when am i ready to go pro? i want to go now but i know that i am not ready. any thoughts??

After you win a few b tiers in advanced or take top 5 at am worlds.

I think i waited to long. I lead 2003 am worlds for the first 4 or 5 rounds then i fell back. So i tried it again the next year and I did really bad. you can only learn so much in the adv division. After you think you learned it all then move up. I did

Chris Schmidt
www.par72discgolf.com (http://www.par72discgolf.com)
TEAM LONG TEE
TEAM BACK9

Yeah wait until you start winning some big events. Hey Chris when should I move up? :D:D

is it going to be a big deal when i take cash?? :D

Possibly. :D:D

There is no one for you to play against in the Pro Women's division. What's the point of going pro if there isn't a division?

The pro women around here hide out in Masters. The only time there is any kind of turnout in FPO is when there is pro only event and a bunch of the am ladies play up.

Or sometimes an evil TD will specifically NOT offer FPM, and then the FPO division will be decent sized.

when people start sayin.. "cough cough bagger cough" :D

A former good Adv. player (who took his year at the top and then moved up) once pointed this out to me: If you reach the top(or near the top in tough areas) and you don't move up your game will begin to decline. He pointed out several players that we knew that this had happened to.

He made the right move, as he was a ROY canidate this year.

Don't think in terms of wins. Look at your rating over the course of the year you feel you played well in Advanced. Did you continually improve? Did you play consistantly well and avoid those real low rounds?

If your rating goes up steadily and gets past 950 go pro. Don't consider AM worlds, a points series, etc. Just think: Can I compete in Open? If yes then move up. Don't think: Will I cash every time in Open. That way of thinking leads people to become permenant bagger AMs.

when do u go pro?
when u can throw past 300ft, and putt very well

I was going through the same thing you are Megan a few months back.

It's not how many wins you have or don't have - that doesn't matter - its about a feeling.

I remember I got that feeling at The Charleston Classic, a very large B Tier in December - I played like crap (by my standards), then had a really good 4th round, and won by 2 (in advanced). For me, playing bad overall and still winning was not fun.

When I Started getting this feelings, I played open in a tournament (where it was Pro-Am) to see where I would finish and how I would fare up mentally - I ended up cashing (denied) - I would suggest trying to that.

You'll know when you're ready - don't start setting goals for yourself like after this date I'm moving up or after X number of wins - just move up when you feel you are ready!

I see your point on declining once you reach the top but I feel that you will only decline if you concentrate on playing against the competition and not the course. If you play the course you should never begin to decline unless you can't play as much or something. The reason I want to go to worlds and stay AM this year is because I would like to play against players from around the country and not the "usuals". Living in TX I see too many ADV players that move up too early and cannot compete on a regular basis in pro thus they lose the drive to play which in turn leads to the decline in their play whether it be mental or physical. I Have played 18 rounds that AVG 978 this year and probably 982 with my low rounds dropped but does that mean I am ready for Pro? I mean my play may be up there but is my head. Also my favorite saying is that "The reason I don't play pro isn't because I suck but because I suck too often" that quote shows my fear of inconsistancy even though I have benn doing well I want to rid myself of sub-950 rounds. /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Living in TX I see too many ADV players that move up too early and cannot compete on a regular basis in pro thus they lose the drive to play which in turn leads to the decline in their play whether it be mental or physical.



Try NC - they created Pro 2 b/c of NC - lol

I heard they created it to be MTL's future home. :D:D

When you are out of competition in the women's amateur divisions start at the bottom in the men's amateur divisions.

Go pro when you need the money and the money is there.

Actually that would be your best bet. :D:D

When you are out of competition in the women's amateur divisions start at the bottom in the men's amateur divisions.

Go pro when you need the money and the money is there.


That's good advice. You can always play up in FPO when the Golden State Classic comes to town and there is a good field. Then go back to beating up the Rec/Int men for regular tourneys when there are no other FPOs playin.

. I Have played 18 rounds that AVG 978 this year and probably 982 with my low rounds dropped but does that mean I am ready for Pro? I mean my play may be up there but is my head. Also my favorite saying is that "The reason I don't play pro isn't because I suck but because I suck too often" that quote shows my fear of inconsistancy even though I have benn doing well I want to rid myself of sub-950 rounds. /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif



Not only do I hear the worlds tiniest violin....I HEAR THE WORLDS TINIEST SYMPHONY!!!!

Move up BAGGER, gees, boo hooing about a 950 rated round is nothing. PROS whine about sub 950 rounds. Most Am's I know of complain about <900 rated rounds. After all, once you move up from Am, what do you want to do? Beat Climo and Barry? Get over yourself.

Ha was hoping to spark something like that. But really I am not mentally ready to turn pro and I still need to check about College. :D:D

It's cool. Move up when your ready. It really is not a big deal, but it sounds bad when you complain about a 950 round.

Everyone dogged me when I moved up to advanced when I had not won anything in intermediate. But my skill set proves I am an advanced player. And like my signature states, once I am able to putt decently I will turn pro, that is the only thing stopping me right now.

Ask Brian Vaz who played in my group both 3rd and 4th rounds at Lovers and White at the BG tournament this weekend. I shot even for the day, but missed about 11 birdie putts where I was parked on everything under 405ft. I can still hear the "doinks" from the dang Innova Discatchers at Lovers Ln. Park. Grrrr.

See ya this weekend...bagger /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

The only reason I complain about those kinds of rounds is that I have been working really hard to improve my consistancy and those don't help me out. :D:D

Ha was hoping to spark something like that. But really I am not mentally ready to turn pro and I still need to check about College. :D:D



Translation: I'm skeered and broke.

:)

Matt, Rooster's done your College homework and you're clear of that. And you won't be mentally ready until you play in the division.

Based on my casual analysis of pro players, there are only a few mental barriers to becoming a pro. Matt is capable of counting, grunting, and whining about his score. He has all the requisite mental skills. ;)

hey hey hey now.. i can't count very well and i dont grunt and rarely whine.. now im wonderin why the heck i moved up!! :p

How about the Dan McGough delayed grunt? No it seems that every time I play up or in a big event I put to much pressure on myself and don't fair so well. I just need to learn how to relax. :D:D:D

How about the Dan McGough delayed grunt? No it seems that every time I play up or in a big event I put to much pressure on myself and don't fair so well. I just need to learn how to relax. :D:D:D



Yeah I just realized that. Now it did not make the difference of me playing Adv or Open, but when I put pressure on myself to win in the latest B-tier in Atlanta. Well I avg'd 870 rated tournament, and finished 35th out of 45!

Decided that in Bowling Green this past weekend that I was going to take a "F*&k It" attitude about my performance and just enjoy playing disc golf. Well I finished 34th out of 231, a much better performance, and preliminary ratings have me avgeraging a 937 tournament, much closer to where I consider myself at.

Just relax and take the cash man.

hey hey hey now.. i can't count very well and i dont grunt and rarely whine.. now im wonderin why the heck i moved up!! :p



For the yen? :D:D:D:D:D:D

Once your old enough to drive yourself to events that are on the same weekend as the ones your dad throws ;)

Seriously...give it a few years...you have plenty of time to go PRO. :D

yes.. winning some yen helps make the change over pretty tempting :D