rattling chains

Creative Corner: Need a bag for your minis?

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Darren reverted back to his home ec classes to make a bag for mini disc golf.

As a disc golfer, I have slowly developed my skills by playing on a regular basis and learning all the discs in my bag and how they fly.

Nobody told me I’d have to do the same thing with minis.

Minis?

As if it wasn’t enough to play disc golf with regular discs, now I have to learn how to throw my mini?

These shorts made for good fabric to make a mini bag with.

I was recently invited to play some mini disc courses in Pennsylvania. After doing some YouTube research, I found some short movies on how to throw a mini. I also received some helpful advice from New Jersey-based professional Bob Graham.

Add those things together and I was able to throw the minis exceptionally far.

As a bit of a disc junkie, I have accumulated quite a few different minis. And they all seemed to do different things, so I got wondering — are there mini bags? I searched the internet and found some bags for minis, but most of them were plain and simple.

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Poll 5: How many discs do you carry during a round?

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The world of disc golf bags seems to be quite large.

There’s not just a few you can look through to see which one you like best — there are so many! That showed in last week’s poll when we asked our readers what kind of bag they used.

A total of 228 people votes in this poll with the winner being an Innova bag with 59 votes (26 percent). Fade was second with 46 votes (20 percent), followed by Revolution (29 votes/13 percent) and GripEQ (27 votes/12 percent).

The fifth spot went to other brand — so 22 voters use a brand we didn’t list.

There were some interesting bags mentioned, too. Reader Chris Leo talked very highly about the Mystery Ranch Golf Mahal bag. If you haven’t seen one of these yet, follow the link. Wow. Talk about being able to pack a lot of stuff. I’m sure this bag wouldn’t be for a lot of people, but it could be used in a lot of situations!

There also seems to be some love for the GripEQ bags. In the research I’ve done, they seem like a great backpack bag.

At least one reader mentioned being ready to downsize their bag — and I’m on the same page there. Though I love the revolution bag I carry, the reality is I don’t need something that size all the time. So I might be looking to find a good, rugged bag for casual rounds so I can carry fewer discs and have a lighter walk.

One other thing I noticed with some of the responses were people saying they had more than one bag they used. I assume that it’s the difference between serious and casual play. Either way, it seems to be a logical choice for some to have this sort of a setup.

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Rattling Chains Photo of the Week: March 31

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Image by Kevin Morrow; at the Hawk Hollow Open (October 15, 2011).

The photo is of Tom Edwards, throwing a Wraith with a chicken-wing throw off the No. 1 tee. Hawk Hollow No. 1 is a 429-foot open shot from a highly elevated hilltop with an out-of-bounds creek 10 feet behind the basket.

Tom threw the wraith low and hard, in a high crosswind. The disc flew straight to the pin and landed about five feet from the basket for an easy birdie.

Kevin says:

My process for this image was in my head and I had to practice it a lot in my back yard since I would not be looking through the viewfinder.

I used a Nikon D2x with a 10.5mm lens. I mounted the camera on a 4-foot scissors tripod with a remote trigger. The camera was set at 5000th shutter and f4.5. I wanted to get as much depth of field as I could with a shutter speed high enough to stop the disc in flight. I placed the camera about 6 feet in front of the end of the tee. I covered the camera with a towel to hide it and muffle the sound a little.

When a group of players arrived, I would fire off a couple of frames to make sure the noise of the camera would not distract. I had to stand off to the side so I would not be in the frame or in the view of the player. When the player began his throw I would press the remote trigger and began firing off frames until the disc was down range. I averaged about 30-40 frames per player. Out of the 30 or so players that I shot this way, only about 10 had the disc in the frame coming off the throw. Of those I was only able to get two that were good. Tom’s throw was the reason behind this image looking so good. His chicken-wing style threw the disc down the middle of the frame combined with my timing on his throw to get a great disc golf image.

Techie info:

  • Camera: Nikon D2X
  • Shutter speed: 1/5000
  • F-stop: F/4.5
  • ISO: 400

Why we chose to use this photo:

If you take photos and appreciate photos — especially sports action photography — there are images that make you drop your jaw and scream “Holy crap!” This shot is one of those.

Knowing how tough it is to capture the “shot,” makes this even better. Sports photography is extremely tough and it’s a business where sometimes you don’t have time to set up and really get what you want. But Kevin captured something here that shows the beauty of how awesome a shot can be when you are given enough time.

This shot works in so many ways — editorial, feature, personal — showing how amazing it is. The fish-eye lens really works well here and the colors are dynamic. The orange disc with the blue sky in the background is really wild. The burning sun in the corner of the shot is simply awesome. But it’s the little things that really sold us, too. The farm all the way in the background, with the silo standing tall and proud.

Overall, what a great image! Thanks for sharing, Kevin!

Have some great images you want to share with the Rattling Chains readers? Please e-mail pj [at] rattlingchains.com with the subject “Photo of the Week.” Please note that we can’t guarantee all images will be used. Send as many as you would like as if the photos are top notch, we’ll use more than one from you!

When sending in images, please remember to send the story about the photo, the location and any technical information possible! The story can be as long or as short as you like, but please make sure you give some details!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Improving skills can equal more fun

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Jack Trageser is bringing his many years of disc golf experience to Rattling Chains.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m digging the Rattling Chains blog so far. It’s well-written with new content just about every day. In the short history of disc golf on the web, that combination has been as rare as a Ken Climo three-putt.

In others words, practically non-existent.

In joining the Rattling Chains team, I’m hoping my particular contributions will give readers another reason to check in on a regular basis. If my personal experience and observation of other disc golfers over the past couple decades is any indication, improving one’s play and one’s scores (and finally beating that smug ‘friend’) tends to result in more fun as well.

I intend to focus on posts that help those new to the sport learn how to do things the right way from the start, and more established disc golfers how to play better.

And I’ll also be bringing a decidedly more seasoned perspective to Rattling Chains.

Most of the other writers here are still oozing with the kind of excitement and enthusiasm that comes from recently having discovered disc golf (ahhh, good times).

They’re still in that phase where they’re discovering some wonderful new benefit each time they play, think about, or read about disc golf.

Don’t get me wrong — I still ooze disc golf, and after all these years I still occasionally have ‘discovery’ moments.

But I’m used to it by now.

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Two writers join Rattling Chains

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Rattling Chains is proud to announce the addition of Steve Hill and Jack Trageser as regular contributors to the writing staff.

Hill, who already debuted on the site with his account of being a plastic addict, started playing the game in early 2011 and has been hooked since. Writing since the age of five, Hill said he is happy to be able to combine is writing passion with disc golf.

A sixth-grade math, science and journalism teacher, Hill earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2004 before relocating to Redlands, Calif., where he still lives.

Some of the items Hill will cover include noodle-arm reviews (for those who just don’t throw too far!), Southern California-based tournaments, adventures in the game, in-depth journalistic-style pieces and other topics as they arise.

“This is giving me an opportunity to scratch that journalism itch that never quite goes away, while helping bring a great sport to the masses,” Hill said. “I’m looking forward to the adventures ahead.”

Trageser (PDGA #9715) is bringing more than two decades of experience in disc golf to the site.

The owner of the School of Disc Golf, he is a professional player with multiple tournament wins on the PDGA tour. Trageser also coaches a team in the Santa Cruz County Interscholastic Disc Golf League.

He has experience in designing and installing courses and teaches a course on disc golf at Cabrillo College. Maintaining a strong passion for growing the sport, he is focused on helping players at all levels develop skills and have more fun with the game.

Trageser’s main focus will be bringing instructional posts to the site, with an emphasis on the mental component that makes golf and disc golf unique and compelling. He’ll also bring stories from two decades in the sport, the business side of the game and some product reviews.

“Rattling Chains aspires to be both the premier online destination for disc golf enthusiasts and a professionally designed, accurate window to the sport for the outside world,” Trageser said. “I’m excited to join a team that is committed to providing well-written, compelling content that spans all aspects of disc golf. Hopefully my focus on instructional posts will generate a healthy interactive dialogue that results in real improvements in our readers’ games.”

Trageser’s first post is slated to run Tuesday (March 27).

Rattling Chains is excited to have two writers with a journalism background join the site. We hope the readers enjoy the insights each have to offer.

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj [at] rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Disc golf in the media: March 19-25

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Though this wasn’t really in the media, I thought it was quite news worthy — especially for the disc golf community — and wanted to lead this weekly media roundup with it.

DGA is again doing a dream course giveaway and they will award two 9-hole Mach III disc golf glow courses to a couple of lucky winners!

This is being done as a fundraiser for the 2012 Worlds. With that, there will be a new disc, too — the SP Glow Undertow.

DGA’s website says the disc is a blend of glow material and DGA’s premium SP Line plastic. The disc is limited and this won’t be available after the promotion ends. The discs cost $25.

Go to DGA’s site about the contest to get all the details!

Now for the week of disc golf news in the media:

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Did it rattle or did it not? That is the question. Here is the answer

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I’ve had more questions about this contest than any other we’ve done thus far.

It seemed to draw some interest.

I received a few e-mails and other messages. And I’m glad that people were thinking about it. Because if we’re giving away prizes, I need to make you think a little sometimes, don’t I?

It all started with this image...

So the big question was based around the photo posted last week and we asked — did the disc rattle the chains?

There were a lot of different answers and theories. I will be doing this again. I have ideas for it and different ways  I hope to capture the disc to really make you think.

Such as this one.

What I loved about this photo is that it can really make you wonder. You can obviously tell which side it’s coming from. And the flight path makes it look like it’s heading downward.

But does it rattle those chains?

I’ve missed — and witnessed others miss — shots like this. They look perfect. Heading right in.

And nothing.

Of course, we’ve all been on the other end, too. You know, it looks ugly only to rattle the chains like it was destiny.

And that sound is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

Of course a grown that comes after missing a putt can be humorous, too.

I know, I know — get to the point, right? OK, OK, OK… here’s the results. Peek below to see what the disc did as it headed toward the basket…

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Striving for 700: St. Pat’s Madness

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Darren receives his winnings from tournament director Bob Graham. Darren represented Rattling Chains well by winning Am 3. My only saving grace was not finishing last.

I’m a daydreamer.

It’s always been in my nature to be one. I dream of winning the lottery (and, of course, build some wonderful disc golf courses). I wonder what the world would have been like if I had been a professional baseball player. Or a pro athlete in general.

I dream about great jobs and fancy cars. And floating down the river on a tube with no worries in the world.

I also dream of the day that I can make every 10-foot putt, drive 350-plus feet and not have to play every tournament in the novice division.

There’s a problem with being a dreamer, however.

Reality.

It really does slap you in the face. Often. And, unfortunately, reality has a firm grip on my disc golf game.

I putted surprisingly decent, despite some of the baskets at Rutgers not being the most kind to golfers!

There aren’t any courses in my area. If I want to get a round in, I have to travel about an hour and a half to get to a course. And because I have some other hobbies I do as well as play softball, doing field work can get tedious and boring at times because it’s the same thing over and over.

If I could do field work and then play a round or three each week, I think it would be better. As it is now, I’ll hit up a field, mark out some distances and throw for a while. Then I’ll putt. I love doing that because it can be relaxing.

But as I said, I get a little bored at times doing the same thing. I start dreaming of my other hobbies and go and do something else. I need to find a way to snap that funk. Maybe find a place to put my basket where there are trees and such to make it a little more interesting.

I need to get better. That’s all part of this year’s goal — to become a 700-rated player.

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Disc golf in the media: March 12-18

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Here’s this week’s disc golf media wrap. As always, if you see some disc golf news in the media, forward the link my way so I can add it to the weekly report!

Don’t forget, too, we have a couple of smaller contests going on right now as well as handing out a disc. Saturday’s post as well as the poll for this week will give a random small prize to the winner. The disc contest runs through mid-week, so go back and check that out.

March 17 

March 16

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Rattling Chains plastic giveaway No. 1: Think spring!

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Do you want this disc? See details below!

Being we are still new here at Rattling Chains, we’d like to see if we could build our readership a bit more.

What better than giving away some plastic, eh? Especially with the first “official” day of spring coming March 20!

We won’t make you do too much for this one. But you can gain more than one entry!

However, to get the secondary entries, you must do the first one! Keep that in mind.

First, just post in the comments section telling us what your favorite disc is and why. Simple enough, right?

After that, you can gain up to two more entries:

1. Like our page on Facebook. (If you’ve already liked our page on Facebook, please mention it in your comment below, but the names will have to match up so I know who is who!)

2. Tweet the following (copy and paste the following exactly as is and we’ll know you did it and give you an entry. Please do it exactly as written or we might not be able to know you posted it)!

@RattlingChains is a new disc golf blog giving away some plastic to spread the word. Visit https://rattlingchains.com/?p=32 to enter!

I know all of you will be digging the idea of free plastic. So get at it. Enter! Tell your friends! Spread the word!

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