For the longest time, Eric Oakley was known as the guy who threw Felons …
It was so much of a thing, Dynamic Discs made a parody video about it – click here.
But there is WAY more to Mr. Oakley than the mold he used to be known for bagging. Or his wife. Or the nickname. Or the funny form. Or the mixed bag he currently rocks. Of course, I asked him about all of those things – but there’s a bit more meat on this bone, as well …
Eleven questions: Ready, steady – go.
Where does the ‘WhalePants’ name come from?
“My wife, Tina, owns a company called ‘WhaleSacs.’
“For the longest time, people called me ‘PutterPants.’ I wore flashy-colored pants, so that’s where it started. I also picked it up from some good friends back in Texas who – after hitting a big putt – used to say, ‘I’ve got my putter pants on today.’
“Early on, when Tina and I first started touring, we felt we needed a name that worked for the both of us – a brand, really. ‘PutterSacs’ was weird. ‘WhalePants’ felt a lot better.
“I ended up drawing a caricature for WalePants on a disc. From there, we just ran with it. The name takes Tina’s best qualities and adds a splash of me. Anyway, here we are – WhalePants.”
How did your backhand form turn into what it is today?
“Don’t mimic my run-up – it’s weird.
“But when it comes to the actual throwing motion, it’s pretty good.
“But, yeah – the run-up is different, and I know that. I started tinkering with it after studying Steve Brinster’s form some years back. I’d watch old USDGC videos and then go outside and try to emulate him. This would’ve been around 2003 or 2004, probably.
“Anyway, I noticed Brinster had a little hop in his run-up. The next time I went out and played, I did the same thing. After that, I let it become part of my form – I’ve never really looked back.
“I’ve been doing it for so long, I’ve become good with it. Luckily, I’ve not had to change much. Little tweaks have been made here and there, but nothing overly drastic. And I love the branding element of the whole thing, too. You can be on the opposite end of a course, see me throw a backhand and immediately know it’s me.
“So, yeah – that’s cool.
“But no, NONE of this was by design – it just kind of worked out for me in the long run.”
Have you ever felt the need to change it?
“I actually work with a swing coach out of Texas – his name is Landon Knight.
“We’ve talked extensively about my form and what minor adjustments I’ve needed to make for it to work. For example, I used to reach almost straight down to the ground during my reachback.
“Now, I still have my left hand up in the air, but my reachback is more level and out from my body. If you watch Nate Doss throw, you’ll see him do it, too – kind of a wide rail-type thing.
“This was three or four years ago. And because of that one change, I now feel like I’m more consistent. Landon’s been huge for helping me get my form to where it needs to be.
“Having a swing coach is great.
“They exist in regular golf, so why not in disc golf, right?”
What does your day-to-day look like out on the road?
“Tina and I have traveled in an RV together for most of the time I’ve been on the road. The past two years or so, we switched to driving a more SUV, minivan-type thing.
“Outside of traveling, my day-to-day is pretty simple: Figure out when I’ll play my practice rounds, check the weather to make sure the conditions are solid and then get out and play.
“If I’m playing with people, I’ll check in with them to make sure we’re all in the right place at the right time. I’m a big food guy, too. So I make sure to find a way to land some quality grub throughout the madness of the day.
“And, at some point, if I’m by myself, I’ll sit down and play a few video games. And if I’m not, I’ll hang with the homies, especially when Tina’s out. I prefer having her around, though.
“I try to be a sponge of her time – I want to absorb as much of her as possible. We used to see each other all the time, but these days, that’s not so much the case – we’re both crazy-busy. She’ll be back at home working on WhaleSacs and grinding on her garden business.
“So when we’re together, we enjoy the time – it’s nice.”
How do non-big-name guys survive on tour?
“I make it because I hustle hard in the media department …
“I promote discs, and I sell discs.
“This is where my financial cushion comes from. Check out my Instagram, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I’m an avid promoter of my discs and the gear I use as a professional disc golfer. Because of this, companies are willing to take care of me. They see me as an outlet through which they can move inventory.
“In my opinion, not enough touring players are willing to hustle like they should. Event after event, they don’t see Paul McBeth putting up a table and selling discs. Calvin Heimburg doesn’t do that. Or somebody else of their caliber, you know?
“There are definitely players out there who don’t need to sell gear, because they can get by on their tournament earnings alone. And because they’re so consistent at events, their sponsors support them financially. Players might get to that point, but it’s rare – there aren’t many.
“The first step is to grind like crazy.
“For me, my sponsors are happy when I play well at a tournament, but it’s a bonus. Regardless of my performance, they know they’re getting value from me. Whether I finish 80th or 14th, both in-person or online, the value is there on the backend as a positive promoter of their gear.
“I’m kind of in a tier of my own, if you will. I make pretty good money, especially considering how some of my tournament finishes go – but luck has nothing to do with it.
“Getting to this point has been a lot of hard work. I’m grateful for the players who did this before me who kind of paved the way for a guy like myself. And even the guys I play with, too.
“When Simon Lizotte and Eagle McMahon put me on their vlogs, it helps me grow my brand and increase my relevancy in the sport. Early on, Dynamic Discs helped a ton with that.
“But now, working with Infinite Discs, Thought Space Athletics and Upper Park Disc Golf, I’ve been able to take things to new heights. Here in the not-so-distant future, there will be more unique partnerships – I’m excited for them.”
Why is the Felon no longer in your bag?
“Admittedly, there was a bit of a hangover after leaving Dynamic Discs …
“I just wanted to distance myself from every mold I had in my bag while I was there. And I wanted to dive headfirst into anything else I could get my hands on.”
What did you replace it with?
“Replacing the Felon was easy. Starting out, I tried Raptors, Firebirds and a few other Felon-esque discs. I ended up landing on the Infinite Discs Scepter – the disc is awesome.
“I have an insanely overstable one that’s like my old Lucid-X Felons. I also have one in Metal Flake Glow C-Blend plastic – it’s really overstable, too. I even have a Swirly S-Blend Scepter that flies like some of the older prototype Felons I loved during my Dynamic days.
“I’ve worked to get BEYOND the ‘Felon-first ‘mindset, though …
“It’s been nice.
“The Dynasty has been big for me. More of the same from the Anax and Exodus. To a certain degree, they achieve beat, Felon-type flights, without having to all be the same mold.
“The Felon is a fantastic mold, and I definitely believe it helped me get really good – I’m thankful for that. But at the same time, most companies are putting out quality discs. So you could give me just about any overstable nine-speed, and people would mistake it for a Felon.
“They’re all pretty seamless – and a must-have in everyone’s bag, too.”
Is the Polecat overrated?
“To a certain extent, yes …
“But there are other discs that are overrated, too.
“And though slightly overrated, it’s more accurately rated than others, if that makes sense. Once you figure out how to use a Polecat, it’s crazy-good – it’s such a unique disc. And it’s a fantastic teacher. What holds it back is the weirdness of the Polecat – it feels weird and flies weird.
“So I’m a huge Polecat advocate, but understand why some people don’t ‘get’ it.
“The Tomb Gang, Birdie Gang and Polecat Gang should band together. United, they could rule the disc golf world in a positive way, rather than battle for the title of ‘King of Weird Discs.’
“Also, just for the record, I actively bag a Berg – figured I’d float that out there. And I bagged a Polecat at many events last season. I’m tinkering more with the Tomb this off-season, too. For me, if there are tons of people who love a disc, there must be something good about it …
“Right?
“I’m happy to give ‘em a go.”
What specific shot do you use it for?
“You’re going to press me on this Polecat thing, aren’t you?
“When I bag the Polecat, it’s on wooded courses. I most often pull it out when I’m looking to spin a backhand approach under the basket, but I’m too far to jump-putt and too close to do a walk-up with my Berg. And because the Berg has no glide, I’d have to throw it too hard …
“The Polecat works well for this.
“Also, I use it for pitching out of the woods with an anhyzer putt that needs to keep gliding to the right. If I throw my Alpaca or something similar in that situation, it’ll get stable on me.
“It’s good for patent-pending shots that need to hold turn, too.
“But if I end up there, I’ve clearly made a dumb mistake – that’s on me.”
As a mixed-bag golfer, what disc has moved the needle most?
“Man, there are a LOT of discs I could say for this …
“I’m gonna go with the Infinite Discs Emperor.
“I could’ve easily chosen a mold with my name on it. In hindsight, for an article, maybe that’d be the smart move, but I’m sticking with the Emperor. The Emperor has been big for my game, because it was responsible for giving me confidence in my backhand again – that was tough.
“Over the last couple of years, I lost the ability to throw distance drivers on backhand lines. Back in 2019, I won a tournament up in Canada – I threw ZERO distance drivers off the tee. I stuck with my fairway drivers. And this was a golf course – super open shots. I desperately needed to throw distance drivers, but was able to make it work with the slower stuff …
“Not great, though.
“The Emperor got me back to where I needed to be.
“It’s a great distance driver for the backhand, but it’s awesome for the forehand, too. Obviously, the uptick in confidence was needed, but the distance it added was nice, as well. Right now, the Emperor is flying better than just about anything in my bag. In large part, I’m convinced I shot so well at Worlds last season because of it – your readers should know that.
“I tell my friends I’m a backhand guy now …
“The Emperor did that.”
What’s the biggest goal you’ve set for yourself next season?
“Last season, my goal was to enjoy disc golf again …
“In 2021, to be perfectly candid with you, on the course, I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around. Disc golf turned dark for me. I’m a smiley and cheerful guy, so it’s hard for people to see me in a place like that. But two years back, that was my reality – and I hated every second of it.
“Thankfully, last season, in spite of breaking my hand, contracting COVID-19 and getting in a car accident, I was the person I wanted to be – on and off the course. It’s hard to beat that.
“This upcoming season, I don’t really have any pressing goals …
“If I had to give you something, it’d be to continue my relevance in the sport and to be seen by the disc golf world. I plan on working with Infinite Discs, as well as my other sponsors, to run five or six events – I have to give back to the fans. I want to make this happen; I need to do it.
“Then, on top of that, I want to put out more videos – fans love them, and I want to provide fans with value. Also, quality content helps grow the sport. People take an interest, fall in love with the game that’s given me so much and pay closer attention to the Pro Tour.
“And in many cases, to do that, fans have to pay to see us play. For those who do that and help enlarge player purses, I’m forever thankful – that’s a sacrifice for many. Ultimately, in 2023, if people see me as a positive person from whom they can learn, I’ll have done my job …
“That’s success.”
Just in case you couldn’t tell …
Eric Oakley is one of the legit “good guys” of disc golf.
Pull for Paul, Eagle, Ricky and Simon, but leave some room for Eric …
Give ol’ PutterPants his due – he’s worthy of your fandom.
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