VDG Video Blog 3 - What is Par? - April 2, 2014

This Video blog from Vibram Disc Golf below struck a chord in me. Asks the question, "What is par?" and provides some interesting insight, discussion, and discourse about disc golf par. I'm so used to playing everything as a par 3 and, while it's a worthy goal to score 3s on every hole, I'm not that good. Yet! I am getting close to scoring 4 on every hole and that's a good feeling! Still a long ways to go but wouldn't want it any other way as then it would be a boring game in a short order.

Lost a Blog Link...

It happens.

I read what I thought was a great blog post somewhere...Mind Body Disc, I believe, and now I can't find it.

Here's my attempt at recapping it based upon my memory.

It was a different approach to practice than fieldwork. I do believe fieldwork is worthwhile. But a person's also got to have some fun, too! So, basically, the gist of the post I've lost was about playing on a course or courses in the winter time.

What? The winter time? You're just not right, Joe!!!

Yeah, I've been told that more than once by more than one person! ;^D

The advantage to playing a course in the winter time is that not many others are out hukkin' plastic! So, there's no crowd on the course and one can take multiple throws on any hole! That's beautiful!!! If, a bit chilly. Just get some winter weather clothing like an UnderArmor cold weather shirt and maybe a sweatshirt for over that and some winter weather moisture wicking socks, a beanie for the old bean or ear muffs, grow a pair, grab your discs and practice!!!

Practice 5 or more throws off the teepad.

Then 5 or more midrange or approach shots.

Then 5 or more putts.

Then move on to the next hole.

Guarantee you will warm up as you throw and you'll gain practice time in a variety of shots, in a variety of settings.

Try it and see if it doesn't make a difference!

Building a Disc Golf Course in the Jungle

Disc golf is an international sport as evidenced by the tournaments in Europe, Japan, and most recently, Australia. Another addition is Honduras! A 9 hole course that is part of Rancho Vida.

An article about this endeavor appeared in the PDGA's email to me recently. A lot of information not only about the course and its construction but also EDGE (Educational Disc Golf Experience) and the PDGA’s Marco Polo program! So, for you world travellers...Honduras could be a Disc Golf destination in your future!

The pic above shows the signature hole at Rancho Vida. More pics and course info can be found at the PDGA page on Rancho Vida.

Infinite Discs State of Disc Golf Survey

Thought some of you might be interested in participating in Infinite Discs' State of Disc Golf survey. It takes about 10 minutes or so to complete. You can do so by going to the Infinite Discs Blog location.

Average Disc Golf's Interview of Andrea Meyers

Andrea Meyers is a relative newcomer on the women's disc golf scene as she didn't start playing until 2010. Average Disc Golf asked her 10 questions about disc golf in a 21 NOV 2014 blog post. A worthwhile and easy read!

It's nice to see an interview with a newer player who hasn't reached the lofty heights of the sport's stars yet! At least, I think that's the case with Andrea though she is a Dynamic Discs team player! She must be pretty good to have accomplished that!

Heavy Disc's Video on the Squeeze and One Step

The video below came from a Heavy Disc blog post for November 20, 2014 I read in a lead from the PDGA newsletter on 2 December 2014. I like his approach to the squeeze on the disc. His one-step drive and pec drill is something I've been working on in fieldwork for the last few months. Not enough time spent. Yet. Plenty of good words about the grip and disc squeeze. Just one other thing to work on.

In visiting the YouTube page for the video above, I found the video below that addresses shoulder and hip involvement in drive execution. My hip involvement is as aspect of my execution I believe needs a good deal of work. The train of thought and concept is pretty well communicated though his video work needs some improvement. But, I believe that'll come in time.

Disc Golf - Testimonials

This is a dated video I found while searching for disc golf blogs. The blog, itself, isn't active anymore that I can see. But the video below is a jewel, imho, in explaining the sport.

Mind, Body, Disc's Words of Wisdom

MBD's Wednesday's Words of Wisdom are interesting to me because I don't recall seeing the names and dates accredited to the early days of Disc Golf or Frisbees. I especially like the last sentence and its words of wisdom. My wife always teases me about being a little boy playing in the dirt!. Here's the post for 27 NOV 2014 below...

Who knew that in 1938 when Fred Morrison and his future wife Lucile were playing catch with a pie tin on a beach in Santa Monica, California that they would be planting the seed for the sport that we all know as disc golf. Albert Einstein said that play is the best form of research. It’s amazing the human accomplishments and achievements that have grown from the simple act of playing with toys.

So remember, if anyone ever gives you a hard time about running around in the woods playing with frisbees, you don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing.

Below photo by Heather Nobiling of Tom Lafrenz driving at the annual Discin' 4 Dogs fundraiser.

Disc Art with Sharpies

Pretty nice artwork on the disc in the image above, no? Amazingly enough it was a second attempt at doing Batman and all done with Sharpie markers!!!

Below is another example of his art. Very fun, indeed!

The artist is Jason Baston and an article about him is in Post 48 of Disc Golf Family.

Disc Golf Clinics Don’t Make You Better at Disc Golf

Mind Body Disc's blog on "Disc Golf Clinics Don’t Make You Better at Disc Golf" simply states that attending Disc Golf Clinics or watching all the YouTube videos will not make you a better disc golfer. What will is practice. Practice that is sometimes known as fieldwork. Not playing a round of disc golf on a course but focused, specific practice. But watching a video on one's tablet or smartphone and working on an aspect presented in that video on the spot. Also, recording oneself on video and checking to see if you're getting it right! As the MBD blogger said in a previous blog, "Don't practice something until you get it right. Practice something until you can't get it wrong!"

This post points out that to get the most out of a clinic, one should stick around afterwards and practice what was presented in the clinic. Sometimes the clinicians will offer to work with individuals and point out one or two specifics to help those individuals improve. Can't beat that!

This post also provides the best video tutorials the author has found. And, I agree with his choices. Although, I would include Dan Beto's video on driving from the hit back.

Below is MBD blogger's choice of the best roller video (and which I agree) presented by 5x world champion Dave Greenwell and Daniel Ledford for the Louisville Disc Golf Club. Greenwell covers all aspects of roller shots well.

rEvolve Disc Golf

rEvolve Disc Golf offers a free app for digital devices that is a free app that "promotes disc golf, and spending time offline." It's available at the iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/revolve-disc-golf/id528575419?mt=8 Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

More info on it is available http://www.revolve.mobi/ where one can also sign up for their newsletter.

The Innova Thunderbird

All Things Disc Golf reviewed Innova's latest release, the Thunderbird. The disc is described as a longer Tee-bird, which the reviewers at All Things Disc Golf agreed with especially after throwing a Thunderbird against a Tee-bird.

I know a few of the Clock Tower hukkers throw a Tee-bird and like it a lot! You might want to get one of these discs and try them out because from the review, it sounds like it would be a good addition to one's bag.

Innova describes the Thunderbird as a “long range placement driver” and not a distance driver but, rather, as the All Things Disc Golf reviewers state, it fits "right between your Teebirds and Destroyers and is very controllable." It's a moderate speed placement driver with the reviewers rating the speed at 9.5. They reviewed two plastics Champion and GStar with the Champion plastic being a bit more stable than the GStar. Click here for the review.

Here's a Thunderbird disc Innova is making available as a fundraiser for the 2015 GCC and 2014 Cactus Classic events. This is one Nick Snelling, three time longest drive contest winner and first and third Discraft Ace Races champion, had posted on his Facebook page that he's purchased. Pretty Sweet!!!

Dynamic Discs TV Episode 2

Here's the second episode of Dynamic Discs TV. A couple of topics Eric McCabe talks about are disc golfing in the rain and spin putting versus push putting. Plus the King driver is reviewed. The Clock Tower Disc Golf leaguers may enjoy that article as the players that took part in our 2014 Fall Classic received a King as a bonus for playing that event! There's more than just that in this 23 and a half minute episode.

DiscMania posted this Q&A session with pros, Avery Jenkins and Simon Lizotte. Plenty of good questions and answers in the video below.

Wisdom Wednesday from Mind Body Disc

Mind Body Disc started a post entitled Wisdom Wednesday. The image above comes from the 11-19-2014 post. It's a short post and hits a chord with me as I love being outside throwing plastic around a disc golf course!

The main gist of the post is "We shouldn’t just practice to just be able to get something right, we should be practicing until it’s second nature. Until we can’t get it wrong." Wise words, indeed.

He included the image and John Muir quote above in the post and recommends reading a book by John Muir. I hadn't thought of that, but, it sounds like a good read for the winter months. I've seen the PBS show on John Muir and he definitely is worth reading, imho. That might even make a good Christmas gift idea!

For those who don't know John Muir, he was "a Scottish-American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization."

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir for a more detailed and extensive article about John Muir.

Two Points from Tim at Mind Body Disc blog

Two points from the Mind Body Disc blog post on 10 Pieces of Advice I Wish I'd Listened To

4. Learn to throw from a stand still. Not just approach shots, full on drives. There’s no reason to add more moving parts if you can’t get the most important part down cold first. Most players destroy anything good about their form with their run up.

1. The most important thing you can do on every shot, with every disc, in every situation is to follow through. I can look back on 75%+ of my bad shots and the primary cause was lack of follow through. If you do nothing else on this list, do this religiously.

are covered well in this video which I've posted before of Dan Beto demonstrating driving technique from the Hit Back. You've seen it posted before on this blog. I think it's well done and covers the subject well both visually, verbally and thoroughly.

Throw discs that match your arm speed.

Tim, blogger at Mind Body Disc, published a post with the subject of Throwing Discs that Match Your Arm Speed. It was an enlightening article with a lot of insight.

We all realize that throwing a long drive is a not only a thing of beauty but something we all want to do! Getting down a 500 to 800 foot (or longer!) long fairway only makes for great feeling! For me, getting well over 200 feet on a drive is something I'm looking forward to. Eagerly!!! There's a lot to work on in the process. And, sometimes, I'm a slow learner.

Tim's got it right when he says, "...distance isn't everything. Accuracy is far more important." He found this out playing PDGA tournaments in the Advanced Masters division where he discovered that, "Accuracy and putting trumped distance. Every. Single. Time."

He goes on to explain that "...we have to find the disc that best matches our current arm speed and technique. In order to do this, we need to understand why a disc gets distance." And, he explains why a disc gets distance and disc speed and speed rating of a disc.

There's further statements about the disc speed and how it flies in a Hyzer (The hyzer path is the trajectory the disc takes when the outside edge of the disc is tilted downward.), which for me means I've got to work on my Hyzers more. So, out to do fieldwork I'll go! And, I'll probably try working with some lower speed drivers as he suggests for I might be surprised!

Here's a video by Will Shusterick on Driving sponsored by Infinite Discs. It's 25 minutes that is chock full of good advice, insights into grips, problems, shoulder line, body positioning and more from this world champ.

Disc Golf Advice from Mind Body Disc blogger Tim

Mind Body Disc blog had a recent post entitled 10 Pieces of Disc Golf Advice I Wish I Had Listened To. A lot of good advice in his ten items.

My favorites include;

7. Actually spend time practicing in the first place. As fun as going out and playing rounds is, nothing will help you improve as much as field work.

6. Throw discs that match your arm speed. Most of us have no business with high speed drivers in our bags. Going all the way down to speed 8 and 9 drivers would do wonders for most people’s games.

4. Learn to throw from a stand still. Not just approach shots, full on drives. There’s no reason to add more moving parts if you can’t get the most important part down cold first. Most players destroy anything good about their form with their run up.

3. Start loose and slow, then accelerate and grip down late in the throw. Do it smoothly. Throwing “hard” is not the answer and will only frustrate you.

2. Learn to throw a putter for distance. In fact, dedicate a month or more to playing only with putters. Yeah, that’s right, a month or more. Don’t believe me? Well, if you won’t take that advice from me, how about taking it from the current distance world record holder (Simon Lizotte)?

1. The most important thing you can do on every shot, with every disc, in every situation is to follow through. I can look back on 75%+ of my bad shots and the primary cause was lack of follow through. If you do nothing else on this list, do this religiously.

The next couple of posts will cover some of these in more depth. For now, check out the video below of a workshop on throwing by Simon Lizotte on throwing putters for distance. This covers Number 2 Learn to throw a putter for distance.

Disc Golf Side Arm Driving Technique Clinic by Ricky Wysocki

The 15 and a half minute video below was taken at an Infinite Discs sponsored side arm driving clinic put on by Ricky Wysocki, one of the top touring pros in disc golf.

Take aways from this clinic include:

The three side arm grips

Keep the arm flat (parallel to the ground).

Reach back or extend the throwing arm all the way back for power.

The flex of the wrist determines a hyzer, anhzer or straight shot.

Run ups and body positioning for various throws such as the hyzer, anhyzer or straight shots.

Fred the Disc Golfin' Dog

The video below about Fred the Disc Golfin' Dog by Chibi Moku, a cinematography that lives "...in an RV full time and travel the US telling stories about architecture & design," was first seen on YouTube and then on Dogleg Disc Golf Blog He's better than any tracking device one could put on a disc golf disc, imo. Though he does have a lifespan of about 15 years.

Puts me in mind of a local disc golfer I see once in a great while with his black lab. Would be fun to do a video on those two as his black lab retrieves +/- 26 discs in a season!!! I've seen him jump straight down into a creek to retrieve a disc. Also, any discs lost in tall grass and weeds, he comes up with! Aside from the four legged's poopin' on a course, which responsible disc golfers pick up after their hounds droppings, there's a lot to be said for them and their companionship!

Fred definitely appears to be good company, as do most four legged canine companions, out on the course and tracks that disc like no one else I know!!! Enjoy!!!

Exercises to Help Relieve Stiffness and Soreness

Mind Body Disc's blog on this subject is pretty extensive so I'll leave it to you readers to visit their post on the subject of Disc Golf Training, A Quick Mobility Routine. It will take some time to check out all the links they provide for the exercises that comprise their 15 minute workout. BUT, it will be WELL WORTH IT!!!

Besides, you don't want to end up like the folks below, do you?

Paul Ulibarri's Approach to Approach Shots

Infinite Discs posted a blog with a video of pro player, Paul Ulibarri, from a clinic of his on approach shots.

He has four basic tips to improve your control and accuracy on approach shots.

1. Get in an athletic position with your soldiers square to the target.

2. Keep your eye on the target.

3. Get the nose of the disc up. Having the nose of the disc facing upward will help prevent you from overshooting the basket. To make sure the nose of the disc stays up, Paul recommends keeping your wrist above your elbow.

4. Follow through with your shot.

You can see the clinic in the video below.

URBAN DISC GOLF PROJECT #3

For your viewing pleasure, URBAN DISC GOLF PROJECT #3, too much fun!!!

Upper Park Designs

Upper Park Designs has a line of Disc Golf Bags that are at the other end of the price spectrum as The Magellan Disc Golf Backpack. Heard about it while listening to a Disc Golf Show Podcast with Gregg Barsby and thought it worthwhile to pass on.

If you'd prefer, I've found it on YouTube and posted it below...

Why Join the PDGA

A lot of you know I'm a PDGA member. From time-to-time someone asks me about that other number on my disc and I tell 'em, "It's my PDGA number." And provide a bit more of information which is hard to do completely while shooting a round. Or, my ADD kicks in and I lose my focus!

Disc Golf Family's Post 45 presents the reasons for joining the PDGA. You never have to play a PDGA sanctioned tournament. The PDGA number you receive is yours forever whether you keep your membership up annually or not. You get their quarterly magazine. There are several other reasons as well. And, if you're an altruistic person, you can probably be compelled to join. I'm a bit of that type of person. If any of you readers played a Discraft Ace Race this year (2014), one of the player pack offerings is a discount to join the PDGA. Give it a read at Disc Golf Family's Post 45.

Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac

Quite possibly the greatest hazard to face a disc golfer is catching Poison Ivy. At least in our area of the midwest. "...according to the American Academy of Dermatology 85% of the population (Disc Golf Family Post 44)" are allergic to one if not all of those plants. My wife is one of the 15% that aren't affected. She had a relative that could eat poison ivy and not be affected! That's crazy! At least in my mind. But, hey, if you've got it. Flaunt it! And he did.

Disc Golf Family Post 44 has a very informative post about this subject for all of us to read and file away for future reference.

More Ways to Play

It's November. The skies get gray and shorter and shorter are the days. So, how do you get to play disc golf at this time of year when there's less light and temps are much cooler. Especially here in the Midwest?

Mind, Body, Disc's October 15, 2014 blog post provides 7 ways to get more time in playing this sport! Read it and see if you can work for you! I already implement numbers 2, 6 and 7. Playing a Glow Round sounds like fun but I'd prefer playing one on a flat course.

The Magellan Outdoor Deluxe Disc Golf Backpack

There's a new $30 backpack disc golf bag that's catching a lot of disc golfer's eyes called The Magellan. Should you be thinking it's time for a papa or momma to get a brand new bag, perhaps the video below will give you cause to say, "That's the ONE for ME!!!"

PutterbeadZ

Drive for the Show! Putt for the Dough! You hear this a lot in disc golf circles and it's true because as Tricia Lafferty, a contributor to Doglegdiscgolf.com states, "Putting is the part of the game where you actually score, and can drastically raise or lower your score. If you are a consistent and accurate putter, your scores can drop drastically...The only way to get better at putting is to practice it. A tweak in thumb placement, release point, grip, and technique can make a difference, but you will only know if you practice. Putting needs to become automatic, and over thinking creates mistakes." I realize this weakness in my play. Too often I blow a putt within the 30 meter circle around a basket and I will score a 4 or 5 where had I not blown the first putt attempt, I'd score a 3 or 4!

Tricia's post on a product called Putter BeadZ provides information on a product to help one practice at putting without having to mark off the meters or feet every time they go out to practice putting. Give it a read. Might be a tool you can find useful or you can concoct a similar product on your own to help make your putting practice less hassle free. Myself, I usually try something like a game of Around the World (remember that basketball challenge?) It gives me variety in distance and locations from within the 30 (or more) meter circle around the basket.

Building a Disc Golf Home Gym, the Jump Rope

So, here's a way to improve distance on the disc golf course that I hadn't thought about. And, believe me, it isn't an easy task for myself, speaking from past experience! Throw in a bit of uncoordination to boot! Check out this Mind, Body, Disc blog post.

Field Work Inside View

Here's a video of Paul McBeth and Jared Roan showing what they practice on when doing field work. For those of us unfamiliar with field work, this video gives a good idea of a direction one can take in field work.

Discraft Ace Race 2014 Review

The Discraft Ace Race disc for 2014 is being described as beginner friendly and a stable driver as well as can be enjoyed by any level of disc golfer. October 26th is only a few days away in which those of us who have pre-registered for the Middle Park Discraft Ace Race will be getting their player pack and putting this disc through it's paces.

It'll be a fun event with the following contests:

Best Costume

Best Round in Costume - first round

Distance Driving - men's and women's divisions

Accuracy Driving - men's and women's division

Speed Putting

Ring of Fire

Also working on getting an onsite lunch provided by a local Hy-Vee or some other caterer.

Looking to be a good time!

iPhone 6+ Slow Motion

I do own an iPhone and I don't know the video camera capability of Android or other smart phones. But this post by Hyzer Flipped Disc Golf on the iPhone 6+ Slow Motion is perfect for Disc Golf shows a fine example of the iPhone 6's capability. I'm not saying run out and buy an iPhone 6. I'm not nor will I for a while to come!

Disc Golf Skill Shots and Aces 2014

Ace Chasers NW have this video where they take an Innova Skillshot portable basket and set it up in various places in the Pacific Northwest and try to shoot aces (holes-in-one). Pretty fun footage of their fun!!!

2014 US Women's Disc Golf Championships: Final Round

Below is posted the final round between leaders; Paige Pierce, Elaine King, Liz Carr and Catrina Allen, at the W.R. Jackson Memorial Course, part of the International Disc Golf Center triumvirate in Appling, Georgia. It's a bit of a long video 36 minutes and 27 seconds but worth watching as these ladies can play!!!

10 Questions asked of Paul McBeth

Average Disc Golf caught up with Paul McBeth this past August and posed 10 questions to him. You can read the post here.

The best question, imho, was:

2. For average, regular players, what is the best tip you could give them?

"Never stop having fun,..."

Paul McBeth did win the Worlds tournament for a 3rd time recently and below is a video of the Final 9 holes of the leaders - Ricky Wysocki, Paul McBeth, Paul Ulibarri, and Nate Doss - at this year's Worlds tourney in Portland, OR.

Disc Dyeing

Is it time for some of us to consider a winter time project? I believe the video on Disc Dyeing (at least that I know of) to be well done and one of the better resources on the process of dyeing discs. Maybe because it seems it's one of the most recent ones.

Here's a link to the Disc Family Blog Post 39. The post contains a downloadable step-by-step guide as well as some good reading about disc dyeing.

Pitch and Putt and Soul Crusher courses

Pitch and Putt and Soul Crusher courses are two extremely different type of courses described in the Disc Golf Family blog post 32 where they defend the concept of Pitch and Putt courses.

To put it simply a Pitch and Putt course is where all holes are fairly easy par 3s with distance from teepad to basket not exceeding 300 yards or so. Courses like this are usually way too easy for most seasoned veterans of the sport as they can probably deuce, if not ace, almost every hole.

In the immediate Quad Cities we have one Pitch and Putt course, Slattery Park in Davenport, IA. It's a six hole course and not one hole is over 300 feet or not by much if it is. I still don't get 3s on every hole. (Still learning.)

Camden 2 is on the other extreme not quite the "soul crusher" course described in the Disc Golf Family blog but it is one of the more difficult courses in the area as well as one of the most beautiful. Almost all 18 holes are in wooded ravines with a creek that runs through it with that I inevitably end up in at one point or the other. The creek can be challenging to get down to the bottom of if I throw my disc in it as it's more of a chasm at one end and at the other end, I've been up over my knees in sandy, mucky sludge wondering if I was going to be able to get out! All of that experience part of this great, beautiful course designed (I believe) by Pro Disc Golfer on the Innova Ambassadors team, Chris Sprague.

We're really blessed by the 12 courses within our immediate Quad Cities community as well as the variety and quality of player community, not only in their play quality but they're generosity and willingness to share.

2014 Middle Park Discraft Ace Race

The 2014 Middle Park Discraft Ace Race in the Quad Cities area is coming up fast! Pre-registration is $25.00 and is due THIS Friday, October 10, 2014.

Pre-registration can be made at Iron Lion Disc Golf Supply at 16th St, Moline, IL 61265, the Bettendorf Life Fitness Center at 2222 Middle Rd, Bettendorf, IA 52722, OR, by contacting me at joe.nobiling@gmail.com. Also, information can be found at the Event's Facebook page.

This year's player pack is a $65 value and includes:

Two Z line prototype distance drivers,

One premium Buzzz disc golf towel,

One Discraft classic sandwich cap,

One mini marker disc,

One Ace Race flying skull bag tag,

One flying skull sticker,

One PDGA membership discount coupon.

Well worth the price of admission!

Disc Golf Technique - Make It Your Own

Disc Golf Family posted a blog on making disc golf technique your own. This post wasn't quite what I expected from the title but valuable just the same.

Three main points or "Tips" are brought up in this blog post and they are:

1) Diversify - practice a diverse amount of throwing styles.

2) Practice Outside of a Round - practice various throws independent of playing a round of disc golf.

3) A Balancing Act - Having only one strong throwing technique limits your options. Develop other elements of the game to add to your skillset of throws.

Don't forget this Friday 10 October 2014 is the last day for pre-registration for the Quad Cities Discraft Ace Race. You can pre-register at Iron Lion Disc Golf Supply at 2630 16th St, Moline, IL 61265, at the Bettendorf Life Fitness Center at 2222 Middle Rd, Bettendorf, IA 52722 or by contacting me at joe.nobiling@gmail.com. Pre-registration fee is $25.00 and gets you this year's player's pack and the opportunity to play in the Discraft Ace Race on October 26, 2014 at Middle Park's Disc Golf Course in Bettendorf, IA!

2014 Quad Cities Middle Park Discraft Ace Race

The 2014 Middle Park Discraft Ace Race in the Quad Cities area is coming up fast! Pre-registration is $25.00 and is due Friday, October 10, 2014.

Pre-registration can be made at Iron Lion Disc Golf Supply at 16th St, Moline, IL 61265, the Bettendorf Life Fitness Center at 2222 Middle Rd, Bettendorf, IA 52722, OR, by contacting me at joe.nobiling@gmail.com. Also, information can be found at the Event's Facebook page.

This year's player pack is a $65 value and includes:

Two Z line prototype distance drivers,

One premium Buzzz disc golf towel,

One Discraft classic sandwich cap,

One mini marker disc,

One Ace Race flying skull bag tag,

One flying skull sticker,

One PDGA membership discount coupon.

Well worth the price of admission!

The Backhand Bible

The Backhand Bible by Heavy Disc is Heavy Disc's bible on Backhand Drives. Pretty comprehensive in four "books," if you will, detailing his learning, strategy, and approach to 1) Footwork, 2) Hips, 3) Upper Body/Wide Reach and 4) Plant and Pivot.

There's always something to be gleaned from a different perspective.

Dye-Na-Mite Discs

Dye-Na-Mite Discs have some pretty unique artist created discs for sale of which the image above is one example.

Thought it was worth sharing as each of their discs is definitely one-of-a-kind! Check them out!

Another Top 10 List

Mind Body Disc had a good blog post on another Top 10 List titled "One Thing I Don’t Want in my Disc Golf Bag." This subject of this post is "top 10 reasons no one should ever knock another disc company."

A worthwhile commentary that a person should embrace and try to keep in mind on a minute-by-minute and day-to-day basis. We're all different. We're all human beings. Get along. Not only that but enjoy the differences in disc golf manufacturer's products and, most of all, learn to respect others, whether they be individuals or disc golf equipment manufacturers.

10 things That Annoy Disc Golfers

Disc Troy's blog had an interesting subject that I'm sharing with you here, The Top 10 Things That Disc Golfers Do (that really ANNOY other disc golfers).

I think we're pretty fortunate in the Quad Cities area as I don't see all ten of these annoying things but then I am a recreational player and, as such, am not out on a course on a daily basis. Doggone it!

Items 3) Vandalism, 2) Trash and Litter, and 1) Thieves are most familiar to me in my limited experience in our area. It seems the majority of Quad Cities area disc golfers are appreciative and considerate as well as helpful.

One aspect of thievery that I've seen and heard of is stealing discs. One such occurance took place while two people were playing the course!!! Not to mention their names and phone numbers were on their discs! Like Disc Troy states, "Disc golfers in general are a very socially acceptable group, if you need something, someone is always willing to give it to you, get it to you, work it out for you, or share it with you." I agree with Troy as I've witnessed and been the recipient of other players willingness to "give it to you, get it to you, work it out for you, or share it with you." Remember, as Steady Ed Headrick said, "Most Fun Wins!!!"

Understanding disc golf flight ratings

All Things Disc Golf has a very good blogpost on Understanding disc golf flight ratings. Check it out!

Again pre-register for the Quad Cities Discraft Ace Race by October 10.

The event will take place at Middle Park DG course on Sunday, October 26, 2014. Player's Meeting is at 9 a.m. with tee-off at 10 a.m. Pre-registration can be done at Iron Lion Disc Golf Supply at 2630 16th St, Moline, IL 61265. Or, you can contact me, Joe Nobiling, at joe.nobiling@gmail.com.