🦾 The Tommy John of disc golf

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The only newsletter that’s known as the frisbee golf guy at the office holiday party.

Let’s get into it.

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NEWS
THE Disc Golf Injury

There’s a new villain on Tour and its name doesn’t rhyme with Likko Nocastro. Shoulder labrum tears keep popping up, and this cartilage injury claimed its latest victim - Paul McBeth.

Last week, the 6x World Champ was on The Upshot giving several updates on his elongated off-season. Since his 13th-place finish at Worlds, McBeth has not competed.

This stems from a tear that emerged at the European Open that ultimately forced him to DNF. Afterward, he attempted rehab to prepare for Worlds and continue his decade-long top-2 streak that would come to an end.

Labrum tears are commonly caused by overuse or dislocation. While some can be managed with physical therapy, there are severe cases where surgery may be required.

As for McBeth, rehab hasn’t worked, so he’s opting to get stem cells injected into his right shoulder in Austin, TX. Now for those paying attention, this sounds eerily like another tear victim - Eagle McMahon.

Since last off-season, the Crush Boy has nursed his injury with mild success. But while McMahon had a decent year (2 Silvers wins & 5th in DGPT points), he chose to get the surgery right after the season ended.

Now post surgery, McMahon’s outlook is promising but still hazy. While he believes he’ll be ready, he’s still toying with the idea of throwing lefty at All-Stars.

As for another labrum data point, Gavin Rathbun cut his 2021 short to go under the knife. It took him 8 months to return to Tour, and since then, he finished 59th in DGPT points.

The bottom line: Torn labrums and season-ending surgeries will not remain uncommon. Even McBeth left the option open for the surgery mid-season if his injections don’t work.

Either way, time will tell. McMahon could come back better than ever, and the GOAT can still have a lengthy career filled with even more success.

UP YOUR GAME
Another Tool to Your Toolbox

You know how the saying goes… You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Well, I’m here to tell you that doesn’t exist in our young sport.

A new DGN show hosted by Brian Earhart debuted last week. It’s called “Catch” and watches like a video podcast of pros being interviewed.

The 1st episode features Gannon Buhr eating churros, telling stories, and playing catch. Buried in the 30-minute interview was this gem on an obscure throwing method - the Grenade.

Typically used for getting up and over tall obstacles, a grenade isn’t very popular due to its awkward grip and required power.

But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be practiced and added to your arsenal. Kevin Jones is widely known for his use of it on Tour and grenaded his way to one of the most impossible aces ever.

So if you avoid throwing a grenade at all costs, then Buhr has a different approach. With the disc upside down, instead of typically tucking your thumb, use a standard FH grip and flick the wrist.

It may seem awkward at first, but it feels more natural than it appears. Unlike KJ USA’s grenade, this method is purely meant to go up and over - not far.

It turns out that the sun shines on a dog’s ass every once in a while. And this is your moment to shine, so add this new tool to your toolbox.

Pro tip: Throw it higher than you think, and only use it for 200ft and in approaches.

POWERED BY POWERGRIP USA
Fresh Plastic

👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: Discmania S-Line MD5 (5|3|0|4)
Last week, this beefcake joined Discmania’s stock lineup in S-Line plastic.

Here are some of our quick-hitting first impressions:

• Its low profile, flat top, and beadless rim will make you understand what “feels good in the hand” actually means

• Besides being perfect for upshots and FHs, this mold is workable off the tee

• You’ll find it has more glide than expected and will get some straight flight before the very OS fade

• If you’re a fellow Discmaniac, then this can slot in perfectly as a faster Tactic or Razor Claw 3

Don’t sleep on Discmania’s most reliable midrange; visit Powergrip USA today!

QUICK HITS
Random Triples

1️⃣ In our sport, John Houck is arguably at the top when it comes to course design. You may have heard of one or two of his courses: WR Jackson (RIP), Harmony Bends, Hillcrest Farms, etc.

He recently completed an AMA on Reddit where he and his wife (Dee) answered every question. Their responses were in-depth and thought-provoking.

Do yourself a favor and spend some time reading through their responses. Here’s one that immediately stood out to me:

Houck’s dislike for artificial OB can’t be understated. He’s pushing the envelope for Championship Courses without the need for made-up boundaries.

2️⃣ The 4th article in Ultiworld’s Fandom Survey series came out about “Fan Relation to Discs.” Through the nearly 3k participants, they were able to reveal which pros moved the most plastic.

Surprise, surprise, Simon Lizotte was hands down the best beating out McBeth and then Heimburg. In the past year, 40.15% of participants purchased one of his discs.

And if you keep scrolling down to 1.46%, then you’ll find Lone Star Disc’s flagship player - Nikko Locastro. Not only did LSD strike out with their biggest name, but there’s more going on behind the scenes.

6 days after Chandler Kramer and Josh Hofstra (Marketing Manager) abruptly left the company, their only product partner cut ties. Hooligan Discs (maker of the YEET) announced plans and new plastic without LSD.

Clearly, something is going on in TX that hasn’t been thoroughly planned. Now we wait for someone to start airing out the dirty laundry…

3️⃣ A year ago, Kristin Tattar was amongst 9 others who were nominated as the Estonian Female Athlete of the Year. After the voting, she lost to freestyle skier Kelly Sildaru but was in the top 4 after >50k votes.

Now after sweeping the 2023 Majors, the DGPT Player of the Year has been nominated again. I’m asking you to do your part and help her get the recognition she deserves.

While the website is in Estonian, it’s pretty easy to figure out how to vote without Google Translate. Vote here.

1. Scroll down until you see “Nassportlane” highlighted in gold and Tattar’s image

2. Click on the gold “I” under her picture, then pick whoever else you’d like for “II” & “III”

3. Click on the gold “Hääletada” pop-up button and your vote is recorded

Kristin Tattar’s #1 in our hearts, so let’s make sure she’s #1 over in Estonia.

Meme of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and "lay up” this week!

- Charlie