2017-02-26 Putting and Such I've been on the course again today. I wasn't really playing there but rather spending a short time there, throwing some shots and a bit of putting practice. It started (after some warm-up) on the wooded hole 6. I practiced hitting the gaps with my midranges and some fairways. Practice will help on such holes. Now that I have more discs than before, counting them becomes more important ... and searching them as well. It didn't take long until the Leopard vanished after touch- ing a tree. I searched a whole lot of time. Eventually another disc golfer spotted it *behind* some sculpture, far from where it should have gone. I moved to the short hole 5 then, which should be really easy, still I had much trouble with it previously. It is 50m, an open path to the basket, just one small bush 15m before it. The ideal line would be straight with a small fade to the right at the end -- great for lefties. I tried it straight to the basket and hoped to get around the bush, no matter how. Most throw their putter on this hole, I practiced with my midranges and putters. I cannot really decide between the Comet, Buzzz and Roc. They are too similar. Each is slightly different, but it doesn't matter much. For such straight shots all are well usable. The Buzzz is slightly better for hyzers. The Comet is slightly better for finishing to the right. But all these changes are minimal. The flight lines and release angles are different but all the same results are possible. I'm not really sure how to deal with that, currently. Maybe I should pick one of the three discs and do everything with that one instead of throwing them alternating- ly *all the time*. Throwing putters (S-P2 and Pure) worked well on that hole too. (I like throwing the P2!) Then I tried to putt all of the shots, usually throwing multiple discs. In a real round I would have layed up most of the farther shots, but today I have tried to run all of them. There was some wind involved, which made it nearly impossible to putt in some direction. With a tailwind the Pure was lucky to get the right height, after three P2s missed. And with a side- and headwind the Comet proved successful twice, when my P2s went crazy. Putting with the midrange might be an option when windy ... I just wouldn't want to miss the basket, because of the long reverse putt. ;-) I don't want to carry that many discs, thus the Pure cannot have a place in my bag. A P2 will have to cover that flight lines, although it has more fade. Would I carry one P2 or two? Would I rather throw the putting putter (a no-go for many) or putt with the S-Line P2 (worse grip)? Or carry both? Concerning midranges, I should choose no more than one of them; they are too similar. I should rather add an overstable midrange to add some new possibilies. The Zone is a disc many carry and like. Or a Justice, or a new premium plastic Roc? And Buzzz or Comet? I like the Comet a lot, but is that only psychological or is it the better (i.e. more versatile and consistent) disc? The Buzzz is more neutral in holding lines, but at the same time I have to be careful, as a little bit of release angle change results in a quite different flight line. With the drivers, I feel an increasing need for a Firebird, as something really overstable. My Champ Teebird is the only notici- bly overstable discs I have. Clearly, this Champ Teebird I will carry in my bag. Concerning the other fairways, I'm not sure. Well, the Leopard will remain a training disc. I assume that the QJLS do provide more line-shaping possibilies as the light Star Teebird, and will fly equally straight. This will require more field work with these discs to be sure, but it appears this way. Thus, I'd take the Champ Teebird and one QJLS on the course. My plans for the next weeks: Go for longer sessions to the soccer pitch and gain as much experience with the new fairways, espe- cially try line-shaping (not only straight distance throws). Furthermore, figure out if each of the three midranges is able to shape each shot, in order to find out which of them I should car- ry. Eventually, film my technique again. (I think I throw more smoothly now, but only filming myself will show it that's true.) Later: Go to the course again, with a small bag, and try to score good. Also do a putter round -- I've never done that before. http://marmaro.de/discgolf/ markus schnalke