Guest Blog: Adam Leavelle describes his first 7 weeks playing FlingGolf.

Adam Leavelle, the day he received his first Fling Stick!

I watched countless FlingGolf videos at FlingGolf.com and on YouTube. What I was struggling with was walking/stepping/running into the fling. I had never done anything like that, and it was an odd thing to get used to. Wanting to play, and not just fling on a driving range, I began playing at my local Par 3 course, Beaver Bend, Par 3. I’ve written about Beaver Bend multiple times. It’s an 18 hole par 3 course that consists of 18 holes anywhere from 81 yards to 34 yards. At Beaver Bend I wouldn’t have to fling very far, but I could play full games, and figure out how this all worked. As I played as much as I could at Beaver bend ($20 to play all day!!) I kept visiting the driving range as well, practicing the long flings, until I could finally step into my flings. I was flinging over 100 yards consistently, in fact usually hitting 150 yards. 

As a weight lifter, and longtime former athlete (football, baseball, wrestling) I wasn’t satisfied with 150 yard flings. I’m 5’8” and 225lbs, so watching smaller guys fling further than me didn’t sit right with me. On a trip to the driving range with my wife, after ordering, and receiving her new Fling Stick, I said to her “I am just going to run into my flings now, starting today!” I did just that, and I hit the 200 yard mark instantly. I was elated! I went out and bought new golf apparel, including golf shoes, and began going to a much larger course, seconds down the road from my home, in Hershey, Pa,. Spring Creek Golf Course, owned and operated by the Hershey Country Club, is now what I call my “home course.” Since having worked so much on my short game, at Beaver Bend Par 3, my scores were good. I had never paid much attention to my handicap in regular golf, because it simply wouldn’t have been very good, I’d guess around 20. With FlingGolf, I was comfortably at a 12 handicap after playing only a few weeks. Suddenly though, I had developed very bad pain in both knees. I kept playing through it, because there was no way I was giving this game up. FlingGolf has brought me so much happiness, and contentment that I had been missing in my life for years. As I kept putting ointment on my aching knees, it occurred to me that I had not felt this pain before starting to wear golf shoes! As soon as I went back to sneakers, my knee pain decreased, and soon went away completely. Pro tip, don’t wear spiked golf shoes. With FlingGolf, your body, including your knees, pivot and twist, naturally. The golf shoes were keeping my legs from turning as I flung, causing me very bad pain on the outside of both of my knees. I am so thankful to have figured out what was causing that. I include that story here for your knowledge and benefit. 

I started playing FlingGolf with the “Stinger” Fling Stick. That’s the most common stick, which I’ve now handed down to my wife, who had begun playing with the shorter “Launch” stick. In an effort to fling even further, I upgraded to the longest stick available, the 51” Ballistick! The longest Ballistick is recommended for tall players or extreme athletes. While at 51 years of age, I can’t really consider myself either of those, but I believed that stick would allow me to fling past the 200 yard mark. I must admit, at first I was frustrated with it, and thought I had made a mistake. I wasn’t flinging any further than I was with the Stinger, and in fact, the Ballistick felt uncomfortable to me, as I often dropped the ball out the head of the stick, as I was stepping into my flings. With patience, and practice, I’ve adapted to the Ballistick, my strength allows me to fling 175 yards, while standing still! A feat I am very impressed, and satisfied with. While I can’t tell you that I consistently fling over 200 yards, I have done so on numerous occasions. 
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My FlingGolf handicap is now around 10, but I have played games where I finished plus 4 on 18 holes. Like regular golf, you have to realize, and accept, that an amazing game isn’t your new standard. I made the mistake of playing several games, where my score was absolutely incredible, so I believed that I had arrived there, and could call that my new handicap…I had not. I’m determined to keep working hard, and by the time this season is over, be a scratch FlingGolfer, at least on my home course, Spring Creek. I’ll keep blogging, and posting videos on my YouTube Page, and Facebook page. I’ll gladly help you get into this beautiful game, and play with you as much as I can, if you wish. 

My name is Adam Leavelle, and I am The Fling Golf Fanatic!