Physics of Flight GBO 2019 by physicsofflight

LITTLE PAIGE

GLASS BLOWN OPEN TRADITIONS DGAM ASKED & ANSWERED BEHIND THE SCENES WITH DAVID BERGLUND AT THE LATITUDE 64 FACTORY

BIG DREAMS

CONTENTS

Publisher Jeremy Rusco Editor Laci Rusco Project Director Doug Bjerkaas Art Director Jacob Torkelson Marketing Director Laci Rusco Design & Production Adam Harding

FEATURES

Little Paige Big Dreams

Photography Bobby Brown Thomas Felts Tom Hamilton John Maiuro Dustin Michelson Terry Miller Stu Mullenberg Daren Popple Jacob Torkelson Alyssa Van Lanen Scott Wilson Cover Photography Alyssa Van Lanen Writers Doug Bjerkaas Courtney Elder Dixon Jowers Danny Lindahl Eric McCabe Robert McCall

- Dynamic Women of Dynamic Discs - Touring FPO Pros are turning heads

24 30

Dynamic Pets

- Reigning Cats and Dogs

Swedish Plastic

- David Berglundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disc golf adventure

Copy Editors Doug Bjerkaas Clay Houser Robert McCall Digital Edition www.physicsofflight.com For more information Physics of Flight laci@dynamicdiscs.com Magazine Designed By Adam Harding

ADH GRAPHICS

CONTENT 36 Grow Disc Golf

TAG YOU’RE IT - USING TAGS TO GROW THE SPORT

Lighting up Match Play in 2018 - a USAMPC review

39 Trophies and Tunes

62 Science Project

46 From Pen and Paper to Putters and Pars

72 Social sport on social media

Two long-standing GBO traditions

Course Design Log with Eric McCabe

50 Keepin’ It Real

Disc Golf Answer Man Highlights

56 Playing with Fire

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

Danny Lindahl looks into the physics of flight

#bedynamic

76 Growing our sport one player at a time 19th hole with Doug Bjerkaas

SCHOOL OF

CHASE THE CHAINS AT EMPORIA STATE! ȓ Year-round access to several professional disc golf courses, many of which are within two miles of campus – Peter Pan Park, Jones East, Jones West, Emporia Country Club & Hammond Park. ȓ Home of the largest disc golf tournament in the world, the Glass Blown Open, and host to the next 2 Junior World Championships. ȓ 98% placement rate for graduates. ȓ Lowest student debt load of all four-year public universities in Kansas. ȓ Millions of dollars in scholarships, including the Sunflower Scholarship for out-of-state students.

learn more and schedule your campus visit at emporia.edu

emporiastate

@emporiastateuniversity

@emporiastate

Hi Disc Golf Fans,

Jeremy Rusco

I’m writing this letter at 36,000 feet headed the first Disc Golf Pro Tour event of the year in Arizona. Just yesterday, Paige Bjerkaas won her first National Tour event in Las Vegas and stated that “all of her dreams are starting to come true.” The Memorial has been one of my favorite events of the year to attend since taking the first Dynamic Discs RV trip out to Las Vegas and Scottsdale back in 2008. There were seven of us packed in the first Dynamic Discs RV that comfortably slept only three. It was a 13-day adventure that I’ll never forget and one that makes me think back to my own dreams starting to come true in the disc golf world. I ended up winning the Vegas event in the advanced division and went on to Arizona to place in the top 10. I wanted to become a professional disc golfer and make a career out of this sport for which I have so much passion. Fast forward to today, and although my dreams never came true in terms of being a professional disc golfer, my dreams have come true in terms of calling disc golf my passion and my career. I can’t thank the disc golf community enough for your support for Dynamic Discs as my college based eBay hobby has transformed my life, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Dynamic Discs is FAMILY, and I want nothing more than to extend our family even further. In the year with the biggest shake-ups ever and players leaving long-standing sponsors, I’m proud to say that the Dynamic Discs Team & Family has remained loyal and true, and we support one another through the good times and the bad. I think that this says a lot about the character of our players and the integrity of Dynamic Discs. Dynamic Discs is dedicated to Growing Disc Golf and treating one another with civility. I Owner & Founder of Dynamic Discs encourage you to grow the sport alongside us and remember that the best way to get others involved is to simply take them out for a round of disc golf. I believe that is how most of us got started, and that is certainly how I got started. Take someone out, and maybe their lifestyle will change or their own dreams will start to come true. I know that for me, I can’t thank disc golf enough for providing so much to be thankful for. Cheers to a great 2019 season, and best of luck to everyone competing across the world this year as the stakes continue to rise and more people and players are able to make a living doing what they love. If we keep pushing and working hard, more dreams are going to come true for all of us! #BeDynamic

Dynamic Discs Touring Pro A.J. Risley

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

FLIGHT NUMBERS EXPLAINED IN DETAIL

= SPEED

= GLIDE

Speed ratings are listed from 1 to 15. Discs with a higher speed cut through the air better.

Glide range from 1 to 7. A disc with more glide is able to better maintain loft during flight.

= TURN

= FADE

High speed turn is between -5 and 1. A disc with low turn has a tendency to turn right when thrown backhanded by a right-handed player.

VISIT US AT www.latitude64.se

Low speed fade is listed from 0 to 6. A disc with high fade will tail off left at the end of the flight when thrown backhanded by a right handed player.

DISTANCE DRIVERS MISSILEN

RAKETEN

SUPER FAST STABLE DISTANCE HEX DRIVER

SUPER FAST UNDERSTABLE DISTANCE HEX DRIVER

15 3 -0.5 4.5

15 4

-2

BALLISTA PRO

BALLISTA

KNIGHT

CUTLASS

GLADIATOR

SUPER FAST STABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

SUPER FAST UNDERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

FAST OVERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

14 4

14 5

-1

14 4 -1.5 3

13 5

0 3.5

13 5

0 3.5

DISTANCE DRIVERS STILETTO

HALO

HAVOC

BOLT

RECOIL

SCYTHE

FLOW

SUPER OVERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER WITH EXTRA FADE

FAST STABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

FAST UNDERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

STABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

OVERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER WITH EXTRA FADE

STABLE DISTANCE DRIVER WITH EXTRA GLIDE

13 3 0.5 5

13 5 -0.5 3

13 5

-1

13 6

-2

12 4

12 3

11 6 -0.5 2

FAIRWAY DRIVERS MUSKET

PIONEER

ZION

CULVERIN

SAINT

BRYCE

FURY

STABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

OVERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

STABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

UNDERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER WITH EXTRA GLIDE

UNDERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

10 5 -0.5 2

4 -0.5 3

5 -0.5 3

-1

-2

FAIRWAY DRIVERS STRIKER

SAINT PRO

FALCHION

XXX

EXPLORER

SPARK

RIVER PRO

STABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

UNDERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

X-TRA OVERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

STABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

OVERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

5 -0.5 2

-1

4 -0.5 3

MIDRANGE

FAIRWAY DRIVERS RIVER

MAUL

CORE

UNDERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER WITH EXTRA GLIDE

UNDERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

GOBI

FAST STABLE MIDRANGE

ANCHOR

MACE

COMPASS

FAST STABLE MIDRANGE

OVERSTABLE MIDRANGE

STABLE MIDRANGE

-1

-2

5 -0.5 1

MIDRANGE

5 -0.5 1

PUTTERS

CLAYMORE

FUSE

FUJI

SPIKE

PURE

SINUS

MERCY

STABLE MIDRANGE

UNDERSTABLE MIDRANGE WITH EXTRA GLIDE

OVERSTABLE MIDRANGE

UNDERSTABLE BEADLESS PUTTER WITH GRIP ZONES

UNDERSTABLE BEADLESS PUTTER

OVERSTABLE PUTTER WITH GRIP ZONES

STABLE BEADLESS PUTTER

-1

PUTTERS GAUNTLET

CALTROP

SAREK

DAGGER

MACANA

KEYSTONE

STABLE BEADED PUTTER

OVERSTABLE PUTTER WITH RAISED THUMB GRIP

STABLE BEADED PUTTER

STABLE DEEP DISH BEADED PUTTER

UNDERSTABLE DEEP DISH BEADLESS PUTTER

0 1.5

JADE

DIAMOND

PEARL

RUBY

LIGHT EASY-TO-USE DRIVER FOR BEGINNERS

LIGHT EASY-TO-USE MIDRANGE FOR BEGINNERS

LIGHT EASY-TO-USE PUTTER FOR BEGINNERS

-1

-2

-3

-4

-3

BITE

BEETLE

DOG DISC AND UTILITY DISC WITH EXTREME GLIDE

UTILITY DISC TO PRACTICE YOUR FORM

-1

UTILITY DISCS

EASY TO USE

IDEAL DISCS FOR BEGINNERS WITH LOWER ARM SPEED

PLASTIC TYPES RECYCLED

500

400

= PRO FLIGHT P

= AMATEUR FLIGHT

= BEGINNER FLIGHT

P P

FLIGHT PATHS IS BASED ON A RIGHT HANDED PLAYER THROWING BACKHAND

150

MORE INFO ON DISCS AT WWW.LATITUDE64.SE

120 P

300

P P

A A

200

B B

100

FEET

RUBY

PEARL

JADE

DIAMOND

MERCY

PURE KEYSTONE SPIKE

GAUNTLET SAREK

SINUS CALTROP DAGGER MACANA

FUSE

GOBI

CORE

CLAYMORE

FUJI

COMPASS

MACE

ANCHOR

FURY

MAUL

BRYCE

RIVER

FALCHION

SAINT

STRIKER

SAINT PRO

ZION

MUSKET

CULVERIN

EXPLORER

SPARK

RIVER PRO

XXX PIONEER

BOLT

RAKETEN

HAVOC

KNIGHT

BALLISTA

FLOW HALO

RECOIL

BALLISTA PRO

CUTLASS

GLADIATOR

SCYTHE

MISSILEN

STILETTO

METER

DY N A M I C WOMEN DY N A M I C DISCS

THE

By: Courtney Elder

Exploring Their Passion, Talent, And Plans To Dominate The Season

2018 was a banner year for the ladies on the Dynamic Discs team, as our very own Paige Bjerkaas took hold of the PDGA World Championship title and numerous other women received massive accolades, a plethora of top 10 finishes, and pushed the boundaries of the sport in new and exciting ways. It seems that every season brings a fresh set of accomplishments by our players, and last year was no different.

Not only have we seen exceptional performances on the course, but the women of Dynamic Discs have also made it their mission to educate others about disc golf throughout the nation. While the sport has been steadily growing over the last several decades, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a desire from both casual and professional players alike to spread the sport to women across the world. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take a look at six of our top female team members and recap last season, explore their plans for 2019, and gain a better understanding of just how valuable they are to disc golf as a whole.

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

Photo By: Alyssa Van Lanen

The Dreams Continue inside the Dynasty

Photo By: Alyssa Van Lanen

All In The Family It’s a moment that the Bjerkaas family will never forget - watching Paige, one of three children who has been raised on the sport of disc golf, make her last putt to win her first PDGA World Title - or is it? In 2010, Paige claimed the number one spot in the Junior II Girls division as the Amateur World Champion, solidifying an already impressive track record of wins. Fast forward to 2018 and it was clear that, like most other top-level players, Paige wanted to add to her list of kudos, and while she competed in 26 sanctioned events over the course of the year, she didn’t think she was on track to win. “Leading up to it I didn’t win an NT, I didn’t with win a Pro Tour. When I pictured myself winning Worlds, I pictured myself winning a few tournaments leading up to it - I just won one tournament,” she said with a laugh. In fact, Bjerkaas was almost certain that the win would belong to Sarah Hokom, a player who had a steady season and was in prime position to succeed. While she notes that in some ways her World Championship has given her the feeling of ‘making it’ in the sport, her goals for future years are still just as lofty: “After I won Worlds I struggled with the last few tournaments of the season. I think I still have a lot more to do to feel accomplished - it hasn’t changed my goals too much. I still want to be a Pro Tour winner and a National Tour winner, and have a dominating season similar to Cat [Allen] and Paige [Pierce],” she explained.

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

Dynamic Discs Touring Pro Paige Bjerkaas

2019 And Beyond Disc golf fans may remember that Bjerkaas had to make a tough decision in 2018, one that put her at an important crossroads - should she finish college or hit the road and make the most of her incredible talents? She’s dabbled in online classes to further her coursework in Elementary Education but doesn’t see it as a part of her future like she used to. “I want to be a disc golfer and I want to commit all of my time to that. If I saw myself teaching in the near future, I would push myself, but school is taking a backseat right now,” Paige said.

As a competitive disc golfer since her youth, you’d think that Bjerkaas would have her favorite tournaments lined up and they would be as familiar as the back of her hand, but this year she’s taking a bit of a different approach to how she spends her time. Like many touring players, she used to fall into the pattern of playing the larger events and filling up her offtime with smaller A-tiers along the way. Instead, she attributes this never-ending play to flat out exhaustion and thinks that it contributed to her struggle to finish the season on a high note. Bjerkaas is instead opting for a new opportunity in between tournaments, one that will help to spread the disc golf love to others and even help her to make enough money to stay on the road for an extended period of time. During the off-season, Paige and her family hit the road and spent time in Florida, soaking up the sun and allowing her to get a ton of practice in on local courses and at fields. The drive home sparked this concept that she’s implementing in 2019 - her very own set of putter challenges. The idea is simple but checks off so many boxes for local players and the pro herself. She’ll spend time teaching a clinic that details the basics of putting, and for only $20, attendees will receive a premium putter along with a Prime or Classic putter as well. A 9-hole setup will test everyone’s newfound skills, and a trophy at the end makes the competition that much more fun. Instead of spending time studying for online courses, Paige will be making a huge difference one community at a time. Photo By: Alyssa Van Lanen

Photo By: Alyssa Van Lanen

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

Photo By: Alyssa Van Lanen

Changing Up Her Tools While she’s certainly dialed in her skills well enough to take down some of the best in the FPO division, Paige is still making some adjustments to her game. Those who follow her on social media will note that one of the biggest additions is that of her tricked out Dynamic Discs van, but the idea for a touring vehicle wasn’t always on her radar. “Once I won Worlds, I knew the opportunity was probably there for a van and that DD would’ve helped me out with it. My dad said ‘DD would support you if there’s a purpose for having the van what can you do for DD and why should you have the van?’ That’s when the putter challenge came to mind,” described Paige. The van is certainly a huge step in the right direction, but let’s not forget the main reason for it - getting her to and from the

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

nation’s biggest events where she can play to her maximum potential. 2018 was a pivotal year for Paige regarding her own game, and she’s redesigned her bag in a way that’s sure to bring success. One of the main changes is the addition of the Westside Soft Harp, and while she typically likes harder discs, she’s learned to finesse this one for flick shots and appreciates that she gets a little less skip than with her trusty Slammer. Addressing her midrange game was a huge turning point at the end of last season as well, as Bjerkaas never really used those molds to their maximum potential. In 2019, she’s bagging a Latitude 64 Fuse and Claymore, and her drivers will largely remain the same including a DD Maverick and Getaway. Despite her bolstered confidence coming off a Worlds win, the question still lingers - will she have what it takes to win a second year in a row and beat the woman who tends to take home the prize every odd year?

A Pattern For PP The fact that it’s 2019 is enough to get disc golf fans chattering across the world, questioning if once again it will be Paige Pierce’s time to win Worlds. While it’s clear that she didn’t plan on it, a pattern has emerged with this four-time winner, as her victories have only come during odd years. It began in 2011 and has since continued to this day, leading many to wonder when she will break the streak. How does the pressure of an odd year contribute to her mental game, and what is Pierce doing to ensure she reaches her goals this year? The answer may surprise you. “It doesn’t enter my mind at all,” Paige said when talking about her seemingly scheduled wins. “I think more about where Worlds is rather than the year,” noting that the courses for 2019’s event don’t particularly suit her game, leading her to focus on varied aspects of training compared to years past. In fact, the odd year pattern of her wins wasn’t even a thought in her mind until someone else pointed it out to her, and she mentioned that it’s completely irrelevant to her for the most part, “It wasn’t about when it happened, it was more about the circumstances. That’s why I love golf so much - the circumstances change every single shot, every hole.” It’s this mental aspect to the game that drew Pierce in at such an early age, and after starting to play with her dad as a four-year-old, she soon saw that disc golf was about so much more than just throwing a disc. After graduating high school in 2009, she had an opportunity to go on the road with now teammate Eric McCabe, and one might say the rest is history. Paige went to college during the Spring 2010 semester, but after touring with McCabe the following summer, she chose not to re-enroll.

All Things Mental Anyone who looks at her PDGA stats would say that Pierce’s decision was a good one, as she’s carded well over 100 career wins to date. Even with such a strong track record, her attitude is humble, and she’s a firm believer that it’s never really over until the last putt goes in. Like any other disc golf player, she sees this year as just another opportunity to excel, explaining: “If I wanted to listen to it [her odd year pattern] I think I could and find a way to use it to my advantage. It could be easy to use it to intimidate people and say ‘it’s my year.’ I think I just pretty much tune it out and let other people worry about it. My competitors are going to be thinking about it, and that’s an advantage I have over them when all I’m thinking about is the shot.”

Dynamic Discs Touring Pro Paige Pierce

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

Yet even beyond adding another World Title to her resume, Paige is looking for other ways to expand upon her game. When you mention her name among a group of players, what typically comes to mind is just how far she can throw. While it’s a benefit that most would love to have themselves, she doesn’t quite see it the same way. “I don’t dislike that but would rather have it that they think I’m a good golfer. I don’t want my distance to stand out from other parts of my game,” she said. Similarly to teammate Bjerkaas, Pierce is looking to spend less time at smaller events simply because they are on the way to another big stop. “I don’t really feel like I’m fully invested in them,” she shared. “When you don’t feel motivated you don’t try as hard, and that’s not why I’m playing disc golf. I don’t want it to ever be because it’s convenient.”

Giving Back Although nearly none of the touring pros have what anyone would call a plethora of free time, Paige is focusing on more ways to connect to the disc golf community instead of always being on the course. “We have a great community in disc golf, but a lot of them I don’t really know or have their face in mind - I’m friends with them on Facebook but don’t really know them,” she said. During the last off-season, she took on a new approach to her meet and greet events and is really focusing on offering value to specific groups of people along with the ability to connect with them on a deeper level. Rather than try to plan out a specific type of clinic that would look the same no matter what city she’s in, Pierce is partnering with local clubs to find out what will be of interest. “I compare it to a concert - a big band will do the same songs over and over, but a smaller band wants you to have an experience,” described Paige. While she’s certainly keeping her efforts focused toward playing and teaching disc golf, there’s another side to Pierce that’s new and exciting. She’s partnered with Alyssa Van Lanen to put a new spin on disc golf content; one that’s centered more around experiences that your local player may not get to have. Trips during the 2018/2019 off-season to Croatia, Iceland, and Spain under the project name Disc Golf Tourist gave people a sense of what it’s like to actually tour for days on end while playing along the way. Her ideas for video coverage have expanded even further with the mission of showing those outside of the sport what disc golf is really about: “No one is doing behind the scenes and days off the course, so we tied those two ideas together and made it like a behind the scenes look at where disc golf takes us. We’ll focus it on disc golf bringing us there and bring awareness to people and to cities. Disc golf can bring a lot to the community - there could be more places like Emporia; we just have to expose all of this to the right people.”

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

A Media Mogul Pierce isn’t the only one who will be spending part of 2019 behind a camera, as DD gal Tina Oakley also contributes her own media to the disc golf scene in a big way. Whether she’s vlogging or taking the time to promote her business WhaleSacs or her WhalePants tour with husband Eric, she always seems to have something in the works. Those who know Tina’s history with disc golf aren’t surprised to hear that, as her growth in the sport has always come from a place of passion. While working in Portland, Oregon in the banking world, Tina always had a dream to be a full-time disc golfer. She hit the ground running in 2015 with her professional game, playing 20 sanctioned events, and hasn’t looked back since. While Tina has continued to grow her disc golf skills and always longs to be playing more and more each year, she’s also making a huge impact in a variety of other ways. She utilized her sewing skills to create WhaleSacs, a tie-on grip bag in the shape of a whale that’s designed to keep your hands dry. The business has been booming since day one, and in 2018, Tina made some changes that have been nothing but amazing. “I have pretty much my entire family in Wisconsin helping me - my mom, dad, and step-mom are helping with manufacturing things. I’m trying to automate as much as I can and make it less stressful so I can focus on the media stuff and disc golf,” she said.

Dynamic Discs Touring Pro Tina Oakley

RV Life Lots of disc golfers are opting for a home on wheels to make their tour a little more comfortable, but if you want to look to someone who has truly dialed in what it means to live on the road, Tina is your gal. She’s often asked just how she and Eric can survive in the small space for months on end, and eagerly shares both their challenges and wins with a smile and a laugh: “We bought a car and it gives us a lot more freedom. He [Eric] practices differently than I do - I really only want one round at each course. I could get there the day before the tournament starts but he likes 4 to 5 rounds so that doesn’t really work very well. Depending on where we’re coming from I might go explore, go to a national park, or do some more media stuff instead of going straight to the next tournament. I get a little stir crazy when that’s all we do!”

Living with your partner in a tight space is one thing, but when you share the same passion and essentially the same job, things can spiral out of control if you don’t know each other and yourselves. Tina offered this piece of advice to anyone who is traveling on tour with a loved one: “It’s a lot of conversation, communication, and compromise. I think compromise is the number one thing. Eric and I are really good about talking about what’s bothering us or at least recognizing where there’s a problem. We kept bickering about this one thing - the car was the answer to solve it. We talk a lot and being in such close quarters if something’s bothering you, you bring it up or suffer with it, since you can’t really go to another room or just leave. We’ve gotten really good at talking through the issues we have.”

Pants, Sacs, And Discs

Running a business, hosting clinics, and playing well at tournaments isn’t quite as easy of a balancing act as some might think, and Tina finds that she often ends up spending far more time on WhaleSacs and less time than she’d like out on the course. However, 2019 may change all

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

of that, as she and many other touring pros have spent time with Seth Munsey at Disc Golf Strong. Connecting with him over disc golf and entrepreneurialism entrepreneurship has been a highlight of Oakley’s winter months. By working with like-minded individuals both on and off the course, it’s going to free up time for her to do more of what she wants, including hosting more clinics for WhalePants. Tina and her beau were also invited to speak at an RV entrepreneur summit, touching on how they manage to grow their brand while always on the go. Of course, disc golf was mentioned, too, and this event was just another way that this Dynamic Discs duo is working to grow the sport everywhere.

Bringing Disc Golf Back Much of Zoe’s 2018 was spent focusing on UPlayDG, and she ended up pulling out of major tournaments to stay back home in Oregon and take care of the many needs of a growing organization. However, the end of the year brought some incredible accolades that reignited her passion for competition and set her up for success this year. Not only did she walk away from Worlds as the FPO Putting Champion, but she also won the Most Spirited Player Award, an accomplishment that means the world to her:

Dynamic Discs Touring Pro Zoe AnDyke

Growing The Sport One Day At A Time The ladies of Dynamic Discs are all full of passion for the game and rarely do any of them stick to simply playing tournaments and then calling it a day. Business owner and touring player, Zoe Andyke, is another example of a team member who is willing to do what it takes to bring disc golf to the masses through the non-profit she founded, UPlayDG. By partnering with Dustin Keegan, the two of them have brought a unique disc golf curriculum to school-aged children in a fun and exciting way. Anyone who has spoken to Zoe for even just a few minutes can see the level of energy she brings to everything she tackles in life, so you’d think that man aging a non-profit while touring the nation would be a piece of cake for her. Sadly, folks, she is human and has had to work exceptionally hard to figure out how to find success both on and off the road: “There’s only one key to unlock this door of success, and that is being a schedule master.You have to set your business goals, and then you have to set your personal player goals, and then you have to build out literally hour-by-hour a schedule that speaks to both. That’s close to impossible if you want to be the best or the winner of top-level competition.” Andyke goes on to explain that most people don’t realize just how tough living on the road can be. Many players have a hard time completing daily routines like eating well or even doing laundry, with a lot of tasks taking much longer than they would for the average person in their own home. Add to that the responsibilities of growing a company and keeping your skill set fresh? “It’s not for everyone just because rhythm and routine are what we all seek for comfort and security.You have to be comfortable with having neither and be able to improvise,” she explained.

“To me, anything you do in life isn’t really worth doing without a whole lot of spirit and a whole lot of commitment. To win that award in what I’ve focused my personal and professional life on felt like I’m doing the right thing and I’m in the right place. To get acknowledged by the community I’ve chosen to serve is really cool.” This year will feature Zoe on the road at the nation’s major events, but she, too, is finding herself dropping away from playing so regularly, explaining, “Everyone finally realizes that we can’t play every weekend and we’re wrecking our bodies. My goals are to up my world and national rankings by playing the events that will reflect that.” Together with Keegan, she will also be spearheading the first Disc Golf Pro Tour event to come to Oregon, the Portland Open.

Addressing All Of The Elements Like the Oakleys, Zoe also found herself under the training of Seth Munsey during the offseason, focusing on getting her body ready for 2019. She’s also spent a fair amount of time evaluating the discs she bags and has completely fallen in love with the Maverick, a new addition just before 2018 Worlds. “If you’re looking for a fairway driver that can pull off some of the trickiest and most gratifying shots in disc golf, it’s without a doubt one of the most exciting discs in my bag,” she said of this mold. Always one to keep things fun and light, Andyke also referred to two of her favorite discs as pizza types - deep dish and thin crust. These, of course, are the Dagger and the Deputy, discs you’ll see her throwing quite often this year: “Basically, I’m going to make every putt with a Dagger in my hand and I can throw almost any distance and any line you can imagine with a Deputy. I don’t eat a lot of pizza but my life requires the deep dish and thin crust.”

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She Didn’t Shoot The Deputy This mold is making major moves in 2019, and Andyke isn’t our only female team member to bag at least a few of them. Originally from New York but calling Colorado her home, Missy Gannon is also a Deputy fan, noting that it’s been a staple in her bag for a long time. After an intense 2018 season that opened her eyes to the world of professional play, she’s hit the road with her Escape, Trespass, and fiancé, Tom, in tow. Missy didn’t always have a passion for disc golf, and after moving to The Centennial State, she was determined to learn the sport and learn it correctly. She credits the Colorado disc golf scene for fueling her passion to play, and after a lot of time contemplating her options, she and Tom went out on tour during the second half of the 2018 season. Her first event was the Idlewild Open, and it was perhaps the perfect example of being thrown into the deep end of the pool. “I was really nervous, and it’s one of the toughest courses on the tour that I’d heard of, so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It was a wake-up call; I did not play very well and was in the bottom quarter after it was all said and done. It kind of made me question a little bit - am I supposed to be out here? Is this really what it’s going to be like the rest of the summer?” Despite her concerns, Gannon stuck to her commitment to see the rest of the tour through and was glad she did. Her skills found her on the lead card at one point during the Ledgestone Open, a notoriously challenging event, and she ended up placing 9th, making it her first top 10 finish on the professional circuit. After competing at several more huge tournaments, she began to see a pattern of “fizzling toward the end” and found that through simply putting herself out there and playing, she was able to work out some of the things holding her back.

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Dynamic Discs Touring Pro Missy Gannon

Onward And Upward While she would have liked to place higher at some of her events, there’s no doubt that Missy’s first stretch of tour was a huge success and gave her the inspiration to make improvements during the offseason. She and Tom spent a lot of time in New York playing local courses and preparing their touring rig for the coming year. Not realizing how difficult it would be to find seasonal employment, she ended up being able to devote most of her days to renovating their camper, thus removing the need to find lodging at each tournament stop. Courses in the New England area were a bit of a blessing in disguise during her time off, as Gannon had to adapt her game to find success among thickly wooded fairways. She participated on a local team that was a larger part of state-wide challenges, and when looking back on her off-season, was thankful that she didn’t end up with a 9-to-5 after all. 2019 marks her first season-long tour, and she couldn’t be more excited, especially because their dog will be along for the ride. “You never really know what’s going to happen,” she said, “but with the support of DD and my efforts and the hustling I’m going to have to do, I hope I’ll make it work.”

New Beginnings This year is also a first for our sixth and final Dynamic Discs player in this feature, as 2018 Junior World Champion in the Junior Girls <18 division, Cynthia Ricciotti, has gone pro. After placing 14th at Ledgestone and not wanting to turn down the money, she decided to finally make the jump up. “I’ve always kind of been feeling that I’ll know when it’s right,” she said, and the conclusion of that event made it crystal clear. Ricciotti is no stranger to putting down a solid performance during high-pressure events as she’s been playing competitively since her early teens. Only a sophomore in high school, she regularly brings just as much composure, skill, and poise to the course as seasoned players twice her age. Some might chalk it up to her natural skill, as Cynthia has always been athletic, while others point to her strict practicing schedule that allows her to master high school, disc golf, and other extracurricular activities. More often than not, She incorporates a mix of field work, putting practice, and time on the course to make sure she’s able to grow her skills, but the

off-season brought some factors that made things extra difficult. Cold temperatures prevented Ricciotti from adhering to her routine, and rather than improving upon her game, the goal became to simply maintain her skills. She’s integrated the Marshal into her bag this year, noting that she can trust it even when she throws it hard.

Going With The Flow Most players who attend at least a handful of the sport’s biggest events tend to work out a pretty detailed touring schedule, but Cynthia’s academics make that a pretty challenging task. “I’m sticking to the same events but want to get to more big ones. I’m definitely going to GBO, Ledgestone, Pro Worlds, and the Mid America Open. Small C-tiers are sprinkled in there, but I don’t make a plan ahead of time. I just kind of surf around the PDGA website and see what’s available,” she said. It’s a given that her favorite part of last season was her win at Worlds, but beyond that singular event, it’s held a lot more promise for the future. Cynthia’s mental game has grown the most by playing larger events, and it’s been crucial for her to keep a level head when she throws a rare bad shot. Drawing on her World Title has certainly helped too, giving her the reassurance that she can handle anything that comes her way.

Dynamic Discs Team Member Cynthia Ricciotti

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CORE BAG

LIGHTWEIGHT · SLIM · AFFORDABLE Perhaps more than any other player on the Dynamic Discs team, Ricciotti isn’t changing much this year. While some might say that disc golf constantly requires reinvention to get things just right, there’s a comfort and consistency in knowing that you have what it takes to win. Her achievement at the 2018 Junior World Championships was just the icing on the cake.

A Promising Future With so much potential on the horizon, there’s no telling what the women of Dynamic Discs will accomplish this year. From vying for World Titles to teaching children about disc golf, showing others how traveling full-time can be rewarding and so much more, there’s no one who is representing our sport in a better way than these six women. We are so honored to have them as a part of our disc golf family and wish them an incredible 2019 season!

THE WOMEN OF DYNAMIC DISCS Paige Pierce Paige Bjerkaas Zoe Andyke Tina Oakley Missy Gannon Callie McMorran Natalie Holloköi Andrea Eads Cynthia Ricciotti Anna Bankus Virginia Polkinghorne

COLOR VARIATIONS:

DISTANCE DRIVERS WORLD

CATAPULT

-0.5

HIGH-SPEED OVERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

-0.5

-1.5

HIGH-SPEED UNDERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

SORCERER

0 3.5

-0.5

-2

SWORD

HIGH-SPEED DISTANCE DRIVER

HIGH-SPEED OVERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

DESTINY

HIGH-SPEED UNDERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

GIANT

WAR HORSE

KING

HIGH-SPEED DISTANCE DRIVER

-0.5

-3

BOATMAN

STABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

QUEEN

HIGH-SPEED UNDERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

OVERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

control DRIVERS NORTHMAN

FORTRESS

OVERSTABLE CONTROL DRIVER

SAMPO

-1

AHTI

STABLE CONTROL DRIVER

-1

LONGBOWMAN

OVERSTABLE CONTROL DRIVER

midrange HATCHET

STAG

UNDERSTABLE CONTROL DRIVER

-2

PINE

-1

-2

UNDERSTABLE CONTROL DRIVER

WARSHIP

-3

OVERSTABLE MIDRANGE

TURSAS

STRAIGHT FLYING MIDRANGE

STRIAGHT FLYING MIDRANGE

BARD

UNDERWORLD

UNDERSTABLE CONTROL DRIVER

SLING

OVERSTABLE MIDRANGE

SEER

STABLE CONTROL DRIVER

UNDERSTABLE MIDRANGE

-2

ANVIL

EXTREMELY OVERSTABLE MIDRANGE

putters GATEKEEPER

HARP

SLIGHTLY OVERSTABLE MIDRANGE

SWAN 2

plastics

-1

UNDERSTABLE PUTTER

-2.5

MAIDEN

STRAIGHT, SHALLOW PUTTER

STABLE PUTTER

SWAN 1 REBORN

UNDERSTABLE PUTTER

SHIELD

OVERSTABLE PUTTER

CROWN STABLE PUTTER

flight numbers Speed ratings are listed from 1 to 14. Discs with a higher speed cut through the air better.

Glide range is from 1 to 6. A disc with more glide is able to better maintain loft during flight.

High speed turn is between -5 and 1. A disc with low turn has a tendency to turn right when thrown backhand by a right-handed player.

Low speed fade is listed from 0 to 6. A disc with high fade has a tendency to tail off to the left at the end of the flight when thrown by a right-handed backhand player.

Alexander Bush Porter the Chocolate Lab

Andy DiFronzo Coco the Terrier Mix

Brian Shintaku Ray the Black Mouth Cur

DYNAMIC PETS

Bryan Freese Winston

Shane & Beth Cline Roony

Connie Vantuyl Boone & Deak the Labs

Denise Cameron Sheba the Husky Mix

Kaidin Bell & Brinlee Kozi the Pug

Kris & Alison Edson Brodie & Kyah the Yellow Labs

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Eric McCabe Ralph the Mutt

Jeremy & Wendy Rusco Starlin the Mini English Bulldog

Marcus Rawls Tebow the Black Lab

Matt Sedgwick Bonnie the Wirehaired Griffon

Chris Eads Luna the Blue Russian

Robert & Shea McCall Walter the Chocolate Lab

Max Rusco Ellie Jo the Basset Lab Mix

Trevor Turney Chevy the Great Pyrenees Lab

Eric & Tina Oakley Spout PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

for a shotgun start. At the conclusion of the match, the best score would be given the lowest tag. The next best score gets the next lowest tag, and so on until the worst score gets the highest numbered tag. There was no cost to play in these matches other than the initial expense to purchase the tag. Typically, an optional ace pot was added for those who wanted to throw in a buck or two.

By: Doug Bjerkaas

GROW THE SPORT - Tag Matches I learned how to play disc golf in Abilene, Texas. I was lucky enough to have been introduced to the sport by some locals who were heavily involved in the local disc golf scene. After three weeks of playing, I came out for my first “mini” event. “Minis” cost $5 to play, and I had my choice between signing up for the amateur pool or a pro pool. The amateur pool played for discs, and the pro pool played for money. I initially spent several months donating $5 each week towards plastic for the other amateurs who were winning. I did finally start to win some plastic, and eventually, I ended up playing for cash with the pros. While this progression was very instrumental in me growing into the disc golfer I am today, it sure had a cost. While I like “pay to play” leagues like the “minis” I played in Abilene, it was in Denver that I discovered “tag matches” and have ever since advocated that they are perfect for growing the sport! What is a Tag Match? Tag matches are simple. Players show up on a given time and day and give their tags to what we called the “tag master” in Denver. Sometimes called “bag tags”, these are made out of leather, metal, wood, or plastic, and are individually numbered from 1 to however many tags are made. The tag master would then randomly shuffle the tags and assign the players starting hole numbers

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I love this model because there is no financial decision for a player to make as to whether they play or not. They can show up with their tag, throw it into the mix, and experience a competitive round with others. My kids learned so much about disc golf by playing in competitive groups for tags as they grew up in the sport. Some weeks, they would be paired up with a local pro, and other weeks, they played against novice players who were just starting. At the end of the day, though, they could see success or failure depending on what tag they left with. I can remember my kids being ecstatic to get a two-digit tag after a match at Exposition Park in Denver when they initially arrived with a three-digit tag. It was a great way for them to see improvement as they played in a competitive environment. Growing the sport with low cost competitive options is a great way to groom folks who may someday play in competitive, PDGAsanctioned tournaments! Tags as a Fundraiser My first recollection of tags goes all the way back to around 2000. A new course was going into South Fort Worth at Z Boaz Park. According to local John Maiuro, Brian Mace brought the idea of tags back from Northwoods, Wisconsin, where he had seen them used as a fundraiser. Players paid a certain fee

for the tag, they played for tags when they wanted to compete against each other, and money could be raised for a cause. Maiuro mentioned that when the idea was brought to south Fort Worth, almost 300 tags were sold at $20 each, and people played for them as often as they could. John, who worked for Xerox at the time, was able to make the tags for next to nothing. Close to $5,000.00 was raised to help further develop the course! History of Disc Golf Bag Tags While my personal recollection of tag play only went back to the Z Boaz tags in Fort Worth, Brian Mace remembers seeing them first in Wisconsin. Mace credits Terry Miller with first turning him onto the idea back when he was touring in Wisconsin. Terry had many fond memories of several Wisconsin events connected to the tags that local disc golfers were playing for in the early 2000s. In fact, the entire state has had year-long tag challenges resulting in state winners each year. As much as he wished he could, Miller could not take credit for the idea. Terry had picked up the idea from the Club Dead Disc Golf Club in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I spoke with Scott Wilson from the Club Dead Disc Golf Club, and he reminisced fondly on the first tags that his club produced. Scott loved that the tags they made were one more “excuse for competition”. However, Wilson also could not claim the idea as his original. His first tag actually came from the Grand Rapids Dogs of Disc club. Scott referred me to Derek Strang who told me that the early “dog-bone” tags from this old school Michigan disc golf club likely started sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s! He was not aware of another club inspiring the idea. In a time period when tournaments were few and far between, playing for tags in Grand Rapids allowed folks “bragging rights for the week”. While my quest for the starting point for disc golf bag tags may not have lead me to

the exact starting point for tags, it was interesting to find that Grand Rapids, Michigan could be the starting point. If anyone reading has an early story on disc golf bag tags that predates the dog-bones played for in Grand Rapids, please let me know your story (doug@dynamicdiscs.com). Grooming Future TDs Through Tags The Mile High Disc Golf Club in Denver has scheduled and run tag matches throughout the Front Range of Colorado for many years. I personally got my first taste of running events by serving as the tag master for Tuesday night tags at Expo Park for three or four years. This experience of gathering tags, randomly assigning groups, and then distributing tags at the end of the night was a great springboard to eventually helping with sanctioned events, running sanctioned events on my own, and eventually being afforded the opportunity to TD the PDGA World Championships! Disc golf needs to keep growing. Not only does it need to grow in number of players but also in number of qualified folks that can organize and run events. Starting out being a

“tag master” might just be the best first step! I know several seasoned TDs in the Colorado disc golf community that also got their start running tag matches.

Building community through tags One of my favorite benefits to tags is the visible connection it creates between disc golfers in the area or region in which they play. Typically, tags are attached to disc golf bags or carts and can be seen by others on the golf course. Maiuro fondly recalls being able to see the “bumblebee” Z Boaz tags from across the course when someone had one on their bag. These “bumblebees” also indicated that the tag was a low number. The yellow and black tags were the first tags produced for Z Boaz. As the numbers grew, the tag colors changed. There is certainly a connection that disc golfers make with each other. Having a visual indicator of belonging to a group of disc golfers has a benefit in starting a conversation with someone new on the course. I cannot tell you how many new people I have met in Emporia over the last three years through having an “Emporia Knows Disc Golf” tag. Bag tags have also allowed me the opportunity to start a conversation about competitive disc golf with a local that does not have a tag. Several folks have asked about tags that are hanging on my cart, and it has given me a perfect opportunity to invite someone to a tag match. These players are often surprised that there something so accessible for new disc golfers to participate in, and it is awesome to be able to briefly explain what it is and invite them to our next match. In Emporia our tags cost $5, which basically covers the cost of the tag. Our goal has not been to raise funds (which is not necessarily a bad thing for all clubs) but to simply create another competitive way to play that is easy for a new player to jump in.

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Get a Tag and Go Play! There are several ways to grow disc golf, and playing or running tags is one of many. I challenge every disc golfer to find some new folks and get them playing. If they get that itch for a more organized and competitive version of our sport, invite them to a tag match! If you are in a community that does not have a regular tag match... get out and start one.

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Cho

Stop by the sweetest place in town for handmade chocolate GBO souvenirs, including the bestselling Dynamic Discs Chocolate Truth! 803 COMMERCIAL ST NEXT TO GRANADA THEATRE EMPORIA , KS 620-342-9600 WWW.SWEETGRANADA.COM

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THIS EXCEEDS MY David Berglund grew up playing disc golf, but it had always been just a fun hobby. He had no idea how a casual conversation with three friends about their disc golf project back in 2003 would change his life. He jumped in on the project: to make discs of their own. 15 years later, he eats, breathes and sleeps disc golf, though he rarely has time to play anymore. Meet the CEO of Latitude 64.

THE LATITUDE 64 JOURNEY

WILDEST DREAMS”

“I would have been shocked. This was not realistic even in my wildest dreams. It’s really a fantastic journey when you look back at it,” says David Berglund, when asked how he would have reacted if he had time traveled from 2005 and visited the Latitude 64 Disc Golf Factory today. The reaction stems from history. For most of us, disc golf is a fun hobby, as it was for David Berglund. He grew up in Skellefteå, a small town in northern Sweden. There he was introduced to disc golf when he was 10 years old. “A couple of my older friends started playing disc golf, Tomas Ekström (co-founder of Latitude 64) was one of them, and one day I tagged along. It wasn’t long before I was hooked. Getting the disc to fly was exhilarating. I had played other sports like ice hockey and soccer before, but I really enjoyed the combination of the individual aspect and the social side of disc golf - just a very friendly vibe. It was the best of both worlds for me, and the course was very close to home, so I spent a lot of time there,” David says. David was an avid disc golfer through the years. He played tournaments all over Sweden and even an occasional trip to the US. But as it usually goes, life happens, and priorities change. “I wasn’t the best disc golfer. For me, it was a hobby, and eventually I took a long break from the sport. I served in the military, and after that, I moved to Stockholm to focus on my career,” David says. Many years later he was back in his old neighbourhood. “I moved back to my hometown back in 2003 when I found out I was going to be a father. I didn’t want to raise a child in a big city. I reconnected with friends, and that’s when disc golf once again became a part of my life,” David says.

TO A DISC GOLF ENTERPRISE

But back then, he had no idea how big that part would become.

The Birth of Latitude 64 At the course in Skellefteå, there is a clubhouse – a good place to hang around, drink some coffee and contribute to the friendly banter. “One day, I was hanging around by the clubhouse at the course. Tomas Ekström, Svante Eriksson and Johan Åström were talking about their project of making their own discs. They already had a first prototype, but it was terrible. I am not kidding. The plastic was all wrong and it didn’t really fly,” David says. David was intrigued and wanted to be involved. There was a problem though: money. The disc project could have ended there and then. “Investing in the tools needed was expensive, and we didn’t have the money. That’s when I got involved with the project. I took on the task of making a business plan, and we visited a lot of banks asking for a loan,” David says. Even though his job as a purchasing manager at a big international company didn’t prepare him for this task, Berglund made it happen, but most bankers weren’t convinced about the idea of starting a disc golf company. “Luckily, we met a banker who knew about us and gave us a loan. That money gave us the tools needed to make our first three molds. Together with a local plastic company, we created prototypes of a putter, a midrange and a driver that we could move forward with,” David says. Those discs were named Sinus, Medius

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and Primitus. The plastic company provided the injection molding machines and operated them, but there was still a lot of work left. “We had to rent a small basement close to the course. It was small (about 270 square feet), and we paid $60 a month for it. We had a computer, a printer, a couple of pallets for storing discs and a hot stamping machine. We weighed all discs, we planed the discs and we stamped them. It was cramped in there, and we worked a lot almost all of our evenings and weekends. We all had our regular jobs during the day, but it was a really fun time,” David says. Making the products was one thing, but getting them in the hands of customers all over the world was something else. Distribution, shipping, customs, documents, permits - everything was new to them. They had a big advantage, though. “During those days, a new manufacturer was such a big thing. We contacted retailers in Europe and the US, and we had no problem selling our first run of 15,000 discs. However, the first impression of our discs was not what we had hoped for. A lot of people wanted to try them out, but sales slowed down pretty fast. The plastic we used back then wasn’t the best,” David says. But you make mistakes to learn from them. All proceeds from the first runs were put into trying out more plastics and making better discs. “It wasn’t until 2008 when I felt we finally earned the reputation of making high quality discs. We collaborated with Jesper Lundmark from Skellefteå (one of the best disc golfers in the world back then) and together with him we made the driver, Striker, the midrange, Fuse, and the putter, Pure. And the new Opto plastic was a big step up for us,” David says.

Standing at the Crossroads

By the end of 2009, it was time to move on from that small basement. They rented a 1400 sq. ft. garage from a friend, and soon after, they hired their first employee. Co-founder Johan Åström’s son, Linus, worked full-time weighing and hot stamping discs. But the growth was quick, the garage soon felt too small, and Latitude 64° were suddenly standing at a crossroads. “We wanted to have our own injection molding machine. We weren’t really happy with the production collaboration provided by the local plastic company. It was necessary to control the production ourselves, but this was a big step for us at the time, a huge investment. One machine costs well over $250,000, plus things like cooling machines, electrical installations, plumbing, wiring. It was truly a make-or-break decision.” In 2011, they took the plunge and were handed the keys to a 7,000 sq. ft. industrial building. A couple of months later, the injection molding machine was delivered. “This injection molding machine weighs in at 15 metric tons. We were terrified when it was dangling 10 feet up in the air, but luckily, we got it safely inside,” David says. They had learned a lot about making discs, but none of the owners knew how to actually operate an injection molding machine. “We knew what we wanted, and we learned fast. It wasn’t long before we outperformed our former partner. They weren’t bad in any way; they just weren’t specialized in the finetuning needed to make great golf discs. The shape of the discs, the colors, the weights - everything improved. Thankfully, that really impacted our sales,” David says.

Gearing Up The growth was rapid. The collaboration with Westside Discs in Finland and Dynamic Discs in the US was successful, and the distribution collaboration with Dynamic in the US was especially crucial. The four owners were now all-in; they had all quit their regular jobs and were working full time with Latitude 64°. “It was a big decision; of course we were worried. Would the growth continue? Will people keep buying our discs? But in the end, it was an easy decision. It was a crazy time, though. We worked long days, usually until late in the evenings, and most of the weekends, too. Everyone had to help out with every task at hand,” David says. The machines were running almost day and night, and the growth did not stop. In 2014, Latitude 64° moved PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

again, this time to a 17,000 sq. ft. industrial building not far from the previous one. “We needed more space, more machines and more people. Suddenly, we had 15 employees working in the factory, and the aura of the company transformed. It was not just a hobby anymore; it wasn’t just something “on the side”. We were a company - a professional disc golf factory, and people had real job titles,” David says. The company that started in a basement in 2005 is one of the leading disc golf manufacturers in the world in 2019. Today, the disc golf factory measures in at 36,000 sq. ft. and provides the livelihood for 27 employees. What is the secret to this success story? “The absolute biggest reason is the commitment we have shown throughout the years. From the start, we had the ambition to make discs better and more consistent than anyone else. That ambition is just as strong today and something we will never compromise on,” says David.

Tomas Ekstrom

Half Page DD Ad

So what happens now?

A: “We have reached another milestone with even more friends. Our collaboration with Discmania is really interesting. A fun fact is that me and Jussi Meresmaa at Discmania have worked under the radar with this project for about two years. It is very honoring and a testament to the quality of our discs that he has chosen us to make a new line of discs.”

Is there any cool stuff you are working on in the factory right now?

A: “There always something going on. Right now, we are updating the coloring of our discs. We really want to achieve even more striking and vibrant colors. We also made a survey to learn more about what colors our fans prefer.”

What do you hope for the sport of disc golf in the future? A: “I really hope disc golf keeps growing to the size it deserves, and that Latitude 64 will be a part of that. We will do what we are good at: making discs and supporting and collaborating with partners with similar visions.”

Is it still as fun as when you started? A: “Yes, for sure. I really enjoy seeing people around me grow

and evolve. It is very different, though. It has really been a challenge and a lot of hard work to go from a basement business to a world class disc golf company with 27 employees. Our journey has exceeded even my wildest imagination.”

BIO Name: David Berglund Age: 43 Title: CEO at Latitude 64° Interests: Spending time with my family, walks with the

dog, play disc golf when I have the time, and traveling, meeting new people Previous Jobs: Purchasing Assistant at Ingram Micro, Purchasing Manager at Alimak. Best Disc Golf Experience: Playing the Florida Triple Crown in the early 90’s. Seeing idols like Sam Ferrans and Ken Climo play was huge for me back then. Favorite Driver: Explorer! A real workhorse in the fairway department. Favorite Midrange: Compass. Good glide, dependable and suits my grip. Favorite Putter: I love the new Keystone. The grip feels just perfect and it has the right stability for me.

Growth of the Latitude 64 Factory in square Feet

2006: 270 SQ.FT

2009: 1,400 SQ. FT

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2011 7,000 SQ. FT

2014: 17,000 SQ. FT

2019: 36,000 SQ. FT

By: Courtney Elder 2018 GBO MPO Champion Eagle McMahon

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GLASS BLOWN OPEN TRADITIONS

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The Glass Blown Open. To those who aren’t involved in disc golf those four words hold very little weight, but to thousands of people across the world, they signify an event that you just can’t miss. Hosted each year in Emporia, Kansas, some might liken the GBO to a red carpet event, as it’s complete with multiple days of competitive play between the sport’s top players, block parties that rival the best backyard get together you’ve ever seen, and events that keep friends, family, and visitors engaged. Within the disc golf community, The Glass Blown Open is known as a prestigious event that’s run with the highest level of professionalism out there. Months of work behind the scenes goes into the tournament each year, and as soon as it’s over, the team at Dynamic Discs is already working hard on the next one. But beyond the family-friendly atmosphere and the amazing courses that are part of the competition, there’s something more that really sets the GBO apart from other tournaments. Any event that’s been run year after year likely has a rich history in itself, but in Emporia, there are a few things we do a little bit differently here. Some might say that these are the reasons they make the trek to the middle of the United States each year, while

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others describe our traditions as the icing on the cake. Whatever words you choose to place behind them, these elements set us apart from the crowd. Have you figured out what they are yet? Keep reading to learn about the history of the tee-off songs at the Glass Blown Open, gain some insight into the beautiful trophies we present each year, and find out who those guys are on the mike when you step up to take your first shot of the event.

Bust A Move Even if you don’t go to concerts all the time and have a terrible singing voice, one thing is for certain - you probably like music. It’s an incredible thing that tends to bond people and has become a significant part of the tee-offs at each year’s GBO. While the assumption that players choose their own songs is completely accurate, what’s not always as clear is just how interesting some of these song selections tend to be. During registration each year, GBO players are given the option to request a tee-off song of their choosing. Given that this tournament is a family friendly event, lyrics must not contain any profanities, and for the most part, the tunes chosen are ones that are upbeat and put players in a pumped up state of mind. For our 2019 event, we saw a few favorites come in across multiple divisions with a pretty infamous melody being requested 18 times. What could it be? None other than “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor. A close second, with 16 requests, is “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, proving that the classics never die.

Some may find that these choices are cliché, but you can’t overestimate the mental effect that tee-off songs have. Here’s a perfect example from 2011 FPO Champion Valarie Jenkins: “If anyone has ever played in my group, they know that I am always humming a song that’s stuck in my head. Most of the time, I’m not sure where the song came from but sometimes it’s a song I just heard, so picking the right tee-off song is more crucial than one might think. Since they only play the first 30 seconds of a song, you have to make sure you like the first 30 seconds. In 2015, I chose the Taylor Swift song “Shake It Off” and when my name was called and the song was cued up… I listened to those words ‘got nothing in my brain.’ Needless to say, I didn’t play well in those first couple of rounds of the tournament. When it came to the final round, somehow they had lost the list of songs and asked what I’d like to play. I said ‘pick anything.’ This time, when my name was called and the song played, it was ‘Eye of the Tiger.’ I ended up shooting a 1011-rated round as well as the hottest round of the day for FPO.”

Subliminal Messaging As Val’s story illustrates, the words in one’s tee-off selection can play a major role in the rest of the day’s round. With that in mind, it’s intriguing to look for patterns between song requests and the game of disc golf itself. Want to head out and score a ton of birdies? Simply listening to a song with “bird” in the title like Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” or “Blackbird” by the Beatles could help you to play well, but wouldn’t an eagle be better? Both “Comfort Eagle” by Cake as well as “Fly Like An Eagle” by The Steve Miller Band are popular picks. Plenty of players opt for lyrics that include the word “win” or “winning”, both obvious choices when gearing up to tackle a tough course, but there seem to be mixed feelings about just how important the song’s message truly is. While Jenkins and others find their selection to be critical, others don’t necessarily feel the same. 2012 and 2013 MPO winner Will Schusterick said he simply chooses whatever song is on his mind at the time of the event. It seems that Simon Lizotte, MPO winner in 2014, also doesn’t put much stock into his choice: “I honestly don’t really remember the songs I’ve chosen. I don’t even remember what song I chose this year. If I had to guess, I picked a song I liked at the time. I didn’t really put much thought into that. I try to not get affected by anything when I start playing. I think there could be any song playing in the background and I wouldn’t even notice.”

GBO’s Tee-Off Origins Whether you love the idea of a tee-off song or not, there’s a good reason for it, and it stems back from the early years of involvement from tournament announcers Scott Hayes and Erren Harter. Both work at KVOE, a news, talk, and sports radio station in Emporia, and they’ve been partnering with Dynamic Discs since the beginning. Back in the day when Jeremy Rusco outgrew operations in the basement of his home, he rented space at a property managed by Erren. The two struck up a friendship, and soon after, Scott also became acquainted with the original DD crew. Harter and Hayes have been volunteering at the Glass Blown Open for years, and initially their duties included helping with a poker tournament and announcing each player as they stepped up to tee. The player’s name and hometown were the only things said into the microphone at the time, with filler music playing in between cards. In 2013, however, things started to get a little more interesting as the pair tried to personalize each player’s experience by asking them if they’d like to hear a song during their shot instead of silence. The next year, selecting a song became a more standardized practice, although it still took another year before this information showed up on the player registration form. As each individual would approach the tee, Scott and Erren would ask what song they wanted to play, wildly search for it, and hoped that it was clean enough to put on for an all-ages

crowd. “People were really into it. Even though a lot of the people who come to play are pretty serious, even the AMs can be serious, but still like to have fun. Having that song playing like that - it became a special little extra thing that the Glass Blown Open had,” Scott explained.

Seeing Positive Results Not only did the players react well to the idea of tee-off songs, but both Erren and Scott noticed a huge difference in the mood of the crowd as a whole. Scott described what people can expect when watching players tee in person: “Anytime you have an announcer, it’s a cue to fans around that something’s about to happen. Music is playing and then they cut to me announcing a welcome, and that’s when Erren is getting the song ready. Everybody quiets down and starts to pay attention. It has become a really great way of letting the fans know when something’s about to happen and helps to build excitement - you can feel it build as we get close to the lead cards, and the music’s feeding into that. People can go down the hill so they can watch players tee off. It’s added to it as a spectator sport, at least here in Emporia.” One might consider Erren to be the man behind the scenes as he’s usually trying to get songs organized in a timely fashion, but he too gets to be a spectator in his own right. “It starts their round off on a good note,” he stated about how it affects the players. “A disc can go out of bounds but they can turn around and play air guitar.”

Working Through Challenges It’s not all rainbows and unicorns however, as the duo has run into some concerns in past years. If they personally aren’t familiar with a song’s lyrics, they’ll look them up to make sure it’s appropriate. Several times a few choice words have been dropped without their knowledge, and while they are incredibly diligent about keeping things clean, they also can’t really preview 1500 songs before the event either. Some artists aren’t on Spotify as well, and since it’s the platform that Hayes and Harter use during GBO, it has left them needing to find other options. “Richard Cheese is a Vegas lounge singer [with Lounge Against the Machine] - he covers everything. We use him when we can’t find music,” said Scott. And what about if someone doesn’t pick a song or says they don’t care? That’s right, they’re getting “MMMBop,” “Barbie Girl,” or something from New Kids On The Block. Like most of the people that work to put on the Glass Blown Open, both Scott and Erren volunteer their time because they love what disc golf brings to the community. Rather than feeling like celebrities, they take a humble approach to their skills, although not everyone sees it that

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Erren Harter & Scott Hayes

way. In the summer of 2017, Scott accompanied DD team members to the Disc Golf Experience in Nashville, and that’s when it really hit him that he’s making a difference: “After the event was over players were coming up and having me sign their discs. I thought ‘people are asking for my autograph when there’s professionals standing around?’ That’s when I realized that it’s valued and it’s pretty cool.”

Diving Into A Passion Depending on how you look at it, one might describe that Scott and Erren’s involvement with the Glass Blown Open was simply fate, and while they struck up a close relationship with many on the Dynamic Discs team, you don’t have to be acquainted for years to make a huge difference. Such is the story with Brice Turnbull, an artist who currently lives and works in Colorado. If you don’t recognize his name, you’re surely familiar with his handiwork, as he’s the man who makes the gorgeous trophies for GBO each year. Brice used to live in Emporia and had been in the area for about four years when the original creator of the trophies, Hal Berger, passed away at the age of 54. An accomplished glass blower in the area, Brice had studied

under Hal and took note when Dynamic Discs put out a call for new artists to create their trophies. “I worked on some ideas then went and talked with Eric McCabe and Jeremy Rusco. They seemed really friendly and I showed them the ideas. They decided to go with mine, which was great - I’ve been doing them for 12 years,” Turnbull said. While the method of crafting the trophies is similar to their original design, Brice did come up with new ideas right off the bat and explained his thought process behind some of the pieces that we’ve come to know and love: “[Hal’s] were kind of a teardrop, and the idea was that I wanted to do something colorful for the first generation. Right now they have sort of a stardust inside but at the beginning, they had just multicolored brush strokes. I wanted a globe [shape] because I wanted something round - it was either a globe or a disc, and I thought for a trophy a globe was easier to hold. After a while, they asked if I had any other ideas. We went with the one [design] for four to five years, then I came up with a few variations. My favorite is the one we’re using now.” If you’d like to see behind the scenes footage of him creating these special pieces, make sure to visit his Instagram @briceturnbull.

Disc Golf From A Different Perspective Despite living in Emporia and partnering with Dynamic Discs for over a decade, Brice isn’t an avid disc golf player, saying “I’ve dinked around a little bit” when it comes to the sport. He’s

visited the Glass Blown Open several times since moving to Colorado and is amazed at how big the event has become. “Part of the fun for me has been meeting some of the people who have won trophies that I’ve made and to meet some of the players on the circuit,” he said. Beyond just making trophies, however, Turnbull has really gotten to see how disc golf as a whole can shape people’s lives in the most amazing ways. He shared a story about someone he knows who played in the Glass Blown Open that was truly touching: “One of my friends in the Rotary Club was going to meet up with his son and play in the GBO. He was hopeful that they might win a trophy! My friend is about 68 or so - he and his son weren’t close growing up but disc golf is the main way that they reconnect. They get together and travel together and get to be around a bunch of positive people. It gives them a chance to do something and not just talk on the phone but get outdoors, get in the sunshine, get physical, and not have to articulate what everything is only in words all the time.”

Working Selflessly The fact that someone who isn’t immersed in the disc golf community day in and day out can see this family dynamic and how disc golf has brought them together in such a positive way clearly demonstrates just how incredible the sport is. Brice isn’t making these trophies for a huge payday, but instead really enjoys how his artistic talents can be an added bonus within the overall player experience:

“I enjoy the group and I enjoy what it represents. The really cool thing about making awards is that you’re helping someone celebrate something they’ve worked really hard for - I get to be a part of that day. I really feel like in life we don’t celebrate positive accomplishments often enough, and I think it’s really cool that I get to help people mark that part of their lives.” Players also see the value in Turnbull’s creations, as 2017 FPO Champion Hannah Leatherman explains, “I love the Glass Blown trophies. For me, it’s my favorite trophy I’ve gotten, and probably the best one I will ever get.” Val Jenkins mirrors that statement with her experience, “The GBO glass trophies are beautiful. Through the years, I have had the honor of collecting quite a few trophies from all the tournaments I’ve played and my favorite ones to display are the works of art. I have boxes full of wooden plaques, but the unique glass trophies are displayed proudly in our home.”

Continuing The Traditions Anyone who has visited a Glass Blown Open event will proudly tell others that they have to attend and that it’s a trip worth making at least once in a lifetime. Even if you’re not competing, simply being around thousands of other disc golfers in a town that welcomes everyone so wholeheartedly will certainly shift your perspective about the sport in general. The traditions we share here work to make the event that much more special. As the years go on, the team at Dynamic Discs hopes to continue our current practices of tee-off songs, block parties, beautiful trophies, and so much more. Being able to partner with others around the nation who have the same heart for the sport is what makes the long nights of planning all worth it, and who knows perhaps we’ll begin to establish some new traditions in years to come. Whether you’re a new player to the sport who is excited to become more involved in tournaments or you feel like Emporia has become your second home, the unique details of the Glass Blown Open truly make this an event to put on your bucket list. If you’re playing in 2020, start thinking about your tee-off song now, and perhaps if it’s inspiring enough, you can win one of Brice’s incredible trophies!

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Jeremy Rusco & Brice Turnbull

Sunday 4/21

9 hole Mini Golf

Monday 4/22

9 hole Mini Golf

Tuesday 4/23

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Wednesday 4/24 6pm-2am

Thursday 4/25 6pm-2am

Friday 4/26 6pm-2am

Saturday 4/27 2pm-2am

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The McCabe Minute

By: Eric McCabe

Growing Disc Golf

One Course at a time

The Heritage Park Disc Golf Course, located in Flower Mound, TX, is an 18-hole course I designed that is becoming the most popular course in DFW. Nestled within the woodlands of the Cross Timbers eco-region, the course is laid out over 25 acres of some of the most scenic, natural, and undisturbed land Flower Mound has to offer. There is a wide range of tree lined fairways, meandering creek beds, water hazards, rock outcroppings, and terrain that offers dramatic elevation changes. The course is designed for the more experienced players but can also be enjoyed by beginners. This Par 58 measures in around 5,500 feet and forces you to throw accurate shots if you wish to shoot anywhere close to par. This course has been well over a year in the making. Clint Wofford and Chuck Jennings, Director of Parks and Recreation of the Town of Flower Mound, reached out to me with the dream of having a disc golf course in their town. Of course I was thrilled with idea, seeing how my family is all located in North Texas, as a matter of fact my brother lives in Flower Mound approximately 4 miles from the course. When I made my initial trip down, I didn’t really know what to expect. I met up with Clint and Chuck and we spent hours walking the property, getting to know the lay of the land. First thing I noticed was a sign that said, “Beware of Snakes”. Uhhh yeah, I’m not a fan, and from that moment on I was watching every step very carefully. I’m happy to say after spending many, many days out there, I didn’t see a single slithery serpent. I spent the next week straight walking through the tight, thorny woods getting to know every inch of the property. I had a good idea of the direction I wanted to go, I already knew exactly where I wanted the course to begin, and end, now I just needed to find 16 more holes in between. Another week has gone by, and I’m finally ready to start marking everything. With my backpack full of ground whiskers, marking paint, and miles of ribbon, I hit the course. Depending on how wooded the hole is and how much I need to mark, it can take almost 3 hours to properly mark one hole. That’s how thick these woods were. GPS coordinates were documented, tee pads, basket locations and trees are all marked and ready for the final

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walkthrough. The Town of Flower Mound hired a tree service to remove all the underbrush, thorns and invasive species that I had previously marked. They absolutely killed it! They had everything removed within a week and were ready for me to come back down and check their work. While walking the course for what felt like the 1000th time, I was as excited as I was the first time! The course was shaping up great, and I knew it was going to be a very popular one. There is nothing like it anywhere close to DFW, and the Dynamic Discs Carrollton crew will have another great course to put in their rotation of quality events. The weekend of February 23rd and 24th, Flower Mound held a soft opening for the course.You could tell people were extremely excited about it because the course was packed the entire weekend, even if the conditions weren’t exactly perfect for disc golf. I’ve been involved in disc golf for more than half my life. From a fan, watching the pro’s to competing at the highest level and winning majors, to now designing courses across the Country, design has become a passion of mine, and I take pride in every one of my courses. I now have over 35 designs in 15 different states, and I’m looking to add a handful more and even an International course to my resume this season. Thanks to everyone for the support throughout the years!

“This course is definitely going to make me a better player!” -Carlton Logi

“I’ve played it all

three days lol it’s fantastic!!!” -Kyle Kettner PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

2018 DISC OF THE YEAR

Straight flight path and controlled glide, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what the Explorer brings. Designed to be the workhorse for all kinds of accurate fairway drives. This stable and versatile fairway driver is smooth out of the hand and has a clean stable flight. Speed: 7 Glide: 5 Turn: 0 Fade: 2

FREEDOM

DEFENDER

SHERIFF

TRESPASS

RENEGADE

UNDERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

OVERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

GETAWAY

ESCAPE

VANDAL

HIGH-SPEED OVERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

HIGH-SPEED UNDERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

RAIDER

SLIGHTLY OVERSTABLE, VERSITLE DISTANCE DRIVER

HIGH-SPEED DISTANCE DRIVER

CONVICT

STABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

STABLE COMPLEMENT TO THE FELON

FAIRWAY DRIVER WITH A TRUE & CONSISTENT FLIGHT

CAPTAIN

ENFORCER

CRIMINAL

FELON

HIGH-SPEED UNDERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

JUSTICE

VERDICT

TRUTH

EVIDENCE

WARRANT

PATROL

STABLE MIDRANGE

SLAMMER

UNDERSTABLE MIDRANGE

OVERSTABLE PUTTER

EMAC TRUTH

TRUE, STRAIGHTFLYING MIDRANGE FOR ALL PLAYERS

SUSPECT

UNDERSTABLE MIDRANGE

SLIGHTLY OVERSTABLE MIDRANGE

JUDGE

WARDEN

GAVEL

AVIATOR

DEPUTY

MARSHAL

OVERSTABLE PUTTER

PREDICTABLE, OVERSTABLE COMPLEMENT TO THE EMAC TRUTH

EXTREMELY OVERSTABLE MIDRANGE

UNDERSTABLE COMPLEMENT TO THE EMAC TRUTH

WITNESS

UNDERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER FOR LOWER ARM SPEEDS

MAVERICK

SLIGHTLY UNDERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

WIND-FIGHTING, OVERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

SLIGHTLY UNDERSTABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

THIEF

STABLE FAIRWAY DRIVER

PREDICTABLE, OVERSTABLE DISTANCE DRIVER

UNDERSTABLE PUTTER

BEADED, STRAIGHT-FLYING PUTTER

BEADLESS, STRAIGHT-FLYING PUTTER

GUARD

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STABLE PUTTER WITH DEEP PROFILE AND GREAT GLIDE

EASY TO THROW MIDRANGE FOR BEGINNERS

Speed ratings are listed from 1 to 14. Discs with a higher speed cut through the air better.

PROOF

EASY TO THROW FAIRWAY DRIVER FOR BEGINNERS

Glide range is from 1 to 6. A disc with more glide is able to better maintain loft during flight.

EASY TO THROW PUTTER FOR BEGINNERS

ULTIMATE AND CATCH DISC

High speed turn is between -5 and 1. A disc with low turn has a tendency to turn right when thrown backhand by a right-handed player.

Low speed fade is listed from 0 to 6. A disc with high fade has a tendency to tail off to the left at the end of the flight when thrown by a right-handed backhand player.

Disc Golf Answer Man

By: Robert McCall

Each Tuesday, Bobby (Coooooooool Daddy Slick Breeze) Brown, Eric (eMac) McCabe, and I, Robert (different nickname every week) McCall take to the live airspace on Disc Golf Answer Man to tackle listener submitted questions. Most of the questions revolve around disc golf, but we also answer the occasional non-disc golf question about The Office, our favorite taco place, the fabled Torchy’s Tacos, or life in general. Occasionally, we have special guests stop by, and they bring new insights every time. We’ll do our best to stay on disc golf questions for this first time.

DISCLAIMER: THESE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WILL BE EDITED FOR CLARITY (AND TO MAKE US ALL APPEAR MUCH SMARTER).

Flagstick in the Way?

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Bobby: This is a rules question. “When playing a 1000-foot hole at a golf course, an OB golf green was located about 150-200 feet in front of the basket. I played a low forehand over the green, knowing that if I hit the green, I would skip across. My only concern was the flagstick. Could I have had someone remove the flag from the golf hole? Had I clipped it or squared it up, it would have put a real damper on a great shot.”

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Robert: Good question; no rules searching needed - I know the answer to this one, because I’ve seen it happen, and it really sucks when you hit the flag on a golf green. If an obstacle is in front of your lie and no part of it extends through your lie, you can’t move it. It’s kind of like if a trash can is out there on the course, and it’s in between you and the basket; you can’t move it. Same with a golf flag. The only way that you can move an obstacle is if part of it is on top of or crossing through your lie - then you can move it if it is dead and unattached. If there was a golf flag laying on top of your disc, you could move that out of the way. If it’s on the golf green in front of you, can’t touch it. Sorry, man.

Disc Differences

Speakpipe: “Hey, Bobby, Robert, Eric, and any other disc golf luminaries who might be there, this is Matt from Salem, Oregon. I just had a quick question about the flight charts from Trilogy and the actual disc molds. When I look at something like the eMac Truth, the Compass, and the Sling, they’re all within the same speed group, relative stability, and have some differences in turn and glide. I wondered if there are a lot of different characteristics that you can tweak in a mold? Are there infinite variabilities, or are there really just a few characteristics

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to change and they could make radically different results in the flight path from that? Obviously, the way people throw makes a difference, too. Anyway, I appreciate what you guys do; thanks for keeping it real!” Bobby: From talking to Tomas (Ekstrom, Latitude 64’s disc designer) a while back, when I first started doing all this, I asked him a very similar question: “Wouldn’t you run out of discs to make?” According to him, there are infinite possibilities, because the slightest change here, the slightest dome here, the slightest bead here makes a difference in the flight.You’ll have some discs that fly similarly, but for whatever reason, one might feel better in the hand for Robert than it does for me. He may be okay with a wider rim, but I don’t love wide rims on drivers. When you get into midranges, one might be a bigger diameter than the other, but they have similar flights. Even though it may seem like discs are the exact same, you have to take feel into account, because different players prefer different things in the discs that they carry.

Placing a Limit on Discs a Player Can Carry? (with special guest, Paige Pierce!)

DGAM Team Robert McCall, Eric McCabe & Bobby Brown

a disc limit into place, and the PDGA comes to you and says, “Paige, we want you to determine the number of discs that everyone can carry.” What would you say? Paige: I would say 12-16, I think. 3 of each mold type - putters, midranges, fairway drivers, and distance drivers. I think that’s plenty sufficient. The one thing is that in golf, players aren’t ever losing their clubs. In disc golf, you could use a few discs during your round. Even the players (like Zach Melton) that carry 30+ discs in their bag aren’t necessarily using all those during a round. Those are for “just in case” shots or if you lose a disc during the round.

Shot Choice in the Woods Bobby: Here’s a good one - “Hey DGAM crew, one of the courses in my hometown is heavily wooded. I’ve noticed that understable discs with a backhand tend to work better than overstable discs. However, is the backhand the best type of shot to throw in thick woods? Is one type of throw objectively better for wooded courses, or should you just go with what you know? Thanks everyone; have a peachy day!”

Bobby: Here’s our next question: “I come from a traditional golf background, and I’ve really enjoyed the similarities and differences between disc golf and golf since picking up disc golf two years ago. In traditional golf, there is a limit on the number of clubs you can have in your bag - 14 total. What do you think about having a limit on how many discs you can carry during a tournament round, and what impact do you think it would have on scores? Would it level the playing field a bit?” Paige: I think we don’t need to add more rules; we already have a lot of rules. Also, carrying as many discs as you want adds to the players’ creativity, so I wouldn’t want that to be taken away. Personally, I would recommend using fewer discs anyway. I don’t have more than 14 most of the time, unless there’s a special hole or two on the course. I just don’t like to add too many different variables or too many different discs to choose from. I think that if a rule like this was implemented, you would see maybe even better scores, honestly. We sometimes see a player approach the tee with multiple discs in their hand, and even once they’ve chosen the one they’re going to use, they’re probably still thinking about the other two discs that they set down. There would naturally be more confidence in the disc choice and their shot selection if players were limited, though. Bobby: So let me ask you this - for whatever reason, they put

Eric: I think forehands actually work really well in the woods. It’s because you can see the gap that you’re hitting; you never have your back toward the gap. But it just depends on the course - I’ve played many, many wooded courses that were very righty-friendly and the backhand was the best shot for most of those holes. I’ve also played courses that were the exact opposite, where lefties or forehand players had an advantage. That said, I think you see a lot more people throwing forehands accurately through the woods, because you’re open to the gap and can visualize the shot a bit easier. Robert:Yeah, you never have to take your eyes off of your target, and that can be a big deal. I would say, though, just because that’s true of a forehand doesn’t mean that’s necessarily what you need to throw. If Eric and I are playing a course in the woods, we’re probably not throwing a bunch of forehands if we have to hit a tight gap. Most of the time, we’d be throwing backhands, because that’s the shot we’re better at throwing.

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Why Don’t Touring Professionals Want to Play Practice Rounds with Locals or Amateurs? Bobby: Tom says, “Hey, Disc Golf Answer Man, there have a few times when a handful of pros have been in town, and I’ve reached out to them to play a casual round, and they either don’t answer or say they can’t make it. I’m by no means taking it personally, but I just want to know if pros just prefer not to play casual rounds with non-pro players just for fun.” Eric: I think a lot of it is not that they don’t like casual rounds or don’t like you, but a lot of times, if they’re just passing through town, they often want to just keep passing through or play a round to get out of the car, relax, and be alone for a little while; they can have some time when they don’t have to be “on”. Don’t take it personally; these touring players and guys and gals just like anyone and need their space occasionally. I know that it’s tough when we’re traveling across the country and want to stop to play a round somewhere, we’ll typically want to fly through the round to just get back on the road. I think it all boils down to not having to be “on” so to speak, and wanting to get through a quick round and move on. Everyone isn’t necessarily like that, and I’m not like that all the time, and I enjoy having a local to guide me every now and then, especially if it’s a course I’ve never played before. For example, when we drove through and played Harmony Bends, I would have loved to have a local there to play with, because we threw to the wrong basket on numerous occasions. Robert: Alright, here it is: I’m going to keep it real. When it comes to us and playing with people here in town, sometimes it just doesn’t work for us, and it’s just because of our schedule; we’re just not able to do it. But when it comes to the touring professionals and they’re coming through your town, sometimes, one of the reasons that I think touring pros don’t play rounds with non-touring players is because of the speed of play. They know that if they go play with a touring pro, they’ll all be finding the same spots in the fairway and throwing many of the same lines, but if they’re playing with non-touring players, they might be looking for lost discs or waiting for players that play a little more slowly. That might not be bad if they’re not preparing for a tournament, but if they are, every practice day is very important to them, so that might be one reason that they might not want to play a casual round with a lot of people. Having a local guide is usually pretty fun and helpful, but sometimes, they prefer to focus up and move at a slightly quicker pace. Can You Bag Both a Harp and a Slammer? Bobby: Another question. I was actually curious about this as well. “Hey Disc Golf Answer Man, can you explain the difference between the Slammer and the Harp? I see that they are both overstable putters, but is there enough of a difference to bag them both without overlap?” What do you guys think?

Eric: I would think that there is enough, but they are pretty close to each other. It kind of depends on what you’re using that disc for. They’re both kind of geared as putters, but I don’t really know anyone that putts with either one of them unless it’s super windy. They are great approach discs, like putt and approach style discs. I think that, depending on the plastic, the Harp is going to be slightly more overstable, but having that said, I have a Lucid Slammer in my bag that is crazy overstable. I think they’re pretty close to each other, and for me, I don’t see a purpose in bagging both. Now, the Harp is maybe a better forehand approach disc… but I don’t do that, so there’s no purpose for me to have that in my bag right now. That’s all for this issue! As you can see, there are plenty of questions to explore and different ways to look at them. Keep sending in those questions, and we’ll keep answering them. We might even dive into some of our other favorite topics next time - The Office, Torchy’s Tacos, Star Wars… the list goes on and on. Join us again next issue!

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Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Struck a Match By: doug bjerkaas

In disc golf, it is sometimes better to be up than down, especially when competing in match play. At the end of June in 2018, South Carolina’s Matt Whitlock was elated to be 3-up with 1 hole to play, making him the first United States Amateur Match Play Championship (USAMPC) singles champion. In late September of 2018, Alabamans Tailor Holley and Stewart Garner were also thrilled to be 2-up with 1 hole to play, making this pair the first USAMPC doubles champions. You see, in match play, you want to be up on your opponent(s), not down under par as you would in traditional stroke play.

What is Match Play? Wikipedia explains match play scorekeeping well: Unlike stroke play, in which the unit of scoring is the total number of strokes taken over one or more rounds of golf, match play scoring consists of individual holes won, halved or lost. On each hole, the most that can be gained is one point. Golfers play as normal, counting the strokes taken on a given hole. The golfer with the lowest score on a given hole receives one point. If the golfers tie, then the hole is halved. For example, in an 18-hole match, the first hole is a par-4 and Player A scores a 3 (birdie) and Player B scores a 4 (par); Player A is now 1-up with 17 to play. In the same match on the second hole, a par-5, Player A takes 8 strokes and Player B takes 5 (par); Player B wins the hole and the match is now “all square” with 16 to play. On the third hole, a par-3, both players take 3 strokes and the match is all square with 15 holes to play. Once a player is “up” more holes than there are holes remaining to play the match is over. For example,if after 12 holes Player A is 7-up with six left to play, Player A is said to have won the match “7 and 6”.The USAMPC employs local brackets of 16 players all over the country. Players that win their match move on to face other winners in the same bracket, much like the NCAA does for the basketball championship held in March each year. Those brackets yield local champions, and for the USAMPC singles event, states or provinces can host up to 16 local brackets resulting in 16 champions. These champions move on to compete in a state or province bracket which yields a state/province champion. Those champions advance to the finals in Emporia and enter a 64-player bracket. The doubles version of the USAMPC holds local brackets, and the local winners automatically qualify to come to Emporia for the final 64-team bracket, effectively skipping the state/province brackets used in singles competition.

The Birth of the USAMPC The staff at Dynamic Discs and Latitude 64 are always looking for ways to grow the sport of disc golf, and one area of focus is creating entry-level events that are easy for a local disc golf enthusiast to run and promote. Whether it’s an organized winter putting league like the Winter Marksman League or a tournament-in-a-box like the Trilogy Challenge, Dynamic Discs and Latitude 64 care about helping more and more folks venture into tournament directing positions. The

2018 USAMPC Singles Champion Matt Whitlock USAMPC is no different. The goal was to create a model that could be replicated all over the United States (and Canada) that would produce a large match play bracket to eventually recognize a grand champion.Why match play? Shane Cline and Dixon Jowers ran a local match play event in Emporia a few years ago, and local disc golfers realized that match play matches were exciting and fun to play. The demand for more brackets grew with each event. With so much local success, the Dynamic Discs team began looking for ways to replicate this on a larger stage. Combining the success of local match play and the goals of both Dynamic Discs and Latitude 64 to grow the sport through easy-to-run events, the USAMPC was born.

UDisc and the USAMPC When UDisc was approached about creating a bracket tool that could help manage the USAMPC, Josh Lichti and Matt Krueger jumped at the opportunity. Josh and Matt created an amazing platform that allows TDs to load their 16 players into the system and randomly distributes the players into a bracket with one click. Players can easily view their next match and view the results of all the other USAMPC matches. Entering match scores takes just a few clicks, and communicating bracket status could not be easier. UDisc also created a map graphic that shows the locations of all local brackets. Players can play as easily as clicking on their home state and finding a bracket to join!2019 will bring even more great improvements to the UDisc platform. Players will be able to register to play directly through the UDisc app, removing the pressure from tournament directors to collect money. Josh and Matt continue to do great work at UDisc, and rumor has it that they will be adding matchplay scoring to the functionality at some point. UDisc is truly changing the game, and they’re leaving their mark on match play as well.

Interested in hosting a USAMPC doubles bracket? Interested in playing in a USAMPC doubles bracket? Visit www.discgolfmatchplay.com for more info.

2018 USAMPC Doubles Champions Tailer Holley & Stewart Garner

The 2018 Singles Season In January of 2018, Dynamic Discs began promoting the first USAMPC singles bracket. By April, when the local qualifying brackets kicked off, there were 242 local qualifying brackets hosted in 43 different states and 6 different provinces. Players competed locally in April, at the state/province level in May, and in Emporia for the finals in June. Matt Whitlock, from South Carolina, held off Oregon’s Jake Dills to be the first USAMPC champion. Matt won discs for life and an 18-hole course to be installed wherever he chooses! Jake took home the second place prize package of $1000 worth of discs and a 9-hole course in his choice of location. As of January of 2019, Jake has ordered his course to be placed in Buxton, Oregon. Matt has yet to decide where his 18-hole track will be placed. Whitlock indicated that “Being able to travel and experience the whole thing with my little brother, having him on the bag keeping me level-headed helped a tremendous amount in bringing home the win to SC.” Whitlock won four matches in his local qualifier, one state qualifier match, and six matches in Emporia to take home the crown. Zac Teuscher hosted the first local bracket that runnerup finisher Jake Dills competed in. “My favorite experience during USAMPC was watching Dills win not only the local and state brackets, but also to go on to finish 2nd overall. Watching the live stream of the finals was awesome!” said Teuscher. Much like Teuscher found himself rooting on Dills, other TDs shared similar experiences. Jared Raeker, who ran two local brackets in St. Cloud, Minnesota, stated his

excitement about “...seeing all the people who participated in our two brackets cheering on the winners via Facebook at the state level.” Local bracket TDs used running their local match play brackets to gain some experience, preparing them to run bigger events later in the year. Tim Donegan ran a local bracket in Huntsville, Alabama, and said, “The other memorable experience was getting torun my first event as a TD which allowed me to cut my teeth on a smaller event. Later that year, I was able to run a full 90-player C-tier and raise over $1,000 for St. Jude! I felt much more comfortable running it after my match play tournament directing experience.” The match play component certainly set the stage for some exciting disc golf. Dave Muntean, who directed a bracket in Tallahassee, Florida, stated that he “...witnessed the heightened level of excitement among the players due to the match play format; players seemed to welcome the nice change-up from the more typical stroke play events. Even as the event concluded, several players hinted at scheduling match play events for occasional local club play.”

2018 Doubles Season The Doubles versionof USAMPC kicked off with local brackets in July of 2018. 36 states and provinces yielded 76 local brackets. Unlike the singles event in the spring, the doubles winners skipped the state brackets and proceeded from winning their local bracket straight to the finals in Emporia. Any doubles team that won a local bracket was

Interested in hosting a USAMPC doubles bracket? Interested in playing in a USAMPC doubles bracket? Visit www.discgolfmatchplay.com for more info.

invited to Emporia to compete in the final bracket held in September, where 24 teams battled it out for the championship. In the end, it was Alabama’s Holley and Garner that outlasted the Arkansas team of McClure and Keylor to take down the big prize. The eventual champions, Holley and Garner, had a relatively easy stroll through their half of the bracket, besting New Mexico’s Chino and Donnell 7 and 6, Kansas’s Isaiah and Lupe Esquivel 3 and 2, Kansas’s Belcher and Mangiaracina 4 and 3, and Kansas’s Bruce Esquivel and Brian Shintaku 4 and 3 to reach the finals. McClure and Keylor had a tougher road to reach the final, matching against Missouri’s Kennon and Wood and Illinois’ Garb and Seddon and winning by the slimmest of 1-up margins. Not only is match play very different from stroke play, but doubles match play is substantially different from singles. Watching the teams in Emporia navigate both the match play mentality of competing against the other team and also playing off of each other making shot choices based on what their partner had already completed created even more drama. Is Match Play really that different? 2018 USAMPC singles champion Whitlockchimed in on the difference between stroke play and match play: “The biggest difference with match play is you are actually playing your opponent more than the course. With stroke play, you are trying to get the lowest score possible in regards to the course, but in match play, you have to play based on your opponent. You don’t necessarily have to birdie every hole; you just have to beat your opponent on that hole. If your opponent throws out of bounds off the tee, then you don’t have to play a risky shot to get close; you just have to stay in bounds and play conservative. Essentially, each hole is a match, and your mindset is just to win the most matches between you and that one opponent instead of an entire field of players. If you have one really bad hole and your opponent beats you by three or four strokes, it’s only one point. You just move on to the next hole or ‘match’, and you’re right back in the game.” Every stroke does not count in match play, but it clearly takes some serious strategy to be successful. Daniel Jaramillo from Austin, Texas, stated, “You don’t necessarily have to have a lights out round to win a match. There’s a little more strategy involved; it’s pretty fun. I really like match play events.” Missouri’s Al Kennon talked about the importance of being up: “You have to remain focused on your shot and not worry about anything else. Most importantly, take it one hole at a time, and don’t worry about the rest of the match. Playing up is ideal, so you can relax a little, let your game come to you, and establish your rhythm. If you’re playing from behind, you might let the other team force you into playing at their pace.” Scott Caesar, who represented South Dakota in the singles finals, summed it up best, saying, “Match play has that ‘go for it’ mentality. In stroke play, we often lay up. The match play effort is bigger, and there’s extra pressure.” Scott should know: he has run a match play bracket in Rapid City, South Dakota, for several years. Match Play Future Dynamic Discs is committed to growing and expanding match play in disc golf. Look for an exciting 2019 season of both singles and doubles events, as well as a possible women’s bracket and European brackets. Dynamic Discs and Latitude 64 are committed to continuing to grow the matchplay component of disc golf and have set a goal of doubling the number of participants playing in brackets this year. Remember, it is sometimes better to be up than down!

Running A USAMPC Bracket - Dixon Jowers’ Perspective

Running a 16 person bracket of anything is pretty easy. Running a 16 person bracket with UDisc for the USAMPC barely qualifies as effort. It really is as simple as entering the names and pushing a button. All the TD has to do after that is communicate the information. We accomplished this through our city wide disc golf Facebook page. This page also allowed us to promote the details of each match and encourage others to spectate. You might be amazed at how quickly your community will get excited about this going on in your town. I am very much looking forward to running at least one this year!

Interested in hosting a USAMPC doubles bracket? Interested in playing in a USAMPC doubles bracket? Visit www.discgolfmatchplay.com for more info.

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PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

By: Danny Lindahl With Physics of Flight 1, let’s discuss backhand technique for beginners all the way up to advanced throwers. I try to focus on talking practically about what needs to happen at a certain time. Lots of teachers use things like drills or sayings like “it’s like starting a lawnmower” to describe what’s happening, but I like to focus on literally what’s happening. For people with a sports background, using drills is much easier, because they’re used to being coached and using their body to its maximum mechanical advantage. But for people like me who never played sports besides disc golf, it’s a lot easier to see what’s happening if you know literally what’s supposed to be happening. Physics of Flight is the culmination of pretty much everything I know about backhand form in one series.

Backhand

Bad x-Step vs. Good X-step First, let’s talk about pace and footwork. It is easy to get excited while throwing and move too quickly through the shot, and it’s a very common mistake that makes all the difference when fixed. With too much speed, it’s not possible for most of us to stop that forward momentum, and we end up just trying to throw while running really fast. If we slow down, we can stay balanced and use our lower body much more effectively. One of the biggest mistakes I see while moving too fast is turning the left foot backwards during the x-step (assuming the thrower is right handed). This comes from moving too fast and using that backwards foot to catch themselves as they try to x-step and throw while moving so fast. Turning the left foot backwards puts all of the thrower’s weight over their heel, and they can’t effectively push off their back leg. If they slow down, they’re able to set that back foot down on their toe, push off that to drive their hips, and power the shot. Most people who try to push off their toe instead of their heel instantly feel the difference and start to work towards that rather than moving as fast as they can. That’s just the first section for footwork though; there’s much more to cover as the series goes on!

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Still shot photos on backhand technique Footwork is the base for a solid weight shift. Weight shift and footwork are fairly similar, so this section is sort of a catch all for things I can’t cover in other sections. Balance is extremely important for control but also for distance. Becoming more balanced basically guarantees lower scores. From balance, let’s move on to how the weight shifts through the hips and how the brace is supposed to work. It would seem like for a weight shift to be in line with the throw, the thrower’s feet need to be in line with the throw, but that’s not the case. During the x-step, it’s best to be balanced on your toes, but that weight needs to shift into your heel during the brace to brace effectively.

2 Offset plant foot Because the weight shifts into the heel, the plant foot needs to be offset to the left about a foot to let that weight shift drive the rotation of the hips. Even then, the heel will be more offset to the left from the toe than expected. That’s because the idea of the brace is to drive the rotation of the hips, not to dictate the direction of the throw. If you’re struggling with bracing and rotating properly, try to focus on setting that front foot down on the ball of your foot with your heel up - that will help drive that weight shift and power that rotation. Also, there are a lot of problems physically that can come from improper weight shift. Seth Munsey is a sports trainer with a degree in Kinesiology, and I asked him about the potential issues from an improper weight shift. He provided some great insight, saying, “The weight shouldn’t shift towards the front of the foot during bracing. It’s much better to start with the toe and shift weight so the rotation is centered over the heel while bracing. This reduces a lot of strain on the joints in the leg and will help keep you playing disc golf longer.”

2 Rotating on the heel

Now let’s move on to upper body mechanics and timing, and let’s start with the reachback. Reaching back correctly helps to set up proper timing and accuracy, and it’s generally overlooked by most beginners. To demonstrate this, it’s helpful to try some drills with a friend. The first drill helps to establish a balanced reachback. Try reaching back like you would to throw and grab something, then pull forwards against that thing. If you’re leaning back over your back foot or off balance at all, it won’t be very powerful; however, if you’re in a balanced posture, you’ll be able to pull fairly strongly against whatever you grabbed. Do that drill a few times to ensure that your reachback is effective and comfortable.

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

Correct reachback

3 inCorrect reachback

After establishing a solid reachback, let’s move on to a straight pull. The weird thing about a straight pull is that the shoulder joint doesn’t really close or open until the disc is released. Some people suggest mimicking the motion of starting a lawnmower, and they try to pull the disc with their shoulder. Unfortunately, that doesn’t actually help create a straight pull. If you film a professional disc golfer from above and rotate the camera with their shoulders, you’ll see that their right shoulder joint doesn’t collapse or open until the disc releases; this is a key part of letting the elbow leverage the throw rather than the shoulder. This isn’t an easy concept for many beginners, but if you can get the feel behind it, your game will improve dramatically.

One of the elements of good mechanics that’s often overlooked is head placement. Proper head placement is imperative for effective backhand form. The head needs to remain mostly neutral relative to the shoulders, and it’s impossible to get a full reachback while still looking at the target. Having the head turned backwards while trying to rotate forwards isn’t a bad problem to have. A good measure is to keep looking at the disc. If you look at the disc while it’s reached back and watch it all the way to the release, it’s going to help keep the head neutral and add power.

4 Bad head placement For more Physics of Flight videos visit the Dynamic Discs YouTube channel

3 Correct PowerPocket

That’s all for Physics of Flight 1! I hope you enjoyed learning three distinct pieces of the backhand that all need to work together to produce a good drive. Together, we looked at how footwork builds the base, weight shift moves the power, and the upper body leverages the disc to launch out of your hand. Thanks for reading, and always remember: slow is smooth; smooth is far!

PHYSICSOFFLIGHT.COM

2018

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Rewind

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2018 REWIND

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Wow. In the 20+ years I have been around the sport of disc golf, I have certainly seen some amazing things. Without a doubt, the sport we love so much is clearly growing. I think that I speak for all disc golfers, though, when I say that we are not where we want to be yet. Where do we want to be? Some people want us to be on mainstream television; others want touring pros to really make a better living. Some players want to see more pay-to-play courses developed and installed, and still others want discs sold at every major retail outlet that carries sporting goods. Some folks want to see tickets sold for major disc golf championships. I think if you talk to any avid disc golfer, they will have an opinion on what our sport is doing and where it should be going.

The 19th

Hole

But what if we are banging our heads on the ceiling? What if we have reached our limit? What if we will still have to explain to half of the new people we meet what disc golf is when it comes up in conversation? What if we never come close to baseball, football, traditional golf, or the myriad of other sports to which we can tune in and watch on the television every weekend? I heard someone reference another disc golfer that asked an interesting question: “What if we are not as cool as we all think we are?” Think about that for a second. I do not like the sound of that question at all. I do not believe it. I think we can be cooler than we are now; way cooler, in fact. That change, though, is only going to come through all of us in the disc golf community working together. We must stay as focused on growing the sport as we are on playing the sport. We must focus on getting discs into the hands of folks that have never played. We must find new avenues to teach people about our sport. This sounds a bit cliché, but if every disc golfer would be instrumental in getting one new player to enjoy the game, we would double the number of disc golfers currently playing! I see a future in which I never have to explain to someone what our sport is. I see a future in which every elementary school kid gets a chance to make a disc golf putt before heading off to middle school. I see competitive disc golf at the high school level. I see collegiate disc golf being sanctioned by the NCAA. I see a future that allows for national media coverage of our larger events. I see a future where tons of kids will stay up all night putting at a basket dreaming about one day being a disc golf superstar. I see this, and I believe this. However, this will not happen without some work. We need more people playing. Please take someone out to play who has never played. Give them a disc or two to try out. If they love it, great! If they don’t, find someone else to take out to the course.

By Doug Bjerkaas Dynamic Discs Tournament Director

Imagine disc golf in every school. Imagine watching disc golf on a major network. Imagine watching someone win a six-figure check as they drain a winning putt in a major championship, and imagine that champion thanking you for showing them our sport. Help us become cooler than we actually think we are. Grow the sport. Doug Bjerkaas

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