Watch...and learn
There are several ways to learn new skills. Depending on what corner of the Internet you stumble into, there are anywhere from 3 to a thousand. As is customary for me, I'll take you somewhere in between, but I'll spare you the agony by falling toward the first figure.
When acquiring a new skill, there are 3 types of learning: auditory, visual and tactile. More simply put, hear it, see it, do it. Teachers know that some students lean more toward some of those rather than others, and physical activities favor the see it, do it formula. The explanation comes along with illustrating a correct example, and it's the images that tend to hold more weight. And while Disc Golf heavily favors the tactile, you have to gain at least some basic understanding of what that looks like, no matter what technique you are using for your throws and putts.
Case in point...the reason that the sport of soccer is in about the same place developmentally as it was when I was growing up more than 35 years ago is that there is not enough quality soccer to watch. Add to that, the fragmentation of athletes into other sports like basketball, football and baseball, and the fact that the rest of the world largely favors soccer, playing the game as infants with family and neighbors, the sport will continue to struggle with growth.
If you're interested in something, you don't just play, you watch...every chance you get. You watch videos of great plays, instruction, and whenever possible, in person. The brain and the body process all of these visuals and whenever you go play, your body tries to imitate. Then you must have body awareness to make adjustments and hone your technique.
So, as I said before, I jumped into Disc Golf with both feet. I mean, really. All the way in, because about a month after I started playing, I heard about this thing called the USDGC (United States Disc Golf Championship.) I knew there were tournaments around, but to have a PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) Major near where I live...I just had to go. I couldn't resist.
I made the 7-hour round trip with my son and mother (she's always up for a crazy day trip) to the USDGC in Rock Hill, SC during round 3 on Friday. It got a bit warm fast and I didn't want the other 2 to get worn out and hate me, so we took it kind of easy. We only saw 10 of the 18 holes, but we focused on several that I wanted to see (1, 5, 7, 11, 14, 17, and 18) and my son had the jaw-dropping experience in the pro shop. Honestly, I was like a kid in a candy store myself.
We watched a number of groups play and finished up our day with the last few and payed special attention to the lead card, which featured McBeth, Sexton, Conrad and Ulibarri. That was special because I love Innova Discs and 3 of the 4 are on Innova's Star Team. I had to watch McBeth putt with my own eyes and I was determined to see Sexton throw the roller he talked about at 11 on the video of flyovers prior to the event. I haven't gotten all the pictures up that I took, but I did get the Innova Team on 11 with continuous shots, which you can find on my Facebook page. I also post on Instagram and you might want to check out the giveaway that I'm doing right now. And, now, back onto the fairway...
I encourage you to attend an event, even if it can't be this one. There's another event coming up this weekend, so I'm going up to Greenville, NC on Saturday to watch a B-Tier PDGA event. One of the competitors is someone that I've met recently and walked with during doubles at one of our local courses. It was amazing to watch him throw the first time I had the opportunity and he shared tips with me as I struggled a bit that time out.
Which brings me to the other two learning styles. I told you I was going to end up in between 3 and a thousand in the second sentence. Did you miss that part? That's why I'm not so big on the auditory style. Anyway...
The last two parts are solitary and social. This is why you end up with a slew of learning styles, because these aren't really separate from the first 3 and they generally go together. Try a little of both. There are times when you're going to want to practice alone. That's ok, but the downside is that unless you take and break down video of yourself, you're simply going by feel or result. Don't put too much stock in those early. You won't be sure how to do either of those things effectively. Just get a little more comfortable throwing. And I'll pass along the tips I learn along the way.
Once you learn more, you can practice more alone. I recommend that as soon as you feel even remotely comfortable, find your local group on Facebook or connect with users on disc golf course listings/ratings sites. Still watching other players, while enjoying the game and the camaraderie. The social part of Disc Golf is very powerful, thoroughly enjoyable, and you'll learn to play the game...and love the game much, much more.
When acquiring a new skill, there are 3 types of learning: auditory, visual and tactile. More simply put, hear it, see it, do it. Teachers know that some students lean more toward some of those rather than others, and physical activities favor the see it, do it formula. The explanation comes along with illustrating a correct example, and it's the images that tend to hold more weight. And while Disc Golf heavily favors the tactile, you have to gain at least some basic understanding of what that looks like, no matter what technique you are using for your throws and putts.
Case in point...the reason that the sport of soccer is in about the same place developmentally as it was when I was growing up more than 35 years ago is that there is not enough quality soccer to watch. Add to that, the fragmentation of athletes into other sports like basketball, football and baseball, and the fact that the rest of the world largely favors soccer, playing the game as infants with family and neighbors, the sport will continue to struggle with growth.
If you're interested in something, you don't just play, you watch...every chance you get. You watch videos of great plays, instruction, and whenever possible, in person. The brain and the body process all of these visuals and whenever you go play, your body tries to imitate. Then you must have body awareness to make adjustments and hone your technique.
So, as I said before, I jumped into Disc Golf with both feet. I mean, really. All the way in, because about a month after I started playing, I heard about this thing called the USDGC (United States Disc Golf Championship.) I knew there were tournaments around, but to have a PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) Major near where I live...I just had to go. I couldn't resist.
I made the 7-hour round trip with my son and mother (she's always up for a crazy day trip) to the USDGC in Rock Hill, SC during round 3 on Friday. It got a bit warm fast and I didn't want the other 2 to get worn out and hate me, so we took it kind of easy. We only saw 10 of the 18 holes, but we focused on several that I wanted to see (1, 5, 7, 11, 14, 17, and 18) and my son had the jaw-dropping experience in the pro shop. Honestly, I was like a kid in a candy store myself.
We watched a number of groups play and finished up our day with the last few and payed special attention to the lead card, which featured McBeth, Sexton, Conrad and Ulibarri. That was special because I love Innova Discs and 3 of the 4 are on Innova's Star Team. I had to watch McBeth putt with my own eyes and I was determined to see Sexton throw the roller he talked about at 11 on the video of flyovers prior to the event. I haven't gotten all the pictures up that I took, but I did get the Innova Team on 11 with continuous shots, which you can find on my Facebook page. I also post on Instagram and you might want to check out the giveaway that I'm doing right now. And, now, back onto the fairway...
I encourage you to attend an event, even if it can't be this one. There's another event coming up this weekend, so I'm going up to Greenville, NC on Saturday to watch a B-Tier PDGA event. One of the competitors is someone that I've met recently and walked with during doubles at one of our local courses. It was amazing to watch him throw the first time I had the opportunity and he shared tips with me as I struggled a bit that time out.
Which brings me to the other two learning styles. I told you I was going to end up in between 3 and a thousand in the second sentence. Did you miss that part? That's why I'm not so big on the auditory style. Anyway...
The last two parts are solitary and social. This is why you end up with a slew of learning styles, because these aren't really separate from the first 3 and they generally go together. Try a little of both. There are times when you're going to want to practice alone. That's ok, but the downside is that unless you take and break down video of yourself, you're simply going by feel or result. Don't put too much stock in those early. You won't be sure how to do either of those things effectively. Just get a little more comfortable throwing. And I'll pass along the tips I learn along the way.
Once you learn more, you can practice more alone. I recommend that as soon as you feel even remotely comfortable, find your local group on Facebook or connect with users on disc golf course listings/ratings sites. Still watching other players, while enjoying the game and the camaraderie. The social part of Disc Golf is very powerful, thoroughly enjoyable, and you'll learn to play the game...and love the game much, much more.
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