There are a few ways to refer to this …
Here are three of my favorites:
- “Sniper”
- “Iron Leaf”
- “Ghost Branch”
And “phantom limb,” of course.
Whatever term you use, this alludes to a shot that’s immediately stopped in its tracks by a tree branch that was previously invisible to the disc golfer responsible for it. So it’s small, but powerful enough to stop a slab of fast-moving plastic. As for why it’s annoying …
That’s obvious.
Off the tee or from the middle of the fairway, what once looked promising now doesn’t. Even in the moment it happens, this is a reality that’s hard to come to grips with. Apart from the apparent crap result, I have a theory as to why the phantom limb sucks so hardcore for so many golfers …
As a disc golfer, this rage comes from a feeling that, no matter what you do or how much time you put into perfecting your game, you can’t win. Or rather, though you can win, you can’t control everything – which is true. The phantom limb is a painful reminder of this fact.
Big or small, think back on how many times you’ve stared down a gap from a teepad. Disc? Check. Line? She’s doable. Execution? You’ve thrown this hole umpteen-million times.
And then …
“Thwack.”
We meet again, Mr. First-Available.
Now juxtapose the above outcome with actually piercing the gap and advancing the disc down the fairway. Only, the moment a park-job looks imminent, the hand of God himself comes out of nowhere to show your disc who’s boss – it’s the same trash result, but 150 feet farther this time.
Mind your optimism, boy.
When you make a gap-hitting mistake, it’s tough, but the solution is obvious – nail the line next time. It’s not quite that simple, but knowing what success looks like is half the battle. However, when you hit the line and get pwned by a phantom limb, the solution gets a bit murkier …
What could YOU have done differently?
Zilch. Nada. Nothing.
The phantom limb is a cruel mistress. Similar to the spit-out, yet skilled in the art of camouflage, she’s an ever-present part of the game of disc golf. I’ve accepted this; I’m at peace with it.
But only barely.
Trees aren’t going anywhere …
I suggest you do the same.
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Commonly heard before a throw: Trees are 90% air.
Commonly heard after a throw: Stupid tree.
Am i talking ball golf or disc????
Is there the same disdain for trees in ball golf as there is in disc golf?
To me, it seems like a ball golfer’s ire would be more targeted at the rough or sand traps …
But I have no idea – that’s not my world. Haha.
Obviously trees are used much much more as a way for course designers to define lines in disc golf. But if you miss the fairways in ball golf, trees come into play. But for us…. Trees are very much a part of the game starting at the pad.
Noted.
Thanks, Fletch!
It’s not just that the disc hits the phantom branch, it’s that they seem drawn to them. I’ve often wondered how to do a study to calculate the number of cubic feet of a given area versus the cubic inches of the phantom branch and the likelihood of your disc hitting that very minute amount of space in an otherwise open area. It seems disproportionate. Kind of like nicing. Of course on the flip side every now and then I’ll let one go a little late and it sails through 500 tightly packed trees, hits nothing, and lands in the fairway
And it’s those NOT hitting anything moments we quickly forget about …
It all comes out in the wash, I suppose.