My first tournament was one I won’t soon forget …
It was one of those one-day, two-round tournaments you sometimes play in – they make for a great weekend. Tons of disc golf on Saturday, but next to nothing on Sunday, while the body heals. That first round, nothing eventful, really – I threw well enough to land on chase card.
It was there that the “unforgettable” side of things kicked in – for me, at least. As this was my first tournament, I did next to nothing to prepare adequately. I was there. My discs were in my bag. I’d even brought an extra bottle of water. As long as I played smart, I’d have a shot …
I DIDN’T play smart.
I DIDN’T have a shot.
Like the buffoon I am, before making the 45-minute drive to Salt Lake City, I didn’t check the weather forecast. It was summertime. The weather was nice. And if you know anything about Utah, you know it never rains – and when it does, it rarely lasts longer than 15 minutes …
You can already see where this is going …
Queue the torrential downpour.
I hadn’t brought a towel. I hadn’t brought a jacket. I hadn’t brought an umbrella. I hadn’t brought a change of socks. And though I did bring a rainfly for the Upper Park Shift I was rocking, I’d left it in my car. Either way, it wouldn’t have mattered much – I had no idea how to use it.
I remember praying for a nearby lightning strike – ANYTHING from the heavens to put at least a temporary pause on the bludgeoning my ego was taking. Once the “fat lady” had finally sung, the scorecard I turned in was abysmal. I dropped it off and made a speedy B-line to my car …
I didn’t want to talk to anybody.
As luck would have it, en route to my Honda Civic, my path crossed that of one of those old, wily disc golf veterans – you know the type. He could see the frustration on my face and asked me how I’d shot. I was in no mood for a chat, but I told him. To this day, I’m glad I did. Though I still hate playing in the rain, he gave me an incredible piece of advice for battling moisture:
“Play small.”
No, that wasn’t all he said. But at the risk of rambling on (more than I have) about a personal experience with disc golf you’ve already grown WAY tired of, here’s what that means:
- If you tend to play quickly, play slowly.
- If you can throw 350 feet, shoot for 300 feet.
- If your run-up is long and fast, make it short and slow.
- If you’d normally throw a fairway driver, go with a midrange.
- If your knee-jerk reaction is anger, choose to smile and laugh, instead.
Regardless of the weather conditions, that’s good advice.
More specifically, here’s how I see it, though:
In the rain, small things become BIG things – everything’s an annoyance. The disc golfer who’s able to see small things for what they really are (still small) is the one with a massive leg up on the field. Yeah, rain blows chunks, but it’s one aspect of the game – and it’s 100% out of your control. Choose to focus on what is within your power, and you’ll be better off for it.
Oh, and one more interesting tidbit …
Remember that long, drawn-out story with which I opened this article?
Only later would I learn that – if I’d managed to shoot the same, semi-decent score I did the first round – I would’ve tied for third for the whole thing in my division. Rain, wind or shine, that was doable – VERY doable. I wasn’t the only one struggling, but I let myself think I was …
As a result, my play suffered.
Remember: “Play small.”
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