QuadCityDiscGolf.com

QCDG.com: Do you have any specific role models or people who have helped you get to the level of play that you're at now and how have they helped you?

Jeremy: There have been a lot of role models for me in my disc golf journey. The one who really sticks out the most and has probably had the greatest impact on me is probably the legendary mule, Stan McDaniel. He noticed my game early on and was always eager and willing to give advice on how to be both a solid player and how to be a solid individual (and not necessarily in that order). The support he and the rest of the Charlotte Disc Golf Club gave me going into the 08 AM worlds really helped give me the confidence I needed to pull through and win at the end of a very long and competitive week. Others who I have looked up to include Brian Schweberger, Billy Crump, Kirk Yoo, Sam Nicholson, Alan Beaver, the ENTIRE staff at Discraft, my best friends from Charlotte whom make me laugh and realize why I love this game and many many others. Without them I know I wouldn't be the person I am today!

QCDG.com: You obviously have a lot of talent and a bright future in disc golf. What do you feel you need to do in order to take that next step to winning big events consistently?

Jeremy: There are many steps that a player needs to take to learn how to win big events. Its important to have an idea of where you stand with your abilities so that you can enter into the right division. Doing this lets you learn how to compete. Knowing how to be a fierce competitor will be your strongest tool in learning how to win bigger events. Knowing that you have ability to win your division will give you the confidence needed to pull through towards the end of a close tournament. When I first started playing PDGA events I knew that I was an amateur level player so I skipped the intermediate level and jumped into advanced. It took me several tourneys until I won my 1st tournament. I didn't rush into playing open because I felt like it was important for me to learn how to win before I took my game to the next level. After winning several C tiers, B tiers and one A Tier I felt like I was ready to take the next step and begin competing on the
professional level. Going from advanced to open is a big step. Once you get to a certain level in advanced you can afford to make mistakes and still win. In open you cannot afford to make the same mistakes and still come out on top. It's a completely different mental challenge when competing on the professional level. Playing smaller events obviously increases the chances of winning and I think that you need the experience of winning C and B tiers before you can start winning larger tournaments. That's currently where I stand in open. I've won 11 pro tournaments, 6 of them were C tiers and the 5 were B tiers. I have have some pretty decent finishes in larger tournaments but I still haven't won anything larger than a B tier. Obviously putting is the MOST important part of the game. Therefore, if you want to win big events you better be a pretty darn good putter. The one thing you see in common with all of the players who are consistently at the top of
the leader boards in big tournaments is that they are all extremely talented and clutch putters. We've all heard that sports are 90% mental and 10% physical but when it comes to winning in big golf tournaments I think it's more like 99% mental and 1% physical. Almost everyone who is competing on that level has what it takes physically to get the job done but it's those who are mentally strongest who constantly prevail. I'm working on that step right now :)

QCDG.com: You are currently sponsored by Discraft. What has that sponsorship meant to your success to this point

Jeremy: Being sponsored by Discraft has meant so much to me. Discraft took a risk based purely on word of mouth and potential when they picked me up. I think I had only won 1 advanced tournament (and it was only a one day C tier!) when I received the email offering me a spot on the team. It was so exciting that people were starting to notice that I had potential and it gave me a tremendous sense of pride to be a part of a great company like Discraft. I have to give all the credit to Kirk Yoo and Stan McDaniel for promoting my talents to Discraft and getting me a spot on the team. Throwing Discraft plastic has definitely improved my game. The Surge, the Drone, the Buzz and the Nuke are in my opinion some of the very best quality discs on the market and without my sponsorship there's a very good chance that I would have never discovered any of them (Charlotte is very close to a big rival disc manufacturer). Also I have to give a huge shout out to LSDISCS. They
have helped me out several times in my short career and they also have some really cool merchandise. Look good, feel good, play good! I would definitely have to say that without my sponsors I wouldn't be able to so what I do.

QCDG.com: What are your favorite "go-to" discs?

Jeremy: For drivers I'm throwing Nukes for HUGE air shots and big rollers. ESP Surges are my main distance drivers right now. I use them mostly for side arm distance drives, touchy flip up drives in the woods and backhand rollers. Stalkers for controlled straight and slight hyzer backhands between 350 and 430 feet, Preds and Z Forces for big hyzers just depending on the wind and the distance, Z Flicks for thumbers and flick rollers/ other trick shots.
In the midrange department I really love the FLX Drone. It's super dependable and it really likes to sit where it hits the ground so I can aim closer to the basket than I can with other stiffer midranges that tend to skip or roll after they hit the ground. I love the ESP Buzz for any type of straight shot between 175 and 350, the Z Comet and the ESP Meteor for turnovers and controllable rollers, and the ESP Zone for hyzer upshots inside 250.
I putt with beat up and yet still very stiff Cam Todd Challengers and I use soft magnets for super straight approaches and for times when I'm trying to run at the basket without worrying about flying too far past to make the come backer.

QCDG.com: When playing a round during a tournament, would you consider yourself an aggressive player or a more conservative player? What things do you take into consideration before you decide to go for a birdie chance or go for the smart par shot and can you give an example of how that played out for you?

Jeremy: First off I think there are different styles of aggressive players. There are players like Nikko Locastro and Cam Todd who are very aggressive, fearless putters who attack nearly every putt because they are confident that they'll make the comeback if they miss (and they rarely miss). Sometimes I fall into that category but my putt is typically a bit more conservative than Nikko's. Also there are players like Avery Jenkins and Garret Gurthie who are extremely aggressive off every tee shot because they can reach holes that other players can't and get strokes in places that you didn't even think possible. I would say that I fall more into that category. My distance off the tee has been an essential tool for me. My "safe golf" is usually as long or longer than opposing players power shots. I understand what shots I'm capable of and once I'm set on my shot I try to block out anything and everything that is going on around me and then I throw my shot. I
usually really don't even think of it as being aggressive, just playing the hole the way that is best suited for me. I like to have a game plan going into a tournament round where I evaluate the percentages of each shot and then I try to stick to it as much as possible. I understand that situations can and most likely will change during almost every tournament. When I'm in the hunt nearing the end of an event the way I attack the course will change depending on what the situation is. A good example would be at the 08 worlds when there were only two rounds left. I was in 2nd place trailing a few strokes back to Braeden Simmons. I knew that I had to make my move right there so that I could be in the position I had wanted to be in. I went for some big shots that round and I was rewarded with a couple of eagles that helped propel me into the lead. It put a lot of pressure on the other players to see me going for shots that were probably out of their range.
After I took the lead the strategy changed and it was then about maintaining a lead and not getting into trouble.

QCDG.com: Every player, no matter their level of play, has a bad shot or round from time to time. What do you do to refocus yourself after a bad shot and what advice would you give to other players in that same situation? Can you give an example of where you where able to put that advice to good use and overcome a bad shot?

Jeremy: Refocusing after a bad shot or a series of bad shots is one of the toughest tests that golf presents. I think that being upset with yourself after a badly thrown shot is imperative for getting over it. Personally, I can't bottle up my negative emotions when playing golf and just expect the bad feelings to go away. I use the fiery emotion that I feel after bad shots to motivate myself to play better. Every player does this differently. I feel like as long as you are not creating a distraction for the other golfers in your group or surrounding groups that whatever method you choose is ok. Another thing to keep in mind is how important slowing down and taking deep breaths can be. It's a normal reaction to get worked up and frustrated when things aren't going well. Taking time to remember that you've done this a million times before can ease the mind. Sometimes I challenge myself to see how well I can bounce back from a rough stretch and still put together a decent finish. Last year, during the 1st round of the Vibram Open I missed an embarrassing 8 foot birdie putt. Instead of getting down on myself I laughed out loud and convinced myself that missing that putt was going to start a hot streak. I finished the rest of the round really strong and was sitting in a tie for 2nd place at my first NT.

QCDG.com: What has been your favorite tournament up to this point in your career and why?

Jeremy: Right now it's really hard to compare any tournament to the USDGC. It's just simply on another level in so many ways. From the way the players are treated to the legendary course to the history of the event to the purse which is the biggest in our sport and finally the fact that you know that all the best players in the world are going to be there and that they are going to bring their absolute best effort. But that's the obvious choice so I'll go with a much lesser known tournament that's a bit of a North Carolina secret: The Mountain Disc Golf Experience. At the beginning of summer each year Asheville, NC hosts a big outdoor sports festival. The tourney is three rounds and lunch is provided on both days. The top 4 pro finishers qualify to compete in urban skins. It's a 12 hole showcase that's played through the downtown streets of Asheville. Each hole is usually worth at least $100. The crowd's always really enthusiastic and fun. The award ceremonies
are held at a famous local brewery which serves legendary pizza and beer. For only being a C tier you really feel like you are being treated like it's an A tier. The TD James Nichols and the rest of the Asheville disc golf club really goes the extra mile to deliver an unforgettable experience.

QCDG.com: What do you feel is the strongest aspect of your game at this point and what type of practice or training do you do to keep that advantage?

Jeremy: The strongest aspect of my game is my sidearm. Specifically flicking less stable discs like beat up Surges for controlled flex distance drives and beat up Buzz's for straight controlled shots. When I was in college, before I ever knew what disc golf was, I played a lot of catch with ultimate lids. I felt most comfortable throwing flicks because I could face my target without turning away. When throwing an ultimate disc you have to focus on throwing really smooth with the outer edge of the disc facing down (later I learned that was called a hyzer angle). I didn't realize it at the time but I was doing was learning a soft touch that I now use all the time when playing disc golf. When I started playing DG I only threw forehands because it was so much more comfortable to me. Because that was all i threw, I had to learn how to throw hyzers, straight shots and turnovers all the same. Naturally, I began to understand the flight characteristics of a forehand really well. Now when I go to the field to practice, I actually don't throw sidearm at all, I focus mostly only on backhands because it's a tough shot for me to throw with the same confidence I have when I'm throwing a flick. I feel like a really good way to practice sidearms is by playing catch with a friend flicking an ultimate lid and seeing how far you can throw it without it rolling over. This will help you learn how to keep your wrist from rolling over and how to generate a lot of wrist snap.

QCDG.com: Do you have a specific training program that you use to stay in playing shape, and what advice would you give other players to help stay in shape?

Jeremy: There are a couple of different practice routines I like to use. When I'm in the field practicing I like to imagine that I'm at a course which has several different types of tee shots. Ideally its a course that has around 6 hyzer shots, 6 straight shots and 6 turnover shots. I imagine that I'm standing at hole 1 and then I throw a couple of drives on that hole. I do this for each hole until I've played all 18. It's a really quick way to get a couple of rounds in without losing your discs or hitting trees and still getting the practice you need to improve your game. I believe it's really important to make practice as much fun as possible. Creating games and challenges for yourself gives you something to focus on while putting your hours in. When I'm putting in the backyard I play a game called "12 steps". Paul Ulibarri taught me this one while he was staying at my house during the USDGC. You start with 2 putters and you take five steps away from the basket. If you make both putts then you take another step further away from the basket. Continue this process up to 12 paces. The part of the game that makes it challenging is that if you miss one of the two putts you stay where you are and if you miss both putts you take a step closer. Once I'm finished with the game sometimes I'll try playing the same game with only straddle putts.

QCDG.com: Do you have any "pre-shot" routines that you go through while on the tee or getting ready to putt, or perhaps any superstitions or routines that you go through before a tournament?

Jeremy: I don't really have any pre shot routines while I'm on the tee. I just try to make sure I'm calm and focused. I try to not think about my score on previous holes or anything else that may become a distraction while I'm trying to execute a drive. When I'm putting I usually mark my lie just like anyone else but before I putt I step back away from my lie and assess the variables of the putt. I usually imagine myself standing at my lie as if I were actually 10 ft. further away from the basket than I actually am. This helps me to stay away from low putts. The night before any tournament, no matter the size of the event, I will usually go through each hole in my mind mapping out my strategy for how I want to play the hole. At tournaments like worlds where I'm playing many more rounds of golf than I'm used to I make sure that I'm drinking plenty of water. That much disc golf concentrated in a short amount of time will really take a heavy toll on your body at the end of the week if you don't take care of yourself.

QCDG.com: What type of course do you feel best suits your style of play and may give you an advantage over other players (ie: tight, technical courses or big open courses for the big arms) and is there a favorite course you like to play that really fits your style?

Jeremy: I think that long wooded courses suit my style of play best. My sidearm comes pretty handy when I'm throwing placement shots through tight gaps. I also feel like I have a lot of tricks in my bag that help me get out of the trouble that players so often find themselves in when playing tight courses. I also like courses that let you open up and mash big drives. Maple Hill in Leicester, MA and Renny Gold in Charlotte, NC are probably the best courses I can think of that have a good mixture of those two elements.

QCDG.com: What are your disc golf goals for 2010 and is there any one tournament that you would like to win more than others?

Jeremy: My goals for 2010 are pretty simple. First and foremost, I want to get top 10 in the NT points series. I want to finish top 20 at the USDGC and I really really want to win an A tier. Aside from the US Championship and Worlds, there really aren't any specific tournaments that I want to win more than any others. Each tournament provides a unique test of skill and mental endurance and any win I get is rewarding in its own unique way. If I were to win an A tier it would be a tremendous confidence builder and it would prove to myself that I am mentally ready to win the bigger events. Unfortunately it just hasn't panned out that way yet. Until it does, I just treat every tournament that I don't win as a learning experience.

QCDG.com: What advice would you give to new players looking to improve their games?

Jeremy: A. Keep it simple. B. Have a short memory. C. Keep it simple.

QCDG.com: What is one thing that most people don't know about Jeremy Koling?

Jeremy: I'm pretty dang tall (6'6) hence the nicknames Big Jerm and Two Meter.

Thanks so much to Jeremy for sharing his time with us at QuadCityDiscGolf.com!