Breakout Rookie's Secret Weapon: Chandler Kramer's Unspoken Backhand

Chandler Kramer, a Texas native and rising star on the professional disc golf tour, has been making waves with his impressive playing style, particularly with his dominant forehand throws. However, in a surprising revelation, Kramer revealed that he does have a backhand shot – although it's not something he chooses to use frequently.

During an interview ahead of the DGPT Great Lakes Open, Kramer clarified the matter: "Do I have a backhand? The answer is 'yes'." He recalled throwing one backhand at the European Open, specifically on hole 1, where his tee shot was less than ideal and he had to retrieve it with a backhand upshot.

Despite this admission, Kramer's impressive forehand skills have been the driving force behind his recent success. His two-week breakout in Europe, where he finished fifth at both the PDGA Euro Tour – PCS Sula Open presented by Innova and the PDGA Major European Open presented by Discmania – left many wondering about his backhand capabilities.

Kramer's background in sports is extensive, having played soccer, tennis, and baseball growing up. Although a torn labrum ended his collegiate baseball aspirations, he went on to graduate from Texas A&M University with a degree in electrical engineering in 2021. It was during this time that he began playing disc golf more seriously.

Kramer explained that his focus on developing a forehand shot is due to its ease and accuracy: "There are a couple of reasons and one of them is that it's not completely developed yet... The other reason, and the bigger reason, is that I've worked very hard for a long time to throw the forehand turnovers and the shot-shaping of a backhand shot without throwing a backhand. To abandon that is to abandon all of the work that I've put in."

Kramer's interest in disc golf was sparked when he joined the Fightin' Texas Aggie disc golf club, competing in College Disc Golf events. He credits this experience with helping him develop his game quickly: "College Disc Golf is its own world to a certain extent... The pressure that we were under was put on by ourselves and the pressure to compete with other schools was its own thing."

Kramer's impressive performance in Europe has earned him recognition, but it remains to be seen if he'll break out his backhand at the Toboggan course. Will this week be different for the breakout rookie?

As Kramer prepares to take on the legendary Toboggan course, fans and opponents alike are eager to see how his skills will translate to the challenging terrain. With his confidence in his forehand shots, it's possible that Kramer might choose not to rely on his backhand – but only time will tell if he'll unleash this secret weapon.

The 40th DGLO gets underway at 9 a.m. EST with live coverage on DiscGolfNetwork.com, featuring the FPO event.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/kramer-swears-he-has-backhand