Team Discraft: pro disc golfer Chris Smith

	NAME:	Chris 'Smitty' Smith
	HOMETOWN:	Winfield, KS
	PDGA #:	19983
	2011 PDGA RATING:	1008
	BORN:	1973
	day gig:	Elementary PE teacher, Dad of two future disc golf stars
	STARTED IN DISC GOLF:	2000
	Disc Cred:	3x Kansas State Champ 1st, 2009 Little Apple Open 1st, 2009 Lake Bella Vista 2009 Kansas Overall Points Champion Kansas PDGA State Coord Director of Kansas DGA Kansas Overall Point Champ 04-07 2x winner Kassner Cup 2003 Am Worlds Long Drive Champion many others

MEMORABLE DISC GOLF MOMENTs

I won the Kansas State Championship three years in a row. In 2009 at the award ceremony they retired the old traveling trophy, and let me keep it. Very touching moment.
2003 Am Worlds in Kansas City: My wife and I went on our honeymoon and both played. I hit an Ace in mixed doubles it was great!
2005 City Shoot Out, Lincoln Nebraska: My first ever PDGA win in any division. I had only one PDGA Open cash at this point. I had missed cashing by a stroke or two at many events the year before.
2006 Z Boaz, Ft. Worth Texas: This was my first good showing at a Super Tour event. I ended up tied for third and made the final nine. Burl and I made out like bandits, winning several skins in the final. It was my first time to play with that many people watching. I can still hear my heart pounding in my ears as we stepped up to hole the first hole.
2006 Glass Blown Open, Emporia Kansas: I had played this event many times. I watched tons of GREAT players in the final over the years; Eric McCabe, Ron Convers, Mike Randolph, Danny Stacey, George Smith, Kevin Babbit, LaRon Harris, never thinking that it could be me sometime. I played solid all weekend, and had the chance. Don't know if this counts, hitting a mini ace at the motel on the Saturday night of a tourney. My buddies and I jumped and yelled. The even paid me bucks each.
2007 Ponca City Open: My wife and I were expecting our second baby. She was two weeks from her due date. Somehow I talked her into letting me play, I just had to keep my cell phone on all day. I think that all my buddies called me at least once that day. Never a call from home. Three o'clock that night trip to the hospital and the arrival of my second little Discrafter.

Chris's Disc Golf Tips

Keep it simple. Keep the number of variables down when you throw... think clean and simple. The more simple your form is, the better. You don't see a lot of top players with a ten step run-up, or arms and hands flying all over when they putt. Watch them and mimic their style.

Keep it simple II. Don't throw too many molds. I see new Ams carrying bags that have 10-15 different molds, which can be a big mistake if you're just learning the game. Pick a few that feel good, and learn them.

Throw less stable discs. I think that too many intermediate level players throw plastic that is far to overstable for them. Some good examples of less stable discs.

Friar tuck. I see a lot of people on the course that bring their non-throwing arm over the top of their disc. This slows your rotation, kills your distance, and hurts your accuracy. When a figure skater wants to spin fast, they keep all their body parts close to their trunk. Same idea in disc golf.

Shot selection is key to shooting low scores. First you have to know your limits. Second you have to limit the variables. A hyzer is probably the easiest shot to execute. Whenever you can throw one, do. Practice off the course. The only way to really know what you can do is get away from the course. Find a place where you can develop different shots, then practice them until they are almost routine. Keep your cool. Emotions are part of the game, we all get upset with ourselves. Don't dwell on your mistakes. You are going to get frustrated with mess-ups and bad luck. Try to stay focused and move on. Kicking your bag, and throwing your chair, and slamming discs in your bag, only make you look dumb, and don't change the outcome of your mistake.

Play with people that are better then you! This is the best way to get better. Watch the shots they make, and do your best to replicate them. If you are the best player of your 'group' even the field, give them Cali or mulligans, or even strokes. This will make every shot of your casual round important. We always play for some kind of a trinket that you get to display if you are the current champion.

Practice off the course. Go to an open field and throw all the different shots in your bag. It is also very helpful to get the video camera out there and do a little filming. It will help you clean up your form and become a better golfer. To many people only practice on the course.

Keep it on perspective. We are just 'playing' a game. Most of us will get to go back to work and family after the event is over. Try to enjoy your time on the course and with other players. The one thing I can hardly stand in people blaming their bad play on everything but their own play. Just play and try to have fun.

My bag has a revolving door policy. I keep a tote of discs in the back seat of my pick-up that I am currently working to season into that perfect flight path. We all have discs that we couldn't live without, they are perfect. After losing some of those perfect discs, I started rotating discs in and out of my bag. I have probably 5 or 6 Buzzz that can go in and out of the bag and never skip a beat. The Pred is the other disc that I always try and have some second stringers working their way into the starting line up. When I first started playing disc golf, I never wanted to lose my "new" discs. Now, I would rather lose a new disc, then one of my old favorites. The new discs are easy to replace. I also have several discs that find their way into my bag on one course and out of my bag on many others. I don't like carrying a bag full of discs if I am only going to use a handful. On a course with lots of water or hairy nasty rough, I will try to have a back-up to my main discs in the bag.

COURSES YOU SHOULD PLAY:		Professional disc golfer Chris Smith is equally active as a TD and disc golf promoter. In addition to designing seven disc golf courses, he serves as PDGA State Coordinator for Kansas, and is involved with local parks and rec departments as a clinical disc golf instructor. He also teaches disc golf as a part of his 5th and 6th grade Phys Ed classes.
Course	Comments
Water Works Park Kansas City, MO	A complete blast to play. Great elevation, a chance to get 'water worked' on every green. The park always looks awesome.
Beaver and Coyote Cedar Hill, TX	Lots of crazy shots and fun holes. It is the kind of course were you think you should shoot 13 down every time, but never do. Right turns, left turns, straight shots, what the hell do I need to throw shots.
Black Hawk Tulsa, OK	A very challenging course. You must hit your lines, and use your head on this course, or you could take some big scores.

Course	Comments
Jones Park Emporia, KS	Two great courses located in the same park. Many great holes that play over or around water and OB.
Frontier Park Hays, KS	I use to live 45 minutes from this course, and took it for granted. Now every time I go back, I am amazed at how good this 20 plus year old course is.

In The Disc Golf Bag: Drivers
Disc	Comments
Z Force (173 gm)	For an ultra long-range driver, the Force is a great disc and very controllable. I throw it on drives over 400 feet, or if the fairway has a little lower ceiling, and I feel like I am going to have to muscle the Predator. The Force has made a lot of holes that use to be long and hard to reach more routine. The Force just feels like it is going to go a mile out of your hand, and it usually does. I also use the Force on the longest of sidearm shots.
Z NUKE (173 gm)	The farthest fastest flying disc in my bag. The Nuke is the disc to grab when you need that extra distance with less effort. This really is a great ultra long range driver.
Z Predator (172 gm)	It is the most consistent driver on the market. They never vary from run to run or because of color. You know what the Pred is going to do; it is going to cruise down the fairway then hyzer at the end. I always have at least two Preds in my bag. A new Pred is a pig! It is the windy day driver, and playing in Kansas most of them are windy days. I have played in very few winds that could flip a new Pred; the fact it is so over stable you get a very predictable flight. The workhorse Pred has been used for several years. This disc gets the most use of any driver in my bag. I throw this disc on any hyzer shot. I throw it hard and flat with no worry of it heading to far to the right. It will always finish with a hyzer. It is the perfect driver for most of the courses I play in Kansas.
ESP Surge (172 gm)	I love to use the Surge on the longest straight drives. It is not as overstable as the Force, so it seems to get more distance with the same effort. I also like to use the Surge on long anhyzer shots and rollers that can finish to the left.
Z Tracker (172 gm)	Tracker is just sick! It has a great straight flight path with a predictable hyzer at the end. Something about this disc makes it very easy to control and throw on low lines. I love the Players Cup Trackers, they fly like a beat to snot Pred the first time you throw them.
Z XL (172 gm)	The Z XL is a must have on the tightest of courses. I throw it on many shots that I could maybe reach with a Buzzz if I tried to grip it and rip it. It will hold a perfect straight line and go a long way without much effort. It is an older mold and much slower then some of the newer discs coming out. This often helps keep it in the fairway on tight holes. It has far less skip than most of the new discs. I will also us it on super tall anhyzers, throw it hard and high, the disc will flip over and hold a great anhyzer line.
Z Flick (172 gm)	The Flick is a very fast disc that has a great skip when it hits the ground. I mainly use the Flick for just that, long two finger shots. I am able to throw the Flick as hard as I want or need with no worry of it flipping over and getting me into trouble. I also like to use the flick into the most severe headwinds. It is so flat and overstable that I have never played in a wind that even started to flip it over. I also use the Flick for a ton of 'trick' shots including: thumbers, scoobies, and 2 finger rollers.
ESP Avenger SS (173-174)	What a great roller! Brand new the SS is a perfect roller and it only gets better with a little use. Throw it hard and flat and it will flip over, catch an edge, and roll a mile. I will also throw the SS in the air on a tight course, or even on the most extreme anhyzer shots. This disc can help you make some crazy shots. I think it is a great super long-range driver for new players and people that don't have huge arms. If a new player asks me what the best driver for them would be, I usually recommend the SS.
D Stratus (174 gm)	I call mine the 'Stratusaurus Rex' because it is a dinosaur. It is a very early run that has met its share of trees and has been 'tacoed' hundreds of times. I use it for short rollers and getting out of trouble shots. You can throw the Stratus pretty far using just your arm and wrist. I love the look on peoples face when I bust out the 'Rex'.

In The Disc Golf Bag: Midrange
Disc	Comments
Z Buzzz (178 gm)	The Buzzz is the best midrange disc on the market. I always have two in my bag. A new one that I use on any slight right to left hyzer shots, and a seasoned Buzzz that I use on most straight shots or right turning holes. Whatever line you throw the Buzz on is the line it is going to take.
ESP Meteor (175 gm)	Meteor is a must throw disc, and was a new addition to my bag last season. The glide is amazing; the biggest problem with the Meteor is that it is easy to throw it too far! The Meteor is the disc to use when the fairway forces you to throw a left to right shot.
FLX Drone (175 gm)	The FLX Drone is the most overstable midrange I have thrown. The Drone is a midrange that can absolutely fight the wind. I love to throw the Drone on Hyzers that are shorter than 280 feet, it usually hits the ground and puts on the brakes. It is easy to shoot a good score if you don't have to putt and the Drone helps lead to a lot of short putts.

In The Disc Golf Bag: Putt and Approach
Disc	Comments
D Challenger (175 gm)	The Challenger is a great putter and short range driver. I have three Challengers in my bag. The main putter that will seldom be thrown over 100 feet, I just can't stand the idea of possibly smashing it into a tree. It takes care of all putting needs. A new Challenger that I use for upshots as long as 200 feet that need to be straight to slightly hyzered. I also have a well-worn Challenger that I throw on lots of anhyzer upshots and short turnover drives.

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