Blog Category: Practice

Every disc golfer knows the feeling. You step up to a 20-foot putt with OB looming behind the basket. Your hand tightens on the disc. Your heart rate speeds up. You tell yourself, “Don’t miss this,” but deep down, you know the doubt is already there. And when you release the disc—just like you feared—it splashes out or sails long.

Why does this happen, even when you know you’re capable of making that putt? And more importantly—how do you stop it from happening?

The answer lies in the mental game. Physical skills only take you so far. If you want to reach the next level as a player, you need to train your mind just as much as your form. This post will walk you through a simple but powerful mental framework to quiet the negative voices, focus on execution, and start putting with real confidence.

Why Negative Thoughts Creep In

First, let’s clear something up: Negative thoughts during competition are completely normal. They’re not a sign of weakness—they’re just how your brain is wired.

🧠 The Brain’s Job is to Protect You

When you step up to a pressure putt, your brain perceives the situation as a threat.

• The threat isn’t physical—it’s emotional.

• Missing the putt might mean embarrassment, frustration, or even confirming a deep fear that you’re “not good enough.”

• To protect you from that emotional pain, your brain tries to lower your expectations by feeding you negative thoughts:
  ➡️ “You’re going to miss this.”
  ➡️ “Don’t go OB.”
  ➡️ “Don’t blow it.”

This is your brain’s attempt to protect you from failure. But in reality, it creates the very outcome you’re trying to avoid. When you focus on avoiding failure, your body tightens up, your putting stroke gets mechanical, and you miss.

So how do you break this pattern? By shifting from a mindset of fear and consequence to a mindset of calm and execution.

6-Step Mental Game Reset

When you feel the negative voices creeping in, follow this mental reset to take back control:

1. Acknowledge the Thought (Without Engaging It)

When you notice the thought creeping in—“What if I miss?”—don’t fight it. Fighting the thought gives it power.

Instead, acknowledge it calmly:
✅ “That’s a fact. I don’t have to engage with it.”

Example:
➡️ “There’s OB behind the basket. That’s a fact.”
➡️ “That’s just noise—I don’t need to react to it.”

The moment you acknowledge the fear without attaching to it, you create separation between yourself and the thought. That stops the spiral before it starts.

2. Break the Pattern with a Physical Cue (Reset)

Negative thoughts create a physical reaction—tightness in your grip, quickened breathing, shaky hands. You need to reset both your mind and your body.

✅ Step away from your lie.
✅ Take a deep breath.
✅ Say a simple trigger word:

• • “Commit.”
  • “Smooth.”
  • “Trust.”

This creates a hard reset between the negative thought and your next action.

3. Give Yourself a Positive Directive

Your brain needs a clear, positive instruction. Telling yourself “Don’t miss” focuses your mind on the negative outcome.

Instead, give yourself a positive directive:
✅ “Soft touch, center chains.”
✅ “Smooth release.”
✅ “Commit to the line.”

Positive commands lock your brain into execution mode rather than consequence mode.

4. Focus on a Small Target

Instead of aiming for the whole basket or gap, narrow your focus to a single spot, link or spot on the pole.

✅ This locks your mind onto a small target and prevents it from drifting toward the OB or imagining a miss.
✅ The smaller the target, the more precise your mind becomes.

Example:
➡️ “Hit that left chain link.”
➡️ “Aim for the center pole.”

Your brain can’t focus on fear when it’s locked onto a specific target.

5. Commit and Release (No Second-Guessing)

Once you’ve lined up, the thinking phase is over. Now it’s time to trust the process.

✅ You’re no longer trying to “make” the putt—you’re simply executing the stroke.
✅ Focus on the feel of the disc in your hand and the release—not the result.

Example:
➡️ “Commit and release.”
➡️ “Smooth stroke.”
➡️ “Follow through.”

6. Neutral Response After the Putt (Make or Miss)

If you make the putt—great. If you miss it—no emotional reaction. No frustration, no internal dialogue, no ego hit.

✅ Take a deep breath.
✅ Say: “Next shot.”
✅ Walk to the next hole with the same body language you’d have if you made it.

This is critical because if you give emotional weight to misses, your brain will learn to treat them as a threat. The goal is to make every putt feel emotionally neutral so your brain stops treating it like a life-or-death moment.

Example Scenario: Putting with OB Behind the Basket

❌ What Normally Happens:

1. You see the OB.

2. You think: “Don’t miss.”

3. Your hand tightens.

4. Your stroke becomes mechanical.

5. You miss.

✅ What This Looks Like With the New Process:

1. You see the OB.

2. “Yup, that’s OB. That’s a fact.” (Acknowledgement)

3. Step back. Deep breath. “Commit.” (Pattern Break)

4. “Soft touch, center chains.” (Positive Directive)

5. Focus on the feel of the disc. Small target. (Sensory Focus)

6. Smooth release. (Commitment)

7. If it misses: “Next shot.” (No Judgment)

💡 Why This Works

✅ You stop trying to control the outcome.
✅ You shift from a “fear of failure” mindset to a “trust in execution” mindset.
✅ You eliminate the fight-or-flight response by focusing on action instead of consequence.

🔥 Putting Mindset Cheat Sheet

1. Acknowledge: “That’s a fact—I don’t have to engage with it.”

2. Pattern Break (Reset): Step back → Deep breath → Trigger word.

3. Positive Directive: “Soft touch, center chains.”

4. Small Target: Focus on a single link.

5. Commit and Release: Feel the stroke, not the result.

6. No Judgment Afterward: “Next shot.”

💪 Final Thoughts: Confidence is a Skill

Most players think confidence comes from making putts. That’s backward. Confidence comes from how you respond to putts—both makes and misses.

➡️ Confidence is the result of training your mind to stay calm under pressure.
➡️ Confidence is knowing you can handle the outcome, no matter what it is.
➡️ Confidence is built on trust—and trust is built through process.

Start working this mental reset into your practice rounds and casual putting sessions. Once it becomes second nature, you’ll start walking up to every putt—whether it’s 15 feet or 45—with the same calm, focused energy.

That’s when the game changes. That’s when the chains start sounding different.

Disc golf is a game of adaptability, and nothing tests your skills more than playing in challenging weather. Recently, I had a frustrating round during my weekly league that reminded me just how tough it can be to play in wind and rain.

One particular hole stands out: throwing my Wraith anhyzer into a headwind, watching it sail OB, and then following up with an Firebird upshot that also went OB left (turned over). The result? A growing sense of frustration as I struggled to get off the tee in the wind. And that seemed to last all round.

That round inspired me to rethink my approach to playing in adverse weather. Rain and wind rounds may be tough, but I realize that mastering them could give me a massive advantage over the competition. Right now, I’m on the losing end of that stick—but I’m determined to change that.

To help me (and you!) navigate these conditions, I’ve gathered tips from pros Matty O, Dave Feldberg, and Ricky Wysocki. Each offers insights into staying prepared, adjusting your strategy, and thriving in difficult weather. Let’s Go!

Playing in the Rain: Tips from Matty O

1. Preparation is Key

• Pack your bag with extra towels, sealed in a plastic bag to keep them dry. Use a secondary backpack to carry rain essentials without overcrowding your disc golf bag.
• Always have a rain cover for your discs and any important items you carry.

2. Keep a Towel Handy

• Tuck a towel into your waistband to keep part of it dry. Use it to shield your thumb when lining up shots, so raindrops don’t interfere with your grip.

3. Throw Quickly

• Minimize your time on the tee pad. The longer you stand there, the wetter your disc gets, which reduces your chances of a clean throw. Step up, align, and throw efficiently.

4. Improve Footwork

• Place an old towel at the front of the tee pad to dry your shoes or give yourself better traction. Simplify your throw and avoid overly complex footwork to stay consistent in the rain.

5. Simplify Your Game

• Treat rainy rounds as “trench golf.” Focus on safe, straightforward shots rather than high-risk, flashy plays. Understable discs can help you achieve smooth, controlled flights without needing to exert extra power, but as we’ll see later, this strategy might not be great if the wind is howling.

6. Embrace the Wet Putter

• Don’t over-dry your putter; it’s not as slippery as you might think. Practice putting with a wet disc to build confidence for rainy conditions.

Rainy Round Strategies: Tips from Dave Feldberg

1. Accept the Rain

• Don’t let rain psych you out. “It’s just water—you won’t melt,” says Feldberg. Embrace the challenge and focus on adapting instead of worrying.

2. Keep Dry with the Right Gear

• Carry towels sealed in a Ziploc bag and have a grip aid like a chalk bag, birdie bag, or dry dirt for improved control.
• Use a rain jacket and umbrella to avoid complete saturation. Change into a dry shirt midway through the round if needed.

3. Protect Your Throwing Hand

• Use your non-dominant hand for tasks like marking discs and keeping score. Keep your throwing hand in your pocket with a hand warmer to maintain warmth and grip strength.

4. Slow Down on the Tee Pad

• Avoid slipping by reducing your run-up speed. Start your approach slowly, and then accelerate into your throw. Precision is more important than power in the rain.

5. Stay Mentally Tough

• Feldberg stresses that rain rounds often come down to mental resilience. Push through any discomfort, stay focused, and remember that everyone else is dealing with the same conditions.

Dominating the Wind: Tips from Ricky Wysocki Game

1. Choose Overstable Discs

• Overstable discs (like the Enforcer, Giant, and Felon in Ricky’s case) maintain their flight path better in windy conditions. Wysocki relies on these discs to prevent unwanted turnovers.

2. Adjust Your Release Angle

• Use a hyzer release in headwinds to ensure stability and minimize risk. Headwinds make discs behave less stable, so this adjustment helps keep your shots under control.

3. Keep Shots Low

• Low throws are less affected by wind. Avoid high releases that allow the wind to push your disc off course.

4. Focus on Controlled Power

• In strong winds, it’s better to reduce power and focus on accuracy. Wysocki’s ability to maintain controlled throws helped him dominate at the Dynamic Discs Open despite gusty conditions.

5. Play for Par

• Windy rounds are about minimizing mistakes. Avoid OB and prioritize keeping the disc in the fairway. Safe, consistent shots often outperform aggressive plays in these conditions.

6. Build Mental Toughness

• Wysocki credits his success in the wind to staying patient and adaptable. Don’t let a few bad throws affect your confidence—adjust your strategy and stay in the game.

Final Thoughts

Rain and wind are part of disc golf, and learning to handle them is key to becoming a better player. From Matty O’s practical rain tips to Dave Feldberg’s advice on gear and mental toughness, to Ricky Wysocki’s wind strategies, these pros offer invaluable insights to improve your game.

Have your own tips for playing in rain or wind? I’d love to hear them! Share them in the comments below, and let’s keep the conversation going. Until next time, embrace the challenge, and happy discing!

I’ve been working on my wrist position in the power pocket for more consistently over 380ft. I’m a big fan of watching slow motion videos of the pros. I just came across this one which is high definition and great angles. Hopes this helps you and your game as well.

Posted by SixFt12

Credits from the video:

Central Coast Disc Golf    / @centralcoastdiscgolf   AnhyzerDG    / @anhyzerdg   DynamicDiscs    / dynamicdiscs   The SpinTV    / @thespintvcom   T Hamina    / @thamina9156   Ethan Longoria    / @mrmerrygoodmorning5488  

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