Happy Halloween(ish) and the Mighty Forehand

The Pineapple Skull of Chain Death! (Vibram Summit 167 M)

October has arrived and that means a few things for the avid disc golfer. No longer are we able to lolly gag out of work at 6pm and knock out 18 holes before you even have to think about losing light! Those days are long gone and soon it'll be dark by the time I leave the office at 5:00.

As of now, 6:00pm and dusk is settling over Denver and with the time change looming that will mean I am officially screwed for playing after work. Morning rounds are still doable and I'm still enjoying that. I played an early morning 18 with my brother yesterday at Johnny Roberts. Considering how bad the flooding was just about a month ago - the course is in great shape. I'm very grateful to (I believe) Ronnie Ross for working to get the pins back in.

I spent my lunch break in a church parking lot that's about 50' from my office parking lot and always empty during the week working on 100-200' approach shots and my very unimpressive forehand. 

I've come to realize that having a good forehand is absolutely invaluable. In the morning round I stood on the tee-pad on hole 2 - which almost everybody I play with throws an RHBH anhyzer that has to be thrown absolutely perfectly or you catch trees/bushes along the left side. I asked my brother if he ever throws it forehand and we both stood there realizing that it made a ton of sense and that nobody throws if FH. 

I put the FH about 15' from the pin. We both bust up laughing because it was like a revelation! We discussed FH quite a bit and he said what I believe alot of players feel... that forehand throws have some kind of unspoken stigma. It's like people believe it's a weaker throw. There's not the dramatic X step runup, there's no MANLY reach back and whip like follow through. It's just a step, flick and that's it.

Well, stigma or no stigma - I'm practicing the throw more often and really happy to have it for right turning shots. 

So yesterday (remember, morning round 18 - lunch break practice throws), I decided to get my Mark Ellis 30 minutes in after work at Paco. I was already beat, but I committed to myself to do everyday for 30 days. I do my 15 minutes... get a text from my buddy Dylan who shows up at Paco. Ahhhhh, why not!!? Throw another 7 holes with him and I was done, cooked, absolutely knackered.

Highlight shots from the day: my brother hits a 80-90' putt in the morning. Dylan hits a 80-90' putt in the evening. 

Hopefully playing with these dudes who can sink it from the cheap seats starts rubbing off on me.