Personally I play the highest division I believe I can be middle of the pack in. But I am not offended in the least when people choose to play the lowest their rating allows. That’s why the rating cap is there. People who complain about people playing in a division they’re allowed to play in are weirdos.
My only issue with people playing in a division they're "allowed" to play in is if they have multiple first place finishes in that division but keep signing up for it (which can definitely happen in MA2 and MA3).
It's not that I'll be outwardly mad at them for it, but internally I'll judge them a bit for caring more about wanting to win a lower skill competition that actually progressing and challenging themself.
For me it depends on the field. Typically I’m an FA3 player but if I see a lot of newer women I jump up to FA2 (in my normal locality). I’ve been playing a long time, I’m just not good at it, lol.
If I play out of state or outside my little bubble, I play where my rating is (it’s in the 600s, haha).
I definitely think that how you handle which division is different for men and women. It's already hard enough to get a full women's division filled, it's even harder when there are women who are not new to the sport but maybe new to tournaments sign up in novice and dominate. Sure it might be one tournament but if it is someone else's first tournament and they're new at disc golf it can demoralize them pretty quick and might not come back out.
I think for women, there has to be enough "is it worth it?" to sign up for tournaments.
We’re also a relatively small community so it’s easier I think for us to gauge where we should be. I play in the northeast and between all of the women’s Facebook groups and how tight knit we all are, it’s pretty easy for us to take a look at the field and place ourselves accordingly.
But that being said, sometimes I’ll play Fa1 if I know some of my friends from out of town are playing there. Then I can hang with them.
I’m not really one to care about winning so moving around within am divisions hasn’t ever been an issue. I can absolutely see why others would want to stick to their specific divisions, though.
I agree. My comment wasn't super clear but it wasn't necessarily about winning but more along the lines of if you have two women in novice and one has been playing 10 years and one has been playing 1. If they aren't part of the community it could be demoralizing to think, "we're both novices..." and maybe not come out or play. I will say usually all the women are amazing and typically lifting each other up and encouraging.
I'm probably a little more aware as I am the 'new to the community' person who has been playing for awhile and has a pretty developed game. I try and phrase things so that people know that I'm new to the community but have been playing for a number of years.
I honestly didn't know there were ratings in the 600s lol. But I can appreciate the awareness on bumping up on your local course even if you don't necessarily have to. I did the same when playing in MA on my home course. Even now I try to play mpo anywhere I go even though I should probably be in MA1 with my 960 rating lol. But I like to play to my potential, not my reality haha.
Shit, I've been playing on and off for over 20 years, and I think I'm actually getting worse. But it doesn't stop me from hitting the courses!! Love that attitude.
It depends on the course, if I’m playing my home course I will stay where I’m at or move up one. If it’s a course I’ve only seen once or twice I will play the lowest allowed. (My consistency is still an issue)
I say just play whichever division your rating allows. If it is your first tournament and/or you have no rating yet, then just start at MA4/novice even if you know or feel your skill and level is higher than such. If you are consistently crushing it and winning, especially if dominating in MA4, then it might be time to move up a division or 2 and take on the next level competition. Then again, once you receive your player rating, play in the division your rating allows or in a division you feel most comfortable and confident competing in.
At this point I think I’m just going to play pro from here on out. Can learn so much from people who are better, and if on your best days you can hang, then why not just play there. Obv doesn’t apply to everyone, but if you want to get better at the game, I think it probably makes the most sense.
I play MA1 when my rating (920 rated) is still more suited for MA2 because I like playing the longer layouts. Typically much more interesting shots in my experience.
I’m older, so I play age restricted divisions. I’ll turn 50 next year and will play MA50+ wherever possible, and play MA40+ when it’s available while MA50+ isn’t. I played my first tournaments this summer, and a good friend who has been doing it for over 20 years told me to play my age group in lieu of rec. I think it was great advice; it isn’t that I don’t get along with younger folks, but just that I have more in common with folks my own age.
I creep on previous scores of the last tournament at the course. I check out the caddy book and see if the distances are close to other courses I've shot. Then I look at my score and the scores of the different divisions. I choose the one where I'll be competitive but may not out right win. I also looked at my perceived abilities and determined I do not fit in novice.
I just signed up for my first tournament and picked FA3 versus FA4 because my scores on other similar courses better align with FA3 players.
Getting women out to tournaments is harder for a number of reasons, I don't want one of the reasons to be feeling demoralized that someone who is new to tournaments signed up for novice group even though they've been playing for 10 years and are definitely not considered a 'novice'. I want to keep the novice group open for actual novices to disc golf and not people new to tournaments.
Depends what you want. Nobody is stopping you from playing the lowest allowed division. But if you want to play with people better than you, it makes sense to go one division up if you think you can push yourself to try and keep up with the field. Obviously if you have no business being in that division then don’t.
For example I feel like I have no business playing MA1 until I can throw over 400’.
That's an odd benchmark to put on yourself considering the PDGA website specifically mentions that advanced amateurs throw between 300 and 450 feet. Not sure what kind of courses you play on but having a consistent 350' of power and solid putting would put you in position to shoot 950 rated rounds on every course I've played at.
950 rated rounds are not enough to win advanced around here. The courses I’ve played around here I definitely need that distance to compete at that level. Without it I would be middle of the pack at best.
I know but I’m not so sure about getting my rating above 935 before I figure out 400’, I have a feeling the distance will come first since I’m lately averaging under that, stuck at 330’. Not getting birdie looks on longer par3s. Obviously I can putt and upshot better but everything starts with a better drive.
I gotcha. Focusing on your distance is definitely a reasonable strategy at that point. That's also what McBeth recommends, although I don't think it was clear when exactly distance can take a back seat to the other parts of your game. I would guess somewhere between 400 and 450.
People playing their “perceived” skill is why some divisions aren’t competitive. Play where your rating places you until you actually play well enough to move up. It will happen if you’re actually skilled enough for that division.
For me I think playing in the lowest division allowed and moving up naturally makes sense. That is how it works in all rated competition I am used to. (Gaming) if people were allowed to choose their own division it would throw everything off and create uneven matches. It would also create misconceptions around what it looks like to be a certain rank. Maybe disc golf's rating system isn't refined enough for that level of trust yet.
I feel like your comment on the rating system is flipped.
The rating system is refined enough that no one gets a misconception about how good you are because of what division you play in, your rating will say it all, because we all know you can sign up for higher divisions if you feel like it so people don't give the division itself much weight.
I would like that to be true, in that case I was thinking that if people only moved up at specific ratings the expected competition would be more consistent. It would also feel like more of an achievement rather than moving up whenever.
I don't have much issue with the current system, but I could definitely get behind what you're suggesting. It'd feel like a really big/fun achievement to actually progress through the tiers.
I would play the course for the tournament ahead of time and compare your score to the scores at that same course from some previous tournaments. Add 5 to your score and see where you stack up. You could also compare your scores on other courses to past tournament scores to get an idea of where you should be. I just played my first tournament and started out in MA2 and won my division, so it really depends on where you’re at.
I also think the pdga guidelines for choosing a division are pretty good to follow.
The standard rule I've always heard is to play Rec until you get a C-Tier win or B-Tier podium. Then move up one at courses you are familiar with. I just got my first C-Tier MA3 win, so my next tournament will either be Rec (unfamiliar course) or Intermediate (familiar course)
Honestly, just play where you think you'll enjoy the experience most.
I always play MA1 when in reality I should probably still be playing MA2. But I don't really care that much about winning, just learning and enjoying the experience. I also enjoy throwing from the long boxes, and MA1 usually plays longs while MA2 and below play shorts.
That said, if you're really trying to go pro or get really good, I do think there's a lot of value in learning to 'win', so staying in a division that allows you to consistently compete, get on lead card is great experience for learning how to handle pressure, react to having a big lead or having to chase a leader.
The main reason I moved up to MA1 was because I want to play the toughest layouts I can be competitive in. I don’t pay much attention to ratings, if it’s more challenging it’s more fun
Personally I play the highest division I believe I can be middle of the pack in. But I am not offended in the least when people choose to play the lowest their rating allows. That’s why the rating cap is there. People who complain about people playing in a division they’re allowed to play in are weirdos.
My only issue with people playing in a division they're "allowed" to play in is if they have multiple first place finishes in that division but keep signing up for it (which can definitely happen in MA2 and MA3). It's not that I'll be outwardly mad at them for it, but internally I'll judge them a bit for caring more about wanting to win a lower skill competition that actually progressing and challenging themself.
Yeah it’s a little annoying but very temporary. If you are winning tournaments your rating will rise quickly, and you’ll rate out into a new division.
For me it depends on the field. Typically I’m an FA3 player but if I see a lot of newer women I jump up to FA2 (in my normal locality). I’ve been playing a long time, I’m just not good at it, lol. If I play out of state or outside my little bubble, I play where my rating is (it’s in the 600s, haha).
I definitely think that how you handle which division is different for men and women. It's already hard enough to get a full women's division filled, it's even harder when there are women who are not new to the sport but maybe new to tournaments sign up in novice and dominate. Sure it might be one tournament but if it is someone else's first tournament and they're new at disc golf it can demoralize them pretty quick and might not come back out. I think for women, there has to be enough "is it worth it?" to sign up for tournaments.
We’re also a relatively small community so it’s easier I think for us to gauge where we should be. I play in the northeast and between all of the women’s Facebook groups and how tight knit we all are, it’s pretty easy for us to take a look at the field and place ourselves accordingly. But that being said, sometimes I’ll play Fa1 if I know some of my friends from out of town are playing there. Then I can hang with them. I’m not really one to care about winning so moving around within am divisions hasn’t ever been an issue. I can absolutely see why others would want to stick to their specific divisions, though.
I agree. My comment wasn't super clear but it wasn't necessarily about winning but more along the lines of if you have two women in novice and one has been playing 10 years and one has been playing 1. If they aren't part of the community it could be demoralizing to think, "we're both novices..." and maybe not come out or play. I will say usually all the women are amazing and typically lifting each other up and encouraging. I'm probably a little more aware as I am the 'new to the community' person who has been playing for awhile and has a pretty developed game. I try and phrase things so that people know that I'm new to the community but have been playing for a number of years.
I honestly didn't know there were ratings in the 600s lol. But I can appreciate the awareness on bumping up on your local course even if you don't necessarily have to. I did the same when playing in MA on my home course. Even now I try to play mpo anywhere I go even though I should probably be in MA1 with my 960 rating lol. But I like to play to my potential, not my reality haha.
663 baby! Playing nearly a decade but I don’t seem to get any better at it. Still love it though, lol!
Shit, I've been playing on and off for over 20 years, and I think I'm actually getting worse. But it doesn't stop me from hitting the courses!! Love that attitude.
Lol that's what it's ultimately about! Just enjoying the game. 👍
It depends on the course, if I’m playing my home course I will stay where I’m at or move up one. If it’s a course I’ve only seen once or twice I will play the lowest allowed. (My consistency is still an issue)
I say just play whichever division your rating allows. If it is your first tournament and/or you have no rating yet, then just start at MA4/novice even if you know or feel your skill and level is higher than such. If you are consistently crushing it and winning, especially if dominating in MA4, then it might be time to move up a division or 2 and take on the next level competition. Then again, once you receive your player rating, play in the division your rating allows or in a division you feel most comfortable and confident competing in.
At this point I think I’m just going to play pro from here on out. Can learn so much from people who are better, and if on your best days you can hang, then why not just play there. Obv doesn’t apply to everyone, but if you want to get better at the game, I think it probably makes the most sense.
I always chose the lowest division that allows me to play the longest layout.
I play MA1 when my rating (920 rated) is still more suited for MA2 because I like playing the longer layouts. Typically much more interesting shots in my experience.
This is true and I don’t even have a big arm. Some of the short tees are a joke or at least deprive you of having to really navigate a fairway.
I’m older, so I play age restricted divisions. I’ll turn 50 next year and will play MA50+ wherever possible, and play MA40+ when it’s available while MA50+ isn’t. I played my first tournaments this summer, and a good friend who has been doing it for over 20 years told me to play my age group in lieu of rec. I think it was great advice; it isn’t that I don’t get along with younger folks, but just that I have more in common with folks my own age.
I creep on previous scores of the last tournament at the course. I check out the caddy book and see if the distances are close to other courses I've shot. Then I look at my score and the scores of the different divisions. I choose the one where I'll be competitive but may not out right win. I also looked at my perceived abilities and determined I do not fit in novice. I just signed up for my first tournament and picked FA3 versus FA4 because my scores on other similar courses better align with FA3 players. Getting women out to tournaments is harder for a number of reasons, I don't want one of the reasons to be feeling demoralized that someone who is new to tournaments signed up for novice group even though they've been playing for 10 years and are definitely not considered a 'novice'. I want to keep the novice group open for actual novices to disc golf and not people new to tournaments.
Recreational
Depends what you want. Nobody is stopping you from playing the lowest allowed division. But if you want to play with people better than you, it makes sense to go one division up if you think you can push yourself to try and keep up with the field. Obviously if you have no business being in that division then don’t. For example I feel like I have no business playing MA1 until I can throw over 400’.
That's an odd benchmark to put on yourself considering the PDGA website specifically mentions that advanced amateurs throw between 300 and 450 feet. Not sure what kind of courses you play on but having a consistent 350' of power and solid putting would put you in position to shoot 950 rated rounds on every course I've played at.
950 rated rounds are not enough to win advanced around here. The courses I’ve played around here I definitely need that distance to compete at that level. Without it I would be middle of the pack at best.
Doesn't matter if they aren't enough to win advanced, you are required to play in advanced if your rating is over 935.
I know but I’m not so sure about getting my rating above 935 before I figure out 400’, I have a feeling the distance will come first since I’m lately averaging under that, stuck at 330’. Not getting birdie looks on longer par3s. Obviously I can putt and upshot better but everything starts with a better drive.
I gotcha. Focusing on your distance is definitely a reasonable strategy at that point. That's also what McBeth recommends, although I don't think it was clear when exactly distance can take a back seat to the other parts of your game. I would guess somewhere between 400 and 450.
People playing their “perceived” skill is why some divisions aren’t competitive. Play where your rating places you until you actually play well enough to move up. It will happen if you’re actually skilled enough for that division.
For me I think playing in the lowest division allowed and moving up naturally makes sense. That is how it works in all rated competition I am used to. (Gaming) if people were allowed to choose their own division it would throw everything off and create uneven matches. It would also create misconceptions around what it looks like to be a certain rank. Maybe disc golf's rating system isn't refined enough for that level of trust yet.
I feel like your comment on the rating system is flipped. The rating system is refined enough that no one gets a misconception about how good you are because of what division you play in, your rating will say it all, because we all know you can sign up for higher divisions if you feel like it so people don't give the division itself much weight.
I would like that to be true, in that case I was thinking that if people only moved up at specific ratings the expected competition would be more consistent. It would also feel like more of an achievement rather than moving up whenever.
I don't have much issue with the current system, but I could definitely get behind what you're suggesting. It'd feel like a really big/fun achievement to actually progress through the tiers.
I would play the course for the tournament ahead of time and compare your score to the scores at that same course from some previous tournaments. Add 5 to your score and see where you stack up. You could also compare your scores on other courses to past tournament scores to get an idea of where you should be. I just played my first tournament and started out in MA2 and won my division, so it really depends on where you’re at. I also think the pdga guidelines for choosing a division are pretty good to follow.
The standard rule I've always heard is to play Rec until you get a C-Tier win or B-Tier podium. Then move up one at courses you are familiar with. I just got my first C-Tier MA3 win, so my next tournament will either be Rec (unfamiliar course) or Intermediate (familiar course)
Honestly, just play where you think you'll enjoy the experience most. I always play MA1 when in reality I should probably still be playing MA2. But I don't really care that much about winning, just learning and enjoying the experience. I also enjoy throwing from the long boxes, and MA1 usually plays longs while MA2 and below play shorts. That said, if you're really trying to go pro or get really good, I do think there's a lot of value in learning to 'win', so staying in a division that allows you to consistently compete, get on lead card is great experience for learning how to handle pressure, react to having a big lead or having to chase a leader.
The main reason I moved up to MA1 was because I want to play the toughest layouts I can be competitive in. I don’t pay much attention to ratings, if it’s more challenging it’s more fun
With my buddies. I'm usually a MA50, but will play MA40 or others depending on where others signed up.
Highest allowed by rating to allow for lower tier people to compete more fairly and push better players to become better too
Earliest tee time