Tuesday, June 27, 2006

My Innova driver

Disc golf has been a hobby since I started playing in the 70’s. At my best, I could throw about 400 feet on a good drive. I have backed off a bit with age. Today I throw about 325 feet unless I have been playing every day, in which case I can add 25 feet to my best throws. I’ve thrown a JLS for several years. I love them. They are great discs and very stable. On a good throw I can be assured of landing in the area I am aiming for about 2 out of three throws. That is good enough for me.

Since I have been playing a lot lately, I have seen kids throwing Innova drivers and getting 400+ feet with almost no effort. I figured I would try it.

I picked up an Innova Champion Sidewinder at Discovering the World on Monday. I played the front nine at La Mirada in in the steamy afternoon sun. I played to three over par with a series of shots that put me pin high or higher on 6 of the 9 holes. I could have hit par or lower if I focused on my game. My average throw was hitting 340 to 360 feet with less effort than I usually put into a drive. The Innova flight path was a gentle S with a landing spot about ten to fifteen feet right of my aim point. I was in heaven. My trusty JLS did not come out of the bag.

I played Huntington Beach this morning with my son. I sucked. My game was all over the place. I missed the fairway on three holes. It was so bad that my son had to go bushing whacking to recover my discs for me. It was one of those days where you want to throw your discs in the lake. I resisted and tried hard to teach my son the game. On the ninth hole, I teed up on for a 460-foot drive. I threw about 400 feet. My son landed next to me on his second throw. We holed out together. He laughed at me because I missed a 12-foot putt. We both bogied the hole. Oh well, it turned out to be a memorable game anyway.

I am keeping the Innova driver. My guess is that I have a good chance of playing El Dorado Park to par in the morning. If I manage this, it is Champaign for lunch – and another Innova disc for my bag. At $12 the purchase will not break me.


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