2020-09-30 Almost Great My round at Soehnstetten today was almost great. One single hole ruined everything. I took an EIGHT on hole 4! Scoring +3 (=57) overall, a normal bogey on that hole still would have made it a new personal best! What a round! But it looks as if you have to take rounds as a whole, accepting their dynamics. The rest of the round might not have been possi- ble without the horrible downfall on #4. Let's run through the round: 1) Without warmup I threw the ES TB backhand without enough anny, landing left. The layup was bad, leaving a 5m putt that I missed. This is a typical first hole when not having warmed up before. -> 4 2) Altough with a bit of wobble the ES TB forehand drive was good. Missed the 10m putt. Made the 4m comebacker. -> 3 3) Valkyrie backhand, hitting the trees. This was a good drive. (A practice drive with the MOLF landed on the right slope near the top!) 13m layup, drop-in. -> 3 4) Went with the MOLF for maximum distance. There was no wind, or maybe a slightest tailwind. It seems I pulled the disc, grip- locked, gave it anny, whatever it was, the disc went right, hit the trees and went down the slope. I instantly threw a second practice drive to correct on the form. This time with the Valk ... and it happened the same! Not quite as bad, but still bad. Then I went searching the MOLF. It was way down, without any lines. Thus I decided to re-throw, using my already thrown Valk (it was a practice round, didn't want to walk back and forth all the time). Unfortunately, I found that one at the bottom of the slope as well. I was sure it would be placed better, but it must have rolled. I had no line from there neither. Thus I abandoned this drive as well, walking back to the teepad to throw a third drive! This time with the Felon, to avoid the same mistake. I should have played for position by throwing simple hyzers for par. Not doing so was a mental mistake. (My first two drives were form problems, I'm pretty sure.) The Felon went left into the scrubs. My obstructed forehand approach couldn't make it out. Then I had a look to the pin to lay up for a drop-in. This made it an eight! I still can't realize it. That was so bad! (After I threw the Felon, another practice drive with the MOLF worked out great, leaving an 8m putt. That's how I should have done it the first time!) -> 8 5) This time not taking risks, but following the game plan: play this hole for par with a forehand Felon drive. The drive was fine. Then a Zone jumper layup, and made the 6m uphill putt. -> 3 6) This hole is dialed in: Zone forehand, landing perfect, 5m putt for the birdie! :-) -> 2 7) The Felon backhand was really bad. I threw it soft, with too much hyzer and accidently nose-up, which resulted in an air- bounce, then landing short left. From there I threw a mellow P3 backhand, again short. Then a good layup downhill over the bushes, for a drop-in bogey. (The practice drive with the Zone backhand was parked! 3m) -> 4 8) MOLF backhand, a bit high but otherwise fine, landing a bit short left on the slope, but only 6m to the basket. I made the downhill putt for birdie! This was my first birdie on this hole. :-) -> 2 9) The same problem as always on this hole: I landed left. I threw the MOLF this time. (Practice drives with Teebird and Valk and with more anny were much better. Also aiming more right helped.) P3 hyzer layup, which was good. Then I missed the 4m putt! :-( -> 4 10) Another grip-lock, sending the MOLF way right (near #11's teepad). (The practice drive with the Valk was just perfect, laser straight the whole time, landing on the path, 13m short of the pin.) Backhand anny Zone approach. Then nailed the 7m downhill putt. -> 3 11) Forehand Zone. Then made the 4m putt. Birdie! :-) Almost too simple. -> 2 12) Teebird backhand hyzer, went a bit far. (The practice drive with the Felon on a higher line was parked!) 13m missputt, 3m putt. -> 3 13) MOLF went a bit right, landing beyond the tree. Thus I had a 15m Zone backhand approach behind the tree. Made the 5m putt. (The practice drive with the Teebird landed in the tree, 6m to the pin, but obstructed.) -> 3 14) This is the perfect Teebird hole! Each time I throw my ES Teebird on it, it just works out so great. Today I literally parked it: 1m drop-in birdie! Unbelievable! :-) -> 2 15) And now: Forget all those forehands, just throw a Teebird backhand! I did so and it worked out well. 8m left to the pin ... and I made the best putt of the day! Back to back birdies! (Both from Teebird drives, btw.) At this point I really was stoked. -> 2 16) SVL backhand drive, landing a bit right. (The MOLF practice drive was a bit better but not much different.) As I was even farther up the hill than the pin, I couldn't run the 13m putt. It's better to be more left, on the lower side of the pin for a half-run layup. This was an intentional layup, because, although I felt good, 13m putts are unlikely to hit for me, and the risks were too big. -> 3 17) Felon forehand, this time remembering to position farther right. It worked out great. I had a nice 30m Zone backhand to the pin. 2m putt. This is how I should play this hole each time! -> 3 18) Another birdie maybe? I chose to throw a Teebird backhand. Went a bit high, as almost all of my practice drives, and landing right behind the big tree, unfortunately. I had a straddle anny putt, which I went to cautious with, not giving it the height to have a chance. (On this hole I threw all of my discs. The MOLF went long right, all the other drivers faded left, at around circle's edge. The putters (P3 and Zone) landed short right, also at circle's edge. The Comet was the best, landing pin-high left at 4m. Throwing a disc that drops in the air, like putters and mids, makes it easier to get over the slight hill. Not want- ing to bag the Comet, I still don't know how to approach this hole best.) -> 3 5 Birdies (more than ever before), 4 bogeys, and 1 5-bogey! This still makes a good +3 (=57). Just the one hole 4 ruined it all. Nonetheless the round was a good one. Without the choke on #4, without the 4m missputt on #9, maybe even without the bad drive on #7, or a bit better play on #1, this round would have blown away my previous personal best! There definitely is a lot of progress to be seen in my game, lately. Such scores had not been possible half a year ago. Now I'm able to birdie 14 of the 18 holes. Birdies are unexpected currently on #3, #5, #10, and #17. #5 and #17 are not reachable forehand. #10 is too far backhand. I never had a birdie look on #3. Not yet birdied but within range are #1 (problem of hole one), #4 (had several longer looks), #7 (my practice drive today was parked), #13 (similar to #3 but it's almost there). My putting has improved as well. I usually run putts if I have a look. Today I made several >5m putts, that's good. Last, I want to take a look at my drives: - 6 ES TB - 5 M OLF - 3 L Felon - 2 S VL - 2 JB Zone The Zone and Felon drives are pretty fixed, all but one of them are forehand. TB, VL and OLF drives change, depending on the weather conditions. I wanted to use the Teebird more, this I did ... successfully as I would say. Keep throwing these Teebirds! The 5 birdies were from 2 Zone FH, 2 Teebird BH, and 1 MOLF BH drives. I threw 2 Zone forehand drives and both resulted in a birdie. The one Zone backhand practice drive would have resulted in a birdie as well! That shall be enough for today. http://marmaro.de/discgolf/ markus schnalke