Main Street Throw Shop is the go-to place for beginning and advanced disc golf players.
John Simmons’ passion for disc golf began back in 1994, but his passions for Hamilton, Ohio allowed him to turn his hobby into a profession when he opened Main Street Throw Shop in 2020.
Disc golf is a sport played with discs that look like small frisbees. In reality, each disc is carefully shaped and given numbered ratings for how fast it goes, how much it catches the air and maintains loft, and how likely it is to turn. Each disc is as carefully calibrated as a golf club would be, but for throwing rather than hitting golf balls.
Disc golf courses, like ‘ball golf’ courses, are often 9 or 18 ‘holes,’ which include a place from which to throw the first disc, and a final ‘basket’ as the target. You may have seen disc golf baskets at a park like Millikin Woods or on Miami University Hamilton’s campus: they are metal structures with heavy chains that slow the momentum of the disc, causing it to drop into the basket.
When Simmons left his prior career as a Behavior Support Specialist at the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities, he found himself looking for his next path and, in the meantime, playing lots of disc golf.
“I’d been having a recurring dream, and I woke up and looked at my wife and said, ‘I should start a disc golf shop,’ and she said, ‘that’s the best idea you’ve had in a long time.’” Simmons said.
After finding out that a past colleague owned the space available for rent at 111 Main Street, he began a build-out that created the space that is now a combination disc golf and skate shop, selling accessories in addition to discs and skateboards.
By the time the buildout was complete, however, COVID-19 had arrived in early 2020. The shop opened later than planned, after the shutdowns, but fairly quickly saw a big uptick in demand, as disc golf’s popularity surged.
Interest in disc golf surged 300-500% during the pandemic, since people wanted a way to be socially distanced while getting outside,” Simmons says.
At the same time, disc manufacturers were playing catch up after having shut down during the early months of 2020. The result has been major supply chain issues, but Simmons does his best to help players get the discs they need or to find another kind of disc that might work for them – stellar customer service is a major part of his business model.
He’s noticed that people of all ages and backgrounds play disc golf, with the main commonality being that they are almost all good, kind, and generous people that make it fun to share a course with them.
In support of this community, Simmons’ shop has a free league on Tuesday nights where beginners can play alongside seasoned veterans of the sport and learn techniques. The shop also sponsors a team of advanced, dedicated players who are committed to improving and being the best they can be.
In addition to these designated teams, many casual players meet each other and play together at any of the local courses, including one in Fairfield in Harbin Park and a short course in Reserves Park in Liberty Township. The benefits to one’s health are easy to see, from greater flexibility and hand-eye coordination to the benefits of a nice walk outdoors.
If you’re interested in trying a new way to be active, stop by the shop or visit the Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/mainstthrow. Simmons and his fellow disc golf aficionados can help you select discs that will work well as you get to know the sport.