You’re In, Now What?

You are one of the lucky ones. You were on the ball and are now registered for the most anticipated disc golf tournament of 2016. The Glass Blown Open is well marked on your calendar and the count down has begun. Now what?

Drew Gibson

The anticipation for a big event like this can be almost as much fun as the event itself. Sitting around with friends and fellow players who are also going makes for some great conversations. You talk anxiously about the upcoming trip and make excited plans to enjoy it to the fullest.

There are a lot of ways to have an incredible time at the Glass Blown Open. We would be lying if we said that playing well wasn’t at the top of that list. There’s nothing quite like traveling to a big tournament and playing your best. So we got with some past competitors to put together a list of the top 5 things you can do to make sure you play well here in Emporia.

1. Start practicing now. Imagine the confidence you’ll have stepping up to your first tee with several months of daily practice under your belt. When we talk to players who didn’t play up to their expectations, this is a common theme. All of them wish they had started practicing earlier. The tournament will be here before you know it! Start now.
2. Putt every day from now until the GBO. Even if it’s too cold to get outside and play, almost everyone can find a way to practice putting. Even if you commit to as little as 100 putts a day (which only takes about 15 – 20 minutes), you can get in 1000’s of practice putts by the time the GBO is here. It takes a well rounded golfer to do well here at the GBO. Putting is where that starts.
3. Get your bag set now. The discs you have in your hand during the tournament should be old, familiar friends. You should know exactly what they do. The only way that will happen is if you get your disc line up set now. Look in the bags of the top pros. They do not carry untested or new plastic during big events. Only their tried and true discs get the privilege of tournament play.
   

   Paige Bjerkaas

4. Find local courses and holes that are similar to the courses you’ll be playing in Emporia. If we haven’t already, we will soon be posting the course assignments for each division (link?). Look at the courses you will be playing. Find tournament footage of them on YouTube. Then find local courses and holes that match.
5. If you look outside and see that it’s windy, get out and practice. One thing the GBO is known for is wind. We are in Kansas after all. The better you play in the wind, the better you will play at the GBO. Practice as much as you can in the wind before coming.

We can’t wait for you to get here. We can’t wait to be a part of the memories you make while you are in Emporia. We want you to be as prepared as possible to have one of the best times you’ve ever had in your disc golf life. We encourage you to start now. You won’t regret it!