Let us know what your thoughts are on this drop zone at Swenson Park at the 2024 OTB Open
Sign up for the Disc Golf Network here: https://discgolfnetwork.link/qXVfAw
The Disc Golf Network is the LIVE streaming platform for professional disc golf. With over 30 events on the schedule, the Disc Golf Network offers over 1400 hours of live disc golf in 2023. Join today to catch all the action from the Disc Golf Pro Tour, PDGA Pro Majors, and the PDGA Euro Tour. Plus, watch a host of cinematic content focusing on your favorite players, courses, and moments. Disc golf happens LIVE on the Disc Golf Network. Subscribe today
what’s going on guys it’s Thomas at Ford sports media let’s do a breakdown talking about Drop Zones so let’s take a look at this year’s hold 12 at the OTV open par three overwater I’m going to show you three t- shot and then three drop zone putts so you’ve got Anthony Bella goes forand keeps it a little bit low and unfortunately it’s going to almost make it but land back in the water Emerson Keith also goes relatively low forehand it’s going to come up short as well in the water Matthew orm forehand as well a little bit higher but unfortunately his is going to come up just a little bit short right here so all three of those players in the water OB proceed to drop zone let’s take a look at this drop zone right here you are so close to the basket Anthony Bella makes the putt this looks like it’s probably edge of circle Emerson misses it just a little left Maddie goes and makes it okay so that drop zone I think is way too close to the basket with not enough risk on the backhand side now to talk about risky Drop Zones let’s look at the 2021 Dynamic Discs open at a classic moment where Ricky Yaki goes and takes a very long Drop Zone putt on ho 16 and makes it I mean Crowd Goes absolutely electric he gets the opportunity to run through a relatively large crowd watching him right here that is an awesome putt nade now there are some that would say that H maybe that drop zone needs to be a little more challenging you probably shouldn’t be able to make a drop zone putt but I like that drop zone right there it allowed for really good fan interaction and was not easy enough to be a gimme for the par now let’s go and take a look at this year’s Dynamic Discs open and see the changes that they made to that drop zone that actually made it much harder even though it is shorter so this clip right here shows Ricky Yaki laying it up the drop zone is on the back side of the island Calvin very quickly rolls up also lays the putt up so that drop zone right there was much harder because immediately behind the basket was water now that one was a lot closer you pretty much were guaranteed a four at that point as long as you didn’t majorly mess it up but it did leave an opportunity to make a very risky putt to secure the par so it may be up in the air on which one is a more preferable option now I want to take a look at a classic PGA Tour hole which is whole 17 at TPC Saw Grass right here we’ve got Russell Knox taking his first shot the island green and it lands short goes into the water this is a very similar situation now he could have gone to a drop zone but chooses to tea off again from the same spot also in the drink Russell goes and does it one more time from the original t box goes into the water again so he finally decides to do what he should have done anyway and takes the Drop Zone shot right here which is a very far shot that is no easy Drop Zone shot and now has a long putt where in an ideal space he’s probably first shot out hitting drop zone three lands on the green on his third shot two putts and takes a five on a very hard par three that’s a common opportunity for somebody if they miss that island so the real question we want to ask is what do we want out of Drop Zones I don’t believe the OTB open has a good Drop Zone in any way shape former fashion that is a terrible Drop Zone you should get punished for that shot but in Ricky Waki fashion in 2021 that was an electric save from a very long distance there was chance to go in the water again so OTB should probably put that pin closer to the water make it a much harder par three and make the Drop Zone something that maybe makes you want to lay it up I like the idea even though some of those Dynamic Discs open Drop Zones this year were maybe a little bit more boring seeing people lay up but when it comes to the shots that matter at the end of a tournament somebody might go for that Putt and make it and it be absolutely electric so comment what you think should happen with Drop Zones like this video and make sure to subscribe to the channel and let us know what other videos we could make
14 Comments
have you considered not making content?
if you care so heavily about saving PAR get better and go on tour. a fair chance at 40' for par is the same for all, land it you get 15ft. seems like you talk before experiencing. learn the game
Dont know how this ended up in my feed, but I disagree with you. On any other hole a slightly poor shot will cost you an opportunity to birdie, not guarantee you a bogey.
You have a point, however disc golf and golf are two very different sports and treating them the same is not good for the sport. Disc golf is easier and people tend to shoot lower scoring rounds and there are many chances where par 4s get eagle looks and par 5s have eagle tap ins. Having drop zones for 50 ft putts with water behind it is a novelty thay disc golfers like. We like getting birdies and shooting low rounds. If we start changing the sport to be more like golf it wouldnt be as fun. Imagine every course being like noethwood black. I sure as hell wouldnt watch disc golf as much as i do now. I think that once in awhile drop zones like this are good, but if used too often the novelty of saving the hole with a 50ft drop zone will get old.
Think I agree with you on this one. Moving this drop zone back like in Emporia would work, and could add to the excitement down the stretch but I would maybe prefer to add an additional drop zone near the water and to the left or right of the original teepad. If you miss your tee shot, proceed to this new first drop zone. If you miss the second, proceed to the short drop zone. Maybe that over-complicates the hole, but I like the scoring separation it adds.
I think a drop zone should be hard, but make-able. The old DDO drop zone was no gimme, was a rare enough make that Wysocki's make was a highlight, but is "safe" enough to give a run. And it is FAR, FAR more interesting and entertaining than 50 layups like we saw with the new dropzone. And yeah, I agree the OTB Open dropzone you're bringing up is way too easy to be properly punishing for an OB play at this level.
I played and completely disagree with you.
I think comparing discgolf to golf is completely irrelevant, discgolf only shares a tiny proportion of what golf have.
I think that the problem lies in the number of players in the event, how many players miss the drive, how difficult the drop zone is and how deep into the night is the tournament going to run if you have so many players laying up? I have been around a number of TDs who will do anything to cut down on time in a tournament that is completely full and is expected to run overtime just by sheer challenge of the course. I don't know if this was the case, I am just throwing this out there. I loved the drop zone at Emporia that Ricky hit, that was incredible. The lay up on the same island hole was boring as hell, but imagine so many players throwing from the old drop zone, that would have eaten up a lot of time. I don't know their time constraints. The OTB Open drop zone was ridiculous, but again, time restraints? I don't know, but I, personally, would have made it much more challenging and still tried to keep it within time restraints, only three players missed the island in the video. I don't know if they expected more or what.
Kindly disagree
DZ's should be half the distance of the hole on par 3's. And the DZ should have imminent danger around the basket.
How about this: Get rid of all drop zones, play from where you were last in bounds.
apparently there are not that many players on this thread that always get the raw deal. I 100% think drop zones should be makeable. I've lost count of how many times I was OB by INCHES and only FEET from the hole, but now i have to throw a 50 foot drop zone?
perspective for sure. If the wind is up its brutal. If its last round, its brutal, wind or no wind. Drop zones should not punish the player honestly, they are already taking a stroke.
You're right. For PROFESSIONAL Disc Golfers the drop zones should be much tougher. For us peasants (intermediate players) I'd be okay with that drop zone.