2006 Tournament Info:

Not much money won, you have to practice nowadays to win, even at the local level. I did travel to several events without playing for the 1st time ever and the promotional efforts for my company had way more impact than what place I would have finished in the events. I’ll be back one day and hopefully still play in the Open!

Occupation:

marketing, sales, production, purchasing, advertising, player development, web development, new product development, tool building, polymer engineering. And that was just today!

Average Drive:

Right out of the car I can throw about 425, flat ground no wind! Once I get lose and start throwing harder I can get up over 500 with the right wind and by throwing distance shots. I can throw my Wizards about 380.

Style:

I mostly throw back hand and prefer hyzer flip up to turning the disc right out of the hand for drives and lay ups. I can throw very steep hyzers and have plenty of power to get up and over trees with almost vertical shots. I consider myself one of the best rollers around and use a roller when needed with a lot of accuracy. I do have a pretty good sidearm (dark-side) but I usually reserve it for getting out of trouble. I wouldn’t recommend throwing too many side-arms shots for 2 main reason: #1 would be that it takes you out of the back hand groove and may cause you to miss easy holes. The #2 reason I do not recommend throwing too many side arms is that it is a very unnatural throw compared to backhand. Those players who throw too many sidearms find their careers being shortened or often hampered by injury.

My putting style is more of a throw-flick than push. I have never been known for solid putting and when I putt well I usually win. In the past I have been very successful with straddle putting and was one of the 1st players to utilize jump putting, 20 or so years ago.

Besides having pretty good distance, laying-up accurately from 200' and in, is one of my better skills and I quite often lasso in a 60-footer or so each round! BAMM!!!!

Favorite Courses :

Ozark Mountain, Akita’s Run, Foundation Park in Centralia, IL. Idlewild, Mt airy, Walnut Ridge, Ewing, The Canyon and most fly 18 courses!

In The Bag:

1- 175g Nike Spirit
1-175g Rage,
1-174g E Blurr,
1- 176g S Illusion (rollers)
1-176g, 1 -172g Inferno,
1-175g Raging inferno-DT,
1 176g Efx Sabre,
1 Glow Sabre, 1-175g,
1 175g S Blaze,
1-175g E Blaze,
3- 174-175g medium Wizards ( new , used and beat)
1 174g Warlock

Strengths:

Being an athlete and having played on many championship soccer, baseball and basketball teams helped me from the start of my competitive disc golf career in 1980!

Distance has always been my forte, followed closely by my competitive nature. At the height of my disc golf career (1985-1989), which was a long time ago, I played to win and 2nd place was the first loser. I was always prepared for tournaments by training as much if not more than anyone else. Occasionally crossing the boundaries of confidence and cockiness, with the goal to try me best on each and every shot, regardless of whats going on around you! If you didn’t come to win you wont! I also tried to get a round or 2 in on a course before the event.

Training:

I used to practice and train for disc golf, but now I am lucky if I can get in a few casual rounds a week. Advice for training would be to throw shots without keeping score and combine serious head to head matches with someone that wants to beat you as bad as you want to beat them! Did I mention practice putting about 2 hours a day or forget about winning at the highest level of play!

Player Advice :

Know your discs and play within your game. Develop a consistent pre-shot routine and stick with it even if you are not throwing well. If you are very particular about your pre tourney routine( eating, sleeping, sex), I advise you to travel alone or maybe with a cool, understanding of your needs, partner! OH, watch the movie searching for Bobby Fischer!

Player Models/Influences:

Dave Greenwell for his fierce competitive nature and advice as I was coming up. Steve Valencia for his casual attitude yet confidence in his ability to win, Steve Wisecup for his sportsmanship while still trying to beat you each and every week. Geoff and Johnny Lissamen for telling me in 1985 that I was as good as anybody! My grandparents, Fred and Eunamae McCormack for helping pursue my dream of having a disc golf company and by allowing me to install Ozark mountain and Akitas Run on their farm which still excites me to this very day! Of course my parents, Mike and Pat McCormack for supporting me in whatever I do in life, and all of the people who are helping support Gateway Disc Sports to become the best company we can be.

Personal Disc Golf Goals:

To be able to design and install disc golf courses full time!