🎊 Silly Season continues

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The only newsletter whose New Year’s Resolution is to break past 500’ of internet distance.

Let’s get into it.

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NEWS
Contracts Watch

The NYE ball dropped and it’s officially 2024, but the Silly Season is far from over. Even with the Tour starting next month, many are still yet to announce their new sponsors.

It’s moving month. Here’s everything so far:

🚨 NEW 🚨

Team Innova

As always, Innova put in work as we were nursing our hangovers. On Jan 1st, they announced everyone on their Star & Champion teams.

There were only a few who had their contracts up, but all of them re-signed: Hailey King, Juliana Korver, Philo Brathwaite, Bradley Williams (promoted, 3YR), & Jessica Weese (promoted).

The one new name added to their large team is Emerson Keith. After a single season and a Tour win with Lone Star, EmerDaddy found himself a new home.

While Innova’s team seems finalized, there’s still a chance they’re holding off a big announcement. We won’t know until McMahon or Buhr reveal themselves.

Lykke Lorentzen (Prodigy → Thought Space Athletics/Infinite, 4YRS/1YR)

She now has the best of all worlds. Lorentzen can throw her old Prodigy go-to’s, Bradley Williams’s Innova discs, and any other manufacturer she wants.

AWAITING ANNOUNCEMENT

Gannon Buhr (Left Prodigy)

He’s officially left Prodigy again. Despite all the turmoil from the 1st time, they separated on good terms with a touching farewell and Buhr’s hostage video.

In that he breathed new life into the guessing game: Where’s he going? At this point, everything’s on the table. He’s even got people suggesting an Infinite/open bag deal as he bids on Prodigy collectors’ pages.

Alden Harris (Left Prodigy)

Along with his BFF, Harris is foregoing an extension with Prodigy. But the question remains if they’ll head to the same sponsor.

Speculation points to Discmania for the pair to reunite with their other best bud - Gavin Babcock. Maybe they’ll get the gang back together…

If so, Discmania should have the cash to do it. They just sold a prototype disc (1 of 10) on eBay for a small markup.

Niklas Anttila (Left Discmania)

This announcement was a bit surprising. Many expected him to stay signed, especially with McMahon’s future cloudy.

But currently, Anttila is the best European MPO and likely landed a decent new contract. It’s at least big enough to warrant his latest BMW purchase.

Parker Welck (Left Prodigy) & Tristan Tanner (Left Latitude64)

Both these free agents have been spending time with the AZ off-season crew (Ezra Aderhold, AB, Aaron Gossage). And allegedly, both have been spotted tossing around some Discraft or DGA plastic.

Everyone else:

• Macie Velediaz, Chris Clemons (Left DD)

• Hanna Huynh (Left Westside)

• Sullivan Tipton, Chandler Fry (Left Discraft)

• Jake Hebenheimer (Left Latitude64)

• Lisa Fajkus, Candler Kramer (Left Lone Star)

• Ali Smith (Left DGA)

MOVES MADE

• Gavin Babcock (Discmania, 2YR Extension)

• Lauri Lehtinen, Jakub Semerád, Rebecca Cox (Latitude64, 1YR Extensions)

• Andrew Fish, Ben Callaway, Andrew Presnell, Paige Shue, Alexis Mandujano (Discraft, 1YR Extensions)

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

• Robert Burridge, Leah Tsinajinnie, Deann & AJ Carey (Lone Star, 1YR Extensions)

• Casey White (Discmania, 1YR Extension)

• Matty O (Westside, 4YR Extension)

• Carter Ahrens (DD → Lone Star, 1YR)

• James Proctor (TSA, 1YR Extension)

POWERED BY POWERGRIP USA
Fresh Threads

👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: PG USA Merch
Last week, your cousin had the right intentions with their Franklin Discs gift, but now it’s time to get yourself something useful.

Powergrip USA just got some of their new apparel in. They have high-quality hoodies and tees available in 2 colors and designs.

1. They call themselves “A pretty good disc golf shop,” so why not join them with a pretty good hoodie?

2. Everyone can relate to wanting to taco a disc. Express yourself with their clean Taco’d Disc logo.

Look good, feel good, and play good with Powergrip USA!
P.S. They’re running free shipping on any and all orders through 1/7.

QUICK HITS
Random Triples

1️⃣ After a long fieldwork session, your body is feeling it the next day. But typically, you’re sore in muscles you wouldn’t expect.

Joonas Merelä - the coach of Finland’s National Team - did a study on muscle activity during a BH throw. He proved that your right oblique muscles have about 50% more activity than your legs or left side.

In the max power throw on the left, you can see how the thrower’s right side highlights red throughout the brace and follow-through. While your legs are important, your torso gets hit hard too.

The takeaway: Work out your core not just the tree trunks you call legs.

2️⃣ For all you visual learners, CustomCourseMaps.com did the work to show how the pine beetle infestation has impacted the International Disc Golf Center.

The forced tree removal has affected about half of the beloved WR Jackson course. While the clearing is nearly complete, there’s still lots of work left to redesign a championship-level course.

The next time this Appling, GA property will be on Tour won’t be until the 2025 Champions Cup.

3️⃣ Gannon Buhr weighed in on the age-old question of choosing between domey vs. flat. While flat discs can feel nice in the hand (especially for FH), there are more benefits to throwing slightly domey discs.

• They’ll fly in a tighter line (i.e. the disc won’t drift as far left or right)

• Neutral, flat discs tend to flip quickly and fade more aggressively

• Those characteristics make slightly domey discs better in the wind and for hyzer-flips

With that in mind, don’t go throwing away your flat MVP fairways and drivers. Instead, rethink different slots in your bag and test out that tournament-stamped Teebird gathering dust on the rack.

Meme of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and follow through with your resolutions… or don’t!

- Charlie