Disc golf: Do this when tempted to throw an ill-advised ‘hero shot’

I’m not a smart man.

I like to think I’m not an idiot, either.

But for some reason, when I set foot on a disc golf course, all logic flies out the window. My brain tells my body it’s Paul McBeth. But when it comes time to execute, my body reminds my brain it’s an aging, unathletic mass of flesh incapable of executing even the most basic of lines.

Today, I’m talking about the terror that is hero shots for frisbee freaks. But more importantly, the simplest way to avoid ruining an otherwise pleasant, successful round by attempting them.

If you’re new to the term, essentially, a “hero shot” is an ill-advised throw. Well, most of the time, at least. Situationally, at some point in your disc golf career, there may be moments when “going for broke” is your best bet during a tournament or competitive, casual round, for example.

Regardless, the hallmark characteristic of a hero shot is the high-risk, high-reward factor. Pure a micro-gap with a thumber from deep in the nasty, and you’ll be rewarded with a card-crushing birdie. However, nail the first-available tree in an effort to do just that, and you’re staring down the barrel of a double-bogey, not to mention a round worth tossing in the nearest trash can.

So, what’s my secret?

For starters, it’s not my secret – it was shared with me by a guy in my local club who’s forgotten more about D.G. than I’ll ever know. It’s also not much of a secret, either – more common sense. But if you don’t at least acknowledge the strategy, you’re bound to get burned by the hero shot.

Nine times out of ten, before even getting to your lie, you know if you’re in a tight spot or not. Mentally, it’s while walking up to your disc you need to commit to doing the smart thing: laying up, pitching out, discing down, etc. Doing things this way, there’s no forthcoming dilemma …

The decision’s already been made:

“I’m taking my medicine.”

Here’s the key to this …

• Don’t think.
• Just throw.

Almost seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?

Stick with me …

There are no do-overs in disc golf.

It’s not a pencil-drawing, where – if you don’t like what you’ve produced – you can simply erase and start over. When you’ve thrown, love it or hate it, you’ve made your bed – now sleep in it. 

This is both a blessing and a curse. Use it to your advantage. If the sensible shot is a pitch-out back to the middle of the fairway, after reaching your lie, waste ZERO time in pitching out …

Just do it.

Then, after the fact, for as much as your brain might tell you something miraculous could’ve happened, it won’t matter – you’ve already thrown, thus “stupid-proofing” the decision-making process. There are no takesies-backsies. And guess what? When a hero shot is on the table …

That’s a good thing.

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