Yesterday was one of those days that the Florida Chamber of
Commerce doesn’t like to admit – a day of rain that began early in the morning
and continued throughout the day. We are
supposed to be the “Sunshine State” but in reality, this is one of the rainiest
places in which I've ever lived.
Most summer days
we get rain in the afternoon or evening.
For over a month straight in mid-summer this year there was no way for
me to play disc golf because the rain and lightning was too fierce.
One of the things that I’m focusing on during these 300 days
is to train as hard as I can for the World Disc Golf Championships. There are several areas that need attention,
including
- Weight training
- Putting practice
- Learning the Flick Shot
- Cardio training
- Playing the game
- Watching my diet
Some of these things can be done on rainy days such as
yesterday, but the one thing in the list above that I need to do as often as I
can between now and November is simply playing the game. As of November first my local park with two
disc golf courses will close at 5 PM, rather than at the current time of 7
PM. That means that I won’t be able to
practice after work from November through March, and my practice sessions will
have to be limited to weekends.
Let me just say that I really like my work – I’m quite
well-suited to being an administrative assistant and I work for great people,
with great benefits. But, mostly, I’m
focusing on getting to work early, working hard, and leaving a bit early so I
can get out on the disc golf course and play.
Play! Doesn’t that sound
great? There will be plenty of time
after November first when I can practice putting, or flicking, take walks
around the neighborhood, or do weight training.
Most of those things are also ideal for a rainy day. But right now, for the next few weeks, I want
to get out and PLAY as much as I can.
So yesterday, as I was driving home, I was noticing a break
in the clouds, and some sunshine actually began filtering through the darkness
and gloom. Hooray! As I drove I thought, “Maybe I can get to the
park in time to at least play nine holes!”
As I approached my house, there were just a few tiny sprinkles on my
car, so I ran inside, changed into disc golf clothes and beat a path over to
the park.
What a treat that was!
After an intense day of desk work, and seeing gloomy skies, I got to breathe in the fresh air and throw some plastic.
Another fact about Florida weather is that even if it has been raining,
it is easy to get out into the park because our soil is so sandy. Five minutes after a torrential rain storm,
the ground is good to walk on without getting muddy shoes.
On top of all that, last night I could not throw a bad
shot. The words of my son were echoing
in my head as I stood on each tee pad. “Even
throw, reach way back, judge the distance to the optimal placement for the
shot, keep the disc flat, and above all, follow through!” Sunday afternoon we had a practice session,
just my son and me, and he went over disc placement, and some of the finer
points of successful drives.
The best hole of all last night was the last one, hole
18. The tee pad sits high on the crest
of a ravine, which you must throw over so it lands high on the opposite side of
the gully and not in the abyss of the valley.
I’ve had a mental block about that hole, and we worked on that on
Sunday. So with the words of my
son-coach ringing in my head, I visualized what an optimal throw would look
like, took my stance, began my approach, and threw!
Success! My disc
landed farther than I’d ever thrown it before on that hole – avoiding the trees
growing up from the valley, and the stairs on the other side of the ravine, not
to mention the thorny bushes and cacti on the opposing hillside. All those obstacles make it a bad hole to
miss your drive. But last night, it was
wonderful, watching the disc leave my hand and sail across all those impediments
and land atop the hill.
This is precisely why I love disc golf. That one perfect shot keeps me coming back to
do more. I can have a really tough day
of hurling my plastic but the next time I go out, everything seems to be so
simple, and perfect. It’s a thing of
beauty when a drive sails down the fairway, through all those obstacles, in
spite of or perhaps helped by a lofting wind, and lands precisely where you
want it to.
Can’t wait for next time!
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