hyzernauts disc golf interview

Sometimes it's just a quick round but I try to go to a field to practice my throws. When I do go to a course, I go early in the mornings so there's hardly anyone there. Than I stop after 4-5 holes and do some putts, some approachs and more putts, than some further 4-5 holes and so on. If it's busy, you can't do any practice on a course.

4. What advice would you give to beginners to develop their game?
Play different courses, play different tees, play with different people, don't do the same thing all the time like throwing the same disc on the same hole all the time. Try to experiment, you're not going to learn anything unless you try something new. Ask people that are better than you and play with them. Play catch over different distances with somebody. That really helps your upshot, that's really important.

5. Is there a nearby course where you live?
I just moved to the Milwaukee area two weeks ago and my home course is only 5 minutes to drive to. It's one of the best courses in this country.

6. What for you does a perfect course have to look like?
It's gotta be pretty, it's gotta be challenging without being extremly harsh. My favorite courses are courses you can play with anybody. Wether it be a professional or a child or a woman. Not like 'Big Creek' which is not very fun for families to go to. I really love 'Grand View' and 'Ewing' [Iowa], where you can take your girlfriend or your nephew and play the short tees and have a blast without having to look for the discs all the time.

7. What's the best course you've ever played?
Wow, that's a tough question. I get asked that question a lot. When I look at a course, I look at it from different ways: from a course you wanna play everyday, to a course you wanna challenge yourself, to a course that's visually beautiful to a course that's a best tournament course. I really like a course that I would want to play everyday. There are some great courses out there that I play in tournaments that are phemonemal. Santa Cruz is one of them, but I wouldn't want to play it everyday because it is so tough. I love a course that's fun to play but at the same time challenging.

8. Which discs do you have in your bag and why?
I use Aviars for putting, I like hard putts, and I often use them for approaching. I use Rocs and Sharks from midrange up to 100 m top, depending on the course. As far as drivers go, I use a lot of Beasts, a lot of Leopards a lot of Firebirds, a TL mixed in once a while, mainly CE plastic because it lasts for a year. But when it's rainy or cold I switch over to DX.

9. Do your discs last long?
The DX plastic doesn't last - depending on the disc. I got a prototype Valkyrie that I've been throwing all week. Because I'm not throwing it in the woods, it lasts quite a bit. But I don't use a lot of DX for woody drives.

10. Is there a special disc in your bag?
I've got an ultra beat-up Leopard, that's kind of a trick disc. When I'm in trouble, when I can't throw it very hard but I still need it to go far, for the same thing I have a really beat-up Shark. Usually, the more beat up a disc, the more you can do with it. Don't throw away your beat-up plastic!

11. A good round mostly depends on succesful putting which depends on a good set of nerves.
[laughs]. Absolutely!
Can you describe your putting routine?
Before I step up, I try to pay attention to the wind, uphill, downhill, what kind of putter I'm gonna have to have. When it get's to my stand, I make sure to stand comfortable, relaxed. I make sure to use my legs, my back, my whole body - instead of just my wrist. That's why I use the straddle, in order to use my whole body. And I try and focus onto a certain spot. Some people try to focus on the grip or on the flight parameters, I'm trying not to think of the whole lot when I'm actually making the putt. I think of a lot up until the point where I actually putt. Once in a while I let my body, let the confidence and repetition, all my practice kind of take over and make the putt.

12. Are there any situations in your game where you get influenced by things around you?
I think you always get influenced by your surroundings. It's just a matter of how much it influences you. Players, traffic, temperature, birds flying, anything affects you. But sometimes it's hard to let things go. It's different every day, everybody has different moods everyday.

13. Is this the best moment you've ever had in your Disc Golf career?
I gotta say that the whole World Game experience in Japan was the pinnacle for me. Being in the opening ceremony in the stadium with 50.000 people with all the other athletes from around the world. Seeing how much went into setting up the World Games and being the first of our sport to do it. Hearing the national anthem was just fantastic.

14. The PDGA is trying to enforce their activities in Europe. What do you think and do you have any expectations about it?
I think that the PDGA wants to be the association for the world. They have to do that. I'd love to play events in Europe, I've heard a lot good things about Europe, many places I haven't been to yet. I think it's a good step for Europe as well, they can get some US people come over.

15. How do you see the differences between the US and European game?
I don't know what the courses are like, but I played with a handful of swedish and german people. From what I see, they throw far. Their distance is their best part of the game. I know a bunch of them who are really good putters, but it's the distance is the thing that seperates them. That makes me think that the courses in Europe are distance challenging, uphill, over the top. The courses usually make the players.

16. Do you follow events in Europe?
I read the magazines and the Internet. That's really all what I do.

17. Would you play for the Hyzernauts?
Would I play for you? Absolutely, I would!