🏄 Mud sliding through Idlewild
Elbow Sleeves, Flying Elephants, and Team Standings
Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. We’re like the feeling you get when you realize a package was just delivered to your house.
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If you missed the Idlewild primer, then I got you: Power to the Players
Let’s get into it.
LWS Open @ Idlewild
RESULTS - 🏆 ISAAC ROBINSON & CATRINA ALLEN
MPO/ It downpoured early on Friday setting up a muddy and grueling weekend. Slipping and sliding through the muck required some creativity.
After Round 1, Isaac Robinson & Gannon Buhr navigated the woods with -11 each (1065 rated). Continuing his hot hand, Robinson drained several 60 footers to take the lead (-12, 1073 rated). He had 3 strokes over Buhr & 5 over Chris Dickerson.
In the final round, Buhr struggled early and didn’t look like himself. It was clear that one of the best closers in our game, Dickerson, had to make the charge alone.
At one point, Robinson’s lead grew to 6, but Dickerson made miraculous shots getting within 2. But that’s as far as he got with Robinson grabbing birdies on the last 4 holes.
Averaging an unheard of -11 per round, Robinson closed out his 1st DGPT win. His practice paid off with 100% C1X putting, and he’s currently the best putter on Tour.
FPO/ The women dealt with 2 days of rain & a lightning delay. On Friday, Ella Hansen took her time and made smart decisions to grab the 1 spot (+1 round).
But on Saturday, she made a huge mistake early - taking a snowman (8) on Hole 2. She wasn’t the only one struggling though and fought back HARD to end tied with Catrina Allen at +4 total.
The final day finally had prime conditions, but Hansen was just off the mark with OBs and missed putts. On the other hand, Allen was solidly in control and took it down. She felt “relieved” to be back in the winner’s circle.
STANDOUT PLAYER
In the past 6 Idlewilds, there has never been a repeat MPO winner. Kyle Klein was the defending champ and earned himself a 3rd place finish.
Expect this to be the start of his explosive 2nd half of the season. Just 3 weeks ago, he had a huge tear in his throwing thumb that has finally healed.
HIGHLIGHT
Round 2, Hole 6 - Matty O threw in an eagle from 180’.
Are Injuries Trending Up?
A day doesn’t go by where another pro reveals they’re dealing with an injury.
Eagle McMahon & Gavin Rathbun (fixed) - torn labrum
Simon Lizotte - triceps tendinopathy
Ricky “Injury Magnet” Wysocki - Lyme flareups & sprained ankle
Paul Ulibarri - now back from 2 months of PT
Kristin Tattar - Elbow nerve pain, 1st DNF ever last weekend
Valerie Mandujano - Elbow pain, avoiding FH throws
Hailey King - Hamstring, Idlewild DNF after a slip
And the list goes on and on
So why might this be happening… Too many events? Longer courses? Players aging? Improper training? Nature of the sport? Rules? Like injuries, the list of causes goes on and on, and it’s impossible to pin it on a single thing.
Injuries are commonplace in all sports, but it’s finally catching up in ours. Tangentially, Uli explained what happens if players miss time - the product of “disc golf” suffers and money can be lost.
With our pro landscape constantly changing, we won’t know what the norm will be. But we must accept that injuries will always be a factor, and pros will make decisions for the longevity of their careers.
Fresh Plastic
Sponsored by Powergrip USA… A PRETTY GOOD disc golf shop. Europe’s largest store now in the US.
👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: Eagle McMahon’s Rainmaker (2|3|0|0.5)
The McMahon customized P2 is dropping tomorrow (7/13) at 11AM EST. This lower profile, beveled, and straighter version comes in Glow D-line Flex 3 plastic.
So Glow and D-line make sense, but what’s Flex 3? It’s the stiffer option available for Rainmakers, and its grippiness holds up in all conditions.
This mold feels similar to other beadless putters like the Birdie Marvel, Latitude 64 Pure, or Gateway Warlock. Truthfully, it looks and feels like a slightly shallower P2 but the smallest of changes can make a difference.
Another player-designed disc is dropping this week - Cale Leiviska’s Airborn Shadowfax (9|5|-2|1.5). What you need to know:
Comfortable, deep rim to fit Cale’s style of fan-grip only
Compares to a F Model US or Latitude 64 Saint - Cale makes it look buttery
Drops at midnight the morning of Thursday (7/14)
And for 10% off your Powergrip order, use code PLYRSMTGJULY22. I may have already taken advantage of it… But we want to pass the savings on to you.
Random Dubs
1️⃣ For those of you still trying to figure out your FH (basically everyone), Overthrow DG accumulated the 7 most common mistakes:
Adjusting shot angle with wrist → Use your elbow & waist instead
Walking straight forward → Walk-up should be sideways like BH throw
Off-hand does nothing → Include off-hand/arm to coil shoulders
Having a huge reach back → It’s just not necessary
Having an upright stance → Bend over the disc more
Toe drag → Always follow through with your back leg
Forcing the throw → Stay loose like a rubber band
2️⃣ A curious Redditor aggregated the different sponsorship “team” standings this season. Here are 2 interesting takeaways:
Discraft (40), Prodigy (37), and Innova (27) are your top 3 manufacturers for MPO Top 10 Finishes. (Trilogy would have 33, but counting them as different teams for this.)
Innova is DOMINATING in FPO Top 10 finishes this year. They have 67 to Discraft's 26 and DD's 22.
Visit the thread for more.
Tweet of the Week
Thanks for reading today. Get out and don’t blame yourself this week!
- Charlie
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