2011: 100% in the money 2011 with 3 PDGA victories
2009-2011 Sundog Tournament Series Points Champion
4th, 96 World distance (594 ft, 150 Cyclone)
30th, 2009 Pro Worlds
100% in the money 2009
2009 Sundog Series Overall Champion
WATCH THIS MONDO Drummond PUTT:
Jon's Disc Golf Tips
Too Much Is Too Much:
Don't frustrate yourself by trying to change too much in your game at once. My method for learning a shot is to throw repetitions of the same shot with the same or similar disc. I would suggest narrowing your focus to a few shots that you feel you need the most. For example, the biggest challenges I see in the game are: tunnel shots and low ceiling drives. Therefore, I focus most of my attention on those types of shots. Fundamentally, if you learn to throw putters/midranges/drivers straight, you will stay out of trouble more than a player who uses big sweeping curves to throw the same distance.
Straight Is Great:
When you are beginning, you should generally know how to throw straight. To learn to throw straight, you can use a set of putters, around five to ten (I use Magnets because they fly straight). Find a target, set up 100 feet away. Throw a few sets, then move back, repeat until you are about 200 feet away. If you are having problems, adjust the angle you release your disc at (up and down and / or side to side. This is also my favorite warm up before a tournament because it gradually loosens you up and sets your muscle memory for throwing straight.
Keep It Smooth:
The most common mistake I see newer players making is that they try to throw too hard. Take a deep breath. Remember that your most accurate distance, and generally furthest, comes when you accelerate slowly. To make it more effortless, imagine the start of your throw being like starting a lawn mower (slow) and the finish can be compared to snapping a towel (fast). Remember: if you start too quick, you will not be able to accelerate, just keep the same speed. Slow the beginning of your throw down.
Get More D:
To add distance, watch pro baseball pitchers. Focus on their elbows. The elbow leads the forearm. When you reach back and pull through, keep the disc tight to your body. This will allow you to accelerate faster (like a ballerina-get over it guys). Do not stop your arm after the disc is out of your hand. Keep rotating to ensure that you have followed through.
Develop A Putting Routine:
I see many different routines out there. I hope as you read this, you understand your routine before you drive or putt is about focus. Shorten what you perceive to be your routine. Think more about what exactly you do to hone your focus before you release the disc. It is not about the things/people around you...when you are focused, none of that exists. How you mark your disc, stand, etc. are not important to zoning in. Instead determine what you do to relax, let your body do what it has done in practice, and finally let go of the disc and follow through. I prefer to focus on breathing and clearing my thoughts of anything (two or three deep breaths in rhythm with your putting stroke). If you choose to think, stay with positive statements, try 'I am going to make the putt'. If you feel 'off', force yourself to feel your arm being drawn/pulled into the basket and let it happen. Constantly remember: routines only work if you commit to doing the same thing every time. Stick with it! It is the moments just before you release the disc that matter... once you feel the zone, remember it forever... it is always there.
COURSES YOU SHOULD PLAY:
Course
Comments
Justin Trails La Crosse, WI
BIG BROTHER- go shoot a 54 on the long 18 and you will never forget it. Bluffs, trees, valleys, and nature await. Little Brother is a blast, but don't let your guard down. All time top 3.
Token Creek Madison, WI
Outstanding course. Clean and completely groomed... good luck finding dirt. Great shot variation and some nice D.
Hyland Hills Bloomington, MN
Thrower's dream. Can't beat the views, Great technical driving course with tons of elevation. Last hole = 693 feet down the hill!
Sandy Point Resort Lac Du Flambeau, WI
Listen to the trees from the tees. You will learn to throw lines here... unless you want to practice your upshot.
Blue Ribbon Pines East Bethel, MN
Love the 27, you have to see hole four in person to believe it. Oaks, pines, mulch, and top notch landscaping... what more do you want?
When I first threw this disc, I asked myself, "where have you been all my life?!" This is the best driver on the market hands down. The Z is so consistent and long in flight, with the truest of golf flights. Lay into a hyzer or slight anhyzer and say goodbye :)
If you have not figured this disc out, keep working. On a maximum height hyzer (up to 250), the OS never stops turning and will backspin on dirt (nice for me without a "tomahawk"). For training: use the OS and learn to get spin on your disc so you learn to develop the spin and acceleration needed in golf. Break it in -- if you can -- I still throw my first run and keep a new one in the bag too. Headwinds do not exist with a NUKE OS coming out of your hand.
This one of the most consistent drivers ever. I know that this disc will go when I throw it. I use it from 350-550 ft. I threw at a driving range and hit a hill going fast at 200 yards with plenty of D left in '09. I love how when you lay into it, it handles power and pushes like no other driver I have thrown. It is a great hyzer and anhyzer flex disc. If you throw a spike hyzer, you can go over almost anything! If you find it stable, try to learn to throw it with an anhyzer nose down to see the actual flight of the Force..
This is my go to control driver. If all you throw are stable big rims, your game is not complete without the avenger. It is like a beat in Predator. Smoother lines. It flies a dead nuts line with a little finish. I throw the Avenger from 250-450 with confidence. Whether I need to throw a tunnel, a big anhyzer, a bullet, or a long hyzer, the Avenger is my steady driver. Great down hills too. This disc put me in 11th at worlds half way through in '09. Too many people don't have a controllable driver and are always throwing big rimmed discs that they cannot control in tight situations. Trust me, you are not sacrificing distance with the Avenger. I carry two. My first is new, any run will do. My second is broken in and flies straight on shorter flights and has a sweet fade for long flights.
This is my favorite disc for chip shot hyzers and skips. I throw the Pred. for the 200-350 ft. range. I cannot believe how many ace runs I get on hyzer shots. The Pred. is so predictable in its flight, you only have to follow through to throw a perfect shot every time. I had the fortune of acing the lake hole at Sandy Point Resort with my blue Pred. in '09 with a great gallery on the beach. (350 with a 7 ft. diameter landing zone...OB everywhere but in the basket!)
An old model that everyone should throw. Whatever your skill level, throwing the XL is a must. It is the "thread though the woods", "what did you just throw", "do you have any for sale" disc. Go get one. Beginners: master this disc before you try to learn a super high speed driver.
I would not be a golfer without the Buzzz. I love hearing people say that they wish their mid-range 'flew like that'. I throw the Buzzz from 150-380 ft. I love how it holds its height and goes dead straight. Wonderful disc for tunnels and down hills. Try throwing it easy, flat, and with the nose down off a hill and watch it go further than your drivers.
Ridiculously overstable when new. I love to use the Drone to control my distance, and limit skips when throwing on dry ground. Most people I know have broken one in and use it as a utility disc. I am always impressed by their results. I use the Drone for chip shot hyzers. I like to give the disc plenty of height. I also use it for technical shots like uphill tight S-shots where the line is not achievable throwing a standard line.
Is there any other putter? I drive, upshot, and put with the magnet. It goes up and down. The only thing I look for when I drive is an adequate ceiling if I am trying to throw it over 300ft. I love to upshot with a forehand out of the woods with the Magnet. I feel like I missed only a few in the circle during '09 and it was a direct result of the trueness of the Magnet's flight. I carry three Magnets. One broken in for utility shots, one new for driving, and one from a set of ten that I rotate as my putter.
