It doesn't matter if it is disc golf, your career, school, home, or any project you're working on. If you don't have goals set, personal improvement or achieving something new, has become much harder than it should be.
The PDGA National Tour season is still a few weeks away and for many, the weather is still quite cold which keeps you off of your local course. Between now and then, we challenge you to set disc golf specific goals for yourself in 2018. Write them down. Put them in your disc golf bag. Hang them up in your bedroom or someplace in your house so you see them every day. You'll think of these goals each time you head to the course. Then, at the end of the year, look back at those goals and see how much you accomplished.
Within disc golf, there are some obvious goals that someone might set, especially those who tour the country or the world playing at the highest level. Everyone would love to win the PDGA World Championships. That's an understandable goal, but it also isn't unique to you.
For me, my goals are quite simple. Having focused on my career and family for a few years, disc golf took a back seat. I've set three simple goals for 2018:
- Play one round of disc golf at least once a month. For me, this is a perfect starting point.
- Keep a simple lineup of discs.
- Have fun on the course. Don't get caught up in the competition. Just enjoy being active and playing again.
We asked Dana Vicich and Avery Jenkins, two members of Team Discmania, for their goals for 2018. Both are at the top of the sport, but both have very different goals. Each person will be unique.
Dana Vicich's 2018 Goals
Dana Vicich
Stay in the Moment
This is an important one to remember both on and off the course. On the course, staying in the moment can help from riding emotional roller coasters. Keeping focus on executing the shot at hand is the only thing that matters.
Increase Forehand Proficiency
I am getting a lesson to help get me on track. I want to make sure my form is sound before committing a lot of time to the forehand shot. Once I am confident that I am throwing it properly, I would like to play a forehand only round per week. I would like to get my consistency back up to 325 ft.
Make Every Putt Inside 10 Meters
This has been a major issue in my game. 2017 saw some flashes of great, consistent putting, but they were few and far between. Most of my struggles fall on the mental side of the equation, so to improve on this, I'm going to read some books to help open my mind up some. Along with the reading, attending yoga class regularly is going to be important. Many of the core principals of yoga will spill over and improve both quality of life and my inside the circle putting.
Avery Jenkins' 2018 Goals
Avery Jenkins
Be a Stronger Competitor
It's very essential for any athlete to maintain a consistent workout routine to increase overall athleticism, but also for prevent possible injuries during the season. I also want to capitalizing on my strengths and use experience to my advantage on the course. I'll do my best to be patient and take control of those things that can possibly effect my overall focus.
Be More Involved
I want to get more involved aside from being just a player. For example, teaching players proper throwing techniques and other skills along with helping these players to fall in love with the game. I also want to do a lot more one-on-one/group instructional teaching and coaching sessions. Lastly, I want to help to shape the future of the sport with being more involved in my current position within the PDGA Competition Committee this year as they make a impact on how this sport is played at all events.
Play More Courses
Last year, I set out to play as many courses as possible in as many states and countries as possible. The same plan continues in 2018. Over the past few seasons, I've been trying to play all of these disc golf courses for three reasons:
- The sake of playing some incredible courses
- The chance to see the differentiations between different course design elements
- Reach the 1,000 disc golf courses played milestone
Now it has evolved into much more. I’m also trying to play the oldest disc golf course in every state and country possible. And the addiction continues after 33-years.
Increase Disc Golf's Visibility
For the past 20-years, it's has always been about the sport gaining huge popularity within the next 5-10 years. I'll definitely agree that disc golf has most certainly gained more players and increased exposure every single season. It's very exciting to witness, but we’re still not a huge sport by any means, not yet at least. So the past few seasons I was heavily involved with the media team on the Disc Golf World Tour and I learned a lot about live event commentary and hosting duties. I really want to do more live broadcasting at events because I truly believe that's a great way to utilize my experience and hopefully make our sport even more visible to the masses.
Your Goals
When setting your goals for the year, think of the season as a whole. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Play five new courses
- Practice putting for 15 minutes before every round
- Introduce three friends to disc golf
- Attend a top level PDGA tournament near you
- Improve ability on approach shots
Write them down. Develop a plan for each of them. If you stick to the plan to accomplish these goals, when we look back on this season, odds are, it will be a successful one.