YDGA.org

Thank You John for all your hard work with the YDGA!!!

So my name is John Tompkins, I’m 15 years old. I’m from East Grand Rapids Michigan. I moved out to California on July 28, 2005. I start playing Disc Golf a few days after I moved out here. The first time I played was with my dad and his friends at Oak Grove Disc Golf course. I was instantly hooked and didn’t want to stop playing. I knew about disc golf when I lived in Michigan because my brother played when we lived there. Now Oak Grove is my home course and I play it every week. I didn’t play a tournament until September of 2007. The Santa Maria Open was my first tournament and I finished in second place in the recreational division. Now I have played over 30 PDGA events and I recently took 5th place in under 16 at the PDGA Disc Golf World Championships. This year I started off playing Pro and moved back down to Advanced amateur because I felt my game was not at that level yet. I ended up with 4 Advanced wins this year at the Steady Ed birthday memorial, Shark Tooth Open, Halloween classic and Sun Valley Open.

Favorite Putter: My favorite putter would have to be the Discraft Magnet. It’s consistent and straight. It’s good for drives, upshots and putting.

Favorite Midrange: My Favorite midrange would have to be the DGA Shockwave because it’s consistantly overstable and dependable on those windy days.

Favorite Driver: My favorite driver is the DGA Rogue. It’s very fast and I know its going straight every time.

In my bag:
2 Discraft Magnets
1 DGA Sparkle Reef
2 Discraft Buzzz
1 DGA Afterschock
1 DGA Shockwave
2 Discraft Elite Z Forces
1 Discraft Predator
2 DGA Rogues
1 Discraft Tracker
1 Discraft Stalker

Favorite Pro Player: My favorite player is Steve Rico. Steve has taught me everything I know. He’s one of the best players in the world and the most fun to watch on the course.

Tips: If you want to get better, you have to practice. Throw straight and flat when your starting out and then eventually learn the angles of your discs. Learn a form that is comfortable for you and stick with it. Muscle memory is key to getting better. Also develope a putting routine and practice as much as you can. I putt everyday for at least 30 minutes.