Ernie the First Tee Tree – Episode 4
State of Disc Golf 2015: Do Our Demographics Affect Our Choice of Brands?
In a previous blog discussing the results of the 2015 State of Disc Golf survey, we focused on which disc golf brands we like the most and how that has changed from last year. (If you missed it, click HERE) This blog will look at who we are and whether that affects what brands we throw.
Who are we?
According to the survey, we are male (94%), live in California (7%), are 30-35 years old (23%), consider ourselves Intermediate disc golfers (45%), have been playing for 5-9 years (25%), played 10-15 different courses in 2014 (29%) and have a Bachelor’s Degree (35%). Half of us are currently married, while 43% have never been married.
We also belong to disc golf clubs (57%), own either 21-30 discs or 41-60 discs (tied at 14%), bought 10-14 new discs last year (18%), lost 1-3 discs (48%), chose disc golf as a favorite sport to play (85%), and football as a favorite sport to follow (35%. Disc golf was second at 27%).
After examining all the demographic statistics, we wanted to see if there were trends based on certain aspects of the demographics. For example, does the age of the respondent affect which brand they consider their favorite? Or the skill level? Or the education?
We considered most the attributes of the average survey respondent, listed above, and compared them to the overall list of favorite discs. And, spoiler alert, the results were kind of boring. Regardless of the demographic, nearly all of the results were within a point or two of the overall favorites. There were only a few exceptions, and even those were not extremely far from the overall numbers. They are worth mentioning, though, because of possible long-term ramifications.
Just to recap the previous blog, the top six favorite brands were: Innova (48%), Discraft (12%), Latitude 64 (10%), Dynamic Discs (6%), and MVP and Prodigy tied at 5%.
Disc golf experience
The first question we looked at was “When did you start playing disc golf?” We wanted to see if the length of time we have been playing had any effect on which brands we preferred. The biggest variation from the average results occurred among players who have only been playing a year or less. This was not a large sample size, representing only about 1.5% of the total respondents, so the overall significance of the results carry less weight. Still, this will be an interesting group to watch over the next couple of years. Players from this experience group still chose Innova as their favorite brand, but by a much smaller margin. Only 31% of respondents in this group picked Innova as their favorite, compared to 48% overall. Discraft and Latitude 64 results stayed close to the same as the total results. MVP, Dynamic Discs, Axiom, and Discmania all bumped up several percentage points (see chart for numbers).
Near the other end of the experience spectrum were those who have been playing between 35-44 years. This group made up 3.2% of the respondents. Among them, 42% listed Innova as their favorite, while 15% of them chose Discraft, 3% more than overall. MVP, Dynamic Discs, and Prodigy all held 8% of the vote in this group, which represented an increase for all three brands. Westside was consistent with their overall score.
Skill level
The survey asked respondents to list what division best represented their skill level. The four choices were: Beginner/Recreational, Intermediate, Advanced, and Professional. For the most part, this category also followed the Favorite Brand category nearly exactly. The Pro’s, representing 8% of the total respondents, had the biggest differences. For them, Innova sat at 46%, Discraft and Latitude were 10%, and Dynamic Discs, MVP, and Prodigy held 7% of the Pro vote.
Gender
Since men represented 94% of the respondents, it’s pretty obvious their statistics would duplicate that of the overall results. For women, there were a few slight differences. Innova was the first choice with 46%, which was 2% lower than overall, Discraft took second with 11%, and Dynamic Discs rounded out the top three, finishing 9%, up from the overall 6%. Latitude 64 and Westside traded a couple percentage points, with Latitude 64 2% below the overall results and Westside 2% above.
Age
The final demographic we’ll look at in this blog is the choice of Favorite Brand by age group. While all of the age groups between 18-40 years were close to the overall percentage, there were other groups with a few different numbers. Again, the differences were never huge, but enough to mention.
We will start with the youngest age group, 12-17 years old, which represented 2% of the total respondents. Like the newer players that we mentioned at the beginning, it will be interesting to see how or if the numbers in this demographic changes over time. The youngest players chose Innova as their favorite by 5% more than the overall respondents. The increase came at the expense of Discraft and Latitude 64, which were both down a little. Westside was chosen 3% more frequently, while Dynamic Discs was the same percentage as overall, 6%.
The next group to look at is disc golfers 41-50 years old, representing 14% of respondents. This group chose Innova at a slightly lower 43%, compared to 48% of average. Discraft was up to 14%, Latitude 64 was up a tick at 11% and Prodigy was 7%, which was 2% higher than overall.
The 51-60 year olds were a little more favorable for Innova, with 53% of the group choosing the brand leader. Discraft and Latitude 64 were a little less popular, while Dynamic Discs and MVP matched their overall numbers.
The most senior group we will look at is the 61-70 year old disc golfers. They make up 2% of the total and only 39% of them favored Innova. The extra percentage points went to Discraft (16%), MVP and Westside (9% each), and Dynamic Discs (8%). The fact that Discraft is higher is not surprising. But, if we were going to bet on a demographic that would have the highest loyalty to Innova, we would have gone with this one. Innova and Discraft have been around longer than the other brands and people in this age group grew up throwing those discs.
Conclusion
When we were looking through all of the data, we were hoping to find a few statistical anomalies that could be analyzed and discussed. Although this particular set of data did not have the extremes we were hoping for, just knowing that we as disc golfers are consistent throughout a variety of demographics is good information to have. We will certainly keep an eye on those groups that did vary from the norm to see what changes take place in future surveys.
In an upcoming post, we will look specifically at which brands people are throwing. Remember from the first survey result blog that only 6% of us throw a single brand. The rest of us have two or more brands in our arsenal. We will look at which brands people throw and which new discs people know the most.
Some of the Most Important People in Disc Golf
Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.
~Elizabeth Andrew
Recently, I was reflecting on all of the tournaments that I played in 2014. I won’t mention the total number in case my wife reads this. Let’s just say I was fortunate to be able to attend quite a few. Tournaments are an important part of my disc golf life. Beyond the competition, which I enjoy, is a wonderful social aspect. I met so many really great people throughout the year. It’s tough to beat the camaraderie, excitement, and atmosphere of a disc golf tournament.
While the size, cost, and weather may vary from one tournament to the next, they all have one thing in common: at some point, someone made a decision to organize and run the tournament, then put in a lot of work to make it a reality. I’m speaking of the wonderful Tournament Directors, or TD’s!
I really like the idea that people are so committed to this sport and their fellow disc golfers that they would dedicate their time and effort to run a tournament. I appreciate and respect that. More importantly, I want them to keep doing it! If you like to attend tournaments, I think you’ll agree that we should encourage our TD’s to keep up the great work. Here are a few things we can do for them:
- Preregister (if available). Preregistration is the ‘RSVP’ of disc golf. It lets the TD know how many people will attend and gives them time to prepare in advance. That helps them run things in a timely manner. It really benefits us, too, because when things will run smother, we get done sooner.
- Do your part by showing up on time, listening to the TD at the player’s meeting, and keeping a good pace as you play. These are more things that also benefit us as participants. Tournaments take up a big chunk of time, but we can help the TD and ourselves by getting there on time and not contributing to delays.
- DON’T COMPLAIN TO THE TD! We may have issues with how a tournament was run, but complaining is not the best approach, particularly on the day of the event. If we’re angry or dissatisfied with certain aspects of a tournament (players pack, payouts, cost, pin placement, etc.), taking a day or two to think about it or talking to our friends about it might help us realize our issues aren’t as big as we thought. Maybe what we were concerned about wasn’t even the TD’s fault. If we still think it’s something the TD should hear about, we should send them a respectful email discussing our concerns. Most TD’s I know would like to hear ideas for improving their tournaments. By offering calm, constructive suggestions, TD’s are more likely to listen. And, more likely to continue running tournaments.
- Thank the TD! At the very least, tell them “thank you” at the end of the tournament. It feels good, for us and them. At a few tournaments I’ve been to, some of the participants circulated a tournament disc for everyone to sign as a surprise ‘thank you’ gift for the TD. I like that simple way of showing them that we appreciate them and their efforts. They will remember the gesture and be more inclined to do it again.
Disc golf tournaments are a fun part of our sport. Let’s make sure they continue by making life a little better for the people willing to run them. I would love to hear your thoughts about TD’s, their hard work, and ways we can make their lives a little better.
Ernie the First Tee Tree – Episode 3
Alcohol on the Disc Golf Course: Pack It In, Pack It Out
As we looked at the data from our State of Disc Golf 2014 Survey, one thing became very clear: Disc golfers like to drink. Alcohol use was by far the most used substance on the disc golf course in 2014. In fact, more disc golfers said they drank alcohol on the course than those who did not participate in the use of any substances on the disc golf course.
Unlike the use of marijuana that we discussed last week, a conversation on the legality of its use does not hold a lot of weight. Though it ought to be said, there are many public courses in public parks that post no alcohol signs, and a fair share of disc golf courses have faced the threat of removal due to these rules not being followed. Of course we encourage everyone to follow the rules and local laws that pertain to each course so that we can keep our precious courses and continue to grow the sport.
One might also be curious as to underage drinking on the disc golf course. We only had 83 people in the 18-21 age range say that they drank alcohol while playing disc golf, and it is not safe to assume that any of these individuals were or were not drinking legally. Again, we just encourage all to keep the rules and keep the game in a positive light. Here is a chart showing how many individuals in each age range said they drank alcohol on the course in 2014:
This chart really doesn’t hold any surprises, as each age reflects the total result–about half or just under of the total participants in each age tier.
So at all ages, drinking alcoholic beverages has become a popular activity. What does this mean for the sport? Is this a good thing? A bad thing? Neither or both?
Disc golf is not the only sport where alcohol has worked its way into the main scene. Casual rounds of ball golf and alcohol go together very often. Many golf courses sell alcoholic beverages at their clubhouses to accommodate their patrons.
So alcohol is a big part of ball golf, and ball golf is thriving as a mainstream sport. So naturally, disc golf can thrive with a can of beer in the bag right? Maybe, but there is a crutch that disc golf carries in many towns that drinkers and nondrinkers alike need to learn to leave behind if disc golf is to grow–littering.
It definitely would not be fair to blame those drinking alcohol on the course for the all the littering that occurs on disc golf courses around the world. Soda and energy drink cans sometimes are found just as frequently as alcohol cans and bottles. However in some cases (like on the course I learned to play) there is no questioning where most of the littering was coming from. I used to joke that I thought Twisted Tea was the official drink of disc golfers because of how many cans and bottles I saw strewn about the park. On more than one occasion I have walked up to a tee pad to find it covered in shattered glass from a beer bottle.
Again, pointing fingers does not do us any good, we just need to fix it. How do we fix it?
Really, it is just that simple isn’t it? Don’t litter, and if you see it happening, say something. We really are all in this together when it comes to the growth of disc golf. Lets all commit to stop the littering and keep our courses beautiful for casual and professional players alike.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, do NOT drink and drive. A friend of mine worked at a country club, and he told me about his horror as we would watch golfers get hammered on the course and then get in their cars to drive back home. Do NOT do it, and do NOT let your friends do it. Please drink responsibly. Keep yourself and all of us safe.
New Golf Discs for 2015
As the disc golf world continues to grow, so do the number of new disc models. Last year there were more than 70 new disc models introduced by more than a dozen different disc manufacturers. If historic disc manufacturing trends continue, this number will only increase this year.
Here’s what we know about new discs that will be released in 2015:
Innova
From PDGA approval and promotional releases, we know that Innova will release a putter the Whale, the Colt, and the new midrange (VRoc). There is also rumor of a really beefy putter the Innova Hawg, which may be like or replace the Pig.
Innova has also mentioned that there will actually be three different VRoc versions released throughout the year.
On January 16th Innova will release there new Wombat Midrange. This disc is said to be very similar to the Foxbat, but with “VTech” technology that makes it less likely to turn over.
Discraft
We haven’t heard any news about new releases coming out from Discraft, other than lots of new plastic varieties as limited edition fundraiser discs for the Ledgestone Open.
There will of course be a new release for the Discraft Ace Race this fall. Many disc golfers are hoping that this year the Ace Race disc will be either a putter or a midrange.
Trilogy
Latitude 64:
Latitude 64 has already released a new ultra high speed driver, the Ballista, in the new Snow Line plastic. The catch with this new release that it is only available as a limited fundraiser for the Scandanavian Open. Word is that the Ballista won’t be available at retail prices in the United States until 2016.
As part of the Trilogy Challenge, a Latitude 64 putter called the Macana will be released. This new disc will initially be available in Latitude’s new baseline retro plastic.
Dynamic Discs:
From the Disc Golf Answer Man podcast we learned that Dynamic Discs plans to release four new discs in 2015, plus the “Evidence” which will be used as the Trilogy Challenge midrange. This includes the Breakout (understable fairway driver), Justice (overstable midrange), and Convict (Overstable fairway driver).
Westside:
Another new release that will be available in May for those who play in the Trilogy challenge is the Sampo driver. This disc will be released in the new ultra flexible Elasto plastic.
Westside will also be releasing three discs on March 1st:
- Seer – Understable Control Driver
- Bard – Overstable Midrange
- Swan 1 Reborn – Understable Putt and Approach Disc
Vibram
Vibram has been working on a new fairway driver the “Valley“. It seems as if development of a new fairway driver has been slower than desired, because they were not able to release it prior to the annual Birdie Bash. The Valley will be released at the end of June.
Later in the summer Vibram plans to release two additional new discs the Arch and Notch. Vibram also has announced a new rubber blend called “granite.”
MVP:
As seen in the video, MVP is planning to release four new drivers that will have thicker rims and be even faster than the new drivers they released in 2014. The names of the new MVP drivers are listed below.
- Phase: Overstable Distance Driver
- Photon: Stable/Overstable Distance Driver
- Wave: Neutral/Overstable Distance Driver
- Orbital: Understable Distance Driver
Axiom:
The Axiom family manufactured by MVP continue to spit out new plastic at an impressive rate. Not only will there be new MVP distance drivers, but MVP has announced that there will be four new 2.0 cm Axiom drivers this year: The Fireball, Wrath, Insanity, and Virus. It will be interesting to see how different these discs will be from the Motion, Tesla, Inertia, and Impulse.
Legacy:
Legacy has shared on its Facebook page that it has plans for four new discs in 2015: The Enemy, Hunter, Prowler, and Nemesis. The first released in this batch will likely be a new putter, probably the Prowler, as Sarah Hokum hinted during a podcast on Smashboxx TV. The Prowler will be a beaded putter with a round edge. The Hunter is a very straight flying putt and approach disc.
While we’re not sure exactly sure what the drivers will be like, the Nemesis is a slightly understable high speed driver and the Enemy will should be a very overstable control driver.
Gateway:
Gateway has two new putt and approach discs, the Warspear and the Devil Hawk. These are unique overstable putters with a thumb track on top.
The Warspear and the Devil Hawk have not yet been PDGA approved.
DGA:
DGA has announced the release of its new putter the “Steady” because they have so much respect for Steady Ed Headrick, this beaded putter is supposed to be a really good one.
DGA will also release the Hellfire, an overstable driver.
Reptilian:
Reptilian is a new disc golf company that had its first disc the “Scale” PDGA approved at the end of last year.
What other new discs are expected for 2015 that we have missed?
The State of Disc Golf: “Extracurricular Activities” on the Disc Golf Course–Marijuana
“I saw a drug deal when I was on a disc golf course with my nine year old boy.”
This was told to me by a disgruntled fellow player as we were making our way to our tee time at a PDGA event. He went on to express the sadness and disappointment he felt when he found out many of the local disc golfers that his son looked up to regularly smoked marijuana illegally during their rounds at the local course. This was not my first and it definitely has not been my last conversation like this. It seems that the use of drugs and other substances are intertwined with disc golf.
Just the Facts Please
In our 2015 State of Disc Golf Survey, we asked the following: In 2014, I have participated in the following on a disc golf course:
- Drinking Alcohol
- Vaping
- Smoking Tobacco
- Smoking Marijuana
- None of the Above
We allowed participants to select more than one option. The results were as shown in the chart below:
(NOTE: Totals do not add up to 100% because participants could select more than one option.)
We found this data very interesting, and we would like to spread this topic across several articles to give each aspect of it the attention it deserves. This article will focus strictly on the use of Marijuana while playing disc golf.
Well, Isn’t it Pretty Much Legal?
Unlike the other three substances, Marijuana is the only one hazed by a variety of possession and usage laws (excluding local public smoking and drinking laws). The main question at hand is recreational use, which has only been legalized in 2 of 50 States (Washington and Colorado). How does this impact the way we should look at our data? Here is another interesting chart that looks at where the disc golfers who had smoked marijuana were from:
So is it safe to assume that 92.7% of the disc golfers who took our survey chose to smoke marijuana illegally? Not necessarily. A handful of states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, and our survey did not not ask where the pot smoking took place. (Maybe all 92.7% went to Washington or Colorado whenever they smoked marijuana on the course?) Even with the benefit of the doubt, it is safe to assume that a good portion of the marijuana smoking that occurred on the disc golf course during 2014 was smoked illegally.
Marijuana and Disc Golf: Best Friends or Worst Enemies?
Now to the debate that rages like wildfire in the disc golf world: Does marijuana on the course harm the sport, and therefore need to be burned elsewhere so that disc golf can thrive? Or should we all just learn to get along and embrace the “counter-culture” as an inseparable part of disc golf forever?
Of course, to give these questions the proper attention, we need to answer another question. Where do we want to see our beloved disc golf in the future? Do we want to see Paul McBeth and Ricky Wysocki battle in a play-off for the World Championships on ESPN? Or do we want to keep disc golf to ourselves–free to play and low key?
Another question from our survey asked, “Would you like to see disc golf become a mainstream sport?” And this leads us to another chart:
And in case you were wondering how only those who smoked marijuana on the course answered this question:
And naturally everyone else’s chart would look like this:
So What Does This All Mean?
We’ll let everyone draw their own conclusions from this data, but there were a few things that caught our eye.
It would seem natural to assume that a greater majority of disc golfers who don’t smoke marijuana would want the sport to become mainstream, but this spread was only slight (a difference of only 7.9%). So, it seems safe to say, all disc golfers regardless of drug use, want to see the sport grow into the mainstream. This raises even more questions: Do we want to bring the pot with us? Should we? Can we wave the flag of “Grow the Sport” and keep our stash of weed in our back pockets?
Some have fought to make this type of scenario a reality (we all remember the Vibram Four20 release from early 2014), and with at least two more states making marijuana legal in 2015 (Oregon and Alaska), the possibility of a mainstream society embracing disc golf and marijuana together is looking more and more plausible.
Of course, this potential reality still faces a lot of friction (we all remember the Vibram Four20 discontinuation also from early 2014). There are many who have expressed a desire to keep disc golf drug free and “family friendly.” And the one huge barrier: Marijuana use is still illegal in most of the United States.
This brings us back to my friend and I on our way to the tee. He not only was upset about his boy witnessing a drug deal while playing a sport they both loved. He also shared with me an experience he had when attending a city council meeting where he was lobbying for the installation of a new disc golf course on public land. He was all but completely shut down when the city council informed him of the alarming rates of drug related crimes reported in the area surrounding their existing disc golf course. Naturally, they were more than hesitant to approve another disc golf course.
But as Bob Dylan once said, “The times they are a changin’.”
Will Disc Golf make it into the mainstream? We sure hope so (at least 75.8% of us). Will Mary Jane make it too? Well, at least some of us hope so (69.8% of 24.5% of us).
Only time will tell.
Ernie the First Tee Tree – Episode 2
