What is Disc Golf?
Sometimes
called Frisbee Golf or Frolf, is a disc game in
which individual players throw a flying disc into a
basket or at a target. The object of the game is to
traverse a course from beginning to end in the
fewest number of throws of the disc. Disc golf is
similar to traditional golf and uses much of the
same rules and terminology. As in ball golf, a
course usually consists of 18 holes. But unlike
ball golf, most courses are located in public parks
and are free to play, although some courses require
a nominal "green" fee and the sport requires
inexpensive discs instead of costly clubs and
balls. The target consists of a metal basket with
chains hanging over it.
Where Do I Play?
Most
courses are city parks so I am sure a basic search
on the net can help you locate one. If you're in
Central Texas please refer to our
Course
Directory section
for nearby courses. You might also try
PDGA's website.
Where can I buy discs?
What discs are good for beginners?
Practicing the putt
Try to putt with the disc flat or nose down and go
for a lofting up and down arcing flight path. This
line is advantageous vs. a line drive putt by
reducing the fly by distance of misses.
Learn to play the wind. Headwinds make the disc rise while tailwinds make the disc drop faster. Practicing your putt when its windy out will help you gauge the angles and trajectories you need for success in the wind.
Don't try to muscle your putts. The power for a putt is generated by a weight shift forward. On longer putts try to get more of a weight shift. Your putting motion should be quick. Slower motions can be inconsistent and have a tendency to putt low if you are afraid of missing. You want a form that is consistent and that you can repeat again and again.
Use the spring of your fingers to your advantage. Springing your fingers off the disc (like throwing a dart) will give you a clean release and generate enough spin on the disc to keep it from wobbling.
Putt how you practice and practice how you putt. If you spend a lot of time lining up your putt and focusing when you throw a round, do not rapid-fire putt during practice. If you prefer to rapid-fire putt during practice, do not spend too much time lining up your putt when you throw a round. Putting differently will cause changes in your putting stroke between practice and the round. Know your putt and try to feel it with every throw.
Know when the smart play is to lay up. Long putts are great when they go in but can be a nightmare if you miss. If your 50% make range is 25', don't run at the chains from 50' if you will leave yourself with a comeback putt longer than 25'. Play smart and know the right time to go for it.
Learn to play the wind. Headwinds make the disc rise while tailwinds make the disc drop faster. Practicing your putt when its windy out will help you gauge the angles and trajectories you need for success in the wind.
Don't try to muscle your putts. The power for a putt is generated by a weight shift forward. On longer putts try to get more of a weight shift. Your putting motion should be quick. Slower motions can be inconsistent and have a tendency to putt low if you are afraid of missing. You want a form that is consistent and that you can repeat again and again.
Use the spring of your fingers to your advantage. Springing your fingers off the disc (like throwing a dart) will give you a clean release and generate enough spin on the disc to keep it from wobbling.
Putt how you practice and practice how you putt. If you spend a lot of time lining up your putt and focusing when you throw a round, do not rapid-fire putt during practice. If you prefer to rapid-fire putt during practice, do not spend too much time lining up your putt when you throw a round. Putting differently will cause changes in your putting stroke between practice and the round. Know your putt and try to feel it with every throw.
Know when the smart play is to lay up. Long putts are great when they go in but can be a nightmare if you miss. If your 50% make range is 25', don't run at the chains from 50' if you will leave yourself with a comeback putt longer than 25'. Play smart and know the right time to go for it.
How to practice driving
Grip
Gripping the disc happens before you even step up to throw. There are some general rules of grip, although later on in your game you may feel the need to modify it, here are a few basic tips to get you started. You should be using a grip that has all 4 fingers under the disc. Your grip should be firm and the disc should rip out of your hand rather than slip out. If you are trying to let go of the disc, a consistent release is near impossible. Your grip should be loose enough to let your forearm and wrist move freely before the disc rips out. When people talk about a very tight grip they are referring to tightening the grip right when the disc should rip out of your hand. Your thumb should as close to the edge of the disc as possible while still being over the soft part of the disc.
Footwork
Footwork and balance will dictate the success and failure of your throw. If you are off balance and have a poor center of gravity a consistent and accurate throw will be very difficult to achieve without compensating in other ways. While it is possible to do, the most efficient techniques are those with good balance throughout the throw. You should be throwing with the X-step. If you use an extra run-up or stutter step, the X-step will be the last 3 steps of your throw. Try to stay light, quick, and smooth on your feet. Heavy steps will lead to mistiming and make shifting your weight more difficult. Make sure you get your weight over your front foot when you plant and start your throw. If your weight is behind your foot it will affect your throw in negative ways and also risk injuries to your knee and ankle. Use the explosion of your hips to start your body rotation. The direction of your feet will lead your hips, your hips will turn your torso, your torso will turn your shoulders, and your shoulders will lead your arm.
Reach Back
There are mixed philosophies on the reach back part of your throw. There are however a few things that are consistent between the various techniques. Your reach should only be as far as you feel comfortable with and can maintain good balance. You should reach in a straight line rather than swinging the disc back on an arc. You should also plan your intended throw during this time. For a flat line drive your hand should be on the same plane as the disc. For a hyzer, your hand should be under the disc and for an anhyzer, your hand should be above the disc.
Pull Through
The pull-through is where you begin to generate the power needed for a long throw. For maximum power and speed your shoulder rotation should pull your arm through. Don't try to muscle or “strong arm” the disc it won't be nearly as powerful or fast as a whip driven by the shoulders. Also, keep the disc as close to your chest as possible and let your elbow bend. The extension of your elbow during the latter part of your throw will be your main power source. You should also have your off arm close to your body during the throw in order to let your body rotate as fast as possible. Also of importance, try to be as strong as possible at the point the disc will leave your hand rather than at the beginning of your throw. This should give you maximum snap as the power is focused on getting the most force on the disc at the release rather than during the pull.
Follow-Through
A good follow-through is important for both a clean throw and to avoid injury. Although you should be smooth and loose during the first part of your throw, concentrate on finishing strong during your follow-through. A clean pivot is also good to avoid knee injury, as your body will continue rotating after the disc leaves your hand.
Gripping the disc happens before you even step up to throw. There are some general rules of grip, although later on in your game you may feel the need to modify it, here are a few basic tips to get you started. You should be using a grip that has all 4 fingers under the disc. Your grip should be firm and the disc should rip out of your hand rather than slip out. If you are trying to let go of the disc, a consistent release is near impossible. Your grip should be loose enough to let your forearm and wrist move freely before the disc rips out. When people talk about a very tight grip they are referring to tightening the grip right when the disc should rip out of your hand. Your thumb should as close to the edge of the disc as possible while still being over the soft part of the disc.
Footwork
Footwork and balance will dictate the success and failure of your throw. If you are off balance and have a poor center of gravity a consistent and accurate throw will be very difficult to achieve without compensating in other ways. While it is possible to do, the most efficient techniques are those with good balance throughout the throw. You should be throwing with the X-step. If you use an extra run-up or stutter step, the X-step will be the last 3 steps of your throw. Try to stay light, quick, and smooth on your feet. Heavy steps will lead to mistiming and make shifting your weight more difficult. Make sure you get your weight over your front foot when you plant and start your throw. If your weight is behind your foot it will affect your throw in negative ways and also risk injuries to your knee and ankle. Use the explosion of your hips to start your body rotation. The direction of your feet will lead your hips, your hips will turn your torso, your torso will turn your shoulders, and your shoulders will lead your arm.
Reach Back
There are mixed philosophies on the reach back part of your throw. There are however a few things that are consistent between the various techniques. Your reach should only be as far as you feel comfortable with and can maintain good balance. You should reach in a straight line rather than swinging the disc back on an arc. You should also plan your intended throw during this time. For a flat line drive your hand should be on the same plane as the disc. For a hyzer, your hand should be under the disc and for an anhyzer, your hand should be above the disc.
Pull Through
The pull-through is where you begin to generate the power needed for a long throw. For maximum power and speed your shoulder rotation should pull your arm through. Don't try to muscle or “strong arm” the disc it won't be nearly as powerful or fast as a whip driven by the shoulders. Also, keep the disc as close to your chest as possible and let your elbow bend. The extension of your elbow during the latter part of your throw will be your main power source. You should also have your off arm close to your body during the throw in order to let your body rotate as fast as possible. Also of importance, try to be as strong as possible at the point the disc will leave your hand rather than at the beginning of your throw. This should give you maximum snap as the power is focused on getting the most force on the disc at the release rather than during the pull.
Follow-Through
A good follow-through is important for both a clean throw and to avoid injury. Although you should be smooth and loose during the first part of your throw, concentrate on finishing strong during your follow-through. A clean pivot is also good to avoid knee injury, as your body will continue rotating after the disc leaves your hand.
Types of discs
There are many different kinds of discs; deciding
which to buy may be difficult. The reason there are
so many different discs, even from one
manufacturer, is because there are so many
different shots in disc golf. Each kind of disc is
designed to give best results for a different kind
of shot. Most discs tell you what they are designed
for. For example: they say 'long range driver',
'mid range driver', or 'putt and approach'. But it
is still very helpful to understand the flight
characteristics of different discs when deciding
which one is right for you. Probably the most
important characteristic of the flight of a disc is
it's stability. The flight of an understable disc
can be completely different from a similar but
overstable disc. For this reason you must know what
kind of disc suits your game best before buying
one.
General flight characteristics of discs
Understable discs will turn over easily at high
speeds, while overstable discs will turn over only
at very high speeds and will fade more.
A disc will naturally fade in the opposite direction of the spin put on that disc. for right-handed backhand throwers, who have clockwise spin, the disc will fade to the left.
A disc will turn over in the opposite direction of it's fade. For right-handed backhand throwers, when the disc is traveling very fast it will tilt and fly just like it was thrown with an anhyzer release angle; it will turn to the right.
If thrown with a hyzer release angle a disc will turn in the direction of it's fade.
If thrown with an anhyzer release angle a disc will turn in the direction opposite it's fade.
An overstable disc has a tendency to fly more like a hyzer shot even if thrown level, because it will fade more.
An understable disc will have a tendency to fly more like an anhyzer shot even when thrown level, because it will turn over at lower speeds (relative to an overstable disc).
A disc that is neither understable nor overstable, will have the flight characteristics of both discs. It will turn over at high speeds, but it will also fade at low speeds.
Heavy discs tend to be more overstable, while lighter discs tend to be more understable. This is true for discs of the same mold. A disc that is heavier than another disc is not necessarily more overstable if they are different kinds of discs.
tips
If you are a beginner, and you do not throw very hard, you should get an understable, light disc. This will help you throw straighter, more predictable, longer drives and approaches, because there will be less fade and it will be easier to turn over if necessary. You may also want to use a disc with a larger, more curved lip, which will float more, creating more distance on shots with low velocity.
If you throw very hard and fast you need a more overstable disc. This will give you more control because the disc will not always turn over. You may also want to use a disc with a flatter lip and top, designed for high velocity throws. If you throw forehand, which tends to be even faster, you will probably need a very overstable disc, because all discs that are too understable will turn over, no matter how low the release angle.
A disc will naturally fade in the opposite direction of the spin put on that disc. for right-handed backhand throwers, who have clockwise spin, the disc will fade to the left.
A disc will turn over in the opposite direction of it's fade. For right-handed backhand throwers, when the disc is traveling very fast it will tilt and fly just like it was thrown with an anhyzer release angle; it will turn to the right.
If thrown with a hyzer release angle a disc will turn in the direction of it's fade.
If thrown with an anhyzer release angle a disc will turn in the direction opposite it's fade.
An overstable disc has a tendency to fly more like a hyzer shot even if thrown level, because it will fade more.
An understable disc will have a tendency to fly more like an anhyzer shot even when thrown level, because it will turn over at lower speeds (relative to an overstable disc).
A disc that is neither understable nor overstable, will have the flight characteristics of both discs. It will turn over at high speeds, but it will also fade at low speeds.
Heavy discs tend to be more overstable, while lighter discs tend to be more understable. This is true for discs of the same mold. A disc that is heavier than another disc is not necessarily more overstable if they are different kinds of discs.
tips
If you are a beginner, and you do not throw very hard, you should get an understable, light disc. This will help you throw straighter, more predictable, longer drives and approaches, because there will be less fade and it will be easier to turn over if necessary. You may also want to use a disc with a larger, more curved lip, which will float more, creating more distance on shots with low velocity.
If you throw very hard and fast you need a more overstable disc. This will give you more control because the disc will not always turn over. You may also want to use a disc with a flatter lip and top, designed for high velocity throws. If you throw forehand, which tends to be even faster, you will probably need a very overstable disc, because all discs that are too understable will turn over, no matter how low the release angle.