Building the Perfect Bag | Do You Love Your Discs?

Where Have I Been?

With no posts on the blog in a while and an obvious absence from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, a lot of folks have asked me where I’ve been. In a nutshell, I needed to spend some time trimming the excess from my life. That included a lot of disc golf related stuff.

For example, I spent the last 6 months selling off most of my discs. 362 to be exact. I was trying to organize them one day and just for grins, I started counting. When I hit 500 with more to go I had to stop. What the hell did I need 500+ discs for?!?! This was ridiculous. Especially since I only carry 7 with me when I play. I’ve come to love playing rounds with only a few discs and my trusty NutSac. My enjoyment is up. My scores are down. My need for a garage full of discs is gone.

I’m not done selling yet either. I still have a bunch of discs left to sell… Maybe. You see, I’m down to discs that I like throwing (although I probably don’t need 20 backup Trespasses). If I still carried 20+ discs, a lot of them would be in the bag. Who knows, if I start carrying a bigger bag or cart again this year, I may have a need to keep a few more than I thought I would. So this final batch is proving more difficult to part with. Especially since I came across “the box”.

I haven’t just been selling off my unused discs. I’ve been selling off everything. I have a rule. If I don’t touch it for a year or more, I don’t need it. Time to give it away or sell it. That included the ping pong table crammed off to one side of my garage. It was an easy sale on Craig’s List. 2 hours after listing it I had $150 in my hand and newly cleared space in my garage.

The Discovery…

As I counted the crisp $20 bills, I looked over where the table had been and spotted a familiar shaped container. Sitting in a dark and lonely corner was a box of discs I didn’t know I had. I couldn’t even remember putting it there let alone what was in it. I brushed the dust and cobwebs off, lifted the lid, and immediately smiled when I looked inside.

If you’ve been playing long enough, odds are you’ve thrown a lot of different discs. They tend to come in and out of our bags over time until they blend into a blur of tried and forgotten plastic. It’s one of the many ways you can end up with a garage full of discs. But every so often you come across a mold you really like. If you’re lucky, you find a few you love. When you do, you fill a slot in your bag and that disc becomes an old familiar friend.

But even those beloved discs get replaced occasionally. Woo’d by promises of lower scores and more reliable flights, we take out old faithful to give something new a try. And over time we stop throwing discs we once loved for no real reason at all. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. I’ll bet a lot of you can think back to a bunch of plastic that fits the “I loved that disc, why did I stop throwing it?” description. And that’s what was in this newly found box laying at my feet in the corner of my garage.

Under the dusty lid was a stack of Discraft Buzzz’s. Of all the mids I’ve thrown (and that’s a whole lot to be sure), I liked the Buzzz the best. It feels perfect in my hand and it flies great for me.

I have no idea why I stopped throwing them. Something about the feel of the plastic I think. But after a few moments of ogling my recently uncovered box of discs, that theory went out the window. Discraft makes a couple of plastic blends that I like quite a bit. I can’t figure out why I stopped throwing these discs I had loved so much.

But here they were, staring up at me like an unearthed treasure from that warehouse Indiana Jones put the Ark in. I couldn’t get a couple of them into my bag fast enough. Out came a new and beat in Compass and in went a pair of Buzzz’s. Off to the course I went. Once again, I’m in love.

Do You Love Your Discs???

In all of the “Building the Perfect Bag” posts I’ve written, I think I left out an important point. If we don’t love what we throw, why are we throwing it? If we do, why do we try out so many replacements? This is an important point not only for building our bags, but everything else in our lives too. It’s a core principle I try to live by.

A while back, I read a blog post called “Hell Yeah or No” by Derek Sivers and it changed my life. I encourage you to click the link and give it a read. I’m pretty sure it can change yours too.

In that post, Sivers puts forth the idea that in life, you should only say yes to things that excite you. The answer has to be “Hell Yes!!!”, not just “yes”. If the answer isn’t a resounding “Hell Yes!!!”, then the answer should be “no”. If you fill your life (and your disc golf bag) with a lot of luke warm likes, there is no room left when the “Hell Yes!!!” opportunities come around.

Why wear clothes you don’t love? Why eat food you don’t love? Why do work you don’t love? And why throw discs that you don’t absolutely love? And in my case, once you find the discs you love, don’t replace them with discs that you merely like!

When you are building your bag, the goal is to love what you are throwing as much as Charlton Heston loves guns. In other words, you can have my Opto Pure when you pry it from my cold dead hands! And I’m pretty sure those same hands will soon be clutching just as tightly to my uncovered box of Buzzz’s.

Your Turn…

So take a look at your bag. Take a look at that stack of plastic in your basement. Do you love what you throw? I mean really, really love it? If not, maybe it’s time to look for something you do. And if you’ve stopped throwing an old favorite, maybe it’s time to get back to it. Make everything in your bag is a “Hell Yes!!!”. It’s a huge step towards getting maximum enjoyment out of this awesome sport.

I think this is a big part of the reason some people go through so much plastic. It’s hard to find those “Hell Yes!!!” discs. It’s rare that a mold clicks with you on all levels. It takes a lot of trial and error. Often, a painful amount. It’s worth it though.

What are your “Hell Yes!!!” discs? Why? What discs have you stopped throwing that should be back in your bag? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

What’s Next For Mind Body Disc???

As an aside, I think that this might be a good time to give you an update on the Mind Body Disc blog and web presence…

As many of you know, I’ve started a drone company with my Dad and brother. That was a year ago and it’s been awesome. We’ve had some amazing opportunities and it’s going well. It’s definitely a “Hell Yes!!!” in my life.

When I pushed pause on this blog, disc golf had grown out of being a “Hell Yes!!!”. I was spending every free moment (and many that weren’t free) on this blog. I was doing daily Facebook and Instagram posts, multiple weekly blog posts, 2 podcasts, and ghost writing for Dynamic Discs. I was growing to resent disc golf and this blog. I had to step away.

Amazingly, you all have continued to follow, like, and subscribe. I’ve gained over 1000 Instagram followers during a time when I didn’t post a single image. That blows my mind. I want to say thanks to all of you. Thank you for the words of encouragement you sent. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Thanks for everything. Disc golfers are the best. I love you all.

So does that mean Mind Body Disc is back? Kind of. I’ve decided to apply the “Hell Yes!!!” filter.

After getting out and throwing the Buzzz’s for a couple of rounds, I wanted to write this post. This post is a “Hell Yes!!!”. So here it is. And that’s how we’ll move forward. If I take a “Hell Yes!!!” picture, it will go up on Instagram. If I have a “Hell Yes!!!” insight, I’ll throw up a post on FaceBook. And if not, I won’t.

Hopefully that works for everyone involved. It’s what works for me.

I have a few things that have been bubbling in the back of my head that I think might turn into “Hell Yes!!!” things for the blog. I’m excited to get back to interacting with you a little bit here and there.

But right now, it’s 70 degrees, sunny, and calm. Those Buzzz’s are calling my name. It’s time to say “Hell Yes!!!” to an afternoon round of disc golf.

I’ll see you on the course.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”