The 2009 Season has undoubtedly been my best year ever, and it keeps on getting better. I played in 32 PDGA Sanctioned Tournaments with 23 top 5 finishes and 8 wins (25% Winning Percentage), including winning my first World Title at the 2009 Professional Disc Golf World Championships in Kansas City, KS/MO. I won the US Doubles Championships with my good friend David Feldberg the weekend before the USDGC to become the 2009 United States Doubles Champions. I also won 3 Supertour Events at the High Plains Challenge, the Pittsburgh Flying Disc Open and a repeat win at the Veterans Park Open. I had 9 2nd Place finishes and kept my cash streak alive by cashing in every tournament that I played in the 2009 Season.

This year’s World Championships were incredible. It was the World Championships that I have been waiting nearly a decade for because Kansas City has some of the best courses in the country. It was my time to show the world what I was capable of, and I did just that. This year’s World Title was made extra special because I won alongside my sister, Valarie, and we became the first siblings ever to win World Titles. And better yet, we did it the very same year with our parents in attendance. I have wanted to win Worlds ever since I started playing when I was 7 years old. The World Title is something that can never be taken from me and I plan to continue to be a great ambassador of the sport. It was truly an amazing moment in my life!!!

I also had the chance to travel to Europe this Summer to play the Tali Open in Helsinki, Finland, my 3rd European Open in Tampere, Finland, and the Croydon Cyclone in London, United Kingdom. Team USA, consisting of Nate Doss, David Feldberg, Ken Climo, Valarie Jenkins, Carrie Berloger and myself, won our 3rd consecutive Presidents Cup Trophy against a strong Team Europe.

I finished in the Top 10 in all Majors throughout the Year with a 1st at the World Championships, 9th at the European Open and 10th at the United States Disc Golf Championships. Those finishes extended my Career Top 10 Finishes to 18 in 29 Major Events as these tournaments get more and more competitive every year. This 2010 Season is going to be a big year for the PDGA Major Events as I will be defending my World Title in Crown Point, IN this summer.

As far as other stats, I shot 8 course records including an opening round at Blue Valley (11,049 ft) shooting a 53 (1079 rating) to start off the World Championships, besting the old course record by 4 strokes. I shot some amazing Sunday course records of 54 (1069 rating) to best the previous record by 3 strokes at the Tali Open in Helsinki, Finland, and a 53 (1066 rating) on the Knob Hill long to long layout to come from behind to win at the Pittsburgh Flying Disc Open. I also shot Course Records in 3 consecutive weeks that resulted in a 3-win Tri-fecta at the Lilac City Open, the Zoo Town Open and the High Plains Challenge, which included back to back course record rounds of 50 (1049 rating) at the Pessimist and a 47 (1053 rating) at the Optimist courses in Fort Morgan, CO. The 1090 Final Round Rating at the 2007 Memorial still remains my highest rated round in my career.

I also won 3 Long Drive Distance Contests and set a few Distance Records in the process. I won the Minnesota Majestic and Vibram Open Distance contests, along with setting the Minnesota State SuperClass (Large Frisbee) Distance Record at 96.11 M (315′4″). I also set the United Kingdom Distance Record at (198 yds) 594 ft and the Japanese Distance Record at 183.08 M (600′ 8″) en route to winning the 1st Annual Iron Arm Distance Challenge in Miramisoma City, Japan this past December.

I finished the year winning one-fourth of my events played and claiming $30,232 (2nd in PDGA Cash for the 2nd year in a row) in earnings. I played tournaments worldwide and repeated as the points leader winning 2009 PDGA Points Title with 19,915 points. I am currently ranked 4th in the World with a 1029 Player Rating, which ranks at 10th in PDGA Ratings as I enter in o the 2010 disc golf season.

In the off-season, I made the move from Eugene, OR to Santa Cruz, CA as I needed a change of scenery and some better winter weather. I had lived in Oregon for 7 years and continued to live there after graduating from the University of Oregon in 2007. It was a great place to live while I was there,but after graduating there wasn’t much still keeping me there. Plus, the weather during my off-season was too rainy during the winter months. I love everything about Oregon, and in my opinion, it is still one of the best states in the country for what it has to offer: the outdoors and great summer weather.

At the end of November, I packed up all of my stuff and made the move down south to Santa Cruz for the next step in my long life; a change that I needed at the time, a change for the better. I moved into a small house with my sister Valarie and good friend Nate Doss, making for an easy transition to a new environment, living less than a mile from the ocean. A house full of World Champions; I lived with David Feldberg for 7 years previous to this but this has to be the most World Titles sharing the same household.

This surf city is incredible; it has amazing winter weather that only gets better throughout the Spring into Summer. It has a good Disc Golf community and history with the World Class Disc Golf Course – DeLaveaga DGC. It has been called “Frisbee Town, USA” and they definitely live up to the name with their unbelievable interest in Disc Golf, Ultimate, Freestyle and Overall Disc Games along with the new development of the Santa Cruz County Disc Golf League to promote High School Disc Golf. This is the place where I needed to be and I am grateful that I am able to live in paradise; nothing compares to the West Coast.

New Year’s Eve – Twin Lakes Beach – Santa Cruz, CA

I also did lots of Off-Season training this past winter and at this point I am proud to say that I am in the best shape of my life. I concentrated most of my training to heavy weights and the P90X Program, which involves a lot of body weight exercises, jump training and stretching. It has made me stronger and more flexible than ever before, because Disc Golf is an athletic sport and it pays off to train hard in the off-season. I also included a bit of running and bike riding to add a cardio component to really get in shape. It will definitely pay off as the season progresses, as I become more reliant on stamina, strength and endurance. As the competition in this game increases, it helps to stay in good shape to stay ahead of the rest.

I also recently acquired my first Signature Series Disc from Innova – one of my favorite drivers – the Avery Jenkins Star Destroyer. I am proud to receive such an honor of having my own disc, it has been a goal of mine forever. They are scheduled to be produced in the Spring sometime around late April and early May. Trust me, I will be sure to send notification when they are to be released and in full production.

In the 2010 Season, I plan to travel and play more than ever, and have scheduled to play around 30+ tournaments across the US, Japan and Europe. I might also make the trip to the Australian National Championships this year; it might finally happen and it will be my first time to visit that country and continent. It is bound to be an amazing year and it will be great to share the passion I have as I will be representing the sport more than ever before. As the current and reigning World Champion, I now realize my responsibility to my title and the sport. It is hard to get to the top, but even harder to stay at the top and I intend on being at the top for a long time to come. I am looking for another Major Win this season and fully intend on defending my World Title with everything that I have this year.

Thanks to all my friends, family and travel companions throughout the year that have made my world travels possible and my disc golf dreams a reality. Here’s to an amazing 2010 season!!!

a>Photo by Mike Jenneman

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First I will start off by saying that I have been waiting a decade for a World Championships to be hosted in Kansas City. They showcase some of the best courses in the country and it is centrally located which gives more players the opportunity to attend. I was very prepared and focused to play well; it had been my best season to date and I wanted to make it all worth it. I came into this World Championships the most mentally prepared than any Worlds before. This was my year; it was my turn to win.

The 2009 Disc Golf World Championships started off at the Blue Valley Disc Golf Course, which is deemed to be the Longest Disc Golf Course in the world, measuring 11,049 feet with a par 66. It is a challenging course with multiple Par 4’s and 5’s throughout its rolling hills and well-manicured fairways. I really like the design of the Blue Valley course and really appreciate that the course designers incorporated many par 4’s and 5’s as well throughout the course. That is something that I have always believe makes a total course, when there are several holes that require 2 to 3 excellent placed shots in order to score well on certain holes. It offers the same concept and intentions as golf and I believe that it will soon be the standard in course design in our sport. It is by far my favorite course that we were playing at this year’s Worlds because it was difficult to play for most and it fit into my strength of really airing it on almost every hole, allowing me to play very aggressively throughout the entire course.

It was a rainy, overcast day with the feeling of excitement in the air. I had the opportunity to watch players start out with the earlier tee times, as I got a late morning tee time giving me plenty of time to play some warm-up catch with Nate Doss in the parking lot. We also got the chance to throw some holes on a smaller 9 hole course that was installed on the property perpendicular to the massive Blue Valley Course, with some great up and down hill shots to get the feel of the elevation before heading for our rounds.

I was really excited to start this year’s Worlds, it had been my best season thus far and I really wanted to make a statement with a strong finish, looking to best my 3rd place finish in 2006. I was looking forward to the round but wishing that the rain would eventually let up; it’s not like I needed any other factors to contribute to an already taxing round on one of the most challenging courses in the world. I was just looking for a break in the weather.

In the 1st round I had a slow start with par on the first 2 holes and was looking for something exciting to happen to get me fired up, waiting for such a moment is sometimes self initiated to really get things going. I blasted a pair of huge uphill shots on hole 3, getting a 50 foot uphill look for an eagle 3 on the difficult par 5 that I was more than prepared to hit. I smashed the huge eagle putt to get rolling and the feeling of taking over this round hit me. I continued to birdie the following long downhill par 4 and then experienced a birdie putt spit-out on Hole 5 due to the wet chains – it was a putt that would have stuck on a dry day. I shook it off and realized that I had well over 100+ holes to go in this week-long competition.

I then continued to birdie a majority of the holes throughout the first 14 holes to get to 10 under, making lots of big drives and long putts as the rain started to dissipate. It was all clear sailing from there on out. I smashed chains for Ace on the 400′ downhill Hole 15 which lead to a drop-in birdie. I was really feeling it this round, and it was time to finish in style. I scored an easy par on Hole 16 and a routine birdie on the par 4 Hole 17 with a solid upshot to the pin. On the tee of 18, I tried to forget how I was shooting and what score I was actually at, which was not the easiest thing to do at this point. I threw a massive drive over the trees that set up another giant shot up the hill on this long par 5. It was now time to make a critical decision, but it was not a time to get greedy after playing such an aggressive round, so I made the smart play of laying the next shot up for the stress-free birdie to finish the round with a New Course Record of 53 (-13). I believe that that Course Record will stand for a long time.

It was exactly the statement that I wanted to make in the first round of Worlds, putting me exactly where I wanted to be – on top of the Leader Board to start. I relished the fact that I just shattered the old Course Record by 3 strokes and still felt that I could have shot better, even though the conditions were less than ideal, but it didn’t seem to affect my strategy for play on that course or my shot execution throughout that round. A few strokes at minimum, but that round still bested the rest of the field by 3 stokes overall, making it known that I was there to play, with Coda Hatfield sitting in 2nd shooting a 56.

The 2nd Round was an early 8 am start held at Rosedale Park, and it would be the only time that we would get to play this course as well. The Rosedale Course consists of wide open fairway shots for the most part with some woods, but what made the course challenging was that it was designed on a prominent elevated bluff that features steep drop-offs that punished errant shots. It was not the most difficult course in the World Championships, but it is a course that you have to score well on in order remain in a top position in the tournament. Plus we only got to see this course once and had no chance to get redemption on any of the holes if we missed them.

It was a slow start as it was very early in the day, and the long grass was completely soaked from all of the rain from the day before. The wet conditions also lead to many of the putting greens that were in the woods being surrounded by a slippery mud that seemed to cover the entire area around the baskets. I was driving great but only capitalized on a few birdies on the wooded front of the course. I picked up the pace a little on the wide-open back 9, where there was more opportunity to score. I finished by scoring birdie on 3 of the last 4 holes to shoot a 49 (-5), which was the 3rd hottest score, with a 47 by both Doss and Ulibarri being the best of that round. I was satisfied with my mediocre round knowing that it didn’t hurt my starting position as I increased my lead to 5 strokes after 2 rounds heading into Thornfield.

The 3rd round was held at the Thornfield Course way South of Kansas City – a newly designed private course that was installed just for Worlds. It was a challenging course with a great mix of wooded and open holes; it had lots of tight, long drives off the tee followed by very technical putting greens. It had a variety of some par 4’s and 5’s that made the play a little more difficult, but it also had a few holes where it was almost better to opt to throw over the top of the trees instead of trying to take on the unreasonable fairway. It was again one of the courses that we would be only playing once, meaning that you had to play it great the first time because it was going to be the only time.

We had a late afternoon tee time starting at 2 pm, giving the players a lot of time in between our morning rounds at Rosedale – maybe almost too much time for most. It is sometimes difficult to get going again where you left off the morning round even hours later that same day, but it was Worlds and I needed to bring it at this course. I got the pleasure of playing with my good friends and past World Champions – David Feldberg and Nate Doss – and my good friend Paul Ulibarri. We were all looking to put on a show. I was on fire out of gates, picking up birdies on several of the early holes on the front. I really thought that I was starting to separate myself from the pack when I chased down a huge 70′ footer for Eagle on Hole 5 soon after watching Doss knock down the same putt from about a foot to my left. The entire group scored an Eagle on the hole and we were all looking to play exceptionally well this round. I made another huge 50′ footer for birdie on the extreme hyzer around the corner on Hole 13 and scored birdie on 2 of the final 5 holes to finish with a 50 (-10) for the round. I increased my lead to 7 strokes after the first 3 rounds and felt great about my first 2 days of the World Championships.

It was an amazing feeling to be in the lead by 7 strokes, but I tried not to really think about the magnitude of the event. I just wanted keep extremely relaxed when not playing and keep to my game plan that got me to the position that I was at. Its difficult not to think about the end result, but in reality, the tournament was not even at the halfway point. I knew that if I played the aggressive game that I know how, I would be tough to beat throughout the week.

The 4th round commenced at 8 am the next morning at one of my favorite courses in the country, Waterworks, not because of the length or difficulty of the course but because it has such a unique layout. This course is described as having many trees with lots of elevation changes, some of it quite extreme. It has a good combination of long, open holes and short, accurate ones. Waterworks is a beautiful park with stunning skyline views of downtown Kansas City and the Missouri River. I really enjoy playing this course because it offers lots of opportunity to score and rewards some uphill power drives; thankfully we would have another chance to play this course during the Semi-Finals round as well. It is definitely one of the marquee courses that we played during the World Championships and has always been a staple to many of the KC Wide Open tournaments of the past.

I also love the start of this course off Hole 1, and in my opinion it is the best starting hole in Disc Golf. It is a giant sloping hole over a valley with the basket sitting down to the left on an extreme downhill grade at about 550′ with the beautiful cityscape of downtown Kansas City in the backdrop. I started the round by throwing a tremendous shot and skipping down to the pin settling about 35′ feet away. I nailed the downhill death putt to start off the morning the right way. I was ready to really get things going as I shredded the front 9, shooting a dominant 5 under par to extend the lead. I showed no signs of letting up on the elevated back of the course, and I really took control of the round. I shot a 4 under with a bogey on 14; it was only my second bogey of the tournament. This was one of my best rounds that I have ever shot at Waterworks to finish with a 45 (-9) for the hot score along with Josh Anthon off the 2nd Card. I played great throughout the round and again extended my lead to 9 strokes after 4 rounds, and there was no looking back at this point….or so I thought.

The 5th round was our first round at the Cliff Drive course. I had actually practiced that course more than any other course that we would play throughout the week at Worlds. The course plays around the old municipal reservoir and is one of the highest points in Kansas City. It features a great mix of long open shots and some technical wooded holes, and this course also has lots of Out-of-Bounds areas on the Back 9. It’s a challenging course but it all comes down to throwing the shots when it counts most. The round was supposed to start at 2 pm that afternoon, so we made sure that we got there at least an hour before to get in some warm-up holes. But due to a back-up on the course that afternoon, our round was postponed until 4 pm which actually meant that we arrived 3 hours before our round even started.

The waiting around that afternoon didn’t help with my focus and meant that it had been over 5 hours between the end of our first round in the morning and the start of the second round that day. I was definitely prepared for that course, but on the first 9 holes of the round my shots didn’t seem to pan out for me. I felt that I was trying so hard not to lose strokes when I had been playing to gain strokes on the field in previous rounds. I tried to keep it together on the longer second half of the course where I got the chance to open up on some distance shots, but I didn’t capitalize on some of the shorter holes coming down the stretch. It was definitely a lack of concentration, and I realized that I was not as focused as I had been in previous rounds due to the length of the day and the heat.

I approached the tee of Hole 17 thinking of ways to salvage that round, trying to forget about the total lack of focus and to stop trying to play off other players’ shots. Hole 17 is one of the most difficult holes on the entire course; it requires a perfectly placed drive and a very skillful upshot coming into an extremely slanted green with a drop off hill to the left leading straight to OB. I watched all 3 players before me throw some long roller shots down the hill ending up in great looks at the approach to the pin. I decided after watching their shots that I would divert from my original game plan and opt for the roller shot as well, but my shot took a few errant bounces and took an immediate right, rolling straight out of bounds. I was then left with about 180’ to the pin, and I went with a forehand shot and had the misfortune of having my approach shot hit next to the basket and taking a long roll down the hill OB. I then missed the putt and carded a 6 on the hole, my largest score of the entire tournament, giving a few of the players on my card 3 strokes on that one hole.

Out of frustration I missed the following upshot on Hole 18 to bogey out the round and scoring by far my worst round of the World Championships (What was your score for the round?). I soon realized that some other players, besides the ones on my card, had made incredible moves to the top cards as Josh Anthon made up 7 strokes during that round and Matt Orum made up 11 strokes on my lead by shooting a Course Record 45 (-9). I still remained in the lead by 2 strokes, making it even more of a highly-contested event from there on out.

That round proved to be the most crucial round of the tournament, a round that made me realize how truly bad I wanted to win despite giving up a sizeable lead to the rest of the field. My good friend and current World Champion, Dave Feldberg, had told me a story following that round how he had also lost the lead during the 2008 World Championships during the 5th round as well and still went on to win despite having to overcome such disappointment. I took that story to heart, and was not going to let that one round affect my play the rest of the tournament.

I tried to shake that round, but I only became angry when I thought about giving up such a lead to the rest of the field, because 2 strokes is not as comfortable as the 9 strokes that I began the round with, knowing that I had to play that very same course the next morning. I had another long talk with Nate Doss after the round, and he tried to calm me down telling me that I now had two choices at this point: I could let that round affect the rest of my tournament and let it quite possibly cost me the World Title, as it was exactly what the other players chasing me wanted to happen, or I could come out the following day and play like the Champion that I knew that I was, proving my power and strength to the entire field. I chose the second option as I knew that this battle was far from over, and I was sure that I wanted to win more than anyone.

As I came out for the 6th round the following morning, I was ready to fight for what was rightfully mine. It was another early 8 am start out at the Cliff Drive course, where I still had thoughts of what had transpired the previous round and was not about to let that happen again. I needed to score on many of the holes that I had let pass me by the previous afternoon. These were not difficult holes, but it was challenging to get putts on some of the holes sometimes. Although I had a better start to the round, Josh Anthon was making every putt that he faced. It soon became a very close battle between Josh and me, with Matt Orum right on my heels. After holding the lead for the entire tournament, Josh soon tied it all up on Hole 8. Josh then took the lead on the very next hole with a Birdie on Hole 9. I then tied him up with a Birdie on Hole 10 and regained the lead on Hole 12. We continued to trade off the lead through a series of holes on the back, and Josh regained the lead yet again on Hole 15. He was playing great and gained another stroke on Hole 16 before finishing with an amazing 46 (-8). I finished the round with a 50 (-4), which was 6 strokes better than the previous round, but Josh ended up edging me out by 4 strokes on the round to take a 2 stroke lead in the tournament.

Again, I felt disappointed that I had given up the lead because I wanted to win from start to finish, but no one ever said that it was going to be easy. It was going to be a battle until the end, and I was more than ready to take it on. It was our only round of the day before having to play the Semi-Finals at Waterworks the following day, so we went back to house to relax for the afternoon. As I sat back in the hot tub trying to contemplate how I was going to retake the lead, I realized that I needed to get back out there and practice. Nate and I waited until the late afternoon heat slightly dissipated, presenting an ideal afternoon for a practice round out at Waterworks. We went out there and threw multiple shots on every hole for the entire round, which gave me the opportunity to really dial in many of the shots on the holes that I would be playing the following morning.

The 7th round, which happen to be the Semi-Final Round, began early Saturday morning at Waterworks – the same course that I had played well at the first time through in the 4th round shooting a 45 (-9) and had diligently practiced the afternoon before. This was going to be the round for me to regain the lead and take back control of this tournament. I played very conservatively to start, just keeping pace with Josh as he was still carrying over his great play from the previous 2 rounds, and his putts were still on point. I was definitely very aware of where I was in the match between us, but didn’t let it really affect my play. I got 1 stroke back on him in the first 5 holes leading into Hole 6, where Josh made an errant drive that kicked immediately right down a steep embankment. This was probably the most challenging hole on the entire course, not because of the length of the hole, but because it was sometimes difficult to make it down the fairway without getting in trouble. Josh was experiencing just that as his disc landed way down the hill on the right side of the fairway with nothing left for a shot as he attempted to pitch back to the fairway for an open 3rd shot. But not this time. It took him 2 shots to make it back to the fairway and another to get to the green, giving him a 25′ to save a 5. He missed the putt wide left and his putter fortunately came to rest on the side hill and avoided rolling back down the hill. He dropped his putt in for 6, while I played the hole perfectly, carding a 3 to go from back by 1 stroke to in the lead by 2 strokes. The tides had turned at just the right moment, and now it was time to take control.

We continued on as I capitalized on many of the holes that I had practiced the day before, scoring a few birdies on the remaining holes on the front, but Josh kept pace throughout that stretch. The battle continued onto the back as I really started forcing some huge shots in order to score. We traded off birdies until he made an amazing throw on the epic Hole 14, absolutely parking the hole for birdie. He then birdied 3 straight coming down the stretch to finish the round, while I continued to miss putts on that same stretch of holes, to give him again a 1 stroke lead going into the last 2 holes. I didn’t panic in any way and knew that I would have another opportunity to get back in this match.

I sat back and watched as Josh took the tee on Hole 17, only to witness the door swing open as he pulled his tee shot wide right into the street OB on the drive. I quickly took advantage of the situation by driving a shot to land uphill from the hole and hitting a downhill 25’ footer for birdie. As he surrendered 2 strokes and bogeyed the hole, I regained the lead. I am very much a believer in the power of momentum, especially during a battle such as this, and I felt everything change dramatically. Going into the Final Hole 18 of the Semi-Finals, which is an extreme uphill shot, I knew that I needed to take full advantage of my power and reach this hole to finish the round. I smashed the drive off the tee, leaving me a difficult uphill 18’ footer. He threw his tee shot short on the hill and missed his putt for birdie to finish. I took my time, knowing that this putt could make all the difference, took a deep breath and sank the putt to take a 2 stroke lead shooting a 46 (-8), taking all the momentum going into the Final 9.

So I had over 3 hours to prepare for the Finals as every division had to play their Final 9 on the very same course that they had set up at Blue Valley that I would be playing later that day. I wanted to get to there early just to calm my nerves a bit and give me ample time to stretch and warm up before the Finals. Nate, Val and I definitely walked the entire course hours before the Finals started just to be prepared for many of the holes that we never played during any of the previous rounds. We were unfortunately not allowed to throw any of the holes because there were other divisions playing their Final 9’s at that time. But the Final 9 layout seemed really basic and not too difficult, so I really didn’t need to throw the holes in order to know what to throw.

The Final 9 had been set up in such a way so as to incorporate the first 3 holes on the Blue Valley course, the next 5 holes being very short holes, and the final hole finishing at the main stage where the Awards ceremony was to take place. It was very spectator-friendly layout with lots of room for a gallery to navigate without being in the way of the players on a majority of the holes. It was a layout with a large variance between really long Par 4’s and very short holes, all holes where there could be a great change in scores. It was going to be a battle until the end.

Val started her round with a 16 stroke lead over Des Reading going into the Finals. Reading then had a 12 stroke lead on Nicole Frazier for 3rd. Valarie had more than secured the win throughout a phenomenal week of play and was playing a Victory Final 9 where she could really show off her skills to the crowd. She gained 9 strokes during the Semi-Finals shooting a 1017 rated round and she averaged an amazing 992 rating throughout the previous 7 rounds, a round rating that dominated the entire Women’s field at the World Championships. She ended with a 14 stroke win in route to her 3rd Consecutive World Title remained the Best Female Disc Golfer in the World. It was now my turn to hold up my end on the deal and win as well. It was my turn.

The Men’s Finals started soon after Valarie dropped her last putt. I couldn’t believe how excited I was to play in another Worlds Final 9, my last one having taken place in 2006 in Augusta, GA. My idol and newly inducted Hall of Famer, “Crazy” John Brooks announced this year’s Finalists, Josh Anthon, Cale Leiviska, Matt Orum and myself. I could feel the intensity building and the rush throughout my body as the names were announced as we all stepped out on the teepad of the first hole of the Final 9.

I started with a tremendous drive on the 803 ft Hole #1 just to get the nerves out, but threw my upshot wide on the approach. I lost a stroke to Josh on the very first hole as he threw an amazing approach to score a birdie 3. We then both scored par on the 2nd hole to keep my lead at 1 stroke. I then took advantage of the distance of Hole #3, which measured 696’ and played uphill the entire way as I made a huge second shot and hit a long 30’ footer for 3 as Josh struggled to score a 5 on the hole. I then regained a 3 stroke lead. It was the start of the Final 9 that I had hoped for, and I believed that I was just going to take a victory lap into the final 6 holes.

I remained in the lead by 3 strokes as we both scored par on the next hole across the water, and I was feeling like I had this tournament all wrapped up at this point with just 5 holes remaining in the event. Unfortunately, things from that point on did not go as well as planned when I chained out for birdie on the short uphill Hole #5 while Josh got a stroke back on that hole. I somehow changed my game plan at that point in the match, electing to throw the next downhill straight shot a bit short instead of opting for the high percentage sidearm spike shot that would have carded me a birdie on that hole. I took another par as Josh continued to birdie that hole as well, cutting the lead to 1 stroke yet again. I seemed to lose focus quickly at this point, but it didn’t seem real. In my mind, there was no way I was going to lose, no matter how many holes he birdies. It was still my time.

I then left the next drive short as well and missed the putt out of pure frustration as Josh birdied to tie me up going into the last 2 holes of the Final 9. I lost the lead as Josh had just reeled off 3 straight unanswered deuces on the shortest holes of the Final 9; it was too unreal that I had let this happen. I could have birdied those holes blindfolded. The stage was now set in front of a gallery of 1500+ spectators and it was all coming down to who wanted it the most. We both birdied the short uphill shot on Hole #8 as I nearly missed hitting the basket for Ace to really finish in style.

The last and final hole of the Final 9 was a long 480’ across an asphalt road with an island green, the awards stage to the left side of the island and the basket in the center for all to witness the final putts. It was the hole that I wanted to birdie so very badly, but unfortunately left the shot short right side, only to toss up a last chance birdie effort in hopes to win in regulation as Josh made his par putt to stay tied. I walked off that hole more pumped than ever, screaming “Let’s Go!” I wanted to end this battle as quickly as possible.

We both walked back to the starting hole and commenced a playoff, only the second playoff for a Men’s Open Title in PDGA History. It was going to be a show for the ages. We made our way to the teepad followed by an increasing number of spectators; the gallery increased to 2000+ as we walked by Tournament Central. I told Josh before we started the playoff, “Whomever wants it the most and deserves it the most is going to win today!” I wanted this more than anyone the entire week; I wanted this more than anyone in the World.

This playoff for the World Title was the most intense battle in Disc Golf that I have ever been a part of, yet the pressure seemed to turn into a deep feeling of intensity. We both started out with pars on Hole #1 as I threw what seemed to be an errant upshot which nearly stayed in bounds – I thought that I may have lost the tournament when I shanked the shot wide right. But fortunately, it stayed in play somehow. We both squandered opportunities on the first hole to win, so we proceeded. I made a good shot on Hole #2 leaving me a downhill 35’ foot putt for the win, and Josh threw his drive wide right and was forced to lay up on the treacherous side hill green. The thought of winning rushed over me as I contemplated just ending the tournament right there, right then. I looked over at Feldberg and asked him if I should run this putt, but got back a simple shake of the head which signified an obvious “No.” I took his advice and laid up the putt, to the obvious disbelief of many that watched. But because of there was a great possibility on a missed putt of hitting and rolling away, there was still a chance of losing and it just wasn’t the time for such action. I also didn’t want to take that chance, especially considering that we were going into the next 2 holes which happened to be the longest holes of the Final 9. I liked my chances, plus Josh had taken a bogey 5 on Hole #3 the last time, so the pressure was placed on him at that point. We both played the next hole well; I missed a long Eagle putt and we both carded easy birdies on the difficult uphill hole.

I could feel the intensity kick up a notch as I seemed to be almost running the course, always ready to throw the next shot. We both threw decent shots on Hole #4, leaving Josh with a routine approach which he placed about 20’ to the right while I had a really demanding approach around a group of trees between the basket and me. It was the moment of truth, this is what I might consider the most clutch shot that I threw the entire Final 9. I asked my father and caddy at the time what I should throw, especially in the conditions of a left to right crosswind and everything on the line. It was a demanding shot either way, but I didn’t like the chances of throwing the hyzer shot to the right under some branches with a crosswind that could push the shot to the ground short of the basket. The sidearm route was definitely the longer and more difficult of the two options, but it had the left to right crosswind helping to bring the shot back to the basket. We agreed that I should throw the sidearm – which I barely threw around the trees and almost hit the basket from my angle – as it skipped 20’ uphill looking back down toward the basket. We both hit our important birdie putts and moved to the next hole.

The next hole, Hole #5, is a low ceiling uphill shot that played around 300 ft with the elevation and wind conditions at the time. I threw my Blue Champion Firebird high and wide right but it fell short of the pin, and I could not believe how it seemed to drop right out of the air. Josh stepped up and threw a very similar shot but slightly lower that never faded back toward the basket as it drifted right to about 40 ft. pin high on the side hill.

It seemed as if every shot increased with importance as the playoff progressed. It was coming down to it; I could just feel it. I could not bear to watch as Josh lined up his long uphill putt and sailed his putt chain high, left side with no chance of going in.

I then approached my disc, which seemed to be a lot further away from the basket than when I saw it from the tee. It was about an 18 – 20 ft. slight uphill putt. I stepped away from my lie and took a deep breath, because I knew that this was my time. After 140 holes throughout the week, it was my chance to end the playoff. I gained my composure as I started to go through the motions, envisioning myself in the back yard putting, just making this same putt like I have done thousands of times before. I was just trying to make everything else disappear, the distractions and the people, and it was just the basket and me at this point.

I promised myself that I had to commit everything that I had to this putt, extending and reaching for that basket. I remember everything up to the point when I released the disc, and it was about half-way to the basket when I knew it was in. Time had frozen for that split second, and when everyone erupted, I let it all out right there as I let out a victorious roar. Val came running up and was the first to hug me as she leaped into the air and I caught her. Feldberg and my father were next, as I hugged them both at the same time. My mother could not stop screaming as she ran in circles beating on my arm. I picked her up and twirled in place, giving her the biggest hug that I could give. She is a Three-Time Disc Golf World Champion herself and knew just how it felt at this very moment. I could feel the emotions from everyone that got to witness and experience everything that Josh and I had just displayed. It is a World Championship that will be remembered for years to come.

It felt so surreal. I couldn’t believe that it was all happening at that moment. It was something that I have dreamt about since I was young, to become a Disc Golf World Champion. It made it extra special to win alongside my sister Valarie to become the first siblings to ever to be World Champions. She said during her Victory speech that she would give all her World Titles to see me get this one this year; that meant so much for me to hear that and know how badly she wanted to see me win. It meant a lot to me that my family and friends could be there with me, to support me throughout the week and celebrate victory in the end. It is something that has changed my life from that day forward, because it was my turn and I believed that I could win no matter what went down throughout the tournament. I knew that I was going to win the entire week because I wanted it more than anyone out there. It was my time and I knew it all along.

I had been told since I was young that I was destined to win a World Title. So many people truly believed it, and yet it took me years before I could actually realize it. I have had all the skill and all the ability to win; it was about putting that all together to make it happen. I really think the main reason was that I believed I could do it and I played fearlessly the entire week because I wanted to win so badly. I wanted to be a World Champion more than anything, and it was meant to happen through sheer will and determination.

Some think that winning the World Championships is everything, but winning the Worlds this past year is just a stepping stone for things to come. Because great things happen to great people and to those who want it most, with all the passion that they contain. You just got to believe.

Thanks to Pete Cashen for putting up the entire crew throughout Worlds. Thanks to my idol, “Crazy” John Brooks for inspiring me to play my best. Thanks to the amazing tournament staff that made the 2009 Worlds so incredible. Thanks to all of my Sponsors whom have always supported me and that make it possible to do what I love for a living. Thanks to Valarie for being an unbelievable sister and seeing the greatness in me long before the actual result; it meant more than anything for us to win the World Championships together. Thanks to my parents, Leroy and Sharon, whom have shown me the way, throughout life and in Disc Golf, I am grateful for everything that they have given and taught me. Thanks to all my friends and family that have supported me throughout the years and helped to make this dream of mine a reality.

This Part 2 of my interview with Disc Golf World Champion Avery Jenkins – Interview by Steve Pease

When your dad taught you to play, what did he tell you to focus on and learn first?

I learned a lot about the game from my father, he first taught me a lot about sportsmanship and integrity that this sport requires to be played in its truest form. He also taught me the proper technique through hours of playing catch in the backyard with the Frisbee and countless rounds of Golf at our Local Course – Roscoe Ewing Park in Medina, OH.

He told me to focus on the result of my actions and to envision making the shot or putt even before releasing the disc. It has proved successful when I could already picture the disc going into the basket moments before actually making that putt, when you can envision it happening, it will happen. You have to be confident in your skills and abilities, with that trust you can accomplish great things.

Do your parents still play tournaments?

My Parents, Leroy and Sharon are still very active in the Disc Golf scene and have been playing tournaments all over the country for the past few decades. They having been playing since the Mid-80’s and still play as much as possible when not taking care of our Home Course, Roscoe Ewing Park in Medina, Ohio. They are both now retired and travel the country on permanent vacation, playing lots of Disc Golf courses, camping at National Parks, Taking Bike Rides and visiting amazing Micro-Breweries.

Also note that we are the only family that I know of, that travel all over the country and at this point only play Disc Golf for a Living. No other family in the entire World can say that they do what we do, to that extent. We take great pride and feel very honored to share in something so special with the entire Team Jenkins.

Everyone wants to throw bombs like you do. What are your top tips for throwing longer?

I attribute my success and ability of throwing far to my body size and strength along with my technique, release timing and power. Many things contribute to the perfect throwing style and I believe that technique and speed pose to be the most important of all.

The advice that I would give to anyone looking to increase their throwing distance would be gripping the disc with a tight, firm power grip along with developing a great technique that utilizes their strength and timing. I think that throwing is best learned from lots of throwing in the field and repetition of the technique that produces the best results. The technique of Distance throwing is not the easiest thing to explain in writing and is best shown on video or “How To” Disc Golf DVD’s.

One complete throwing tip that I would give someone to increase their distance would be to concentrate on their speed of the arm, reaching back in a straight line, pulling across your chest and always following through your shot.

Do you throw a hyzer flip on your long drives? How do you get the timing right doing that?

I think that you are asking if I throw flip-up hyzers for my long drives. I do not necessarily throw flip-up drives because of the inconsistency and unpredictability of the flight patterns compared to straighter angle shots. I throw more straight lines than anything when it comes to throwing drives and release angles, with very little disc angle movement during the flight. Meaning that I throw flat angle shots with intended hyzer, straight and anhyzer angles, not relying too much on the disc flipping up or flipping over on flight patterns during drives.

The timing is everything when throwing; it’s all about the split-second release that determines the power and accuracy of the drive. It is developed through years of experience and excessive amounts of time spent throwing in the field. It takes lots of repetitions to get down the timing and the overall feel of the disc to gain total control of its flight. So hit the practice fields if you really want to increase your distance and solidify your throwing technique. Practice doesn’t make perfect – perfect practice makes perfect.

With you and Dave Feldberg being such good friends, does it make it hard when you are competing against each other so much? Or does it make it better?

It actually makes it better to have us competing against each other throughout the years, because we really step up our play on the course knowing that we can always do better. Over the years of competition we have always tried to play our best in all events and tried to reach the upper echelon, elite status together. We have always been there to support each other on/off the course and in Life in general. He has definitely set the standard for consistency that I tried my best to follow in route to many of my successes/accomplishes in Disc Golf. I in turn set the pace for Major International Wins by setting the stage by Winning the Japan Open in 2004 that he later won in 2008.

He did the same by winning his very first World Title in 2008 as well, and I was by his side to watch his victory, saying to him after I congratulated him during his win that “It looks like you got there first, now its my turn next.” And I did just that as he encouraged and supported me the entire week as I went on to Win my first World Title at the 2009 Disc Golf World Championships in Kansas City this past summer. We have been best friends for over a decade and have gained great respect for one another, as we continue to be two of the Best Disc Golfers in the World

I want to thank you again Avery, for taking the time to do this interview. I wish you all the best on having a great season in 2010, and I look forward to seeing you at the Minnesota majestic in June when you come to Minnesota.

Complete Part 1 Interview at Examiner.com: Avery Jenkins Interview Part 1

Complete Part 2 Interview at Examiner.com: Avery Jenkins Interview Part 2

Interview with Disc Golf World Champion Avery Jenkins – Interview by Steve Pease

This interview was something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while; I am honored to be able to share it with you now. Avery Jenkins comes from a disc golf family, his parents were both Disc Golf Champions and his sister Valarie Jenkins is a 3X and current World Champion. Avery is the current World Champion and the current U.S. Doubles Champion with his partner Dave Feldberg.

There are a lot of guys who say that they want to play pro disc golf. Can you give us an idea of how hard it is to get into, and what is a typical week like for you in the heart of the season?

You have to realize that playing Professional Disc Golf is not as easy as it may look. Players like myself that play for a living, as Professionals will tell you that it’s a struggle from weekend to weekend. We have to play our best in order to stay on the road and there is little room for error. You have to win tournaments or place consistently at the top in order to remain on the Road, and have some great sponsors that pay the way. You have to play your best, or even better than that sometimes in order to make it.

A typical week includes a lot of travel from Tournament Location to Tournament Location each and every week all across the US and sometimes Internationally. Leaving very little time in the middle of the week for Rest and some time to Practice the Course that you will be playing the next weekend.

For me it includes lots of phone calls to family, friends & sponsors, writing blogs and doing video blogs, finding a place to stay for the weekend, training when possible and of course practice when given the chance. Always making time during the week for fun adventures along the way.

So I challenge any players that think that they’ve got what it takes to make it as a Professional Disc Golfer, you need to bring it if you intend to make it.

If you had to pick a course as your favorite in the U.S. Which would you pick?

Milo McIver Disc Golf Course in Estacada, Oregon just outside of Portland and host to the annual Beaver State Fling PDGA National Tour Event. It is my favorite course for the fact that it has a great variety of holes from tight, accurate wooded holes to wide-open bomber holes. It has 36 Disc Golf holes with a great mix of Par 3’s, Par 4’s and Par 5’s on both courses. It challenges every part of a players game, powerful and controlled drives setting up accurate upshots followed by clutch putting throughout the entire course.

Milo also has limited distractions for the fact that the course is isolated within an Oregon State Park, leaving you surrounded by lots of trees, manicured fairways, large mountains and a beautiful river. This course has a great layout and design due to the hard working Portland Rocs Disc Golf Club; I wish that every course was like Milo McIver. I highly recommend that any player that has the chance, make sure that you play this course.

My favorite course and the one I play the most is Blue Ribbon Pines in East Bethel MN. What do you think of BRP?

Blue Ribbon Pines is very well taken care of and is one of the most manicured courses that I have ever played due to the hard work of the entire Jordan family. It has well designed Tee pads that are built up with beautiful stone and rock teeing areas on many of the holes. It has a great mix of tight wooded to open fairways throughout the 27 holes of this course.

It has some great holes that are very difficult including Hole #4, #6 and #19 in the Minnesota Majestic layout but lacks other challenging holes. It has a lot of 200’-300’ holes that are considered to be very easy when played with Pro Level players during the National Tour Event. I really like to see that beautiful course with a demanding 18 Hole Pro Course layout with the addition of a few more Par 4’s and 5’s to offer more of a challenge. Overall, most players consider it a good course.

Do you have any superstitions that you do or don’t do before every tournament?

I am big believer in Karma and all that it entails. I like to think that superstitions are the reasons that a lot of things happen in Disc Golf, and especially in Life. I have certain superstitions of how I prepare for tournaments, what I wear, what discs that I throw and how I approach the course before playing an event.

A few examples are I don’t throw yellow discs or discs that are under-weight. I also make sure to walk through mandatories and walk around all out–of–bounds areas on the course. Don’t ask why, I just do those things. There are also certain ways that I prepare for a tournament, days and even hours before the start of the event. Those are just a few things that I am superstitious about while playing tournaments and Disc Golf in general.

What would you recommend the average player spend their practice time on? On a percentage, what would you say they should spend on driving, approach, and putting practice?

Driving 33% Approaching 33% Putting 34%

A little more time dedicated to Putting, but every aspect is as important as every other aspect. The Drive sets up everything else that is to follow on every hole. A Solid Approach Game always makes the difference between pars and bogeys. The Putt is everything in Disc Golf, just like in approaching, because it can really make the difference between Winning and simply put, not winning.

This is Part 1 of the interview; part 2 will follow in the next article.

Complete Part 1 Interview at Examiner.com: Avery Jenkins Interview Part 1

Complete Part 2 Interview at Examiner.com: Avery Jenkins Interview Part 2

Top Pros Returns – Avery Jenkins Interview by Gordon R. Dill

Upstate Frolfer : We still think the PDGA is poised to really breakout but it still doesn’t have the exposure of other sports. Is the sports market already too crowded for a major frolf tour that even non-players would follow?

Avery Jenkins : I think that Disc Golf has a great chance to make into the main stream of Major Sports in this country but it won’t happen overnight. There are many things that have to change for that to happen, player attitude and course conduct is just the start. Its all about sports entertainment and we definitely have that going for us, now we just need to make in a Professional Sport by treating it like all other Professional Sports. It is only as professional as we make it, and people have to realize that we have to take it as seriously as we want to make it or it will never get big.

By the way, I really dislike the term Frolf. Like I said, this sport is as professional as we make it. The word “Frolf” takes us back to a time when we actually used Frisbees to play golf, we have greatly evolved since then in technology and competitive play.

Disc Golf has a good chance to make TV, Frolf does not.

UF (too late to change names, we bought the domain) : Is there a trick to just how many sanctioned events there are? On the one hand we all want to play in real tournaments, but with so many every week it’s hard sometimes to know where we can find the best of the best.

AJ : There is no trick at all, tournaments are sanctioned at different Tiers for a reason. So there is usually better competition and better payouts and the higher tier tournaments. The National Tour is set up in a way to draw better players in from around the country, limiting the number of these tournaments means that fundraising and sponsorship can be better concentrated to these events.

After touring the country as a Professional for over 10 years, I know which tournaments to avoid and which events are not to miss. The caliber of the courses is a great determinate as well as the money added to the event are very important factor to which tournaments I play.

UF : You’re one of the most successful disc golfers in the world and you’ve shown it can be done, but is “pro disc golfer” something that other people could really aim for?

AJ : A player can definitely become a Top Professional Player, but its not easy. It takes lots of hard work, determination and sheer will to succeed. It has taken me many years to reach the top level where I am now, many hours of practice and throwing shots in the backyard. It takes lots of dedication and confidence if a player wants to be an Elite Player. Its obtainable, but very competitive if a player decides to challenge the best in the World.

UF : You’re in tournaments all the time. With travel around the country and, hopefully, a life outside the sport, how often do you play? Is it possible to play too much or is it better to try and throw some discs every day?

AJ : I actually play and practice far less then people think I do. I play lots of rounds during the summer and throw lots of shots, but still feel as I should be practicing more then I do. Life on the tour is busy and there are always lots of other things to occupy my time, with traveling to other events taking up a majority of that week in between events.

I definitely think that it is possible to play too much. I feel those effects toward the end of the season after I have played 30+ events. Throwing everyday takes its toll on the body as well as the mind. When you play this game as long as I have, it can feel like a job sometimes, even though in my position it actually is. Its better to take sometime off from throwing during the week and concentrate on the quality of the practice and not the quanity.

UF : Tell us about that moment when you realized that this sport really had a hold of you?

AJ : I actually realized at a young age that I passion for the sport and a love for the competitive play on the course. I have been playing Disc Golf since I was 7 years old but realized that I had all the ability and skill to be great when I was around 12 years old playing in Junior Tournaments.

The experience that I had gained through the ranks of playing amateur proved very valuable when making the transition to playing pro. I have been playing this sport now for over 24 years and it will be a part of my life forever.

UF : I noticed on your “Team Innova” profile that you consider the Roc the best midrange in the game. We hear that all the time. What makes it so perfect for you?

AJ : The Roc is the best midrange in the game for the fact that it is very controllable and accurate in almost all conditions. It has all the glide of an Aviar with more speed when used for pin-point shots. It’s a great all-around disc that I think everyone should have in their bag.

UF : Is there one kind of shot that always seems to bail you out? I end up relying on a tomahawk whenever I’m in trouble.

AJ : I really rely on my amazing approaching ability to get up and down from anywhere on the fairway. I take pride in being able to save shots by throwing from difficult stances and having to hit a variety of different flight angles on the approach in order to get a chance to save par.

One shot that I can really count on is any type of spike hyzer that I can dial in and keep close to the basket. I can judge the distances on spike hyzers as opposed to other angled shots, it gives me a better sense of depth and trajectory when throwing to the pin.

UF : We have to ask you about distance. You’ve thrown a disc well over 600 feet. It’s incredible. What disc gets you the longest distance and is there a single tip you could give someone that would help them add distance to their throw?

AJ : Throwing Distance Shots is definitely my favorite thing about Disc Golf, nothing more aesthetic than watching a Disc fly through the Air. Its what draws most people to picking up a Frisbee and playing catch, nothing compares to a Disc in Flight.

I prefer throwing Destroyers and Bosses for Distance contests because of their great combination of Speed and Glide. I have actually thrown a Destroyer over the current World Record but it was only during a practice day so it was not deemed as offical.

Throwing for Distance has everything to do with Technique, Timing and Arm Speed. Throwing Discs for Distance is very different from throwing drives on a Disc Golf course. They vary greatly in power, accuracy and release angles.

One complete throwing tip that I would give someone to increase their distance would be to concentrate on their speed of the arm, reach back in a straight line pulling across your chest and always following through your shot.

UF : We watched video of the putt that made you world champion this year. What is your comfortable putting distance? And do you have a pre-putt routine? One pro friend of mine said he has a mantra he chants before putting to clear his mind…anything like that for you?

AJ : First off that putt was by far the best putt I have ever made, I just took myself out of the present and into my backyard where I grew up making that very same putt thousands of times over. A putt that I will never forget, the feeling has never felt quite like that before.

My comfort range when it comes to putting is 15 feet, where I count on every putt within this range as automatic and a goal to be 100% from this range in every tournament. But I am very confident and comfortable with all putts within 30 feet.

I, of course, have a pre-putt routine where I square up and positioning my body in a direct line to the basket while extending my arm to get a mental visual of my release point. I then clear my mind and focus on the chains, I go through the motion of shifting my weight forward and forcefully thrusting the disc out of my hand onto the direct line to reach for the sweet spot of the basket.

UF : Finally, “the leap”. We’re pretty mediocre players who have been working it out on the course for a while now but just can’t seem to make that leap to compete with the best in the game. When did you realize that you were good enough to win and was there something that helped you go from intermediate to expert?

AJ : Like I said, I have been playing this game for a long time and grew up throwing Frisbees/Discs for years when I was around 7. I think that I was always a good golfer with great distance and a solid putt to separate me from the rest of the competitive field. The real difference from the Top Elite players besides having the shot selection and experience is the mental game.

The mental side of Disc Golf is a major attribute that really separates the players from top to bottom. The sport of Disc Golf has been said to be 20% Physical and 80% mental, even though I really don’t think that it relates to such ratios I would argue to say that it is a 40/60 split of physical to mental.

Although you have to have all the shots to be a top Pro, you also have to have a great mental capacity to handle less then ideal situations on the course and ways to correct on mis-cues in technique. One main difference between Pro and Ams is that Ams are unable to correct flaws in their technique but Pros are able to correct any faults on the very next throw instead of letting it affect them the rest of the round.

A strong mental game is developed after many years of experience and confidence in one’s abilities to throw all the necessary shots. Playing lots of competitive and tournament rounds will build confidence for the player. Proper tournament preparation and concentrated focus on the course will also assist in strengthening a player’s mental game.

There is no easy move from intermediate to expert, it takes many years of practice and preparation to get to the top.

Complete UpStateFrolfer.com Interview: Avery Jenkins Interview

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Please help support the companies that help to support Disc Golf!!!!!!!!!!

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Quad City Disc Golf.com Interview by Joe Rodman

QCDG.com: You come from a family rich in disc golf experience. How has that background helped you with your own disc golf success?

Avery: Team Jenkins has been considered “The First Family of Disc Golf” and we have been around the sport since the Mid-80’s. Not because we are the first family to all play the game but quite possibly the most successful at what we have done in this sport. Val and I have been considered to be second generation players with our parents being part of the early pioneers of the sport. Our family now holds 8 World Titles, my Mother Sharon with 3 Master’s World Titles, Valarie with 4 World Titles including 3 Women World Titles and 1 Junior World Title. I have 1 World Title thus far and looking for many more Major Wins in the future.

I think that our success can be attributed to our support for one another and our true love of the game. We all are gifted with skill of throwing discs and really enjoy playing competitive sports throughout our lives. I think that our years of experience have really helped in our success in the events that we play. We really also enjoy the camaraderie the sport of Disc Golf provides and of course the traveling to tournaments all around the world.

QCDG.com: Who do you feel has had the greatest influence on your game? Did you have a mentor or someone who you modeled your game after?

Avery: I feel that my family has the greatest influence on my game and have provided tremendous support throughout my Disc Golf career. They are the main reason that I started playing in the very beginning and have taught me a lot about the game throughout the years.

I have lots of mentors that have influenced me and many that I have tried to model my game after. I have added many techniques and other portions of great influential players into my own game. I credit my family – my parents, Leroy and Sharon Jenkins, and my sister, Valarie – and my best friends and mentors – David Feldberg, Nate Doss, Ken Climo, Barry Schultz, Steve Wisecup, Steve Valencia, “Crazy” John Brooks, David Greenwell, Dave Dunipace, Tim Selinske, Sam Ferrans, “Steady” Ed Headrick, Mike Randolph, Dan Ginelly, Cam Todd and Scott Stokley – especially for paving the way and for supporting me over the years through my continued success on and off the course.

QCDG.com: When people think of Avery Jenkins often times they think of big distance. Your longest measured throw came in at 695.5 feet and you’ve won four major distance championships. What do you attribute that success to and what advice would you give to players looking to get extra distance?

Avery: I really think that Distance throwing is a trained skill that slightly varies from throwing long during a round of Disc Golf. I have always been known as one of the longest throwers in the game throughout my career, striving to increase my throwing distance each and every year. I weight train throughout the winter months to help gain strength and flexibility to help increase distance for competitions and for Disc Golf tournaments throughout the season.

I know that I can train to throw farther and have not yet reached a point where I have potentially thrown my furthest shots possible. I plan on training even harder this off season in preparation for the next year’s “Big D in the Desert” Distance competition held just outside Las Vegas.

I attribute my success and ability of throwing far to my body size and strength along with my technique and release timing. Many things contribute to the perfect throwing style and I believe that technique and speed pose to be the most important of all.

The advice that I would give to anyone looking to increase their throwing distance would be gripping the disc with a tight, firm power grip along with developing a great technique that utilizes their strength and timing. I think that throwing is best learned from lots of throwing in the field and repetition of the technique that produces the best results. The technique of Distance throwing is not the easiest thing to explain in writing and is best shown on video or “How To” Disc Golf DVD’s.

QCDG.com: Where do you feel distance off the tee falls in the overall success of your game? What facet of the game do you feel players, especially newer players, should concentrate on to improve their games?

Avery: Distance off the tee alone has brought me into the upper echelon of the sport. I actually build a majority of my game around my ability to throw far for the fact that it sets up everything to follow. Having the ability to throw far greatly increases the scoring opportunities on many of the courses that we play for tournaments. The opportunities are related back to many more chances at scoring along with avoiding possibilities of taking bad scores. So it gives you the chance to improve your score with birdies as well as helping not to worsen with bogeys.

Driving distance is a definite skill that a player needs to acquire in order to play better golf, like I said it sets up everything that is to follow. An errant shot off the tee sets up a bad lie, which sets up a difficult approach, which leads to an upshot left short etc…..But the fact of the matter is that not everyone can throw 500+ and that’s when a player must rely on the accuracy rather then the distance of their drives in order to play better golf. Therefore I believe that new players should really concentrate on improving their overall technique/form and learn the basic of angles/release timing. Accurate and controlled distance is something that is acquired through lots of repetitions and lots of field practice.

QCDG.com: You’ve been known to hit the gym in the off-season. What do you focus on when in the gym and how could a similar program help other players?

Avery: I strongly believe that weight training in the off-season has really taken my game to the next level. I also train throughout the year but tone down the intensity to make sure I don’t alter my technique or form, its all about keeping the proper body tone. Most players need to realize that this is an overall athletic sport and players experience a lot of wear-and–tear throughout a season of throwing. I also see off-season weight training as a way to avoid these elbow and shoulder injuries throughout the season. I take the entire winter months off from throwing to give my body a chance to recover and heal completely before the start of the next season.

I primarily focus on overall body strength but really concentrate on strengthening my shoulders and my core. I do lots of free-weights to strengthen all the major muscle groups of the body but they also do an amazing job of strengthening the smaller stabilizing muscles as well. I also really like using the cable machine at the gym, I think that it offers an ideal exercise that mimics the disc golf throw. This machine adds more distance to my game by building the major muscles such as the triceps and anterior deltoids needed to deliver explosive throwing power. I believe that a well developed and proper strength training program in the off-season can tremendously improve anyone’s golf game.

QCDG.com: What area of your game do you feel is your strongest, what area(s) of your game would you like to concentrate on improving and what steps do you see yourself taking to make those improvements?

Avery: I definitely know that my ability to control long drives off the tee is what separates my game from the rest of the competition. It gives me the ability to score better for the fact that I get lots more chances at birdie and eagle compared to the rest of the field. My accurate approaches are also a strong part of my game due to my experience with throwing and playing catch with a Frisbee a majority of my life. I am a solid putter, but I know that is the area that everyone can always improve on. It’s the main area of every players game, which determines the difference between winning and losing. I know for a fact that putting is the main reason that I have not won a World or US Championship yet.The key to getting better at anything is relentless practice, its something that has to be ingrained as habit and taken as something to train muscle memory. I have been a very consistent player over the past few years, I know that improving my putting will only make me better and more successful.

QCDG.com: When playing a round during a tournament would you consider yourself an aggressive player or more conservative? Could you give an example of when you had to make that decision and most importantly tell us the thought process you went through deciding “go for it” or “play it safe”?

Avery: I am definitely an aggressive player but a way smarter aggressive player then I used to be. It seemed that earlier in my career that I would go at every hole 100%, if I saw the basket I would attack with everything that I had because I knew that I could make the shot. But it didn’t always work out that well even though I knew that I had the skill and ability to pull off any shot.

So I would maybe even consider myself a passive-aggressive player on the course for the fact that I strategically play the hole in the most effective way that I feel possible. I have to constantly remind myself that I don’t have to go at every hole and weight out the risk-reward possibilities to decide if it is worth it to take the chance.

I recall a round at the 2004 Japan Open where I was faced with a 250’ 2nd shot on a long par 4 to a basket perched on a sloping hill. There was an OB bunker located 15’ in front of the basket and an OB cart path 30’ long of the green. It was a situation where I had to decide whether it was worth it to go for this shot during the final round of play. I had to remind myself that this is the game of golf and the risk of going for it greatly outweighed the reward, the stroke that I had a chance at gaining did not equal the 2 strokes that I could possibly lose if I do not make the shot. So I played my next shot short of the bunker for an easy lay-up under the basket for par. In the end, that shot may have allowed to become victorious as the Japan Open Champion as I won the tournament by a single stroke.

QCDG.com: At your level of play you compete against the very best this sport has to offer. What do you feel sets you apart from the others and how does that help you get an edge on your competition?

Avery: I know that my ability to throw long off the tee and my forehand drives definitely separate me from the rest of the competition. Those weapons greatly increase my chance of scoring on lots of courses. It also lets me land lots of safer shots on difficult to reach greens and fairways. Those shots allow me to take more aggressive routes on holes without too much risk involved. I really like to use my power game as a competitive advantage against my competition.

QCDG.com: Mental toughness and focus are very important to success in disc golf. As you’re playing your rounds what do you do to keep in the right frame of mind? Can you tell of a situation where you had to dig deep within yourself using that process to get out of trouble?

Avery: I believe that trust in my ability and skills have been very important during rounds to keep me in the right frame of mind. I trust that I have the shot for any situation and have confidence of throwing the best shots on any hole on the course. Having trust and confidence in your abilities has proven to produce positive outcomes, just knowing that can take you a long way in this sport.

I look back to a recent situation during the World Championships this year when I threw what I believe to be the most clutch shot of my career at the most crucial time. It was during the 5 hole playoff between Josh Anthon and myself which took place on the 4th hole when I was faced with a difficult upshot behind an island of trees. Josh had already thrown his shot under the basket and I was forced to make the shot or lose the Championship. I had to make the decision of throwing a backhand shot uphill around the trees with a left to right crosswind, which had the chance of knocking down my shot. Or throwing the more difficult and longer forehand shot around the lower left side of the trees.

I kept my composure and dug deep within myself to have the confidence make the shot in the most crucial of situations by throwing the forehand out and around using the left to right crosswind to bring the disc to the basket for the par save. That shot alone pushed the playoff to the next and final 5th playoff hole where I made the final putt for the World Championship Title.

QCDG.com: Many players have a “pre-shot” routine they go through before they throw. Do you have one and if so what are you focusing on during that process?

Avery: It took many years to develop my own pre-shot routine, but it is something that has been included in the throwing technique to produce the most consistent results. Every great player has pre-shot routine, it is a signature routine that is individual to each and every player before throwing. It is something that is developed throughout practice that allows the player to get into a comfortable groove and feeling what is needed to throw the shot.

I try to really focus on going through the exact repetitious motions each and every time before throwing a shot. I concentrate on standing up straight and approaching the shot with a slow and controllable cadence that is easily repeated every time. I do the same with putting when I lock down my side to side movement and just concentrate on my arm swing, extension and following through at the end of the putt.

QCDG.com: What was it like for you to break through with your big win at the 2006 Players Cup, and what do you feel you need to do to experience winning at that level consistently?

Avery: I believe that the main reason that I was so successful in winning the 2006 Players Cup was that I was the most mentally prepared for that tournament than any other tournament that entire season. I knew I needed to win that tournament and wanted to win that tournament more than anything. I committed to every shot and putt the entire tournament, I also made very few mistakes and capitalized on every opportunity.

A strong mental game backed up with incredible throwing ability can elevate any player into the higher levels of competitive Disc Golf. But confidence is by far the most important skill to obtain when striving to be the very best.

QCDG.com: As most people know your sister Valarie is a pretty successful disc golfer in her own right, and on many occasions you have paired together to play doubles tournaments. What’s it like playing with your sister at that level and how close to winning a Major doubles event do you feel the two of you are?

Avery: I have had some of the most enjoyable and fun rounds of golf playing with Val. We had placed as high as 4th playing doubles at the World Championships in years past. Unfortunately we have never won any of these doubles events, but I would like to have our chances at an event that is longer then a 2 round one-day tournament for a Major Title.

I feel that we would have a great chance of winning a multiple round tournament in a variety of doubles formats. Val is an incredible all-around player and competitor that complements my power game very well with an on-point short game and very consistent putt in all situations.

QCDG.com: There are many great events on the disc golf tour for professionals, but what’s the one event you would really like to add to your disc golf resume and why?

Avery: When you asked me this question before it would have been the obvious answer of winning a World Title. It has been a life long goal of mine since I was very young and I have always thought of the possibilities of one day becoming the best in the World. I have definitely put in a lot of time and energy throughout the many years of traveling and playing tournaments all over the world. But winning a World Championship has always been the ultimate goal for as long as I have been playing this game. It is the pinnacle of any player’s career and something that I wanted so bad that I was not letting anything come between me achieving my ultimate dream.

QCDG.com: If you were to pick one moment in your disc golf career to date that you feel showed the world who Avery Jenkins is and what he’s capable of what would it be?

Avery: This year’s World Championships is where I felt that I showed the World the true Avery Jenkins and what I am really capable of on the course. I gained control of the tournament during the first round and only gave up the lead once before winning it all in the end. It was the stage that I have been waiting for where I could show that World that I am a true Champion of the game. I really showed my true self on my final putt to win the World Title when I let it all out in a victorious roar as I achieved what I wanted the very most and becoming a Disc Golf World Champion.

Complete QuadCityDiscGolf.com Interview: Avery Jenkins Interview

Disc Golf has a Pro Tour, and Momentum
By Jack McCluskey

LEICESTER, Mass. — In many ways, Avery Jenkins and disc golf have grown up together.

His parents picked up the sport in the ’80s, planned family vacations to places where they could catch a tournament on the weekends and bought disc golf baskets for the backyard. Now Jenkins, 31, is closing in on his 10th year of traveling on the pro disc golf tour, making a living playing the sport.

Jack McCluskey
Instead of using a club, just pull your arm back and let ‘er rip.
“[Most] kids grow up playing basketball in the backyard,” Jenkins said. “I was in the backyard shooting at disc golf baskets.”

This past weekend, Jenkins and his sister, Valarie, were two of 177 pros entered in the Vibram Open, the final stop on the Professional Disc Golf Association National Tour. With a total payout of almost $50,000, the Vibram Open is also one of the richest tournaments in disc golf. As defending champions, Avery and Valarie stood to pocket $2,500 and $1,500, respectively, if they could pull off repeats in Leicester.

So although it was the middle of August, this Christmas tree farm — the Maple Hill course is closed from Thanksgiving to Christmas so that people can cut and cart their own trees — was bustling with activity. With the mercury climbing close to 90 degrees, and the sky high and cloudless, a group of about 20 people gathered at the top of a hill and waited for the clock to strike noon.

Standing on the crest of the hill, backs to the trees lining the road, the spectators watched a red disc zip over rows of still-young pine trees and a green swath of grass sloping down the hill toward a medium-sized, lily-pad-dotted pond. They murmured approvingly as the disc settled softly onto the ground on the far side of the pond, just inside an overgrown, rutted cart path, in a landing zone marked with wood chips.

It was a fine first shot for the man in the lime green shirt, Barry Schultz, who came into the final day of the three-round tournament at an astounding 18 under par. Schultz shot a 49 on the first day of play at the par-62 course, breaking the year-old course record of 51 set by, surprise surprise, Avery Jenkins. And he would go on to win the tournament in a runaway, finishing with a 25-under 161, 7 shots ahead of the rest of the field.

His second shot would take him past the cart path, over more rows of young pines and into some open space lined with wood chips just before the tree-line proper. Past that open space was a square swatch that had been cleared from the full-grown woods and boxed in with planking.

In the center of that swatch stood the pin, complete with a blue cloth flag with a white number 1 on it, flapping in the breeze. The only difference between this and a traditional golf pin is, on the pole hangs a metal basket, and hanging above the basket are a number of metal chains. This is the first disc golf basket, or Pole Hole. And it stood a mere 760 feet away from the tee box.

For Schultz and the other top pros teeing off on the final card at noon, the distance isn’t the hard part. A good driver will take care of the distance. It’s making a good shot, avoiding the rows of trees, setting up a makable putt and, maybe most of all, keeping dry.

After all, this is disc golf. And as Schultz said, holding up a driver disc, “Throw this in the water, you just lost your driver.”

Not your father’s Frisbee
Rules and history
Rules
As its name implies, disc golf pretty closely follows the rules of golf. The object of the game is to throw the disc into the basket in as few throws as possible. Each throw is made from where the disc came to rest on the previous throw; if the previous throw landed out of bounds (in the woods, water or in a snap trap), a penalty will be assessed and the next throw will come from a drop spot. The player with the lowest score wins.

History
There is no exact date, time or place for the first disc golf game. What is certain is that the Frisbee, a federally registered trademark plastic flying disc made by WHAM-O Inc., was developed in 1958. In 1965, George Sappenfeld is credited with holding one of the first Frisbee golf tournaments, in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Eleven years later, Ed Headrick created the Disc Golf Association Company to manufacture discs and other equipment, notably the first target to use chains and a basket, which he trademarked the Disc Pole Hole. That same year, 1976, the Professional Disc Golf Association was formed, and the modern era of disc golf unofficially began.
– Jack McCluskey

Although for many the phrase “disc golf” may conjure up images of long-haired hippies in tie-dyed T-shirts tossing floppy Frisbees off trees or telephone poles, the truth couldn’t be more different.

First of all, there’s a big difference between your father’s Frisbee and the discs used by competitive players. Discs are smaller in diameter and denser in composition, and have different aerodynamics — they fly faster and farther than Frisbees and, thanks to advances in manufacturing techniques, hold their flight characteristics better after impact with a wall or tree or telephone pole.

Although there are hundreds of colors and styles of Frisbees, they all do virtually the same thing in the air. Discs can be made so that they do very different things in the air. Some are sharper, heavier; these are drivers. Some are more rounded, smaller; these are putters.

Next, consider the people throwing the discs. Although there is sure to be some long hair involved and although there may even be some hippies, there also are doctors and lawyers, teachers and plastics engineers, people from all walks of life. And the elite-level players are just that: elite. Don’t think you can stumble out of bed onto a disc golf course and hang with Schultz, Jenkins & Co.

Throwing a Frisbee may be easy, but throwing a disc down a hill, over a stand of trees and a pond and into position to make a second approach shot at a green box set inside the tree line of a woods is not.

And although not all courses are set up like Leicester’s Maple Hill course, the concept is the same. Frisbees are a hobby; disc golf is a sport.

From the ground, through the air … into chains?
Although the majority of the action in a disc golf tourney takes place in the air, the efforts to grow disc golf as a sport are taking place on the ground.

“Disc golf is really a grassroots sport,” said Brian Graham, executive director of the Professional Disc Golf Association, the sport’s international governing body. “It grew up around the world by the hard work of volunteers.”

By and large, volunteers still do the vast majority of the work. The PDGA has only five full-time employees and three consultants, but “hundreds and hundreds of volunteers.”

Need a caddie?
To have a caddie, or not to have a caddie?

Just like traditional golfers, professional disc golfers can have caddies to carry their gear during events. Unlike traditional golf, though, not many pros choose to do so on a regular basis.

If that’s the rule, disc golf professor Dave Feldberg is the exception. “I’m the player who carries the most discs,” Feldberg said. “I carry between 30 and 40 discs. I’m also the only player who consistently has a caddie.”

Feldberg pays his caddies 10 percent of what he wins, which is a lot considering pro disc golfers don’t always win a lot. But Feldberg says it’s worth it, and not just because it’s nice to have someone else carrying the bulk of the weight. “I don’t need advice,” Feldberg said. “I just need someone to rattle ideas off of. Someone to pump me up or calm me down.”

Avery Jenkins, the 2009 world champion, said Feldberg, a good friend, carries way more than anyone in the pro ranks. “I can make just about any disc do what I want,” Jenkins said. “So I only carry 20 to 22 discs.”

Jenkins said he generally doesn’t use a caddie but admitted that sometimes it’s nice to have one. “I carried my own the entire world championships until the final holes, then I had my dad carry them for me,” Jenkins said. It probably didn’t hurt that his father has played disc golf himself since the ’80s.

Even in a singular sport, sometimes it’s nice to have someone carrying part of the burden — and sharing in the spoils.
– Jack McCluskey

“We have 40,000 lifetime members in 28 countries,” Graham said. “Just about anywhere you go in the country where there’s a course or a tournament, there are PDGA members and disc players willing to help.”

Although the PDGA has been around since 1976, and disc golf itself has been around since long before that (although no one is sure exactly when or where the first disc golf game occurred), Graham says there’s still room to grow.

When the PDGA was founded, there was one dedicated disc golf course in the world. By 1980, there were 60. By 2008, the most recent year for which data is available, there were 2,748. In 2007, there were 11,943 PDGA members. A year later, that number had increased almost 9 percent to 12,980. The PDGA Tour has grown at an even higher rate, with events jumping 16.7 percent from 852 in ‘07 to 994 in ‘08, and total purses increasing from $1.7 million in ‘07 to just more than $2 million in ‘08.

But all that growth didn’t happen overnight. There have been delays and missteps along the way.

“We kinda made the same mistake that soccer did,” Graham said. “We started with a top-down approach.” Much like the North American Soccer League’s New York Cosmos trying to sell Americans on the game by signing Pelé back in the 1970s, disc golf tried to market its pros before it was even sure anyone would want to watch them.

“There was a pro tour before people even knew what disc golf was,” Graham said.

So now Graham and the PDGA are taking disc golf to schools. A pro disc golfer named Jay “Yeti” Reading explained one such initiative, called Educational Disc Golf Experience, or E.D.G.E.

“It’s a complete curriculum for Grades 3 through 12,” Yeti said at the Vibram Open, where he won the putting contest. “We give you everything you need to learn the techniques and play the game.

“We’re impacting an amazing number of kids right now. Our country is battling an epidemic of childhood obesity, and we think disc golf is a lifetime activity that can help kids develop a healthy lifestyle.”

After the tournament was over, Yeti, who has played disc golf professionally for the past 10 years, was flying to Texas to introduce the sport to 50,000 more schoolkids.

And, it’s possible that a student who learns about disc golf from Yeti in Texas goes to college and studies the sport with one of the top players in the world. That’s because Dave Feldberg, a former world champion and still a topflight disc golfer, teaches a for-credit class on disc golf at the University of Oregon.

“Disc golf is golf for the next generation,” Feldberg said a day after finishing tied for sixth at the Vibram Open, shooting an 11-under 175, for which he received a check for $862. “It takes less time, less money, less land, less stress. Today’s athlete? They’re not wanting to put on dress slacks and traditional golf gear to go enjoy themselves with their buddies.”

“I was like a catfish, dude, swallowed it whole”
Billy Crump is nothing if not a salesman.

“I drove 15 hours one way to be here,” Crump said. “I’m not getting paid. Just to talk, because it had to be done.”

Crump is providing live blow-by-blow coverage of the tournament via webcast on the Open’s Web site. “I’ll talk for five and a half hours straight,” Crump said. When he introduced himself, Crump said, “I’m the Nature Boy, and I can talk.”

Jack McCluskey
Looks like a tricky shot, doesn’t it?
Nature Boy’s story is a familiar one among the disc golf community. Some friends dragged him to a disc golf course several years ago, and he promptly failed miserably and declared the game “the stupidest thing I’ve seen in my life.” Then he went back and played again and, as he put it, “I was like a catfish, dude, swallowed it whole.”

His pro career, to hear him tell it, was not exactly a huge financial success. His first year on tour, he made $200 and kept at it only because the guys he was traveling with were doing significantly better. They made sure he had enough to eat and enough for the entry fee to that weekend’s tournament.

“I always said, ‘One day I’ll quit playing and just cover you guys,’” Crump said, adding proudly, “I’ve been called the Jim Nantz of disc golf.”

Although he doesn’t seem to have an official title or position with the PDGA, Crump acts as a one-man promotional department. He is a broadcaster, producer, ad salesman, marketing consultant and media director. “We all say we’re on the precipice,” Crump said, hoping this latest shove will push disc golf off the cliff and into the mainstream.

He’s not the only one selling the sport, however. Not by a long shot.

“We all say, ‘It’s gonna be huge in three to five years,’” Avery Jenkins said. “We’ve been saying that for years.”

Vibram Open tournament director Steve Dodge said the disc golf community has debated what to call the kind of golf they play in the PGA. “I think we settled on ‘conventional,’ but you know that only works if ball golf is more popular,” Dodge said. “Who’s to say in 20 years this isn’t conventional golf?”

Disc golf’s Golden Bear
Ken Climo is to disc golf what Jack Nicklaus is to traditional ball golf.

“When people try to compare me to Tiger, I say, ‘Tiger hasn’t broken the records yet,’” Climo, 41, said by phone from his home in Clearwater, Fla. “I think I’m the Jack. I’ve got the records, and somebody’s gotta come get ‘em.”

The records Climo was referring to include total tour wins (he has 220 and counting) and world championships (12, including nine in a row from 1990 to 1998). He also might own the record for reverential references by contemporaries and competitors.

Jenkins, who won the 2009 world championship in Kansas City earlier this month, said he grew up idolizing Climo. Dave Feldberg was in awe of Climo’s accomplishments, noting that no one is even close to Climo in total majors; Feldberg said he and Barry Schultz are probably closest at five apiece. Crump called him “a living legend” and pointed out a picture of Climo throwing a disc on the side of an Innova Disc Golf van parked at the Vibram Open.

Video game disc golf
Disc golfers rejoice! EA Sports has added a disc golf feature to the Nintendo Wii version of “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10.”

“Welcome to Disc Golf!” the demo screen on the EA Sports Web site reads, above a computer rendering of a blue disc with “EA Sports driver” written on it. “Are you ready to play one of the fastest growing sports in America?! Disc Golf is very similar to regular golf. The goal is to get the disc in the basket in the least amount of throws. Play on all courses. Have fun!”

Using all the courses from the normal game, players will be able to play the courses using discs instead of clubs and balls. Legendary disc golfer Ken Climo says it’s an exciting advance for the sport. “You can play Pebble Beach with a disc,” Climo said. “That’s gonna give our sport a lot of exposure.”

Will being featured in Tiger’s newest video game be the push disc golf needs to hit the mainstream? Not so fast. After all, the disc golf option is on only one video game console. “It’s baby steps,” Climo continued. “It’s gonna come, it’s just gonna take a while. Ball golf is 400 years old, that’s what I keep telling people. As a sport, disc golf is just more than 30 years old, that’s not very old. We’re basically just coming out of our adolescence.”

If adolescents with Wiis buy enough copies of “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10″ and play enough of the disc golf option, maybe the sport will enjoy another growth spurt. Only time will tell.
– Jack McCluskey

Other pros have sponsors, but Climo has his own line of discs. That didn’t come easily, though. Climo didn’t get his current deal with Innova until after he’d won his seventh straight world championship.

“I don’t know what took them so long,” he said, then laughed.

Under the terms of the deal, Climo gets a quarter per disc sold in addition to a monthly paycheck. “It started out at a little less than $1,000 a month, maybe a little over $1,000 in the summertime when sales are good,” Climo said. “Now I’ll get checks for around $4,000 a month in the summertime.”

Although that might not sound like much, it’s more than any pro disc golfer has gotten before. For the most part, sponsors still are making deals with players mostly for merchandise. They are small companies such as bottled-water distributor Brazilian Springs — a proud sponsor of the Vibram Open.

“For the most part, we’ve been successful on the regional level,” said Graham, the PDGA executive director. “Though we do have one large company interested in us, asking lots of questions.”

The one-man disc golf salesman extraordinaire, Crump said he’s been told “no” by more companies than he can remember. But, like most things in disc golf, there has been gradual progress.

“Our sport is where traditional golf was in the ’30s and ’40s,” Graham said. “Those guys lived out of the trunks of their cars, driving from tournament to tournament and barely making it.”

It wasn’t always possible to make a living playing disc golf.

In the beginning of his career, Climo built houses during the week and won tournaments on the weekend. Graham was a civil engineering designer for 23 years before being hired as PDGA executive director in 2007. Schultz was a plastics engineer back home in Wisconsin before he went pro full time. Sarah Stanhope, who won the women’s division at the Vibram Open with a 9-over 191, is a high school science teacher in Greenville, S.C.

But the success of pros such as Climo has helped pave the way for players such as Avery and Valarie Jenkins, Feldberg and Schultz to make a living off disc golf.

“We’re playing for more money. There are more sponsors,” Avery Jenkins said. “When I started traveling in 2001, we were in a ‘71 Winnebago that got five miles to the gallon. We were making just enough to get from weekend to weekend.

“Now we’re not fretting about making it to the next weekend.”

Valarie agreed: “We’re not buying houses or nice cars, but it gets us along.” The Jenkinses have traded up from the Winnebago to a Ford Tioga motor home, complete with three beds, air conditioning and even a flat-screen TV hooked up to an Xbox and a Nintendo Wii.

“Now we get about double [the mileage], 10 miles a gallon,” Jenkins said.

To hear most members of the disc golf community tell it, someday soon they’ll be doubled in number. After all, they’re right there on the precipice. All they need is that final push, one more toss. Then disc golf will really be airborne.

Jack McCluskey is an editor at ESPN.com.

Check out the entire Article on ESPN.com – Disc Golf has a Pro Tour, and Momentum

Avery and Valarie Jenkins came to DGU with a desire to compete against one another fairly. This season Avery and Val will compete head-to-head through the use of the DGU Handicapping system to see who can best the other.

Think YOU can take ‘em? Log in and find out! After each event, just click on the course name to see your projected score for the course being played.

Battle Jenkins – Avery vs. Val

Backhand Grips

Mid-ranges/Putters – Modified Fan Grip

The Modified Fan Grip is mainly used on Mid-Range Drivers and Putters due to the increased depth and rim height on the under side of these discs. This grip provides a firm and more secure handling of the disc as compared to the Power Grip because it allows your fingers to spread out along the bottom side of the flight plate. The Power Grip is rarely used on deep-dish Mid-Range discs or Putters because it creates a loose grip on the disc in the hand, greatly reducing accuracy and control on throws.

I use the Modified Fan Grip because it allows me to have more of my hand on the disc at all times while providing more control with the fingers on the underside of the flight plate. At the same time, this grip produces a cleaner release out of the hand with less wobble and finger drag due to the fingers not being curled up underneath on the rim. With the fingers not putting pressure directly on the rim, the disc is able to release out of the hand without the timing issue of uncurling the fingers before the throw.

The Modified Fan Grip is very basic, I place the disc on the mid-line palm of my hand, wrapping the fingers around the underside of the disc and positioning my thumb on the top of the ridge where the rim meets the top flight plate of the disc. The heel of my palm is raised off the top of the disc to reduce drag and to increase the speed of release. This time, instead of curling the fingers around the rim, I just slide the fingers back allowing them to spread across the under side of the flight plate providing more stability in the handling the disc before release. Remember, when throwing those approaches or short drives with Mid-Range discs or Putters, accuracy becomes critical and this grip will help immensely.

See photos for grip examples:

Drivers– Power Grip

The grip that is used to start almost every hole in golf is the grip you use with your driver to get maximum distance with control. The standard grip used by many of the World’s best players is the “Power Grip”. Using the Power Grip on a driver allows the thrower to generate more rotational spin when compared to the variety of other grips used. This grip provides a more secure handling of the disc that really keeps the disc firmly in the palm of your hand. The benefit of this is that it does not allow the disc to slip out of your hand, greatly reducing the chance of ERS (Early Release Syndrome) and mis-throws.

I first started using the Power Grip when throwing rollers because it allowed me to produce a more powerful ripping of the disc while pulling the driver down to a roller angle. It made sense to do this since I was gripping the disc harder and that allowed me to be able to throw the disc harder as well. This grip was then transitioned to all my backhand driver shots due to the increased velocity that was generated which then translated to more distance off the tee.

The mechanics of the Power Grip are simple. I place the disc on the mid-line palm of my hand, wrapping fingers around the under side of the disc and positioning my thumb on the top of the ridge where the rim meets the top flight plate of the disc. The heel of my palm is raised off the top of the disc to reduce drag and to increase the speed of release. The fingers are then tucked and curled on the bottom rim, the index finger (first) and the little finger (fourth) pads of the fingers lay flat against the rim with the middle finger (second) and ring (third) fingers being slightly curled so that the tips of the fingers are touching the inside rim of the disc. The reason the middle two fingers are curled is that they are slightly longer then the others.

See photos for grip examples:

Forehand/Sidearm Grips

Midrange/Putters – Standard Sidearm grip

The Standard/Traditional Sidearm Grip is used by many of the games top Pros for short upshots or save shots around obstacles on the course. This grip allows the player to produce a shot with fine touch and accurate upshots that finish with the opposite fade as compared to the backhand. So if the player is right-handed, their sidearm shot will finish to the right. I say fine touch or accurate upshots because it takes a smooth, controllable release of these discs to produce a successful shot.

I started shorter range forehand shots with Mid-Range and Putter Discs well before progressively stepping up a level throwing sidearm for Driver shots. It is important to learn the angles of release and timing of the shot to get the feel on how you want to release the disc and how you intend the disc to fly. This grip is a must know for players wanting to take their game to the next level.

The grip is unique for the fact that the disc is resting in the throwing hand to that same side of your body with the index and middle finger placed on the underside of the disc with the thumb positioned on the top of the ridge where the rim meets the flight plate. The disc is tucked back in the hand and fitted into the webbing of the hand between the thumb and index finger. The index and middle fingers are extended and positioned to where the pad of the middle finger rests against the inside rim. The index finger lies next to the middle finger and is used to support the angle of the disc from the underside of the disc. The Ring and Little finger are extended and rest on the front edge of the disc, they remain there for support and are bent out of the way right before the disc is released.

See photos for grip examples:

Drivers – Sidearm Power Grip

The Forehand/Sidearm Power Grip is a modification of the traditional sidearm grip but offers a more firm and secure handling of the disc. The major difference is the positioning of the index (pointer) finger placed behind the middle finger instead of in front of it on the underside of the disc with the pad of the middle finger placed on the inside rim. The middle finger is the major component in this grip as the disc will push off and release only from that finger during the throw.

I started to use this Forehand Power Grip after watching the best forehand thrower in the game, Scott Stokley, just throwing some sidearm bombs on the course. I mainly use this grip because it allows me to throw the disc farther and with more control due to this tighter grip on the disc while throwing forehand shots. As with the backhand Power Grip, I am able to grip the disc a lot harder, therefore being able to throw it harder as well.

The grip closely resembles the traditional forehand grip as the disc is held in the throwing hand to the same side of the body with the index and middle finger placed on the underside of the disc with the thumb positioned on the top of the ridge where the rim meets the flight plate. The disc is tucked back in the hand and fitted into the webbing of the hand between the thumb and index finger. The Middle finger is extended and positioned to where the pad of the finger rests against the inside rim. The index finger is bent and placed behind the middle finger, and positioned to where the pad of the finger rests against the rim as well. The index finger provides a more secure grip and helps add more rotation to the disc when thrown. The Ring and Little finger are extended and rest on the front edge of the disc, they remain there for support and are bent out of the way right before the disc is released.

See photos for grip examples: