Guest Blog: Adam Leavelle describes his first 7 weeks playing FlingGolf. (2024)

Home/ Latest News

Previous / Next

July 12, 2021 4 min read 2 Comments

Guest Blog: Adam Leavelle describes his first 7 weeks playing FlingGolf. (1)

Today, July 12th, 2021, makes seven weeks that I’ve been playing FlingGolf. I discovered FlingGolf on May 15th, 2021, when the inventors, Alex Van Alen, and John Pruellage, pitched the sport, on my favorite television show, Shark Tank. As I sat watching with my wife, I looked at her and excitedly said, “I am getting one of those!” meaning a Fling Stick. You see, I’ve not been able to play golf since 2012 when an accident at an old job caused me to need an operation on my right shoulder, where 3 pins were inserted, to repair a piece of broken bone. I’ve never regained full mobility in that shoulder, making it impossible to perform a golf back swing. Nine years later, I was looking at a product that would get me back on the fairways, and I was excited. I ordered my Fling Stick that evening, before the Shark Tank episode ended, and as such, it arrived at my home on May 22nd, 2021, only one week after that Shark Tank episode. I immediately hit my local driving range with it, and to my surprise, I wasn’t very good at first. In fact, I wasn’t even flinging 100 yards. I refused to give up though, I wanted to play this game, and I was determined to improve as quickly as I could.


Guest Blog: Adam Leavelle describes his first 7 weeks playing FlingGolf. (2)

Adam Leavelle, theday 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.

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!

2 Responses

Guest Blog: Adam Leavelle describes his first 7 weeks playing FlingGolf. (3)

Shaun A Walton

July 13, 2021

Awesome post and great story! Fling Golf is truly one of those things where it’s like “dang, I wish I’d known about this soon. But I’m glad I know about it now because it’s an absolute joy to play”. Love it!

Guest Blog: Adam Leavelle describes his first 7 weeks playing FlingGolf. (4)

Adam Leavelle

July 12, 2021

Thanks so much guys! I’ll do another like this again in several more weeks or so.

Leave a comment

Also in Latest News

FlingGolf Play Reaches 2000 Golf Courses. New Swarm Looking Ahead.

October 15, 2024 4 min read

Read More

Dover Air Force Base to host World League FlingGolf Regional Tournament in September

August 13, 2024 1 min read

Read More

FlingGolf Set To Gain International Attention During Paris Olympics

July 28, 2024 2 min read

Read More

Guest Blog: Adam Leavelle describes his first 7 weeks playing FlingGolf. (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Nicola Considine CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 5947

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nicola Considine CPA

Birthday: 1993-02-26

Address: 3809 Clinton Inlet, East Aleisha, UT 46318-2392

Phone: +2681424145499

Job: Government Technician

Hobby: Calligraphy, Lego building, Worldbuilding, Shooting, Bird watching, Shopping, Cooking

Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.