🎬 Preseason starts now

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The only newsletter whose seasonal depression improved this week. The last pre-5pm sunset is over.

Let’s get into it.

Email Read Time: 5 Minutes & 44 Seconds

NEWS
Contracts Watch

Alright, I lied. Contracts Watch wasn’t actually over last week, but I promise this is the last of it.

We’re weeks away from the Tour starting in Florida, and the last bit of stragglers have announced. For those who haven’t, it’s safe to say they re-signed with the same company (looking at you Paige Pierce) or are moving to an open bag.

🚨 NEW 🚨

Niklas Anttila (Discmania → Discmania, 4YR)

3 weeks ago, Anttila posted what looked like his departure. He thanked Discmania for 6 great seasons, and that he was turning “a new page in [his] career.”

After weeks of anticipation and almost every other free agent announcement, he revealed his promotion to Discmania’s highest team. This marketing stunt had been in the works since mid-December (The Upshot).

And while he was hoping for many to react like this…

It was more like this…

Out of the announcement came some vague but juicy details. He’s getting:

• A Creator Series mold. It’s Discmania’s way of giving their pros a lineup but 1 disc at a time

• His own foundation called the Nordic Phenom Academy. Like Wysocki’s & McBeth’s, this effort will donate equipment to ~1k juniors

• His face plastered across Tampere, Finland as 2025 Worlds approaches

• ~€1m over the span of the 4 years

Team DGA

In some late movement, DGA revealed their sneaky stacked team. It’s filled with young up-and-comers that could pop off at any time.

• Parker Welck (Prodigy → DGA, 1YR)

• Sullivan Tipton, Evan Scott, Jake Monn (Discraft → DGA, 1YR)

• Macie Velediaz (DD → DGA, 1YR)

• Eliezra Midtlyng (DGA, 1YR) - At 16 years old, Midtlyng is a sign of what’s to come for the blossoming FPO field. Her BH form is nothing short of explosive and already making the list of top power throwers

MOVES MADE (excluding re-signings)

• Eagle McMahon (Discmania → MVP, 5YR)

• Gannon Buhr (Prodigy → Discmania, 3YR)

• Alden Harris (Prodigy → Discmania, 2YR)

• Lisa Fajkus (Lone Star → Open Bag)

• Chris Clemons & Hanna Huynh (Trilogy → Discraft, 1YR)

• Gavin Rathbun (DD → Open Bag)

• Ali Smith, Chandler Fry, Lykke Lorentzen (TSA/Infinite, 1YR)

• Paul Krans (Discmania → MVP, 1YR)

• Silva Saarinen (Open Bag → MVP, 1YR)

• Tristan Tanner (Latitude64 → DGA, 1YR)

• Emerson Keith (Lone Star → Innova, 1YR)

• Connor O’Reilly (Latitude64 → Lone Star, 1YR)

• Carter Ahrens (DD → Lone Star, 1YR)

TOUR COVERAGE
Preseason Starts Now 

Now that Contract Season is over, we can focus on actual disc golf. There’s no official preseason, but A-Tiers are ramping up and touring pros are too.

Since we’re all desperate for some action, here’s what happened over the weekend and what’s coming up:

SHELLY SHARPE MEMORIAL - 🏆PARKER WELCK & OHN SCOGGINS

While not the most exciting course, Vista Del Camino and “Shelly” are iconic to AZ and the January pro scene. It always features shorts-and-t-shirt weather with Terry Miller “The DG Guy” pushing out next-day coverage.

Here are the major takeaways:

1/ The defending champ - Andrew Marwede - made the smart decision to DNF after 8 holes. He had a back spasm the day before

2/ After almost 7 months of not competing, Drew Gibson still mostly has it. He’s nearly 100% after his elbow surgery

3/ AB and Gossage are still suffering from their past. One has a hard time closing while the other can’t nail down his putt

4/ Scoggins still got the dog in her. This is her 4th-straight win in AZ

5/ Switching sponsors isn’t as hard as it seems… at least for the champ - Parker Welck. After a week with his new discs, he averaged a 1050 rating and now has back-to-back wins at this course

But even after this great start, Welck has big plans this year.

ASIA OPEN - 🥇MANABU KAJIYAMA (-56) 🥈JACKY CHEN (-53) 🥉PHILO BRATHWAITE (-52)

Despite a “perfect” 1st round by Taiwanese McBeth Jacky Chen, Manabu Kajiyama took down this title for the 3rd time. He may no longer be the highest-rated player in the world, but he’s still him on that continent.

UPCOMING THIS WEEKEND

The 11th Annual Maricopa Open (Maricopa, AZ) will feature the same group of Discraft and DGA guys from “Shelly”. AB looks to defend his title as Welck wants to stack up wins. The DG Guy will have coverage on his channel.

The MX Disc Golf Championships (San Luis Potosí, Mexico) will be the country’s first-ever A-Tier. KJ USA, Tall Paul Oman, & Luke Humphries are making the trek. GK Pro will capture KJ’s attempt at defending his 2023 title.

The Taupō Classic (Taupō, New Zealand) will be the 1st of 4 events in the Tour Down Under. This mini-regional tour has been gaining traction with brand partnerships (Idio Shoes & GK Pro) and notable pros.

Corey Ellis, Juliana Korver, Luke Humphries, Sullivan Tipton, and others are trading winter for a beautiful New Zealand summer. Most of the events will feature OTB Skins as well as post-coverage.

POWERED BY POWERGRIP USA
Fresh Decks

👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: Brixton’s 2023 Discards Set
Jump into the time machine with a new spin on the latest trend.

Inspired by OG frisbee cards of the 90s, Brixton created a 40-card deck featuring the biggest names today. Each pack has the same cards including Paul McBeth, Eagle McMahon, & Kristin Tattar in their Brixton debut.

Dive into some new nostalgia with Powergrip USA! These decks are limited to 5 per customer and won’t be available for long.

QUICK HITS
Random Triples

1️⃣ It’s long been said that a disc-throwing machine needs to be created. If it could emulate a real throw, then the entire flight number system would be revolutionized.

Attempts have been made in the past, and we’re one step closer now. The channel “We Make Machines” created a mini-throwing machine that can almost regulate spin, nose angle, and wobble.

It also launches minis into a full S-curve flight of 816 ft.

The mastermind behind this machine - Mark Peters - said they’re working on a full-size version. It’ll throw at normal speeds with consistency to finally test different plastics, weights, domes, and runs.

2️⃣ Cold plunging and breathing methods are all the rage in the off-season. But what if there was a way to skip the uncomfortableness and jump straight to progress?

On the Basket Case pod, Ron Convers Jr. (3x Masters World Champ) recommends you cold plunge your putting stroke instead. If your putt escapes you randomly, switch from your normal putter to a very OS putter (like a Sockibomb Slammer) and “short circuit” your stroke.

It’ll force you to break out of your normal routine and focus on the release, spin, and angle. Then you can go back to your normal putter with a clearer mind.

3️⃣ In a surprising move, Kristin Tattar added another sponsor to her now lengthy list: Paf Online Casino. It’s a gambling company from the Åland Islands just off of Finland.

They sponsor several Estonian Olympians and wanted to get in on Tattar’s growing status. For years now, disc golf can be bet on in her home country of Estonia.

Meme of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and play this week!

- Charlie