Photo: "Steady" Ed Headrick #001 and Chuck Kennedy #4949 talking about basket design in 1997.

The PDGA Board of Directors recently voted to create a new game development committee within the organization. This committee, also known as the Game Development Team (GDT), will operate as a research and development resource for PDGA staff, Board of Directors, tournament directors, and members across the globe. The GDT will coordinate organized testing of new ideas for rules, equipment, or course design elements proposed to improve the game. They'll work with tournament directors willing to try these ideas in their events and report back to the PDGA staff and Board of Directors with the results.

Many X-tier events have been conducted over the years using various experimental formats but the results from these events have never been gathered and analyzed in a systematic way. The GDT hopes to work with tournament directors all over the world that are interested in trying various ideas to discover what seems to work and what doesn't in order to improve the game.

Dynamic Discs's Marksman (left) and Gateway's Bullseye (right) are marketed as practice baskets, but they could potentially be used in GDT test events to track statistics for increased putting difficulty.

Some ideas might be intended to improve specific event types (e.g. elite pro events or events with either all pro or all amateur divisions). Other ideas might affect the difficulty of the game itself. One example that's been suggested by some top pros and likely one of the GDT's first efforts will be finding an appropriate way to make putting more challenging for elite level competitions.

GDT Core Members

Project Coordinators

• Chuck Kennedy #4949
• Lavone Wolfe #580
• Dan "Stork" Roddick #003
• Shawn Sinclair #10819
• Derek Robins #5980 (International)

Specialists

• Steve West #23616 - Statistics
• Joe Feidt #362 - Media

Touring Professionals

• Nate Doss #11794
• Sarah Hokom #34563
• Henrik Johansen #42493

Touring Pros Nate Doss, Sarah Hokom and Henrik Johansen are onboard for a few years as liaisons to observe and participate when possible with field tests and seek player feedback for all tests. These touring pro liaison positions will rotate every few years based on players' touring plans and interest in participation.

Active TDs already interested to host some tests are Harold Duvall #2018, Chuck Connelly #22000, and Jason Allind #21568. The GDT will seek many more TDs around the world to help test concepts and new equipment once more details are developed.

Look for future announcements and eventually a section on the PDGA website about the various tests being planned and how to submit your ideas for future testing.