| QCDG.com: Please take a moment and share how you became involved in the sport of disc golf and at what point did you realize you had the talent and desire to play competitively. |
| Mark: I became involved in DG when my girlfriend Julie and I were looking for something we could do together. I loved the game so much that I couldn't get out and play enough. When Julie’s brother Joe started playing with us we both really took off. If it wasn’t for Joe I wouldn’t be where I’m at. I love to compete. Once I played in a local tourney I knew I wanted to get as good as I could. |
| QCDG.com: What would you like other disc golfers to know about yourself that they might not already know? |
| Mark: Very tough question. For me, winning isn’t my driving force. Sure I want to win but having fun is more important. And I really enjoy encouraging others to do well. Don’t get me wrong, I love to win. But it’s not that important to me. |
| QCDG.com: You’ve had some big wins in your career as well as many top finishes. What do you consider to be your most satisfying win and what do you consider to be missing from your disc golf “resume” that you’d really like to add to it and why? |
| Mark: My most satisfying win was at this years Worlds. The way they played the final 9 was awesome. Standing on the final tee looking straight down the ski slope 800+ feet was crazy. There was a huge gallery around the green. It was just too cool when I was announce as the world champ as the crowd roared. To be honest, there isn’t anything missing from my resume. I never would have imagined getting this far. |
| QCDG.com: What do you consider to be the strength of your game and what area would you like to improve to make you more competitive? What steps will you take to improve that portion of your game? |
| Mark: I think the strongest part of my game is the mental game. I never get down on myself. I expect to make mistakes. I try to keep the mistakes to a minimum. I’d love to gain another 50’ of distance but I honestly don’t think it’s that important. I think being a better putter is more important. I try to putt every day. I plan to keep doing that to improve. |
| QCDG.com: One area of your game that others have noticed success in would be your putting game. Do you have any specific practice drills or games that you try to incorporate into your practice routine? |
| Mark: Yes, my putting has improved. But you can never be too good of a putter. I do play games. That makes you focus harder. I used to just go out and throw putt after putt but I noticed I would get sloppy after a few minutes. Doing 15 minute segments works well for me. I like Mark Ellis’ approach to putting. His videos are wonderful. |
| QCDG.com: You have mentioned to other players your strategy of “playing to the largest gap”. Explain if you would what that means to you and how do you incorporate that strategy into a round? |
| Mark: When faced with any shot I look for the largest gap that will get me to the green or fairway. I play the percentages. If I have two routes I could take, I’ll choose the one that I have the highest percentage of making. If there’s a choice between going for a tough deuce or an easy 3, I’ll take the 3 any day. I guess you could say I play on the safer side. In big tourney’s I find it’s better to play safe. I’d much rather take a 4 than risk a blowup 6. |
| QCDG.com: What type of course do you feel best suits your style of play and gives you an advantage over other players and why? |
| Mark: Well, I used to think I was better on tight courses but this years Worlds proved that to be wrong. I excelled on the one course that had 300’ holes. The reason I did so well was that I had great confidence in my fairway driver, a 166g Sirius JLS. |
| QCDG.com: Has there been a specific example where that came into play in the form of a win during a round or tournament? |
| Mark: I had the hot round both times we played that course. That was where I extended my lead to 5-6 shots. |
| QCDG.com: Even the best players experience a bad shot or bad round now and then and a tough mental game is just as important as physical talent in this game. What do you do to refocus yourself after a less than perfect shot or round and what advice could you give to less experienced players who may find themselves in that same position? Can you tell us of an experience you might have had where that process came into play for you? |
| Mark: That situation came up at this years Worlds. On one round I lost my rhythm. It was very frustrating and I just couldn’t get it back. It was a tight course and I couldn’t hit any of my lines. The only thing I was able to do was putt. And I putted better in that round than I did in any other. All I could focus on was my putting since that was the only part of my game that was working. When we were all done with the round we added our scores up and I had only lost one stroke to the guys around me. It felt a lot worse than that. |
| QCDG.com: When playing a round or tournament, would you consider yourself a conservative or more aggressive player and what factors go into deciding how aggressive a shot to make under different situations for you? |
| Mark: I’m a more conservative player. That’s my nature. But if I’m down by a shot or two late in the round I will try to press it. There does come a point when you know you aren’t going to win so I play for the next best position. My philosophy is; It’s better to let the other guy go for it. The odds are in my favor if he does. |
| QCDG.com: Now that you’ve taken the step up to playing as a Professional, what do you personally see as your biggest challenge at that level and what are your new goals and expectations in the near future? |
| Mark: I’m a guy that likes to have fun. I see a lot of pros out there that take the game too seriously. I also like to play fast. I see most pros take their time, too much so in my opinion. My goal would be to win a pro tourney. I barely cashed in my first pro event. I was very happy with that. I’m not at the level that these guy are at. I’ll need to continue to improve. Putting will be my main focus. My ultimate goal would be to finish in the top 10 at Worlds in the Pro Grandmaster Division. That will be very tough. I had the opportunity to follow the top pros around this year and they are amazing. |
| QCDG.com: Now that you are playing as a sponsored player for Millennium Discs, how was the transition to using their discs and what are your new “go to” discs from your new sponsor? |
| Mark: The transition was so easy. Actually, their discs have really helped my game. I realized that during a round in last years Worlds. It just hit me. When I threw their Sirius Orion LF off the tee it always went where I wanted. My Wraith might give me an extra 25’ but it wasn’t in an ideal position most of the time. I immediately switched to the SOLF and I vaulted into the lead for good. My “go to” discs are: Driver – 165g Sirius Orion LF, Control/Fairway Driver – 166g Sirius JLS, Midrange – 176g CE QMS, Putt/Approach – 175g Omega SS |
| QCDG.com: What steps or path do you see, both locally and on a national level, that could/should be taken to help promote the sport of disc golf? |
| Mark: Two things. I think we really need to push the E.D.G.E. program in schools. Jay and Des Reading are great spokespersons for that. And we need to get more women involved. Disc golf can and should be a sport that the whole family can enjoy. |
| QCDG.com: Based on your experience, what advice would you give to new players who are looking to become involved both recreationally and competitively in the sport of disc golf? |
| Mark: Play with friends that are on the same level. It’s more fun to play with people that are close to your ability. Casual leagues are great too. They expose you to the better players. You can really learn from them. Also, don’t buy too many discs to start out. Learn how to throw the few you have. You only need a driver, midrange, and putter. That should be good enough to get you started. |
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Thanks so much to Mark for sharing his time with us at QuadCityDiscGolf.com! |
