Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. Your twice a week tour guide for all things disc golf, in 5 min or less.
Good news! The US Senate passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent starting next year. It still needs to clear the House, but we could have after-work rounds forever.
If you missed the WACO recap, then I got you covered: Windy Ass Chuck Off
Let’s get into it.
Bro Science or Pro Science
Injuries have plagued many pros and even ended careers. With the long season, pros have to find ways to keep their bodies healthy and improve recovery.
Ricky Wysocki has been very vocal about his love for ice baths. Even Brodie Smith and others hopped on the icy train.
Ice baths can help recovery by reducing soreness, stress relief, and training your nervous system. But what are other methods used by the pros?
Dietary supplements (amino acids, nootropics, etc.) are endorsed by Scott Stokely and Ezra Aderhold.
Breathing exercises (Wim Hof, etc.) are practiced by Eagle McMahon and Eric Oakley.
Disc Golf Strong & Seth Munsey are heavily involved with the DGPT to help pros at every event.
Bottom line: You might not throw like Eagle or look like Ezra. But after a long day of throwing, icing your arm is a good idea.
The Open at Belton (Silver Series)
PREVIEW (3/18-20)
This will be the 2nd of 3 events in Texas for the Pro Tour. Competitors will play 3 rounds at The Open Course. In Texas fashion, you’ll see players throwing on mostly open holes exposed to wind.
This course has played easy to par, and players have to come out sprinting to have a chance at the podium. Even Paul Ulibarri’s albatross last year couldn’t secure him a top 5 finish.
Coming off of another solid victory, Paul McBeth is looking to make it a hat trick for 2022. And if you include his 2021 USDGC win, it could be 4-in-a-row.
The two Finnish friends are taking the week off, but Kristin Tattar is still hanging around. With Paige Pierce also missing, it’ll be a distance battle between Tattar and Catrina Allen.
LAST YEAR RECAP
MPO/ It was another one of their classic battles: Ricky Wysocki vs. Paul McBeth.
Going into the final round, McBeth had the lead with 1 stroke over Wysocki. The pair soon became tied, and Wysocki took the lead with 5 holes left.
By the end, Wysocki won with 2 strokes to spare by shooting the hot final round (1096 rated). It wasn’t the 1st time McBeth had to swallow his words from 2016.
FPO/ Catrina Allen squeaked it out over the lefty, Heather Young. Without the Europeans and Paige Pierce, Allen’s distance was the major factor in securing the win.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Calvin Heimburg has had minimal highlights this season. His performance at Waco left a lot to be desired, mainly due to his 54% in Circle 1X Putts.
But Vinny doesn’t miss lead card often. And at last year’s The Open at Belton, he finished 3rd. Let’s hope he learned from the wind last week and can start making it happen.
You’ll be able to watch the final round live on DGN. Or find next-day coverage at DGPT YouTube, Gatekeeper Media, and GK Pro.
Caddyshack
It seems like a no-brainer that touring pros should use a caddie every weekend. There’s a reason that ball golf caddies are essential enough to be a lucrative job.
Even well-paid pros like McBeth and Wysocki are still seen playing their rounds solo. UDisc spoke to a few caddies seen on tour to find out what it takes.
Always have a positive mindset and keep your emotions in check. Seeing you react to a bad shot will never make it easier on the player.
Keep the player focused and ready to adjust their game. Managing their expectations and knowing as much as possible about them pays dividends.
Be ready for any conditions. A well-equipped and attentive caddie gives their player one less thing to worry about.
Paul Ulibarri is known to pay his caddies and throws in a bonus when he wins. If you’re local to an event and want to offer your skills to a player, don’t be afraid to reach out.
Random Dubs
1️⃣ A physical therapist and Redditor posted putting tips based on Kona Panis’s current form. It’s no secret that Dynamic Disc’s FPO star has had struggles on the green.
But everyone can learn from several things from this post:
Never unload the muscles/tendons in your arms and legs at any point
Don’t rapidly change speed from your windup to follow through
Smooth and engaged movement will improve power and accuracy
2️⃣ It’s not the arrow, it’s the archer.
Meme of the Week
Thanks for reading today. Get out and beat your friends this weekend!
- Charlie
What'd you think of this today’s edition?