Jessica Weese Tour Support Signature Stamp

June 13, 2018 Dylan Durrant Leave a comment

We’re excited to announce that we now have Jessica Weese’s Tour Support Signature Stamps available on four molds:

KC Pro Aviar

Click “Select Your Disc” and find her stamps! Alternatively, you can use Advanced Disc Search and sort by Stamp and Brand and find her stamp, as well as other Pro stamps.

Jessica picked these four molds that she wanted to see her tour support stamp on. These stamps support Jessica’s on her tour! This is the first time we’ve had a Pro Signature Stamp made to stamp on several molds, and it’s a program we hope to continue with many pros. (Be on the lookout for a cool Garrett Gurthie stamp soon!)

General

2018 State of Disc Golf Survey: Disc Golf Growth

June 5, 2018 Jack Tupp Leave a comment

Disc golfers have been purposeful and proactive about growing their sport since Steady Ed Headrick installed the first permanent ‘Pole Hole’ course in Pasadena, California more than 40 years ago.

Most of us are familiar with the hashtag #GrowTheSport (and the more recent #GrowDiscGolf). The shared belief behind the rallying cry began with the first disc golf pioneers and became an integral part of the sport’s very personality as it spread to the next generation of new players, and then the next. The conviction that we have a duty to share the sport is encoded in the DNA of every diehard player and has been for decades, long before the advent of social media.

The 2018 State of Disc Golf survey asked several questions that sought to measure and identify the details of this most singular aspect of the sport— a topic which is finally attracting some well-deserved attention. Disc golf’s unstoppable and organic grassroots growth machine is empirically obvious, observable in thousands of communities around the world. In my new book, The Disc Golf Revolution, I dedicate an entire chapter to it and provide numerous examples from around the world. Answers to one question posed in the survey add a degree of quantification to one of the book’s main assertions: disc golfers do more than talk the talk.

When asked “In 2017, which did you do to grow the sport,” 88 percent of the 5,952 who responded said they had introduced at least one new person to the game, and 83 percent said they had given discs or other equipment to a prospective or new disc golfer. More than 20 percent said they had participated in local government affairs in support of disc golf. That is 1,260 people from this small sampling alone who are attending city council meetings and calling their representatives at minimum, with many also dedicating countless hours to work hands-on in partnership with civic leaders. Aside from its broad appeal and accessibility, this is the main reason disc golf enjoys such robust growth and can look forward to more of the same. Other impressive results included:

Helped physically install a new course (16 percent)
Ran a tournament or similar event (15.9 percent)
Ran a disc golf league (14.4 percent)
Ran an event or clinic aimed at attracting new players (11.6 percent)
Designed a disc golf course (9.8 percent)

If we were forced to identify from these responses something the disc golf community might do better in the future, I would point to the fact that the responses are lower for running an event to bring in new players than for running disc golf leagues and tournaments. The latter are aimed mostly at players who are already enamored with the sport, whereas the former seeks to bring new people into the fold.

Tipping Point?

Other survey questions sought to determine the rate of growth in disc golf, and whether it is accelerating in recent years (Spoiler Alert: the answer is ‘Yes’). The answers corroborate player and course growth data that is already available from the Professional Disc Golf Association and DGCourseReview.com, and I believe they also indicate an important shift in the public perception of disc golf. Whereas growth in the past was almost entirely due to the unceasing efforts of those early disc golf pioneers — steady progress despite stiff headwinds — today the efforts of an even greater number of disc golf diehards are bolstered rather than buffeted by external forces. They are more often welcomed now, if not summoned, by local governments and school officials.
Infinite received more than 11,000 replies to the survey question ‘When did you begin playing golf?’ Nearly 75 percent named a year between 2006 and 2018, and less than 20 percent selected 2000 or earlier.

A closer examination of the more recent years helps us to nail down when the shift I mentioned began. 2006-2010 accounts for 16.5 percent, while nearly half of all respondents indicated a year between 2013 and 2017.

Another question asked disc golfers how many permanent courses within a 10-mile radius of their homes had been added and deleted in 2017, and the responses unsurprisingly reflected growth across the board. 20 percent of the 6,230 survey takers reported one new course, and 5 percent reported 2 or more. Less than one in 10 reported a course closure near them in 2017, a figure that looks strong compared to the ‘courses added’ responses. But that number will likely fall even lower as the sport’s popularity continues to rise and less courses are installed on a provisional basis.

All the available data from Infinite and elsewhere confirm that disc golf has entered a new phase of growth. The world is noticeably more receptive to and knowledgeable about the game, and the pace of its expansion is ratcheting higher and higher. The foundation of organic, grassroots support? It’s alive and well, bigger and stronger than ever.

The Infinite Discs MYTH and SPHINX

May 11, 2018 Todd Durrant 4 comments

Infinite Discs is continuing to build a balanced line of branded discs manufactured by Innova. The 2018 year has already brought the Exodus fairway driver, the Chariot mid-range, and the Pharaoh distance driver. We’ve now added to more discs to that lineup, both released at the end of April 2018.

THE MYTH

The Myth First Run is in P-Blend plastic, which is a stiff pro blend which works great for both driving and putting. There was also a first run VIP Club edition in grippy X-Blend plastic. Though the VIP Club stamped versions were only available to the VIP Club members, there were a few of the X-Blend discs remaining which were bottom-stamped if you want a grippy version of the Myth. You can find the few remaining X-Blend Myth putters HERE.

THE SPHINX

The first run Sphinx was released in I-Blend plastic which is a special blend made by Innova for Infinite Discs. It is durable, yet has good flexibility and grip. This is a great disc for beginners and experienced players alike and is available in a variety of weights from below 150 grams (awesome for kids) up to max weight 175 grams.

Check out this wonderful video review which also shows the flights patterns for the Sphinx.

Watch for more discs coming on the Infinite Discs brand in 2018!

State of Disc Golf 2018 – Our Disc Buying Habits

May 8, 2018 Todd Durrant 4 comments

It is always interesting, particularly for those of us working in the disc golf industry, to look at the State of Disc Golf survey responses concerning spending habits and what motivates players to buy discs. Of course, just playing the game at all requires a certain number of discs. But how many of us go beyond what we really “need” to play the game when it comes to purchasing more and more discs?

When a few thousand players were asked to say if these statements described their disc purchasing attitudes, these were the results:

I Primarily Stick With Discs I Already Know and Throw

I Regularly Try New Molds By My Favorite Brands

I Regularly Try New Discs, Regardless of Manufacturer

I Only Buy New Discs to Replace Lost Discs

I Buy Discs Primarily to Collect

I Throw Every Disc that I Buy

From the above results, a few things can be noted. For one, people tend to experiment more with favorite manufacturers, though there is a good number (majority) of players who don’t mind experimenting across brands.

It also looks like it is a minority that only buys to replace lost discs– that means more players are buying for other reasons. One of those reasons might be collecting, but when asked if they only buy to collect, the vast majority didn’t feel like that described their buying habits. Around 25% swayed toward buying to collect, if only occasionally. The last graph shows that despite the motivation for buying, the majority of those surveyed throw every disc that they buy. Only 17.4% does not throw all of their purchased discs.

How Likely Are We To Pay Extra for the Stamp?

Another motivating factor for buying discs is the design of the stamp on the disc. We asked survey participants how likely they are to pay extra for a special stamp in the same mold, weight, and color that they could have purchased in a cheaper, stock stamp. Though the “buy to collect” market may be small, the larger “buy to throw” contingency is definitely not opposed to spending more for a stamp design that they like.

How likely are you to pay extra for a special stamp in the same mold, wight and color as the stock stamp?

That is only 14.7% that claims it is very unlikely that they’d pay more for a cool stamp design on their disc.

We’ll continue to follow disc purchasing trends and opinions closely!

State of Disc Golf–Disc Golf Tournaments

May 5, 2018 Jace Smellie One comment

The 2018 Glass Blown Open is in the books! This annual event is considered one of the most inviting for disc golf fans and amateur players in the world. The host city, Emporia, Kansas, has a population of just over 20,000 and is considered by many the “Disc Golf Mecca.” So with another successful GBO coming to a close on Saturday, it seems like an appropriate time to discuss our participation in disc golf tournaments and the potential economic impact of that participation.

In our State of Disc Golf Survey at the beginning of the year, we asked disc golfers if they played in any disc golf tournaments in 2017. Just shy of 3/4 of us did compete in a tournament with 72.59% of survey takers answering in the affirmative. Of these disc golfers who played in a tournament, we asked how many PDGA sanctioned tournaments they played in as well as how many non-PDGA sanctioned tournaments. Here were the results:

What do these numbers tell us? It looks like the majority of us who play in tournaments still keep it casual, only playing in a handful of tournaments. We can see that more than half of us played in 3 PDGA and non PDGA sanctioned tournaments or less this year. I’d say I am a bit surprised by how low that number is, and I am also surprised that there isn’t a larger difference in these percentages. I would have imagined there would have been significantly more participation in PDGA events, but the spread is pretty even for both.

Now for some questions that lead to great info for those of us who are trying to grow the sport by getting our local parks and city officials to support disc golf. This info could also be useful when trying to seek out sponsors for your local events–How far are we willing to travel for disc golf, and how much money do we spend when we do travel?

Again, here I think the numbers should do most of the talking, so here are our responses to those questions:

As someone who has been involved in running tournaments and installing new disc golf courses, the statistical tidbit that I think I will use in future meetings is over a quarter of competitive disc golfers are willing to travel anywhere for a disc golf tournament. “If you build it, they will come,” right? If the courses are good enough and the payout high enough, the disc golfers will come and they will bring their wallets with them. Now city officials may not be ecstatic by the size of those wallets based on the results of the second question, but still, communities know that community events bring in money. If you get the chance, ask business owners in the small town of Emporia, Kansas what they think about disc golf tournaments. And if you don’t get a chance, take notice of all the “Welcome Disc Golfers” signs your friends who went to GBO posted on their social media accounts.

Getting back to our involvement in disc golf, my final takeaway is something that I think is pretty unique to disc golf. And that is disc golf fans are also disc golf competitors. Yes, there are community leagues for basketball and soccer that fans of those sports participate in, but do all fans of those sports also compete? In my last article, I reported that 77.4% of survey takers follow professional disc golfers. If we assume that the 72.59% of disc golfers who played in a tournament in 2017 also follow the pros, that would mean that less than 5% of those who follow the professionals don’t compete themselves. I’d imagine that number is much bigger for those who follow the professional game in basketball, soccer, or most other sports.

Why is that? Well, most of us learned about professional disc golf well after playing it first since pro disc golf is not in the mainstream. Also all we need to do to compete in disc golf is pay the tournament registration fee. Team sports require…well, a team of players who are willing to practice and play together. Also in most locations, disc golfers can practice and prepare to compete without spending a dime except for the money they spend on their gear. For other individual sports like ball golf or bowling, you can’t access the competition facility to practice for free. The ease of access is greater for disc golf competitors, so we see more participation in the amateur game.

Which leads to the common discussion in our sport of how much does the amateur game fuel the professional game? This year after the Las Vegas Challenge, participants were invited to provide their feedback for the event, and one of the main questions asked was if they should split the event into two weekends, one for amateur competition and one for the pros. This would allow for a larger field of competitors. You would have to contact Jeff Jaquart and the fantastic crew at the LVC for the results of that survey, but just by word of mouth I heard a lot of my fellow competitors express that they would likely not make the trip back next year if they didn’t get to see the pros compete that same weekend. But the question I have is how many fans would make the trip just to watch the pros if they weren’t competing themselves? Would the gallery be smaller for the final round of next year’s LVC? No matter the answer, I can’t help but think of the huge gallery I saw all 4 rounds of the Masters (that’s a kind of big ball golf tournament for those who don’t know :)), and it just makes me think that we still have a long way to go in disc golf.

What do you think? What are you most surprised by in these numbers? Comment and let us know!

Top Selling Discs–Q1 of 2018

April 10, 2018 Jace Smellie Leave a comment

Well, the weather is warming up! Disc golf season is (finally) here! It is time to look back on the first quarter of 2018 and discuss the best selling discs. This was the long and cold offseason, which is often the collector’s disc buying season, and I think these results show that a bit. You will notice that most of the discs that moved up the charts had a limited edition or tour fundraiser edition released during the first three months of the year. As always, we also have some new releases that climbed into these charts. So let’s take a look!

Top 10 Overall

Last quarter the Discmania P2 made Infinite Discs history by knocking off the Innova Destroyer as the top selling disc for the first time ever, and it held its ground at the top spot. The top three discs here are the same, but after that we see a pretty good mix up. TheDiscraft Buzzz, which was a long time number 2 on this list before dropping quite a bit over the last year or two, jumped up 4 spots to come in at number 4 this quarter. Also three discs made it into the overall top 10 that weren’t there last quarter–Innova Shryke, Dynamic Discs Judge, and Discmania FD. The FD is also making its debut on the top 10 overall.

Top Distance Drivers

So the top half of this chart looks like business as usual, with only two discs swapping placements since last quarter, but the next five spots shook up quite a bit. We have two Discmania discs cracking into the top 10 for the first time, the PD Freak at number 6 and the PD2 at number 9. The Streamline Trace finished in 8th making it into the top 10 for the first time since Streamline Discs‘ initial release. I mentioned that special releases and runs impacted our charts, and we see that here as the Plasma Trace was released this quarter including the very popular “Trace of Hearts” stamp. However, the two Discmania discs did not have a special release this quarter, which I will discuss more later in this post. Also an honorable mention–The Vibram Lace finished 11th. Vibram announced that they will no longer be manufacturing discs in February, so we have seen their sales increase since that time.

Top Control/Fairway Drivers

There were a few notable surprises in the Control Drivers this quarter. The Discmania FD jumped up 5 spots to be the top selling Control Driver for the first time ever. We also have two new release discs that jumped into the top 10, Infinite Discs Exodus and Latitude 64 Explorer. As you probably already know if you are reading this article, Infinite Discs partnered with Innova in 2018 to release our own lineup of discs. The first disc released in this collaboration was the Exodus. Some might be surprised to see how high the Exodus climbed in its initial release, but just keep in mind that we are the only place you can buy an Exodus, unlike the rest of the Control Drivers we sell (but, I mean, if you only buy them from us, we won’t complain! :)).

Top Midrange Discs

Not a lot of excitement for the Midrange Discs this quarter. The top 3 discs stayed the same. The biggest climb up the chart came from another Discmania mold, the MD3. We also have two new releases here, the Innova Rat and the Infinite Discs Chariot which was the second Infinite Discs mold released this year.

Top Putt and Approach Discs

While there was some movement in the placing, this quarter’s chart actually has the exact same 10 putters as last quarter’s. If my memory is right, that is the first time that has ever happened for any category. The Dynamic Discs Judge climbed up 3 spots to be the third best selling putter. This is noteworthy because though the Judge has been a consistent name on this chart, it has slipped a bit over the last year or so. 3rd is the highest we have seen the Judge for a while, so it will be interesting to see if it will hold or even climb higher in the future.

And there you have it? Any surprises? I’d say what surprised me most was how well the Discmania molds performed. Unlike several of the molds throughout this post, We didn’t have any special releases from Discmania this quarter. So what changed? I think we could attribute this spike in sales to the performance of Team Discmania members in the first two big tournaments of the year. Eagle McMahon won the Las Vegas Challenge, and then Simon Lizotte won the Memorial Championship the very next weekend. Whether this influenced sales or not, I am curious to see if these molds will hold their ground moving forward. What do you think? Anything I missed? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Shipping at Infinite Discs – Questions and Answers

April 6, 2018 Todd Durrant 7 comments

Infinite Discs has worked tirelessly to create an online disc golf shopping experience that can not only present that largest selection of discs in an easy-to-navigate way, but that also provides unmatched customer service and fast order fulfillment.

Here is an outline of how your order is handled and the shipping options.

WHEN ARE PACKAGES SHIPPED?

Infinite Discs ships many orders every day, except Sunday. On Monday – Friday we can get a full day of packaging and shipping completed before the packages must be handed to the shipping services. If you get your order in before 4PM MDT (that’s our time zone) then we are usually able to ship the same day that you place your order. If you place your order in the evening, then it will ship out the next day.

On Saturday we are only able to put together orders until midday before we must pass the packages to the postal service, so we do not get as many orders processed and shipped on Saturdays as on weekdays. Unless your order is made early Saturday morning, it will likely not ship until Monday. On Sundays we are closed, as are all of the shipping services, so no orders will be packaged or shipping on Sundays.

It is safe to say that all orders are processed and shipped the SAME DAY or NEXT DAY after you place your order. The only exception would be if you place your order in the afternoon or evening on Saturday, because then we won’t get to it until Monday.

Of course, holidays are also exceptions because even if we are here working, nobody will be coming to pick up those packages on holidays.

WHO SHIPS THE PACKAGES?

Once we carefully pull and package your order, we print a shipping label using software which selects the best price out of three different shippers. The vast majority of shipments are sent using USPS (US Postal Service). Larger, heavier packages are usually shipped using UPS. International packages and some larger packages are shipped using DHL (only their expedited service). In the case of USPS and DHL, we do not use any of their ground service options, so your package will always be shipped first class, priority, or the DHL equivalent or priority (Expedited or Expedited Max). Large packages that go through UPS will be going via ground service, because of the weight.

The tracking number you receive in your email and on your login account will link to the appropriate shipping company so you can follow your package’s progress.

CAN YOU UPGRADE SHIPPING?

Once you have your shopping cart full and you’re ready to proceed with checkout, take a look at that shopping cart and you’ll see some shipping upgrades that can be clicked. One of those shipping upgrades is a PRIORITY UPGRADE. Here are two things that the upgrade will do for you:

Priority Upgrade will guarantee that your package is shipped through USPS (US Postal Service) using Priority Mail. While Priority Mail is not a guaranteed speed, it is typically 2-4 days delivery. It will bypass DHL as an option.
Priority Upgrade will move your order to the TOP of the shipping cue, so you cut to the front of the line for us to pull your discs and ship them.

Important Note: Priority Upgrade will NOT do anything to speed up large, heavy items like bags, backpacks, baskets, etc. It will also NOT do anything to speed up international packages. If you select Priority Upgrade in those cases, then you’re only paying the extra shipping fee to move to the front of our shipping queue, but that is all.

OTHER SHIPPING UPGRADES

Before proceeding to checkout your order, you can also select to upgrade to “Ship In a Box” which will prompt us to put your discs into a box, if that is your preference.

For orders with 5 or fewer discs, we usually package them carefully in padded envelopes. Those padded envelopes protect your discs and keeps the overall weight and cost down. But if you want a box and you click for the upgrade, you’ll pay the extra $2 on your order to cover the cost of the box and the extra weight of the packaging.

Note: If you are ordering more than five discs, then it is highly likely you’ll be getting your discs in a box anyway, so at that point, the upgrade is not necessary.

You may also select to add Mystery Swag or a Mystery Disc to any order you place. The mystery swag adds $8 to your order with no additional shipping. You’ll then receive mystery items in your package which could include anything from a t-shirt (in a size you indicate) to hats, beanies, mini discs, towels, Sport Sacks, and more. We try to keep a large variety of swag items on hand for adventurous customers who add the Mystery Swag to their order.

The Mystery Disc option costs $12 and will add a mystery disc to your package. As the name implies, these discs are a MYSTERY and can include discs of any style or brand. We do not take requests for specific discs– if you want a specific disc, you can always order it from our website. The Mystery Discs are meant to be a surprise and we often use this feature to introduce new disc models to our customers, but we also include some classic discs from ALL brands in our pool of Mystery Discs.

DO WE SHIP OUTSIDE THE USA?

While shipping overseas is typically an expensive venture, we DO ship discs and other small accessory items outside of the USA. We DO NOT ship large items like bags, backpacks, baskets, etc. outside of the USA. The shipping costs to ship those items often exceed the cost of the items themselves, so we simply cannot do it.

Since we’ve starting using airmail services from DHL, we’ve switched all international shipments to DHL. We have chosen to exclude all ground services from DHL so that we only use their faster airmail services for international delivery, which are faster, more reliable, and significantly less expensive than the US Postal Service.

Another benefit of DHL when shipping outside the USA is that they provide better tracking once the package leaves the USA. You should be able to track your international shipment from our location all the way to your home.

Because of the switch to DHL for international shipments, we have now dropped our prices on international shipping, starting with Canada, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. We will evaluate and adjust other countries as we go. We’re hoping that this makes Infinite Discs into a dependable and viable option for players outside of the USA.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Infinite Discs has NO control over import taxes / customs taxes in your country. You are responsible to pay customs fees that are charged by your country to receive your package.

TIPS FOR BEST SHIPPING RESULTS

Here are a few simple tips that can make your experience better as you’re placing your order and awaiting the arrival of your package:

If you need it fast (within the USA), PLEASE select the Priority Upgrade. It may make the day or two difference that you desire.
If you have a strict deadline, like a tournament, please order your discs sooner, rather than waiting until two days before your tournament. While we do our best to fulfill your order quickly, we cannot do anything to make the mail move more quickly and cannot guarantee that you’ll get your disc by a certain day or certain hour.
Use a login account when placing your order. Though we send tracking numbers through automatic emails to all customers when orders are shipped, it is VERY simple to create a login. Then you’ll have access to tracking numbers for all of your orders, simply by logging in and clicking on the links. Checking out as a guest does not give you a way to look up you order or tracking after the order it placed.
If you only want us to use USPS on your order, use the Priority Upgrade. That way, DHL and UPS will not come up as an option on our end. Remember, if ordering large items and large packages your order will be bumped to the top of our shipping queue, but we we will not be able to pay for faster shipping service unless you arrange to pay for the additional (substantially more expensive) shipping costs.
When shipping items on Saturday, we do not use DHL because they do not pickup on the weekend. So, any order processed on Saturday will go through USPS. Ordering Friday evening means your order will likely ship Saturday.
We sometimes see customers ordering several times in a single day (or in a single shipping period). In those cases, we usually combine your orders into a single package. That does NOT mean we’ll automatically refund extra shipping costs. It is most cost-effective if you order everything in a single order. If you place multiple orders in a single day and want to inquire about a refund of extra shipping costs, then contact us at support@infinitediscs.com because it will not happen automatically.

WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT ABOUT YOUR PACKAGE

We are happy to provide quick and helpful support at Infinite Discs. However, when it comes to the delivery of your package, we are not the ones who take it to your home. We count on USPS, DHL, and UPS to take care of that. So, if you are seeing a tracking number and it says something like “package is delayed” or it is simply not moving as fast as you’d like, please keep in mind that contacting us will do nothing to speed it up. Since we don’t handle the delivery, we are powerless to do anything to push the package along once it is no longer in our hands. We have the same tracking information that you do.

Here are some times when it would be helpful to contact support@infinitediscs.com about your package:

If you do not receive a tracking number within a day or two after you placed your order, then definitely contact us, because we ship fast. Something might have gone wrong in the transmission of your order through our website, or your email might have been entered incorrectly on the order.
If you are in the USA and your package has stopped tracking or moving and it has been two weeks, then please contact us. We can put in a claim with the delivery service after two weeks. Until two weeks are past, they just tell us to wait for the package to resurface (delivery services are not perfect, so sometimes they mis-route packages and it takes a while to get back on course).
If you are outside the USA, then contact us if it has been longer than a month for your package to reach you. Then we can inquire with the delivery service to see what has happened. Sometimes we have to wait even longer before we can file a claim, but we can at least inquire.
If your package arrives damaged by the delivery, please contact us with photos of the damaged products. Then we can file a claim with the delivery service. The more evidence we have, the better.

In these cases, you can email us at support@infinitediscs.com and we can take care of your needs. We ALWAYS make things right with our customers, but sometimes we need to go through certain steps or procedures to make sure that claims are filed at the right times, etc.

IF YOUR PACKAGE SAYS “DELIVERED” BUT YOU DON’T SEE IT…

This is one of the frequent concerns that we hear from customers. USPS (US Postal Service) handles the delivery to your door in most cases, and whenever a tracking number says “delivered” it is because somebody working at your local post office scanned your package as delivered. Thankfully, there are GPS coordinates for that scan. If they scanned it, then they can tell you EXACTLY where they scanned it. We do not have access to that information, but your local post office does, so please take a moment to reach out to your local post office (the ones who deliver your mail) with your tracking number and ask them exactly where they scanned the package.

In the vast majority of these cases, the local post office finds out that they either delivered it to the wrong house, or they scanned it at the post office to hold it there, rather than leaving it at your house. In these cases, THEY are obligated to get the package for you, which they usually do right away.

PLEASE NOTE: Infinite Discs will not simply refund your order if it shows as “delivered” unless you have contacted your local post office about it first. The reason for this is simple– we do not deliver the mail, so we can’t tell you what happened, and we can’t afford to refund discs that the post office can easily recover for you if you simply ask them.

If we put in a claim with the post office on OUR end, USPS will simply report back to us that it shows as “delivered” and the package will not be recovered. It takes a little effort on your part to find out where the local post office scanned your package.

Once you have asked your local post office about the location of the delivery scan on your package, and it is not resolved or found, then feel free to contact us at support@infinitediscs.com and we’ll look into what can be done to remedy the situation.

GENERAL RULE OF THUMB WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING

When it comes to shipping, just keep these two things in mind and the experience will be better for you:

Be Patient. Carrying a package from one place to another takes time. In the vast majority of cases, it works. Delays happen, but they work out.
If you want it faster, click on the Priority Upgrade during checkout. At least you’ll know that you gave a little turbo boost to your handling and delivery time.

Thanks for shopping at Infinite Discs! Though lengthy, we hope that this detailed explanation of the shipping process helps to answer any question you might have about the delivery of your orders to your door.

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State of Disc Golf–Who are our Favorite Disc Golfers and Why?

April 5, 2018 Jace Smellie One comment

The Las Vegas Challenge, Memorial Championship, and Waco Charity Open are in the books, and the Jonesboro Open is this weekend. The 2018 professional disc golf season is upon us! And I for one am excited to see what this season will hold! For this week’s State of Disc Golf article, we are going to take a look at who our favorite disc golfers are and why.

First of all, how many of us even pay attention to the professional game and the pros who play it? We asked survey takers if they follow professional disc golfers. 77.4% of us answered that question affirmatively, meaning just over ¾ of us follow professional disc golfers. While this shows that the professional game has a strong following, some could argue that this number is a bit low. It just goes to show that there is still a significant faction within the disc golf scene that is only concerned about their own casual and competitive disc golf play.

So, who are our favorite professional disc golfers? We have a lot of favorites, and for our survey we allowed people to give more than one answer. It took some time and effort, but I tried to make sure to count all misspelled and nickname answers like McBeast, Big Jerm, Sockibomb, and Big Sexy. (I promise, not the most fun part of writing this post) By my count there were well over 50 different disc golfers named as a favorite. Here is the top ten list with the percentage of answers that each disc golfer received:

Our Favorite Disc Golfers

Paul McBeth—25.42%
Nate Sexton—23.24%
Ricky Wysocki—20.08%
Simon Lizotte—18.87%
Paige Pierce—14.91%
Gregg Barsby—7.85%
Eagle McMahon—7.38%
Jeremy Koling—7.36%
James Conrad—3.66%
Nate Doss—3.48%

Any surprises? Arguably, the two biggest names in disc golf are the top two rated players in the world who have combined to hold the title of PDGA World Champion for the last 6 years, Paul McBeth and Ricky Wysocki. I figured they were a lock for the top two spots on this list, so I was a bit surprised to see that Nate Sexton came in higher on the list than Ricky. I guess that goes to show that more than PDGA ratings and world titles go into us selecting our favorite disc golfers, which we will be discussing shortly.

Another surprise is how much of a drop off there is after the top 5. Our consensus sixth favorite disc golfer Gregg Barsby got nearly half as many favorite votes as Paige Pierce at number five. I would also say I am a bit surprised to see Eagle McMahon outside of the top 5, but at the same time when I look at the names in that top 5 and what they have done on and off the course (ie social media and promotional work) it is hard to pick any of the five who haven’t earned our collective favoritism.

So why did we choose these disc golfers as our favorites? In the survey we were given five options: Attitude, Abilities as a Disc Golfer, Personality, Personal Interaction, and The Brand They Represent. We could choose all of these that applied. Here is what we said:

Why we Chose our Favorite Disc Golfers

Abilities as a Disc Golfer—87.95%
Attitude—84.49%
Personality—84.21%
Personal Interaction—37.78%
The Brand They Represent—24.49%

There is nothing too surprising to me about these numbers. At first glance I was a bit surprised how many people chose abilities as I figured attitude and personality would be the top reasons. But as I thought about it, I realized that their disc golf abilities is probably what most of us know best about each of these players.

I have been fortunate enough to rub shoulders a bit with these players, but most fans are not able to meet the top pros and see them play in person (hence the 37.78% for personal interaction). I also figured the brand representation would be the last reason, but I am a bit surprised that it is as high as it is. Nearly a quarter of us chose this reason.

I have two takeaways here. First, disc golf manufacturers are doing a great job of marketing their players and the same can be said of the inverse—these players are doing a great job representing their brands. I think a prime example of this is Nate Sexton finishing above Ricky Wysocki as our favorites. Especially in 2017, the Nate Sexton Glow Firebirds were HOTTTT. Innova and Sexton together created a demand for a disc which has helped to increase the popularity and income of both parties.

My second takeaway goes right back to what I said about the disc golfers’ abilities—it is what most fans know about these players. Let’s say a more casual fan of the sport turns on coverage of a tournament. They are likely watching a lead card or feature card, so they already know something about the pros they are about to watch—they are good at disc golf (abilities). And then the very first thing they will hear at the start of the round is the brand a pro represents AND THEN his or her name, “Representing Innova Champion Discs…Representing Dynamic Discs…” And then after all that, depending on the coverage, they get a chance to get a glimpse of the players’ attitude and personalities.

It is worth noting—in my opinion—that this is a quirk that is very unique to disc golf. Of course, there is brand representation and endorsements in all professional sports, but does that really impact our favorite players? As a kid who grew up getting to watch the greatest basketball player of all time, LeBron James (yeah, I said it), did I like him more because Nike was his shoe sponsor? Nope, but the inverse may be true—because LeBron James was endorsed by Nike, I might have been more inclined to buy their shoes. In fact, do you know any fans of any other sport, team or individual, who would consider themselves brand loyal? Do ball golfers watch hoping the Callaway guys will outperform the Cobra guys because they prefer their clubs? I consider myself a pretty avid fan of all sports, and I can’t say I have ever interacted with fans who put so much stock in what brand of equipment their favorite players use.

At the end of the day though, we as disc golfers and disc golf fans are lucky to have such great competitors to look up to. I mentioned that personal interaction is something most fans don’t get to experience. If you ever have the chance to see some of these top disc golfers play in person—DO IT! The videos don’t do it justice. And if you get the chance to have some personal interaction with them, you will learn what I have learned—they are some of the coolest and realest guys and gals out there, which I think is another unique and special thing about disc golf. The pros are just real folks trying to make a living doing what they love to do.

The first touring pro I ever met was Gregg Barsby. He was in Salt Lake City for a small event the local club was running. Like anyone who has met Gregg would tell you, he is one of the nicest guys I’ve met. After the event, I went up to him and asked a few questions. He was so positive and very encouraging to a young and aspiring disc golfer. That interaction made me want to just get out there and play and work to get better and better every day. Having met all the pros on this top 10 list at least briefly, I would not be shocked to hear that each of them have had dozens of interactions with young and new disc golfers that encouraged them the way that my brief conversation with Gregg encouraged me.

So whatever our reasons, we have favorite disc golfers, and none of them are a bad choice! Let’s keep supporting the professional game where we can, and as always, grow the sport!

*Note: All photos courtesy of PDGA Flickr page

General

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Category: General