Steve Dodge - PDGA #22042

Player Stats

Aces: 7
Year Born: 1968
Year Started Discing: 1987
Year Turned Pro: 2003 (I took a hiatus from competitive disc golf, rather than turn pro after winning my first PDGA amateur event in 1989.)

Vibram in the bag

  • Summit - This is my goto disc when I'm within 150 feet. I can put it on a rope, a nice and slow rope, and it will hold the line nice and straight. I used to be able to do this with my XDs, but they would always seem to break-in too quckily and and I'd have to adjust my throw. I've had the same Summit for three years now and it flies the same as day one.
  • Ridge - If I'm between 150' and 250', the Ridge is old reliable. It can handle a bit of power and fly nice and staight, it will hold a predictable anny (fading out at the end of its flight to nestle next to the basket), and it is my main putter. This is, in my opinion, Vibram's best all around disc.
  • V.P. - I don't have enough power to use this disc on an everyday basis, but on crazy windy days, I will use it to putt. Also, if I need a shorter shot that I can't afford to have turn over, the V.P. is the discs I grab.

Disc golf tips and advice

Play within yourself. If you are playing a casual round alone or with a friend, try playing self-doubles. Take two shots from each lie. See how consistent you can be.

The best advice is to have fun, it you're not having fun, why bother?

Favorite disc golf courses

Maple Hill, Leicseter, MA
Whister's Bend, OR
Diamond X, MT
The Grange, VA

Favorite tournaments

VA States
Vibram Open
Player's Cup
Pot O Gold

Favorite disc golf story

Back in the 90s, I ran an event called Survival Disc Golf. We'd play a monring round and the top 19 people would make the cut into the second round. You play as one group with 19 people. On each hole, one player is eliminated (if there is a tie for worst score, they do a CTP).

Anyway, we're on hole 13 at Pratt Park, which is about a 240' shot across a valley into a tree (yes, object golf) about the size of a refrigerator at its trunk. There were seven of us left and Tony Ellis and I were the only two people that got threes on the hole. We trudged down the valley and up the other side back to the tee for our CTP. I went first and aced it. Knowing that he needed an ace he stepped up and hit the tree (the target) dead center. We laughed, high-fived, and then realized we had to do it again. The second time around, I aced it again and he missed by inches. I advanced to hole 14 and would go on to win. I'm pretty sure Tony would have won if he got past hole 13, it was an honor to compete against someone with his skills and I felt lucky to get by him in a CTP contest.