Category: Disc Golf How To’s

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How To Improve Your Disc Golf Drive

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Disc golf is an easy sport to get into. You just need a couple of discs and access to disc golf course and you are all set for hours of fun.

But playing disc golf rounds with your friends will only get you so far. If you want to improve in disc golf, you are going to have to do more than just play casual rounds.

One of the main aspects of their disc golf game, that a lot of players want to improve on is their driving.

Maybe as a player, you aren’t hitting your lines. Maybe you just wish you could throw farther. Or maybe you aren’t as consistent as you want to be.

In this article, we are going to take look at two steps you can take to improve your disc golf drive. I don’t want to disappoint you, but these two things aren’t necessarily quick or easy.

With that said, if you want to improve your disc golf drive doing these two things will get you there. So, what are the two things I’m referring to?

To improve your disc golf drive you need to do these two things:

  • Video tape yourself driving
  • Practicing your drive in a field

It seems pretty simple, right? All you need to do is tape yourself and practice? It is very simple but sometimes the most simple things can be difficult. More about that later.

Taping yourself while driving

So, why do you need to videotape yourself? The only way to get better is to figure out what you are doing wrong and then change it.

Because you may think your drive is perfect. You might believe that when you throw a disc your body is doing one thing but after you check the tape, it’s really doing something else.

The importance of videoing yourself is verification. When you look at the tape of your drive, you know for sure what your body is doing during the drive and than it’s pretty easy to figure out what you need to work on to improve.

Once you figure out what you need to work on, keep taping yourself to make sure you are actually making a change during your drive.

Sometimes, it’s really easy to spot what you are doing wrong but then when you step up to the tee pad and try to execute, it’s a lot hard.  

The video will make sure you are doing what you think you are doing. It keeps you honest.

Field Practice is great for your drive

Practicing in a field can do wonders for your drive. When you figure out what you are doing wrong and how you can improve, you need to change your mechincies.

Once you’ve got down what you need to change, you need to set that change in stone. You need to change your muscle memory.

The way you do that is by going to a field and practice over and over again. Keep that camera (or phone) around to make sure you are throwing correctly but keep throwing.

Take multiple discs so easy to stay in the flow. I like having multiples of the same discs when doing field practice to fix form.

If you don’t have a lot of discs, it’s not a big deal. The main focus should be on mechanics.

Common Driving mistakes

So now that you know how to verify your driving form and how to fix it, you’ll need to know what you are looking for.

For this article, we are going to focus on the backhand throwing style, as it’s the most common style.

If you are a sidearm dominate throwing, you’ll still find value in taping yourself and practicing in a field but these lists of mistakes might not help you that much.

If you are looking for some help with your forehand check out this video of Nate Sexton. He’s a professional disc golfer then is known for his sidearm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ6Wutvn4Mg&t=287s

Alright, let’s get into the list of common mistakes for backhand throwers.

Open Driving Stance

If you are utilizing the X-Step during your drive, you might be doing this. The main goal of the x-step is to incorporate your legs into your drive.

This is important because your legs are the largest muscle group in your body. More muscle engagement equals more power and distance.

If you are ending your X-step your throwing arm foot pointed toward your target, you’re missing the engagement of your legs.

The fix would be to point your toe straight or a better way to phrase this might be perpendicular to your target. Slightly back would also works.

This allows your hips and legs to be engaged so you’ll get the most out of your drive.

Not Reaching back Straight

When reviewing the tape of your drive, you’re going to want to make sure you reaching back is straight and away from your body.

This allows you to pull straight throw and release the disc effectively. Two common mistakes are reaching back behind your body and reaching back above your shoulder.

If you are reaching back behind your body, you need to go around your body during the pull through. This causes you to lose power and sacrificing accuracy.

Reaching back too high also as similar drawbacks.

Not Following through to match your release angle

Not every hole on the disc golf course is going to require a straight shot. You aren’t always going to be pulling back on a line that is parallel to the group and releasing your disc flat.

A lot of situations are going to require a hyzer or an anhyzer shot, in fact, I’d venture to guess you are releasing your disc with hyzer and anhyzer more often than you are releasing it flat.

When doing this, you’ll want to make sure your following throw matches the release.

For example, if you are throwing a disc on a hyzer, you’ll want your reach back to start your reach back low and then end it high.

Not timing the reach back correctly

To get the most out of your drive, you’ll want to time the full extension of your right back with the last step in your x-step.

By last step, I mean the loaded step you take at the end of your x-step before you release the disc.

After this step, some players will have their other leg swing around their body and touch the ground. I don’t mean this step.

If this timing is off during your drive and you are pulling to early or too take, it can affect your throw in a negative way.

You will lose accuracy and sacrifice power.   

Additional Resources:

Disc Golf Driving Tips for Beginners

If you are new to disc golf, check out this article I wrote on beginner tips. If the article you just read on improving your disc golf drive seems too technical, check out this my tips six on driving for beginners.

It’s simple changes you can try to help improve your drive. Once you’ve found success with those tips, you can always come back and try videoing yourself and doing field practice.

How to add more distance to your drive

In the same way that my tips for beginners article simplifies driving for beginners, if you are interested in adding more distance to your drive by making simple changes to your drive, you’ll want to check out my article on throwing farther.

It gives you ten things to try to help increase your distance while driving.

How to break your down distance record

If you are interested in throwing really far you might want to check out the article about how to break your own distance record.

This article is specifically focused on throwing really far without much consideration for consistency or accuracy.  If you are interested in pushing your distance limits give this article a read.

Driving Clinic Video

Check out this video of Nate Sexton and Sarah Hokom doing a back hand driving clinic. They are both professional disc golf players so they know what they are talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JpY1m9vx2A&t=658s

 

Flickr Image Creative Commons – USAG- Humphreys

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How To Throw A Disc Straight: 2 Methods For Achieving That Super Straight Flight Path

No ratings yet. There are few situations to find yourself in on the disc golf course that are more nerve-racking than trying to drive through a straight tunnel. If your throw is off or you miss your release, you could find yourself hitting a tree and having to search from your disc in the woods. No one wants that. The perfect throw for this situation would be a straight shot down the middle. But how do you throw a disc golf driver straight? In this article, I’m going to give you a few options and some pointers to help you on how to throw a disc straight.

When it comes down to it you have two main options for throwing a disc straight:

  1. Use a stable disc and release it flat
  2. Use an understable disc and release it with a hyzer angle

Now, there are some alternatives that can give you a relatively straight path and might be easier to throw. These include a tight S-Curve, a tight flex shot and an overhand throw like a thumber or tomahawk. But to get that true straight flight path, these are your options.

How To Throw A Disc Straight

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Stable Disc With A Flat Release

The first option I’m going to suggest is throwing a stable disc with a flat release. By this I mean, taking your straightest flying disc and release the disc as flat as possible.

Now you might get different definitions of what a stable disc is, but for this article, I mean any disc that you can get to fly straight. A good rule of thumb, especially for newer discs, is a disc with a 0 to -1 turn rating.

The best way to know the turn rating of a disc is to use the flight rating of the disc which is usually printed somewhere on the disc itself. The turn rating is the third number in the sequence. You may also have a really beat in overstable disc that flies really straight for you. That would also be a good option to use in this case.

If you are attempting this approach but aren’t seeing a disc fly straight, there could be some reasons for that.

One of which might be that you aren’t pulling the disc throw in a straight line. This would primarily occur if you are throwing backhand.

If you are releasing the disc flat but aren’t performing your pull throwing in a straight line, this could cause your disc to hyzer or anhyzer instead of flying straight.

Focus on pulling the disc straight across your chest. You don’t want to be start high and release low or vice versa.

Another thing that could prevent a straight flight would be if you are rounding your wrist. You might be releasing the disc flat but then rounding it after the release which could cause the disc to turn over. You want to focus on keeping a straight wrist when throwing the disc.

Lastly, your run-up could be causing your disc not to fly straight. When attempting a straight path, you want to start with your run-up. For a backhand throw, keep your shoulder pointed at your target and move in a straight line toward it.

Try to refrain from starting your run up off to the left or right of the tee pad and then straighten up while on the pad.     

Understable Disc With A Hyzer Release

Another great option to achieve a straight flight path is using an understable disc and releasing it on a hyzer angle. This approach is commonly referred to as the hyzer flip.

First, you’ll need an understable disc. Again, we’ll need to look to the flight rating system to determine if a disc is understable.

The turn rating is the third number in the sequence and for a good hyzer flip disc, we’re looking for a -2 or lower rating. If you have a beat in stable or overstable disc that’s really flippy, that would also be a great option for the hyzer flip.

The trick with the hyzer flip is you will need to release the disc with a lot of force to get it to flip to flat. So focus on pulling your arm through quickly and generating a lot of snap. This can take a lot of practice so don’t be disappointed if you don’t get it right away.

You’ll also want to experiment with how much hyzer you release the disc on. If your disc continues to turn after flipping to flat, you may want to release the disc with more hyzer to counteract it. You might also try a less flippy disc.

Releasing the disc low and with the noise slightly down are also important to the success of the hyzer flip.

One drawback to the hyzer flip is the flight isn’t entirely straight. The disc has to turn in the beginning before flipping to flat and riding on a straight path.

You’ll need to account for this before you drive. If there is an obstacle that will stop the disc from turning, you may want to choose the stable disc released flat method instead.   

Pay Attention To Fade

Another detail you will want to pay attention to when trying to throw a disc straight is fade. Fade is the tendency on a disc to hyzer out at the end of flight.

So if you are right-handed and throwing the disc backhand, a disc with a lot of fade will tend to turn left as the disc starts to slow down.

The fade rating is the last number in the flight rating system. Discs with a 0 rating have no fade. As the number increases, discs will fade more at the end of flight.

So why is this important?

If you are trying to achieve a straight flight, you’ll want that straight flight to continue to the end. So what if you are able to throw the disc straight to the basket but the disc ends up fading to the far left and you miss your put because of it. What have you really achieved?

There are two strategies that can help with the fade problem. One of which is choosing a disc with little or no fade. Meaning discs with a 0 to 1 fade rating.

Another way to take fade out of the equation is to release the disc low. This way when it does fade at the end of flight, it will have less distance to travel before it reaches the ground.

So if you have a disc that you can throw real straight but it has a ton of fade, releasing the disc lower should help with that.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ll at least be able to use one of these strategies to achieve a straight flight. You will likely not find success right away but if you continue to practice, you’ll get there.

In fact, I would recommend going to a field and practicing both before ever trying them on the course.

It’s bad enough executing a straight drive down a tunnel shot but will little to no practice it’s almost impossible.  

Flickr Creative Commons – Discover Lehigh Valley, PA

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Playing Disc Golf In The Wind

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Playing disc golf in the wind sounds more like torture than fun to most disc golfers.

I’m not going to lie there have been a few times I’ve considered leaving early or driving to a more wooded course when the wind started to pick up.

No one likes having their putter pushed off course by the wind and missing the chains by a couple feet.

Hopefully, after reading this article you’ll have a better understanding of how the wind can affect a disc’s flight and ways to use the wind to your advantage.

We’ll talk about how headwinds, tailwinds, and crosswinds affect your discs differently, what you can do to counteract the effects and how to use the wind to your advantage.   

Headwinds

When facing a headwind you’ll want to grab an overstable disc with more fade.

A headwind will cause the disc to act less stable and tends to push the disc up. Using an overstable disc with more fade will help counteract the discs tendency to turn.

You’ll want to release the disc lower than normal to go against the upward push on the disc.

It’s also very important to keep the nose down, if the disc is released with even a slight nose up it will get caught in the wind and the disc will move up and back.

You’ll lose distance if you don’t keep the noise down.

Another tip for throwing in a headwind would be to use a faster disc. You’ll want a fast disc because relative to the wind, the disc is moving faster than normal without increasing your release speed.

This will ensure the disc flies as it should.

If you didn’t catch all that, in a headwind, you’ll want to throw a fast, overstable disc and release it low to the ground.

Check out this article for great overstable driver options.  

Tailwinds

When throwing a disc with the wind at your back, the disc will tend to act more overstable.

The wind will also cause a downward push on the disc, causing it to lose height faster than normal.

To counter these effects, throwing an over unstable disc is recommended. You’ll also need to release the disc higher.

A bonus for throwing in tailwinds is the disc will tend to carry farther. So if you throw your drive correctly and properly take advantage of a tailwind, you should see some added distance.

In a tailwind, you’ll want to throw a slower disc than normal. The disc is moving in the same direction as the disc so relative to the wind the disc is moving slower than normal.

Picking a slower disc will ensure the disc files as intended.

To sum it all up for a tailwind, you’ll want to use a slower, understable disc. You’ll want to release the disc higher than you would in calm conditions.

Check out this article for some great understable fairway driver options.

Crosswinds

Wind moving across the fairway will have a different effect on your disc depending on how you release the disc and whether you are right handed or left handed.

Making adjustments to your throw to counteract these effects are recommended.  You also might be able to change your shot to take advantage of the wind.

Left to Right Wind

For a right-handed player throwing backhanded in a left to right wind, if releasing the disc with hyzer the disc will tend to drop more than normal.

This makes sense because the flight plate is tilted in a way that catches the wind.

When throwing an anhzyer, the disc will be pushed up and move more to the right than expected.

If you are releasing the disc flat, you will notice the disc carrying to the right.

In a crosswind you have two options, you can play for accuracy or distance.

For accuracy, you’ll want to release the disc on a hyzer if the wind is moving left to right.

The disc will get pushed down and you’ll distance but it’s a more consistent shot.  

If you want distance, you’ll want to throw an anhyzer. This will allow the wind to pick up your disc and carry it.

Right to Left Wind

If the wind is moving the opposite way across the fairway, we can expect the opposite to happen.

When throwing a disc on a hyzer, the disc will tend to lift and move more toward the left.

If the disc is released with an anhyzer angle, it will get pushed down and toward the right.

A disc released flat will get pushed to the left since this is the way the wind is moving.

You have the two same choices in the right to left crosswind.

If you are going for accuracy, you want to release the disc on an anhyzer. You’ll see disc will get pushed down by the wind resulting in less distance but more accuracy.

If you’d like more distance, you’ll want to use a hyzer release. With this release, the wind will get under the disc, left if up and carry it forward.  

Putting in the Wind


Knowing how your putting style is affected by the wind can help you make a better decision when putting on those windy days.

In general, a push putter will be more affected by the wind than a spin putter.

While it may not be worth it to every push putter, learning how to spin putt may be a great alternative putting a style to pull out when the wind picks up.

If you are releasing your putters flat, the wind will have a similar effect on your putter as they do on your drivers.

In a headwind, the disc will tend to get pushed up. For a tailwind, the effect is the opposite and the putter will get pushed down.

When putting in a crosswind, the putter will get pushed the direction the wind is blowing.

Something else to think about is not everyone is going to release the disc flat.

For instance, when push putting the disc will have a slight nose up.

This could cause the putter to get pushed up higher when putting in a crosswind as well as to the left or right to take that into consideration when facing a windy putt.

Disc golf Wind Tips

Wind can blow in different directions

When considering a shot in the wind you need to realize that wind doesn’t just move in one direction.

Off the tee, wind could be moving one way but down the fairway, it could be moving another direction.

Keep this in mind when planning your shots on windy days.

Lower your expectations

You’ll need to come to the realization that you probably aren’t going to play your best in the wind.

There are too many factors to consider and unpredictable items that come into play to make all the right decisions.

Hopefully, this will allow you to relax and play better golf.

Practice in the wind

There is no substitute for practice and playing in the wind isn’t an exception.

To get better at playing in the wind you’ll need to expose yourself to it more often.

If you’ve been shying away from wind play consider it a learning opportunity instead.

Windy days are also a great time to get in some field work.

Change your Perspective

Think of playing in the wind like using nature to your advantage.

If you have it in your mind that wind is a disadvantage or an obstacle to overcome, it might be hurting your play.

While your shots are going to be less consistent on windy days, if you play the wind right you might see more distance.

Working with nature, instead of against, will lead to lower scores.  

Final Thoughts

I hope this article has helped you get a better understanding of how the wind will affect your disc golf play.

Hopefully the next time the wind picks up on your home course, you won’t run screaming to your car. Playing in the wind is something all disc golfers have to learn to deal with if they want to improve their game and get better.

With my tips, you should be able to make better decisions and see improvement when facing windy conditions.

Happy throwing in the wind!

Flickr Image Creative Commons – WxMom

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How To Throw A Disc Golf Disc Farther

No ratings yet. It seems that the number one question beginners have when they start playing disc golf is How To Throw A Disc Golf Disc Farther. I remember asking the same question when I started playing. I thought if I could just throw 50 or even 25 ft farther I could shave multiple strokes off each round.

At the time I thought the answer was a high-speed disc. I saw the top pros throwing Innova destroyers and I thought I needed to throw one too. I quickly found out this was not the case and that a 12 speed disc was too much disc for my slow arm.

My right handed backhand throws with the destroyer were quickly turning left and crashing into the ground. I tried to overcompensate by throwing the disc at an anhyzer angle but that didn’t seem to work. It wasn’t unit I went back to my slower discs and focused on throwing a good shot instead of a long shot that I started to have more fun and get better.

So if you are just getting into the sport my advice to you is to not focus on throwing farther but to instead focus on throwing a good clean accurate short. Once you get that down you can worry about learning how to crush a disc and get it to go super far. If that doesn’t sway you try these strategies instead of a high-speed disc.

How To Throw A Disc Golf Disc Farther

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Change Your Disc

Try An Understable Disc

Leave your overstable and stable discs in your bag. Actually, better yet, leave them at home. When you are starting out it can be tempting to throw the discs your friends are throwing or the pros are throwing but what happens when you throw these discs is they tend to hyzer out too soon and don’t fly as far as they should. Like I said before I was guilty of this too.

What you want is a disc with a negative turn rating. If you are unsure of what this is the turn rating is the third number in the flight rating system. It measures the tendency of the disc to move left, right or straight as it leaves your hand. For a new player, your arm speed will be slower which is great for throwing understable discs.

Try A Lighter Weight Disc

Similarly to making a change to the stability of the disc you are throwing, changing the weight of the disc can add some extra distance. This works because you are able to throw a disc with a lighter weight faster than a heavier disc and throwing the disc faster should equal more distance.

With making this change there are some things to consider. You may notice that at a lighter weight, the disc you are used to throwing may turn over more often. To combat this, you may want to change to a more stable disc. This should even out the changes made to the flight path of the disc to equal more distance on your throw.

Try A Disc With More Glide

When you are starting out in the disc golf game, glide is your friend. As a new player, you have underdeveloped disc golf skills. One of these skills is arm speed and naturally, you will have a lower arm speed as a new player. Glide will counteract this and allow your disc to stay longer in the air. If the disc stays in the air longer, it will tend to fly farther.

So, how do you know if a disc has more or less glide? Just like when we discussed throwing an understable disc, we are going to the flight rating system to tell us the amount of glide a disc has. In this case, the glide rating is the second number in the rating system and as the number increases the disc has more glide.

Change Your Shot

Try Throwing The Disc Sidearm

For some, the backhand throw can be difficult to master and produce a lot of distance. It’s not uncommon for newer players to pick up the play styles of more experienced players around them or what they are seeing the pros do and the dominant throwing style is the backhand. So if you are finding your backhand drive a bit awkward or not seeing the distances you would like you might try switching to a sidearm drive

A sidearm or forearm throw is a more natural throwing motion and is used in a lot in other athletic activities. So if you have a lot of experience in baseball or other throwing sports the sidearm throw might be easier to pick up than the backhand. An added bonus to throwing forehand is you don’t have to take your eyes off your target like you do when throwing backhand. Being able to look at your target during the throw does make it easier especially for new players.

Try Rolling The Disc

Using the roller as your primary driving approach might not work for most players but in some cases trying a roller instead of throwing the disc in the air can get you more distances. What situations would you want to use the roller instead of another shot? One situation that comes to mind is that there are trees in the way that you can roll under that would otherwise be obstructed by the branches.

Other situations to consider throwing a roller would be when you have the ideal conditions. Rollers do well on close-cut grass or hard packed dirt. If you see these conditions you may want to throw a roller instead of your normal drive. Things to watch out for that might stop your roller shot and prevent it from going farther than it should would be exposed roots, large rocks, uneven terrain, and bushes or other obstacles that are in the way.

Change Your Form

Power Grip

You may not have considered this but the way you grip your disc when throwing it can be quite important. If you think about it, your fingers that grip your disc are the only things on your body touching the disc. The way you grip your disc is how you transfer the power you are generating from your body to the disc.

When gripping the disc you want it to be snug in your hand. Think tight but not too tight. If your grip is too tight it can lead to a late release and some of the energy imparted to your disc will be lost. If you grip the disc too loose, it could lead to an early release.

Get Some Momentum

If you feel like you are getting your throwing form down perfectly but aren’t seeing the distance you want you may want to consider adding some forward momentum to your throwing routine. This works because adding a run-up or an x-step to your throw will increase the velocity the disc is released at which should equate to more distance.

There are some drawbacks to adding a run or an x-step. If you form isn’t perfect, you could be sacrificing some accuracy. You’ll have to way the tradeoffs of your disc going 10 to 15 feet further vs. possibly not hitting your line with as much accuracy.

Reach Back

When throwing a disc backhand, you can achieve more distance by reaching back further before your release. This works because the farther you are reaching back the more time you have to build up momentum before the disc is released, giving your drive more distance.

If you are considering adding a farther reach back to your drive, you’ll want to make sure you have your driving form down perfectly. When reaching back remember to lead with your elbow and pull throw in a straight line.

Follow Through

Completely following through can help save your body from the wear and tear of the disc golf throwing movement but it can also help increase your distance. If you aren’t following through all the way, you are likely not getting the full extension of the throwing motion and sacrificing distance.

Following through completely and making sure your body is rotating all the way through can also ensure that you aren’t stopping your throwing rotation before it’s time. If you aren’t following through you might be slowing your body down before you are releasing the disc which could mean you are leaving some distance on the table.

Practice

I know this tip is listed last but it could be the most important. Your driving technique will greatly benefit from specific practice. This means going to a field or another open area and practicing your drive over and over. I promise you, you will see better results.

If you are one of those players that are hoping that playing more rounds of disc golf will make you better, try specifically focusing on pieces of your game and practicing them. This doesn’t just mean driving but putting and approaching. Consider taking some time to figure out your disc golf goals and schedule time during your week to practice. You’ll get better.

Image Credit Flickr Creative Commons – Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington

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The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Disc Golf

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Beginners Guide To Disc Golf

Please note we’re supported by our readers. When you buy through our links we earn an affiliate commission. Thanks for your support!

In this article we’re going to cover:

  • What Disc Golf is
  • How to Play Disc Golf
  • Keeping Score
  • Finding a place to play
  • The Types of Disc Golf Throws
  • Disc Golf Putting Styles
  • Types of Disc Golf Discs
  • Disc Golf Flight Numbers
  • Best Discs for Beginners
  • How to Get Better at Disc Golf
  • Common Disc Golf Variations

What Is Disc Golf?

A very basic definition of disc golf is playing the game of golf with discs.

If you’ve ever played golf or seen it played, you know that players use clubs to hit a ball into a small hole on the course.

When playing disc golf, you’ll trade the clubs and balls for a collection of discs and the hole for a basket.

Similarly to golf, the object of disc golf is to traverse the course using the least amount of throws.

How Do You Play Disc Golf?

To play disc golf, you’ll need some discs and a course to play on.

We’ll talk more about great options for beginner discs and how to locate a disc course to play on later in the guide.

Starting off on the first hole, you’ll step on the tee pad and throw toward the basket. You’ll keep throwing toward the basket until your disc lands in the basket or in the chains above the basket.

Once, you’ve finished the first hole, you’ll move on to the next hole. If you are playing on a course with hole signs, be sure to take note of them.

They usually give you some good information like the hole’s par, how long the hole is and a picture of the layout of the hole. You can use this information to make good decisions off the tee pad.  

You’ll continue playing each hole until you run out of time or finish the course. If you are playing with a group of players there is usually an order to who throws.

The player that throws first off the tee is usually the one that did the best on the last hole. Each player then goes in order of how well they did.

After everyone has thrown their drive, the player farthest away from the basket will throw first. Everyone will continue throwing this way until the hole is complete.

Here’s a great video explaining the basics of disc golf:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfHnT1HilMM

Keeping Score In Disc Golf

In Disc Golf, score is kept the same way as it is in golf. All throws are counted with any penties added.

The player with the least amount of throws wins or another way to say that is the player with the lowest score wins.

You can keep score in your head but an easier way would be to use a scorecard or a scorekeeping app.

Just like in Golf, each hole on a disc golf course has a par assigned to it. You can think of par as the number of throws you are given to complete the hole.

The score is generally given in comparison to par. So if you are throwing on a par 3 hole and you take for 4 throws to complete it, your score for the hole would be +1 or 1 above par.

Or another word for that, that is common in golf and disc golf is a bogey.

Here are some common scoring terms you may hear:

Bogey

Finishing a hole with one throw over par. If you finish a hole with more throws over par than one, you can add double, triple, quadruple and so on. So if you completed a hole with 2 throws over par, that would be considered a double bogey.

Par

Finishing the hole with the amount of throws given to the complete the hole. When you match the number of throws as the par of the hole.

Birdie

Completing a hole with one less throw than par. So, if you are playing on a par 3 hole and you take 2 throws to finish the hole this would be considered a Birdie.

Eagle

Finishing a hole with two less throws than par. For instance, if the hole has a par 4 and a player completes the hole with 2 throws this would be considered an eagle.

Ace

Completing a hole with one throw or another word for a hole-in-one.    

Finding A Place To Play Disc Golf

In the united states, finding a local disc golf courses can be pretty easy. Just look for the nearest city or county park and there is a good chance you will find a disc golf course there.

Not all of them are full 18 hole courses, for instance, in my area there are two 9 hole courses.

If you are still having trouble, I’d recommend you ask a friend that plays disc golf. They can tell you which courses are best and which courses you might want to skip.

Don’t know anyone that plays? The internet makes finding a place to play disc golf really easy. Finding a course can be as easy as googling disc golf courses near you.

Two other great resources are Disc Golf Course Review and Disc Golf Scene. Both these sites make it easy to find local courses and also tell which ones are the best to play.

Types Of Throws

In disc golf there are a lot of different throws you can use to get the job done.

When starting out, you may want to focus on learning and using one of two but as you progress and play more, you’re going to want to learn them all.

One isn’t better than another, but certain situations may call for one type of throw over another.

Let’s get into the list and take a look at each throw:

Backhand

The backhand throw can be consider the most popular throwing style in the sport.

If you aren’t sure of what throw I’m referring to, think of how you throw a regular frisbee. This is the backhand.

For the average player, the backhand will allow them to throw the farest without having to use too much effort.

One thing to consider when using the backhand throw is how the disc finishes.

For a right-handed player, the disc will tend to finish to the left and for a left-handed player, the disc will finish to the right.

The backhand is a great throwing style to learn first but it’s not the only style. Some players use the forehand instead.

Forehand

With the forehand (sometimes referred as sidearm or flick) throw, the player keeps their elbow tucked in toward their body and throws the discs after extending their wrist behind their body.

Think of a sidearm throw in baseball but with a disc instead of a ball.

The forehand throw can feel more natural than throwing a disc backhand which makes it a great option for a beginner especially if you have a baseball background.

Another great thing about the forehand throw is you don’t have to take your eyes of your target like you do when throwing bankhand.

Finally, the finish of the disc is different than the backhand. If you are throwing the disc right handed, it will generally finish to the right. If you are using your left hand, it will finish to the left.

Check out this video to see Paul McBeth talk about this forehand technique.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjlBl3vHPLA

Overhand

There are actually two types of overhand throws in disc golf. These are the tomahawk and the thumber.

They are similar in how the disc is thrown. In both throws, the player will reach back over and above their shoulder, just like in an overhand baseball throw.

They differ in how the disc is held. For a thumber, the player’s thumb is placed on the inside rim of the disc.

The bottom of the disc will face the players head during the reach back.

For a tomahawk throw, the bottom of the disc faces away from the player’s head during the reach back and the grip is similar to a forehand.

Most players don’t usually choose the overhand throw as their dominate throwing style but it’s a great throw to learn for getting out of trouble.

Using the tomahawk or thumber are great options to use to get up and over an obstacle.

Putting Styles

An important type of throw to consider when playing disc golf is the throw you use when you are close to the basket.

This throw is commonly referred to as putting. All putting styles have inherent pros and cons but any style isn’t necessarily better than another.

Most players pick a style based on feel and consistency. Try each style on the discussed here and pick the one that feels right to you.

For the most part, both styles listed here can proform will at the top level of disc golf.  For more information on putting styles check out my article here.

Spin Putt

The spin putt is just like it shows. Players are propelling the disc toward the basket by putting extra spin on the disc, similarly to driving off the tee.

For beginners, this method can feel the most natural and is a great choice when starting out.

Some benefits for using this approach are putts are less affected by the wind and when spin putting you don’t have to make adjustments to your putt based on distance.

Check out more reasons to spin putt here.

Push Putt

Players that push putt are lobbing the disc at the basket rather than throwing it.

If you are a basketball fan, you might think of this putting style like a free-throw shot.

Beginners might find this approach to be less friendly to learn than the spin putt but is a great option because when done right, it can be the most accurate style.

If you want more information on the push putting style, check out our article here.

Types Of Discs

When you are starting out in the sport of disc golf, all the disc can look the same and it might be hard to tell that they are different.

If you weren’t aware already there are four types of discs: putters, midranges, fairway drivers and distances drivers.

Knowing the differences can help you make better decisions out on the course.  

Putters

These discs are designed to travel shorter distances and are considered the most accurate discs available.

They are the slowest discs out there but are made to fly extremely straight. Putters tend to have the smallest rims of any discs.

As a beginner, you’ll want to be using and throwing putters a lot. They are a great disc to use when starting to play disc golf.  

Midrange

Midrange discs (sometimes referred to as midranges or midrange drivers) are faster than putters and designed to fly farther distances.

They are highly accurate but less so than putters and also make great discs for beginners.

Their rims tend to be thicker than a putter but thinner than a driver. This is a good mix.

These discs feel great in the hand and can reach considerable distances when thrown correctly.

Fairway Drivers

Fairway Drivers (sometimes called control drivers) are designed for distances farther than a midrange disc but shorter than a distance driver.

You might use this type of driver on a shorter hole off the tee or on a longer hole as your second shot in the fairway.

These discs are easier to control than a distance driver and are considered more accurate.

As a beginner, you’ll want to stick to using putters and midranges, but if you want to use a driver, a fairway driver is a great option.   

Distance Drivers

These discs are made to be thrown fair.

Distances drivers have the greatest potential for flying that farthest out of any type of disc but also require the most speed to be thrown.

For this reason, they aren’t recommended for newer players.

These disc also have really wide rims and will take getting used to. They might be difficult to grip at first.  

Disc Golf Flight Numbers

Most discs you can buy today will come with four numbers printed on them.

These numbers are referred to as the flight rating system numbers and each number represents a measurement of a specific flight characteristic.

This system was started by Innova Champion Discs and has been adopted by many other disc golf makers.

Let’s talk about each number and what it measures.

Speed

The first number in the sequence is the speed rating. It refers to how fast the disc can fly but it also refers to how fast the disc must be thrown in order for it to fly properly.

The speed rating also lets us know how the disc is categorized. Putters range from 1-3. Midranges range from 4-5. Fairway drivers range from 6-8. Distances drivers range from 9-14.

For more information on the speed rating, check out this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWo4_Vk33FY

Glide

The second number in the sequence is the glide rating. It measures how well the disc maintains loft while in the air.

The higher the rating the easier it is for the disc to remain in the flight. Discs that have more glide are easier to throw farther distances.

Turn

The third number in the sequence is the turn rating.

Sometimes called highspeed turn, it describes the tendency of the disc to curve when it immediately leaves your hand.  The turn rating ranges from + 1 to -5.

Fade

The fourth number in the sequence is the fade rating. It describes how the disc finishes at the end of its flight.

It’s sometimes referred to as low-speed turn because it describes how the disc turns as it slows down. The more fade the disc has more it will turn at the end of its flight.

For more information on fade, check out this article.

In this guide, I have briefly discussed the flight rating system but if you want more information on this topic, please checkout out our article here.

Best Discs For Beginners

When you are first starting out playing disc golf, there are going to be some discs that are more beginner friendly than others.

Using a disc that is better suited to you as a new player, will make sure you get as much out of the game as possible and will also ensure you don’t develop any bad throwing habits.

As a basic rule, you are going to want to throw discs that are slower, with more turn and more glide.

While this isn’t 100% true all the time, using this guideline will help you pick beginner friendly discs.

For more specifics on which types of discs I recommend for new players check out the following articles:

The Best Disc Golf Discs for Beginners

The Best Innova Discs for Beginners

The Best Disc Golf Drivers for Beginners

The Best Understable Midrange Discs for Beginners

The Best Disc Golf Putters for Beginners

Once you’ve started playing more and have acquired more discs than you can carry in your hands, you might want to purchase a small disc golf bag.

For my recommendations of the best small disc golf bags check out this article here.

If you decide to purchase a bag or already have one, check out our post on things you should consider keeping in your bag.

How To Get Better At Disc Golf

Once you’ve purchased some discs and played a few rounds of disc golf, the next question most new players ask is how they can improve at the game.

While playing more rounds will improve your game, a better way to improve at the sport is to practice.

As a beginner, the best place to start improving is putting. It’s easy to practice and it can be argued that it’s the most important part of any players game.

If you’d like to start improving your putting, I recommend you read our article on putting practice drills here.

If you’d like to improve your driving, you should read out articles on How to Improve Your Disc Golf Drive and for more specific tips on driving for beginners check out this article.

Here is another great resource for building an effective practicing routine to improve your driving. Listen to former World Champ, Avery Jenkins. He knows what he’s talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP45wFSaUmg

Disc Golf Variations

While playing disc golf the traditional way is a lot of fun, if you play with more people you might be exposed to some disc golf variations.

The normal or tradition way of playing disc golf is commonly referred to as stroke play.

Here are some other variations you might see on your local disc golf course:

Doubles

This game is played with teams of two. Each player will throw on each team and then they choose which lie is the best and throw from there.

This is commonly referred to as best of doubles. It’s a great game to play if you have a large group and even numbers. It also works well in a group with a variety of skill levels.

Triples

This game is basically the same game as doubles but each team as three players instead of two. You might choose to play triples instead of doubles if you have a really large group.

Choose the best shot of three players can make the rate of play faster and ensure that you finish the course in a shorter time. Another great game to play with a variety of skill levels.

Skins

When playing this game, all holes are assigned an amount or a “skin.” The best score on the hole wins the skins. If a hole is tied than the skin is pushed to the next hole.

If this continues to happen than the skins will continue to be pushed. If you want to read more about this great game, check out my article here.

Match

In this game the lowest score on a hole wins a point. If a hole is tied, no point is awarded nor is it pushed to the next hole.

This game can get quite completed and is best played with players that have similar skill levels.

For more disc golf variations check out our article here.

Flickr Image Creative Commons – Tim Martin

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How To Become A Professional Disc Golfer

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I have a theory that every disc golfer that enjoys the sport even a little bit has daydreamed about going pro. To take the thing that you love some much and turn it into a career would be amazing. To actually get paid to practice and play disc golf would be so great. But daydreaming and actually putting in the work are two different things. So if you are serious about wanting to play at the professional level, I’ve put together some tips for you. Remember, it is possible if you put the time and hard work into it. After all, there are professional players on tour right now that where one day in the past where you are now. Let’s take a look at the tips on How To Become A Professional Disc Golfer.

How To Become A Professional Disc Golfer

Practice Like A Pro

The first step to becoming a professional player is improving your disc golf game.

The most effective way of doing this is through continued practice.

This may seem like an obvious point but a lot of disc golfers that want to get better don’t practice enough or even at all.

Also, when I say practice, I don’t just mean playing more rounds of disc golf.

Don’t get me wrong, you will see some improvement if you play more rounds of disc golf.

But this method has its limits. If you want to be a professional, you’ll need to really improve your game by starting a practice routine.

This means specifically practice each aspect of your game.

Improve your putting, driving, scambling and other key pieces of your game by devoting specific practice sessions to each one.  

Train Like A Pro

While practice is very important, increasing your fitness level will go along way to take you to your goal of going pro.

It is true that most anyone can play disc golf and that’s one of the reasons so many people can enjoy the sport.

But if you are looking to play at such a high level increasing your strength and conditioning will help you stand out.

Just like creating a practice routine is important for improving your disc golf skills, you’ll want to develop a strength and condition routine to help build muscle and improve your endurance.

While they may look great, building huge muscles and doing on mass shouldn’t be your main focus when it goes to training for disc golf.

The sport requires power, flexibility, and stamina. If you are looking for how to set up a routine for disc golf check out the following video.

Avery Jenkins, a pro himself, gives some great tips on the topic.

https://youtu.be/dls-fzCWGUQ

Know The Rules

To be a great disc golfer, you’re going to need to be a student of the game.

And one piece of the game that you’ll really need to focus on is the rules.

There will be plenty of times during a tournament round where you can eliminate strokes because you just know the rules well.

For instance, are you committing a foot fault while you are putting? You can earn a penalty stroke for that.

Or did you calculate your scorecard correctly? Again, you’ll get penalty throws for that too. 

Not only will being an expert on the rules of disc golf lower your score, but it will also help you call other your opponents when they mess up?

This will give you a bit of an edge and at such a high level even a small edge can reap big rewards.    

Hire A Coach

A great way to accelerate your development as a disc golf player is to find a great coach.

A coach will not only help you develop your strengths but will also be able to identify your weaknesses.

You might think you can do this on your own and a lot of players do but having a great coach whose been there and played at the highest level will definitely increase your chances.

Not having to train yourself and relying on an expert in the sport to develop a training program tailored to your specific needs is invaluable.

Finding a disc golf coach might be difficult but will surely pay off.

If you don’t want to go this route or are having trouble finding a coach, you might start your search at the local level.

Finding players in your area that are better than you and playing with them will go a long way to improving your game.

Taking a disc golf clinic is another good option.

A lot of these are taught by pros and you will get at least some temporary exposure to some great coaching.   

Go On Tour

If you want to be a professional and aren’t yet playing in disc golf tournaments, you should start right now.

That’s right, stop reading this article and go sign up for one now!

Still, reading? At least check out this list of upcoming disc golf tournaments on disc golf scene. 

Now, if you are playing in local disc golf tournaments, the next step would be to actually take the plunge and go on tour.

That’s right, start now before you have sponsorship. This will do two things.

First, you’ll be exposed to more courses and a higher level of play than what you are probably getting locally.

Second, it will give you exposure. The more tournaments you play in, the more eyes you’ll get on you while playing.

If you do well this will certainly increase your chances of getting an offer.

At the very least, you’ll be able to network with other players.    

Market Yourself

This may seem like an odd tip but being able to market yourself will help you on your way to becoming a sponsored professional.

While being great at disc golf is the ultimate goal, Disc Golf manufacturers, like Innova and Discraft, also want players that can market their brand.

After all, they sponsor players to get exposure to their brand and sell more discs.

If you can market yourself well, this is sure to impress potential sponsors.

After all, a lot of the top pros don’t just play disc golf and tour.

They do clinics, commentate for disc golf evens, appear in advertisements and much more.

While you are improving your disc golf game and ensuring you can play at the highest level, you may also want to work toward improving your personal brand.

You could start a youtube channel or a website. This way you will already have an audience disc golf brands can market their products to.

It will also show them that you will do well in the spotlight.     

Flickr Image Creative Commons Credit – MarkScottAustinTX

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Quick Guide : The Flex Shot

No ratings yet. If you are an intermediate to advanced player looking to elevate your game, adding the disc golf flex shot to your disc golf arsenal is a great place to start.

The disc golf flex shot will allow you to achieve some nice shot shapes in a consistent way.

When thrown correctly, the shot can even add some distance to your drives.

If all that sounds good to you keep reading.

If you are a beginner, you may want to hold off on attempting this shot but you’ll still find some good information in this post.

Let’s jump into the article.

disc golf flex shot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What Is A Flex Shot & How Is It Thrown?

To perform a flex shot you take an overstable disc and release it on an anhyzer angle.

This causes the disc to turn out of your hand and then flex back.

That is why it’s referred to as the flex shot.

So for a right-handed player throwing backhanded, the disc will turn to the right as it leaves your hand and then turn back to the left as the stability of the disc kicks in.

Some players may refer to this shot as an anhyzer flex shot.  

Disc Golf Flex Shot Tips

  • Use an overstable disc. The stability of the disc will ensure that it fights the anhyzer release and comes back.
  • Pick a disc that has medium to high fade. This will ensure it flexes back at the end of its flight.
  • Release the disc with a lot of snap. Generating enough force is important to the success of the flex shot.
  • Don’t try the flex shot if you are a newer player. There are easier alternatives, like the s-shot. More on this later.
  • Keep the nose of the disc down when releasing it. If the disc is released with the nose up, it will likely stall in the air and drop.
  • You’ll need to get the anhyzer angle just right. Too much anhyzer and the disc will likely end in a cut roll.
  • You can control the distance and shape of the flex shot by the height of the throw. With more height, the disc will have more time in the air and fade for a longer distance.  
  • Practice. Practice. Practice. It will take time to get this shot down consistently. It might be a good idea to devote multiple field session to master this shot.
  • Trust your disc. If you have practiced and developed this shot, put faith in your overstable disc to flex back.

What Are Disc Golf Flex Shots Normally Used For?

There are two main options for a flex shot in disc golf:

The first is shot shaping.

If you need the disc to turn right really quick to avoid one obstacle and then move to the left to avoid another obstacle, the flex shot is perfect for this.  

If you play a lot of wooded courses you are going to want to learn and perfect this shot.

Another option would be to increase the distance of your throw.

If you take an overstable disc and throw it with a flat release, the disc is going to fly straight and then hyzer out but if you add the anhyzer release, it’s going to flex and stay in the air longer.

This works even better when you get the right height to the throw.

So if you are needing another tool for wooded holes or want to extend the flight of your overstable discs, consider learning the flex shot.   

Flex Shot VS S-Shot

In researching this article, I’ve noticed that a lot of people seem to use the terms flex shot and S-shot synonymously or even mix them up entirely.

Like we talked about earlier, the flex shot is taking an overstable disc and releasing it on an anhyzer to force the disc to turn and then come back.

An S-shot is accomplished by taking an understable disc and releasing it flat.

The disc will naturally turn and then fade back at the end of its flight.

A good way to remember the difference is the S-shot takes advantage of the natural tendency of the disc while the flex shot goes against this tendency.

Another difference between the two is the skill level required.

The S-shot is better for a beginner as it’s an easier shot to pull off.

It’s a great and easy way to add distance to your throw.

The main drawback to this throw is that it’s less predictable.

The flex shot is harder to get right but is more consistent because of the stability of the disc being used.

The one thing these two shots have in common is the shape of the disc flight.

If you were in a helicopter and looking down on a group of disc golfers, it would be very hard to determine which player was throwing a flex shot and which player was throwing an S-shot just based on the shape of the flight.   

Final Thoughts

While not recommended for new players, the flex shot is worth learning and perfecting.

It’s a great option for extending the distance of your drive and navigating a wooded hole.

If you don’t get it on the first try just stick with it. It will come with time and practice.

And if you haven’t tried a flex shot before, use my tips and get out and do some field work.

Happy flexing. 

Flickr Creative Commons – Zepfanman.com

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