Life Lessons from Disc Golf
Disc golf is hands down one of my favorite sports.
It’s something you don’t really need to be that great at to get the full enjoyment out of it. And it’s relatively inexpensive. You can play with friends or alone. And more and more courses are popping up around the area.
The other day I was out playing a round and several analogies started to hit me all at once.
Life lessons I’ve learned from disc golf:
The discs are specially made for golfing. The drivers are heavier with a wide brim, the putters are made for flying slow, and there are 4 million options in between. Each disc has its own flight characteristics. Some are designed to turn a lot. Others are designed to glide more or dip to the left towards the end of the flight, we call that fade.
I’m not going to get into the science and intricacies of the discs themselves right now. But once you figure out what disc you need for your particular style of throwing; your game will improve dramatically.
“The most exhausting thing in life is to be insincere.” - Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Once I stopped trying to force certain discs because I liked the name of them or the design on them and just started using the discs that I actually needed I saw instant changes. I finally accepted that I don’t have a ton of arm power, so I began looking for alternatives. I found a disc that has extra glide so you don’t need to huck it so hard to get a nice long flight out of it.
In life, once you figure out what you need and stop trying to fit in molds that you think you should fit into and accept that everyone, including yourself, is different you can start becoming a better you.
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” – C.S. Lewis
As a new disc golfer, getting lost in a hazard or landing behind a tree can feel impossible to get out of. But as a disc golfer that has been in damn near every hazard and behind an uncountable number of trees, I know how to get out of those situations and recover (usually) with ease. But I still had to learn and now I need to trust my experience.
In life when you gain the experience or tools to recover from unforeseen events, the events themselves stop being catastrophic and become minor annoyances. You know you’ll recover from so there’s no need to panic. Part of disc golfing is being able to recover. And unfortunately, that’s part of everyday life - whether you're recovering from a broken glass or some big unforeseen event.
“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep walking.” – Buddhist Proverb
Sometimes bad throws and hitting a tree or two just happens. But as long as you're getting closer to the basket it doesn’t matter how many throws it takes. I think in life it’s important to remember that some days you might have to take extra steps. But as long as you keep your focus on your goal and keep moving towards it you will be further along today than you were yesterday. And in the end there’s not much that’s more important than that.
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Theodore Roosevelt.
And finally, if you really want to have fun, don’t compare your score to your friends' scores. Some people have been playing for way longer than you. Someone may have had a lucky round, maybe they play a lot more or maybe they found the perfect disc that fits their needs. Maybe you only have one old beat up disc. Or maybe your friends are the new players. It’s not all that fun to compete against someone that's not even close to our skill level.
The fairest comparison is your last round.
Compete against yourself, if you can play better today than you did yesterday your game will always improve. That doesn’t mean you wont have bad rounds. But if your trend is upward and you are enjoying yourself how can you beat that?
In life absolutely no one is on a level playing field.
Financially, there are gaps everywhere. Some people are “grinders” and love the workaholic life. Some people are lucky and seem to get all the breaks. A 25 year old that owns their own home and lives comfortably is no better of a person than a 50 year old that lives paycheck to paycheck.
Just like they don’t know your story, you don’t know theirs.
When you stop trying to compare your life to others you will feel a sense of freedom. Keeping up with the Joneses has never been financially or mentally healthy.
Among everything listed, disc golf gets you out into nature and slows you down a bit.
It gives you time to literally stop and smell the flowers. I often see geese and ducks, or squirrels (albino squirrels even) doing their squirrel thing. Bumble bees minding their business while they work along the dewy grass in spring and summer mornings. It’s a little slice of perfection right before you hit a f*cking tree. No, I’m kidding… but seriously.
You can get your first disc for around $10 used at several places around town.
If you already disc golf I ask that you take someone new with you.
If you're curious about disc golf I highly suggest either bugging that friend that you know plays to take you, or even going by yourself.
The disc golf community as a whole is welcoming. We want our sport to grow.
And if all else fails, feel free to message our Facebook page, I’m always up for a round and sharing my favorite sport or answering any questions you may have.
I’m terrible at endings so… Laters on the menjay.
