Eagle McMahon usually spends most Aprils traveling the country hitting the top disc golf tournaments. One tournament ends and another road trip begins. That goes beyond Aprils though and is the usual routine for most of the year. Ever since the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic shut down the disc golf tournament scene, McMahon has been back home in Colorado while trying to find ways to keep sharp on and off the course.
Along with some fun YouTube videos, McMahon says he’s doing as much as he can at the moment... even though that isn’t all that much.
“I’ve been forced to look inwards and see what is in my control and what I can choose to do,” McMahon says. “I’ve been reading, editing videos, and learning what I can as a whole. Watching those Netflix shows, playing those video games that you want to, but never get a chance to. Once things start up again, there won’t be as much time for those things to kill time.”
When asked about his book recommendations, McMahon says he’s read a good one by Mark Manson with a title that we can’t put on this website and Chasing Disc Golf and the Overall Title by Scott Zimmerman.
“Zimmerman’s book is great,” says McMahon. “It covers everything related to the Frisbee. Freestyle, self caught flight, all the frisbee field events. It’s interesting to get an idea for what the people did before our generation did.”
As for disc golf, McMahon has a putting schedule that he tries to stick to daily. He wants to just keep the putting sharp so he doesn’t have to find the stroke again. When the weather allows, he hits the field which is usually a few times a week.
“I feel I can get my game back pretty quickly though,” McMahon says about his practice routine. “Since we don’t have a set date to start back up, I don’t have a strict schedule right now. Once we now there is an event coming up, I’ll ramp it up. Until then, I’m staying in shape and focusing on my mental game.”
In fact, the mental side of disc golf is what he recommends people focus on while they can’t hit the course.
“Find some sort of pressure situation to get your heart rate up. Exercise is maybe the best way. Nothing too strenuous, but something to get your heart rate going. Even playing a video game where your blood starts boiling. Then when you get on the course, you have to calm yourself down to hit that big putt. It’s easy to lose that when you wake up late and stay in pajamas all day. Find some way to challenge yourself.”
Practicing putting is one thing to McMahon, but trying to simulate pressure situations is where the hard work can really pay off.
To put it simply, McMahon is doing well during this shutdown. He misses disc golf, but is making the best of it.
There is no doubt that once tournaments start back up, McMahon will be ready.