To putt or not to putt…
There was so much exciting disc golf last week. The Estonian Open showed the world that the Europeans are just as good as the Americans. Marui Villmann became the first 2-time champion ever on the EPT, no easy task! Teele Toomasalu was able to win by only one stroke on the ladies’ side to secure her victory. And of course here in the States, the Portland Open saw Kristin Tattar dominate once again in FPO, and Sai Annanda showing the world she is a true contender. But it was the way that Adam Hammes won on the MPO side that had people talking. In case you missed it, Aaron Gossage had a very nasty spit out on hole 16 for birdie which would have given him the lead with two to play and may have been all he needed to finally get that elusive elite series win. The final two holes had plenty of fireworks, and Adam was able to come out on top. There is no way to know if that putt had stuck that Aaron would have won, but that didn’t stop people from talking about it. Even Drew Gibson chimed in on Twitter, saying that there should be a DGPT approved basket, or at least ensure that the baskets do, “Catch at a rate that is satisfactory for professional play.” So now I will give my two cents on this ‘basketgate’ fiasco.
If you asked ten different disc golfers what their favorite basket is, you’ll get ten different answers. Sure, some baskets seem to catch better than others, but there is no way to really prove that short of setting up an experiment with a robot putting 1000 times the exact same way into all baskets to compare states. Each basket has its pros and cons, and every golfer has their own personal preference. But the truth is this: we must adjust our putting to accommodate for the variety of baskets.
I think it was Eagle McMahon that first said something like this. To be a great putter, one must adjust to the course. The same way that one might have to straddle putt to avoid a tree, or stagger putt to get more distance and power, one must also adjust their putt to maximize the basket’s ability to catch the disc. For example, if you are a very powerful spin putter, a Prodigy basket may be your favorite because of the ‘StrikeZone’ that is made up of 24 inner chains that make it, “Virtually impossible to have a disc pass through this assembly or bounce out.” Sounds great, but these baskets are also known for spitting out any putt that isn’t dead center chains, even when coming in ‘pro-side’. Or take what may be the polar opposite of the Prodigy basket, the Mach 3 by DGA. In my travels around the country, it seems to me that this is one of the most popular baskets seen on courses. It has a 24-chain configuration, with a set of inner chains that attach to a metal ring that floats just below the cage. These baskets may be known as the most ‘spit out’ prone model and are no longer available for purchase. But they’re out there and so we must adjust accordingly when putting at these targets.
I could go on ad nauseum about the variety of baskets and the long list of pros and cons for each, but you get the point. Now should the DGPT have an official basket? That would be ideal, but costly to enforce. I think in the coming years we may see something like a rotating sponsorship, where a company like Innova is the ‘official basket of the DGPT’ and then after 2 years, it’s DGA, etc. But for now, touring pros will just have to adjust to the targets that are already there.
So, the bottom line is this; it’s not the arrow, it’s the archer. Sure, it’s easy to blame the basket when you chain out, especially when the pressure is on and victory is on the line. But the reality is that the variety of baskets are just like the variety in terrain on a course; they must be navigated in such a way that maximizes your ability to attack and score, and if that means taking a bit of heat off your putt to give it a chance, then so be it. What do you think? Am I just talking out the side of my neck, or do I make any sense? What do you think a good solution would be? Tell me in the comments, let’s start a conversation. See you next week!
