In college I took Racquetball 101 and 102. Seriously, these were credit
classes. Thereafter racquetball became my regular winter sport, with
softball occupying the summers. I was decent. I played regularly for the
next 16 years. Still I was a pudgy lawyer with no wheels and had no hope
against the top players at the local YMCA.
At the age of 33 I found a racquetball magazine left at the gym. It included
a schedule of the top tournaments. You can see where this story is going
already.
Yes, I attended a big racquetball tournament. Yes, I got hooked. Yes, I
started playing tournaments and yes, I got crushed. The players in the
lowest division ate me for lunch. But still it was fun and I was getting
better, slowly.
Then I started taking private lessons. My coach was great. I was for sure
the weakest player in the training group.
There I was taught about drilling. Drilling is a key training method. It is
the fastest route to improvement in sports. Basically in a drill you isolate
one particular skill, perfect your form in that skill, then practice it
repeatedly. It doesn't matter if the skill is hitting a forehand pinch or
throwing an anhyzer. The same training mechanism works for both. More about
drilling will come later.
After a year of lessons and tournaments, I finally won my first tournament in
class D ( the lowest division, the equivalent of our Novice or Am 3). So I
went to lessons even more inspired.
I recall speaking with my coach following a lesson. I asked him how good a
player I might become. He told me that if I worked really hard I might
become a good class B player . I felt pretty sure my coach was exaggerating
just to motivate me. The players in Class B were young and fast and strong.
Let's go back to that question and apply it to your disc golf game. How good
a player might you become? Take a moment to reflect on this question and
formulate an answer.
It is a valuable training exercise to think about where your game is and
where you can take it. Until you can imagine it you cannot achieve it.
Let's talk about tournament players for a moment. Not raw newcomers to the
game but experienced players. Sure, frisbee golf has a wealth of newcomers.
And newcomers improve quickly, as basic skills are easy to acquire. But
focus now on tournament players. Many tournament players are stagnant or
receding. Some players are slowly improving. Only a few are rapidly
improving. Most of the rapidly improving ones are either drilling or playing
every waking hour or both. Where is your game going?
So did I ever get up to the Class B level? Sure, and I kept on going. It is
amazing what a couple years of consistent drilling can do for your game. I
was 37 when I won a state racquetball title in Class A ( the top amateur
division). Five years earlier I would not have dreamed of challenging the
top players at my local club. I did not quit my job, take steroids or find
the fountain of youth. I learned proper training methods and applied them.
You can too. Did I ever challenge Marty Hogan as the greatest racquetball
player in history? No way, I gave it up racquetball for disc golf. So Marty
is safe at the moment. I'm focusing more on Kenny now.
So back to the question, how good can you become?
The answer is that you will never know how good you can become as long as you
are trying to improve.
Imagine yourself playing two levels above where you are at now. Impossible?
Why is it impossible?
If you are arguing a health reason then you must have been in a cave when
Lance Armstrong was winning the Tour de France. Cancer did not stop him,
just how bad is that bum shoulder of yours?
The answer to how good you can become is only easy once you have stopped
trying. Then the answer is obvious.
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