1000 Rated Disc Golf Players, News, scores, and more

1000 RATED: Congratulations on Qualifying for the USDGC with your 9th place finish at the Vibram Open. This being your first trip to the USDGC since 2005, how much more prepared do you feel you are to compete than you were back then?

MITCH: I am much more prepared for any event this year than I have ever been. In 2005 I went to the USDGC with the intention to NOT throw OB (like everyone that goes there) and flat out play smart. I achieved that but know I can play much better. These days I am more deliberate in my play and don’t make as many mistakes as I used to. I feel overall my game is the strongest it’s ever been and I’m ready to take on the Championship one more time.

1000 RATED: You’re on the cusp of a 1000 player rating. Do you think you’ll be there when the next ratings come out? Is this something you’ve been trying to reach for awhile, or do you not think about it very much?

MITCH: I will definitely be over 1000 with the next update in September. The 1000 rating mark seems to be the benchmark that separates players and is something everyone wants to achieve. It is something I’ve been trying to reach since I started playing in 2000. Once I stopped thinking, ‘if I get a few more deuces, this round will be over 1000’ I started playing much better. I just play for the love of the game and the good rounds seem to be coming more frequently these days because of it. If I throw a bad hole, I try to just let it go and move on to the next hole.

1000 RATED: What kinds of mental tips would you give to players who are trying to raise their ratings? Is there anything you do to specifically prepare yourself before each tournament?

MITCH: I have a few mental tips to give out there which are ones I strive to achieve every time I step foot on the course (or a tournament.) If you throw a bad shot, deal with it and figure out how to make a good next shot. The next shot doesn’t necessarily have to be a ‘hero’ shot that gets you to the pin. Just play smart and accept that bogeys happen. Never play another players game. If the other 3 guys in your group can out-throw you by 100 feet, stick to your own game. Don’t try to throw as far as they can because you’ll most likely lose control if you do. You know what you’re capable of, so stick with that. The last piece of advice I’ll give is just go out there and have fun. After all, that’s why you started playing the game in the first place, isn’t it?

There isn’t all that much I’ll do to prepare for tournaments. Try to get a good night sleep the night before the tournament. If you get 2 hours of sleep, odds are you won’t have a good round and you’ll be easily irritable. Stretching might be the most important part of tournament play especially on the first day. If you don’t stretch, you won’t have full range of motion and wont play at your best ability. I also like to stretch for a good 20 minutes at night especially in-between days of a two day event, helps keep you limber the 2nd day. I know some players who play a full round before the first tournament round of a day as warm-up, and I know players that will only practice putt and not play any holes. For me, I like to get in 5 or 6 holes (on a longer course, maybe 9 on a shorter course) in practice to help establish a rhythm and get my timing down. I also don’t practice putt before I start throwing because your body isn’t warmed up and that’s not how you’re going to feel during the round, so it’s a waste of time. I tend not to practice putt until I’m sent out to my hole and even then will only do 15-20 putts just to get the feel. By no means should everyone NOT practice putt, it’s just what works for me.

1000 RATED: Who is your favorite 1000 rated player at the moment and why?

MITCH: I’d have to go with Cale Leiviska because he’s always been nothing but a pleasure to play with. He’s one of the nicest tour players you’ll ever meet and he seems to remember just about everyone he’s ever met, even the locals in every city he plays in. He has a great attitude all the time and a nice level head on the course. What might be the best part is he’s always at every players party which not many tour players do, and he’s likely to be the last man standing at all of them.