🥏 The game is evolving

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The only newsletter where it’s always better to be lucky than good.

Let’s get into it.

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DISCUSSION
How to Win on Tour

Before the season started, Big Jerm was asked that very question. Here are his Champion must-haves:

1. Accurate 500ft BH that finishes left, right, or straight

2. A reliable 450ft FH

3. Mid-range touch to 375ft

4. Putting 60% from 50ft, 80% from 40ft, and 95% from 30ft

Depending on the week, some attributes get stressed more than others. But more often than not, it’s #1 & 2 that are becoming the limiting factors.

It’s no secret that the game is getting longer. The recent LACO course was 3,000ft longer than The bEast and demanded +400ft water carries and landing zones.

These revelations of minimum “tour distance” saw criticism mixed with acceptance.

So why’s this happening? The game has evolved. We’re transitioning out of the era where courses were designed for slower discs and the average pro.

No longer can the Tour play on “normal” courses that you and I do. They have to test the best, create excitement, and house spectators.

Along with size, the field’s abilities have grown making it harder to create scoring separation. Hate it or love it, change is inevitable, and pros are adapting.

Now, this doesn’t mean every stop will get longer. Favorites like Maple Hill, Smugglers’ Notch, and The bEast are here to stay.

But distance will continue crawling up and newer courses like Olympus & Northwood will find a way to challenge it with more trees. That’s the right direction that the Tour is headed.

TOUR COVERAGE
The Open at Austin

PREVIEW (3/15-17)

Just a 1.5-hour drive from Waco, the 2nd of 4 stops in the TX Swing meets the thriving hub of Austin. Not only is this a top disc golf city, but it also has the SXSW Festival just down the street.

This event is in its 2nd year on Tour and features the Harvey Penick Golf Campus. While it’s the same property, the layout is almost completely different with only a few old holes.

This major overhaul came as a result of the not-so-positive feedback from the players. The original design attempted to force placement golf while using unorthodox mandos, hazards, and OB lines.

Notably, the over-the-top grenade hole was taken out. In Round 2, this was made famous by Eagle McMahon when he approached the green by nailing Gatekeeper’s catch cam in the head.

LAST YEAR RECAP

MPO/ The end of this event caused the parity conversation to bubble up which continues today. Buhr clutched a win with birdies on the final 2 holes which were the hardest all event.

His finish capped off back-to-back weekends of chase card winners which only continued as the season went on. This was Buhr’s 3rd Tour win and now, he’s up to 8.

FPO/ Ending a year-long dry spell, Pierce had fun on the way to her win through great accuracy and putting. It was the 1st time ever that Kristin Tattar missed the podium (5th) at an Elite, and it would become her 2nd worst finish all season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

After 6 months off to navigate an injury and the birth of his son, Paul McBeth has started the season with finishes at 52nd and 64th. But as requested by the man himself, we’re holding our judgment until after this weekend.

Washed Watch is officially on. After Tuesday’s ratings update, McBeth dropped by 12 points from 1049 to 1037. It’s been 10 years since his rating was under 1040.

Clearly, the GOAT isn’t washed at this unique stage of his career. But until he’s 100% physically and mentally (if ever), then as he put it, “it’s free game” to judge him.

Also battling injury is Calvin Heimburg. He’s still on the registration list and plans to avoid FHs due to his elbow. Can he remain competitive in this state?

POWERED BY INFINITE DISCS
Good Luck Charms

It’s Pi Day - 3.14! You know, that irrational number that keeps our world going round. For those who celebrate, Infinite has a special drop just for you.

On various molds, this stamp will remind you of the 100+ digits you’ve forgotten since grade school. Shop the once-a-year stamp here!

And if you’re in more of an Irish spirit, then Infinite’s got something for you too. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with 4-Leaf Clover and “This is my Lucky Disc” stamps.

You wouldn’t want to be caught without one, as it’s always better to be lucky than good. Snag some festive flair for your bag with Infinite Discs here!

QUICK HITS
Random Dubs

1️⃣ Meet Brian Shultz. He played 939 unique courses last year.

• Started in March 2023

• Only 1 course was less than 18 holes

• Using savings and frugal habits, he was mostly unemployed

• Collected ~600 of the courses from OCT-DEC

• Hopes to be recognized by Guinness with an Official World Record

The takeaway: all you need is yourself and a dream. Read the 10-minute article on UDisc’s Blog.

2️⃣ It’s been a bumpy rollout for the PDGA Live scoring & stats. Even so, they’ve been improving with more tweaks coming down the pipeline.

But the one thing that will never come back is the fan-favorite Grip6 Pick6. It was a quick, simple way to be involved with the chance of winning a prize.

Thankfully, the Staggered Stance podcast created an alternative - Pop, Drop, Lock.

Like its predecessor, the rules are simple:

• Pick 3 MPO and 3 FPO

• Assign each to the 3 categories: Pop, Drop, Lock

• Points are based on over-performances, under-performances, and wins

• Submit your picks before 7AM ET the day of the event start

Even if you don’t listen to their podcast, you can still fill the Pick6 void for free. Get in quick, cause they’re already at 600 users and will probably cap it at 2,000.

Meme of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and have fun this weekend!

- Charlie