Casual Throws Can Lead to Errors

I recently missed an absolute gimme of a putt.

My drive had ended up four feet from the basket. I walked over, picked up the disc, and flipped it into the basket. But instead of hitting the chains, it bounced off the top rim. A missed birdie.

If I had put in a little bit of effort, I could have easily made the putt. But I did it very casually, not really thinking or fully concentrating. And I missed it.

It’s hard to stay 100% focused on every shot. But the shots I miss are often the ones where I lose focus. Lazy thinking. Not visualizing the shot beforehand—or not bothering to follow through on the steps needed to fully perform it.

Here’s a good example of someone letting their focus wander. In the final round of the 2022 European Open, Chandler Kramer was on the lead card with Paul McBeth, Eagle McMahon, and Kevin Jones.

On the par-five 3rd hole, Kramer faced a third shot that was just a short, downhill chip to the green. He set up to throw a standstill forehand, then casually looped his disc toward the basket. But he overthrew; the disc floated over the green and rolled out of bounds.

You can watch it here, at 13:53 into the final round footage.

As soon as the disc rolls out of bounds, Kramer looks down at the ground and shakes his head. It’s such a wasted moment. Instead of working his way to a potential birdie, he bogeys the hole.

This is not meant as a criticism of Kramer. He’s a great disc golfer. And I’m sure he regrets that particular lapse.

I cite it simply to point out how easy it is to lose focus—and blow an easy shot.

Probably everyone has messed up a short approach at various times.

Let’s say your shot lands close to the basket, but your putt is blocked by trees. The obvious answer, if you can’t possibly make the putt, is to just toss the disc so that it lands somewhere close to the basket—leaving an easy putt.

Unfortunately, all too often, we get lazy on a shot like that. Instead of taking the time to make sure we toss the disc somewhere that guarantees an easy next putt, we just flip the disc out from the trees. And inexplicably, it hits an overhanging branch, or it fades off much further to the side than we’d planned. And then we’re suddenly left with a far more challenging putt.

It’s those little moments. There’s one or two in every round.

The goal, of course, is to stay focused in those instances. But we all slip up.

If you’ve ever blown an easy shot, you’re not alone. It happens.