournament details are in this thread. We will be in the Maple Hill overflow division as the main tournament is all filled up.

We need some help coming up with a team name. On the table thus far is Team BGDG but i have trouble saying it without stuttering. Suggestions are welcome....



Stay tuned for all the pre and post round action!

Season 3 Championship Invitational

This weekend, each player on the tour who had previously won a sanctioned event was invited to the fabulous Maple Hill course in Leicester, MA to participate in the Season 3 Championship Invitational. All the regular season winners were in attendance: Maddog, Millsbury and Myself and the competition promised to be fierce.

We lucked into an unseasonably pleasant day, with Maple Hill serving as a perfect venue for this marquee event. The course was impressive. Set on a private chistmas tree farm, every hole had two tees and two pins, was incredibly well marked and better yet: challenging and creative, demanding a full bag of shots to keep the scores from becoming obscene. We couldn't have asked for a better place to play host to this much anticipated tournament.

Millsbury and Maddog were both coming into this event with the same goals: lay claim to the Season 3 Championship, ending Ben's recent string of wins and enjoying the satisfaction of taking that punk down a notch. For my part, I was hoping the fortunate wave i've been riding didn't decide to break on what could be the last sanctioned match of the season....

The Maddog came out of the gates a bit hesitant (surprising given his frothing at the mouth drive style we see in the photo) and had a tough time right off the bat. Unfortuately this would prove to foreshadow what became for him a disappointing first 18. On the first (and very intimidating) hole, his disc took a bath, twice, resulting in a nasty triple bogey and an inauspicous start. Hole 1 is probably the signature hole of the course (there are a few other worthy contenders), a real beast with no attractive lay-up spot and little choice but max distance off the tee in order to try and reach the pin 350+ feet away, set flush against the far edge of a pond / disc burial ground.

After the initial tripler, Dave held steady for a few holes before beginning to slip, frustrated by bogies on holes 6, 7, 8 and 9. Meanwhile, Ben and Mike were more on rhythym with Mike carding one birdie and Ben two over the first 9 holes. After 9 the scores stood at Ben +2, Mike +5 and Dave +7. Still anybody's game...

On the back 9 of the first round, Ben and Mike managed to maintain parity and were generally playing fairly strong. I had a near ace as well as a near fairway ace which bounced off the chains. The biggest difference for me though was hitting the putts I needed, not shanking any of those "should makes" until very late in the second round. A problem that has plagued me all season. After reviewing the photographic evidence, it also appears that I like to stick my tongue out whilst driving.
Mike was also looking solid, with his big forehand making a reappearance on the scene. Mike has suggested that we nickname him "Guns" (see photo). He combined some big drives with a steady short game to keep the heat on right from the get go.

Dave's frustration continued to mount however, as he scored consecutive bogies on holes 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. After round 1 Ben had built a 3 stroke lead over Mike and an 8 stroke lead over Dave. Still, nothing seemed certain, as scores were moving quickly and there were a few very punishing holes.

Every one was looking pretty strong on the second 18. Unfortunately none of us par'd the intimidating hole 1, a great benchmark for distance and control. Nervertheless, each of us settled down and found our fair share of birdies to mix in with the bogies over the course of the first 9 holes. On hole number 10 of round two, I had a great uphill hyzer drive which resulted in a drop in birdie (well as close as you can come to a drop birdie considering the pin is perched atop a 6 foot high wood berm). This opened up a seamingly insurmountable six stroke lead for me over Mike. Dave was quietly having a very solid round, +2 after 11. Mike however was catching some bad breaks and had some painful missed medium range putts. Maddog was all of a sudden only two back from Guns--who instead of challenging for the win now seemed to be trying to save second from the hard charging Dave. Looming large was the prospect of surmounting what had become with only four holes remaining in the match a seven stroke lead (nine over Dave) if they wanted to contend for the real prize, leaving these two gladiators feeling a bit gloomy.


I think everyone always raises their game a bit when locked in a tight battle with a determined opponent, each trying to outdo the other. I became prey to the converse principle, allowing myself to get sloppy once a cozy lead was established. As I soon learned, the two challengers were not about to fade away meekly, instead they grimly tightened the screws and managed to shave a few strokes off. Coming into the final hole, I still had four strokes over Mike though and was generally feeling unconcerned. As I found out however, such lackadaisicalness can prove dangerous, especially when combined with playing recklessly on a hard par four which sports an artificial ob lake around the green...

Teeing off on 18, Dave (still two back from Mike) had a perfect drive. Mike had a not so perfect drive that went far, but left. I clipped some christmas trees, but was still fine to save par. My next shot went as planned, leaving me in easy lay up range just before the ob that fronts the green. Dave, trusting his instincts, launched a risky hyzer approach that had to fight through a thick row of trees to clear the OB around the green which somehow managed to drop gracefully in for a much needed birdie look. Mike, not to be outdone, unleashed a monster second shot from out in no mans land that zoomed straight towards the green and landed just at the edge. Consensus was Mike had a birdie shot of his own. So the drama can be properly visualized, here is a quick sketch of the 19th hole and our first two shots:
Entranced with all the birdie looks flying around, I decided to make a run at my 50 foot, wide open third shot instead of laying up for easy par. The result, a horrible shank into the OB. Now i am facing a probable double bogey, whilst these boys are threatening birdies. I missed the long putt for bogie from the edge of the OB and capped the performance off by brain-farting the 7 foot comebacker. Triple bogey. Meanwhile, much to his dismay, Mike's disc had actually tragically managed to roll OB so he now faced a long putt from the edge of the green for a par save to keep Dave and his threatening birdie look at bay. Mike stepped up, zoned in and dialed 1 800 chains, sticking the pressure packed 30 footer and securing second place (also rendering Dave's subsequent birdie putt moot). In the end, it turned out I needed every one of my four strokes to prevent what had seemed like the unthinkable. But aside from a brief bout of nauseau at the prospect of having almost blown it, I managed to emerge unscathed to claim the win.

Results:

After 18 After 36
Ben +5 +16
Mike +8 +17
Dave +13 +18

It was all in all an extremely enjoyable round of golf with some great shots, challenging holes and big putts with a lot of fun in between, a fitting end to what has been a very competitive season.

Euro Disc

I sent a link to this site around a month or so ago but for those that didn't check it then they have some cool vids:

First is the European Discgolf Finals featuring Markus Kallstrom








Despite what this guy looks like, as we all know you must be in peak physical condition to play disc. Nevertheless, I would give my firstborn to be able to putt like this.





Special for Ravi, check out the 360 degree runup about a third of the way through. He must be doing it wrong cause thats not quite how Shankdog executes it.







This one has a sick hole-in-one at the end. nice for those of us who have never actually scored one (uhm, all of us?), much less seen one.


all images and vids from Hyzernauts

Brooklyn Disc Club

Mike M is in the process of designing a logo for some custom discs we plan to order and award in connection with the 2006 Champion's League season (i.e. whenever our little group plays). This was his first design, which I think is fantastic but which may alienate a few of our more sensitive non-brooklyn-living players. So something else is probably in the works. Ravi has suggested furry animal icons. We can all picture Dave as a slobbering rabid dog but not sure what beasts would characterize the rest of this motley crew.

Anyway, Mike M and I share a beautiful dream: to one day be able to take the subway to a course in the five boroughs, preferably Prospect Park, Brooklyn. I think a course there would be a much more valuable use of space for the community then the existing equestrian trails (currently used by five people) or the unofficial gay cruising grounds (dont worry, they would still have the Ramble in Central Park). At some point we are going to make it happen and perhaps this will be the logo for the course and the club.

Player Spotlight - Ravi

Introducing what will soon hopefully be a regular feature of this space, the Player Spotlight.

First up Ravi, a.k.a. The Shankmeister, Shankdog, Ravenous, Hairy Monkey or Pimp Daddy (see photo). The Shankmeister has been playing disc since high school, where he shelled out much allowance money on his fair share of award drinks. Yet also the occasional victor, or so he says, i have no particular memory of such accomplishments so cannot verify. Today we find him a real daddy and not just the pimp we see in the picture. Nevertheless he is still honing his game and playing when time allows. His putting skills are feared due to the countless hours spent with his backyard practice basket. He nails medium range putts with intimidating confidence. Recently his drive has been looking pretty sweet with some new distance and a smooth stroke that bodes well for the future. But, alas, ulitmately this season has been a frustrating one for Shankdog, frequently in the mix but more frequently susceptible to late in the round breakdowns which have resulted in him failing to secure a major win this season. Still, Ravi is close to becoming a complete player, he certainly has the driving and the putting skills and no doubt soon will figure out how to keep that focus the whole round to bring home the necklace.

Personality wise he is, of course, a gem to play with. Lively and always up for just on more round and not above the occasional quip timed to coincide with an opponent's back stroke. You can always expect a fun round when he is present.

• Favorite Course: Buffumville (also enjoys Norwalk but he beat Dave here once in the wind so i bet this is a fave, along with Burke Lake, VA of course);
• Favorite Driver: Starfire (the way he was ripping it last time out farther then he ever has and giving up 3 discs to Dave in order to call it his own, he has probably been fondling it ever since);
• Overheard on the Course: "Uh-oh, this is no gimmee" just before an opponent steps up to an important putt.

2004 Camping Weekend

Jordan Creek, November 5

Mike M, Mike W, Saito and Myself headed out to beautiful Jordan Creek on a perfect fall day. Both the doubles and the singles saw some fiesty competition. A low point of the round for me personally was having to strip down to my skivvies, and wade into the icy cold water of Jordan Creek to fight the fast moving current to fetch my favorite driver from the deeps. I just barely saved the thing, quite an ordeal, but at least it provided much mirth for my fellow competitors and some embaressing camera phone shots.

Results:

Doubles

Ben/Saito +3
Mike/Mike +4

B and S opened up a two-to-three stroke lead about midway through the match. The last few holes Mike M. apparently decided to kick it up a notch however, carding birdies on 15 and 16 to bring the score to within one. Steady Saito was our team's approach master, with key layups up to within a few feet from tricky positions which kept us from ceding too many strokes during the late charge. Ultimately we prevailed in a round where everyone seemed to be playing pretty well. Although Mike W did throw a disc in the pond for which he apparently owes Mike M 7 bucks, or so i hear.

Singles

Ben +5 (won after one hole play off)
Mike M +5
Saito +23
Mike W +24

The singles round had some great competition. Mike and Ben traded the lead all round. Mike tied it up with a great drive for birdie on hole 16. Hole 17 was a wash but on the big downhole boomer of 18 I ripped a soaring long drive to within 20 feet of the 400+ hole. But, alas, the putt did not fall and I could not seal the victory with a birdie. So we went to hole 1. I had my best drive of the day for this hole while mike m put up his worst, resulting in his taking a bogie while i held on for par and the win.

Saito and Mike W were also locked in a close race for 3/4th. Mike W had 3 chances on the last 3 holes to tie it. Each time he had about a 15 foot putt to make and tragically not one would fall. Saito holds on for third.

Norwalk Fall Classic, October 29

Almost a full field at Norwalk this weekend. Mike M, Saito, Shankmeister, Maddog and Myself on a cold fall day.

Results:

Doubles

Ben/Dave -8
Mike/Saito/Ravi -1

The Dream Team was on fire. Dave was a putting machine and my drives were going long and true. If only I could have Dave putt for me all the time. The Triple Threat team put up a game fight but alas, they just could not hang with the one two knockout combo of B and D. Of course Mike M, predictably, did not really begin trying until the singles match, with Ravi emerging as the MVP of the Triple Threat.

Singles (combined 36 holes)

Ben 6
Ravi 12
Dave 13
MikeM 13
Saito 20 something

Mr Norwalk lived up to the hype. Ravi, however, was playing extremely well and came out blisteringly hot, staking himself to an early 4 stroke lead at 2 under par. Ben and Mike managed to keep it close though and heading into round 2 Ben ended up clinging to a one stroke lead over Ravi and Mike (+2, +3, +3) due to some misteps by the Shankmeister on the back 9. Both Mike and Ravi seemed to lose a bit of focus about hole 6 and by the time they had recovered Ben had opened up a comfortable lead. Dave was quite unexpectedly a non-factor till the very end when all of sudden second seemed possible. Ravi stuck the long putt to prevent a play off for second and somehow managed to fenagle a 4 dollar item and a brand new disc out of notoriously stingy Dave on the car ride home.