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I started playing music and I met this guy named Todd, and when we practiced
one day, he
had frisbees or discs in his corner and I said: 'man is this frisbee golf?'.
He said no, this is discgolf. I said, whatever, take me to a course now
cause I never got to play and I've been looking for 5 years. So I went
to play this day and that was February 1997. I think I play since this
day. Found out about PDGA around 6 months later .
3.
How long did it take for you to win the 1st tournament?
It was 1999 that I won my first tournament. About year and a half
after starting
4.
How do you practice disc golf?
The first two years, I probably practiced 6 to 12 hours a day,
as much as I could. I didn't like to play with a filth practice and putting.
After I started playing tournaments - I've been on the verve for five
years now - after I played the tournament week it was pretty much like
that, because I didn't have to practice that much. I've been practicing
a lot more lately.
5.
Do you usually practice on the course?
If I want to help me, I go out on the field and practice instead
of playing around.
6.
Do you live on the road for playing discgolf?
Actually, that was for for the last four years, I finally got
a house now.
7.
What's your advice for beginners?
Don't turn the wrist right or left, don't bend the wrist too much
on putts or drives, try to go as 'straight-line' as possible and figure
out the golf disc.
8.
What discs do you have in your bag and why?
Predator, Wasp and Challenger because I'm sponsored by them.
9.
Are your discs lasting for long or do you have to change them a lot?
My discs, you have to change them a lot. You loose them, they
get beaten up. You basically keep them in their stages, 'cause the beaten
ones get less stable. You have to change them, but you're trying to keep
them as long as possible so you know them everytime they get picked.
10.
Is there a special disc in your bag?
I like picking one disc and using it a lot. If you can throw it
straight you can beat the game.
11.
A good round mostly depends on successfull putting, which depends on a
good set of nerves. Can you describe your putting routine?
I've got a pretty good routine on how to get the job done. I don't
think about it too much. I just feel the put and go. Everyone in a while
looses his confidence - it's kind of silly but it happens, we're all human
- so you just gotta rebuild your confidence and make them go in. Practice
and confidence go hand in hand. One feeds the other, for sure.
12.
Are there any situations in your game where you get influenced by things
around you?
All the time. We're kind of like predators out there. We're focused
on the basket, and then something else shoots across the way we kind of
go and guess what it is, thinking that’s the food. It's your main
characteristic to hunt and to do things, that's kind of what we're doing
out there. Sometimes it doesn't bother you at all, sometimes it does.
13.
What was/is the best moment in discgolf?
Win by one out of the three best players in the world.
14.
What about the game do you like the most?
The flight of the disc, that's what it's all about.
15.
Are there any things you don't like about discgolf?
No specifics, things here and there that don't work very much.
I like it overall.
16.
What makes a good/perfect designed course?
Decent fairways, lots of trouble with fair shots, nice greens,
can be steep all around it, a nicely dug out green. It's a gentlemen's
game, things should be fair and challenging. The perfect course to me
is as hard as it gets but as fair as it gets.
17.
Were there any at the worlds?
There are a lot of great courses at the worlds. There might have
been one hole here and there that I didn't like.
18.
Which course was your favorite?
Well, in parts, 'Pickard' was probably my favourite, but then
there’s 'Ewing' as strong next and then you got 'Walnut Ridge' and
'Grandview'.
19.
How do you see the differences between the european and us game?
I don't know much about the european game. I played with some
swedish, but they are all people. It’s all the same to me.
20.
The PDGA wants to enforce its activities in Europe. What do you think/expect
from that?
I haven't played in europe yet, hope to do so soon. I don't expect
too much anything at all. I like seeing people being motivated and trying
things but it's kind of hard to say what should be done. If you have an
idea you should be working on it and trying to get it done yourself.
21.
When and how did you play your 1st worlds?
I've been playing my 1st worlds about a little over a year. And
I played really good, if I've had any kind of head game, I would have
probably played top ten. I ended up placing 32nd. It was allright, wasn't
bad.
22.
Would you play for the hyzernauts?
Whats that?
23.
Our club in Germany.
Oh, would I play for them? Oh sure!
interview
taken by Philipe during the 'Worlds' 2004
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