12 Disc Golf Putting Tips To Elevate Your Game This 2023
If you’ve read any of my other posts on putting, you know I think it’s a big deal. I’ll go ahead and say it now, putting is the most important part of any disc golfers game. Many players put a lot of emphasis of increasing their driving distance or improving on their forehand or some other part of their game. While those things are important, the best ROI you will get out of improving your game is mastering putting. In this article, I’m not going to go over specific putting form or technique improvements, I’m just going to give my top disc golf putting tips 2023 that all players can benefit from.
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Disc Golf Putting Tips – 1. Pick A Putting Style That Works For You
This may seem like an obvious tip, but if you do some research on putting you’ll see a lot of players and pros recommending or teaching that you should putt in the same way they putt.
While this could very well work out great, I recommend you pick a style that works best for you. Don’t just go with a putting style because your disc golf buddies or your favorite professional disc golfers say to.
If you have a putting style you like and you are getting success with, stick with it.
If you aren’t seeing the results you want and would like to switch up styles, try them all out and see what works best. This could be the push putt, spin putt, spush putt, straddle putt or any other variation in between.
Check out this article on putting styles if you need some ideas.
Disc Golf Putting Tips – 2. Don’t Forget To Learn Other Putting Styles
If you have a putting style you love and that works well for you, by all means, stick with it.
With that in mind, it’s important to remember that while a putting style might work well most of the time, you might find yourself in a situation that another style might be more useful.
For instance, let’s say your main style is the push putt and you have a lie that’s within putting distance. When you approach your lie, you realize you have a tree in the way and its branches are blocking your shot.
You could pitch your disc to the side and take an extra stroke, but it might make a more sense to straddle out to the side so you have a clear line at the basket.
If you learn the straddle putt and practice it, you’ll have more confidence when you have to use it.
Disc Golf Putting Tips – 3. Get The Right Putter For You And Your Game
This suggestion is similar to using the right style for yourself. Selecting the right putter for yourself and your style is also very important.
Again, don’t use a putter just because everyone else is using.
If you have a putter right now that you are using that works great, by all means, use that putter. But if you aren’t seeing the success you want, it might be time to try out a few putters and see if a change makes sense.
For instance, if you are using the spin putting style it makes sense to use a putter with a lot of glide. If your buddy is a push putter, they might use a putter with less glide and are more concerned with having their disc fly straight so they want to use a stable putter.
In this case, going with a putter your buddy likes would hurt your game.
Check out my recommendations for the best putters here.
Disc Golf Putting Tips – 4. Practice Putting A Lot
The only way to achieve consistent putting is to practice and you should practice often.
If you have the time, spending 15 to 30 minutes a day practicing your putting is ideal. If you are unsure on how to practice, check out my disc golf putting drills article here.
Another thing to think about when practice your putting, is you want it to be as close to gameplay as possible.
So, if you have multiple putters for practice, don’t hold them in your offhand while practicing because this isn’t how you putt during normal play.
5. Get Your Own Disc Golf Basket
I would recommend any player that is focused on improving their putting game to purchase a disc golf basket they can keep at home.
You aren’t going to be able to go to the course each day to practice your putting. Most people don’t have a disc golf course next door.
Having a basket at home takes the task of driving to the course out of the equation. You can just step out your door and practice for 30 min or so and then go back to what you were doing.
It also comes in handy when it’s cold or wet outside. If you have space, you can set it up in your house or garage and putt indoors.
6. Consider Developing A Putting Routine
A pre-putting routine can help you focus and improve consistency when putting.
When putting there are a lot of steps to consider. How you line up. How you grip your putter. How you are releasing. And more.
If you have a routine in place, you don’t have to consider all these times. You follow the routine each time.
For instance, your routine might be: place your foot behind your maker, take a deep breath, focus on the target, take a practice swing and then putt.
A putting routine can improve focus because one of the steps could be to take a second to focus but it also gives you time before you shot.
If you just step and release each time, you may not be ready or you might miss something.
7. Take Into Account All Environmental Factors
Before putting, it’s important to consider all the environmental factors that could affect your putt.
Is it a windy day? Are you putting at a different elevation than the basket? Are there obstacles that could affect your disc’s flight? Are there hazards you want to avoid?
You’ll want to think about each of these factors and make adjustments if you can.
For instances, when putting in a tailwind that disc tends to get pushed down and you may want to counteract this by releasing the putter higher.
Or there might be a lake or stream on the left side of the basket. Is there a way to you adjust your putting technique so you are less likely to miss left or can you change your body position to take the hazard out of the equation?
8. Focus On The Putting Process
If you are facing a stressful putt, it may help to focus on the process rather than the outcome.
Don’t worry about missing your putt or what you will do next if you miss, instead focus on the process of putting.
Use your pre-practice routine, if you have one, and do each step of your putting process to the best of your ability.
This is more likely to produce the successful outcome you are looking for and lead to knocking down your putt.
While some players thrive on stress and can use it make putts, most of us don’t and worry and fear we feel tends to lead to more missed putts.
9. Learn To Forget Putting Failures
Similarly to focusing on the process of putting, it’s also important to forget your misses.
If you are playing in a tournament or against your buddies, don’t focus on any putts you may have missed or any of your lines that may have been off on, instead focus on each shot.
If you focus on your familiars you may add more pressure to the situation which can lead to misses.
You may also feel the necessity to rush a putt or go for a putt that doesn’t have much chance of going in.
Again, focus on the putt in front of you and put any putting failures out of your mind will lead to more success.
10. Take Advantage Of Your 30 Seconds
During play, you have 30 seconds to gather yourself before you actually putt and I recommend you take it every second of it.
Take the time to go through the things we’ve already talked about.
You’ll need it to go through your putting routine and to consider all the environmental factors that could affect your putt.
There is no need to rush a putt and then miss because you went too quickly.
If you are going through your putting routine and you encounter a distraction it’s perfectly legal to restart and try again with 30 second back on the clock.
11. Check Your Footing Before You Release
Before you release your putter make sure you are on solid ground.
I’ve seen players miss a putt because they slipped and I’ve fallen victim to this situation before too.
During your 30 seconds, take a look around and consider your putting surface.
Are you putting on rocks or gravel that you could slip on? Maybe you are on an uneven surface that could cause you to lose your balance? Are there leaves or wet grass that might cause you to fall?
Try to run through a practice putt just to be sure. Make any adjustments to save your footing before you release the disc.
12. Don’t Throw Your Putter
When I say don’t throw your putter, I don’t mean don’t throw any putter.
Using putters for approach shots or upshots is great. I even like putters for medium distances and driving.
To check out some awesome driving putters check out this article.
What I mean by don’t throw your putter, is don’t throw the putters you putt with.
Throwing a disc is going to change the stability of the disc and even change the flight path.
You don’t want that. You want a consistent flight path each time.
For this reason, I recommend getting a putter and a backup copy just for putting and then having other putters for approaches and drives.
Flickr Creative Commons – MarkScottAustinTX
