Disc Golf Technique & How To's

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Disc Golf is a sport in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or sometimes at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, “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. Unlike ball golf, most courses are located in public parks and are usually free to play. The modern disc golf target consists of a metal basket with chains hanging over it and was invented in 1976.

The flying discs used in play are very similar to the Frisbee®. However, a golf disc is much smaller than the traditional Frisbee®. Also, a Frisbee® has a rounded, flatter edge whereas a disc golf disc typically has a beveled edge. A golf disc has the potential to be thrown much farther than a typical, rounded Frisbee® and is not designed to be catchable.

Disc golf is sometimes called "Frisbee® golf", "folf", or "frolf" (a combination of Frisbee® and golf made popular by a reference on Seinfeld). Despite how common the terms may be, both of these are misnomers. The name “Frisbee®” is trademarked to the toy manufacturer Wham-o. Within the discing community, it is also generally agreed upon that “Frisbee®” refers to a disc engineered to be catchable. Applying the term “Frisbee®” to all disc sports is not correct for both reasons. The generic label “golf disc” stems from “flying disc.”

Playing

The initial “drive” is taken from a designated tee area. Each subsequent throw is taken from just behind the spot where the disc came to rest. Each throw is added to the player's score. As with ball golf, each hole is given a par. A common strategy for a par-three hole, as it is on a golf par 3, would be to throw your drive as close the hole as possible to leave a short putt. However, the disc golfer may have an approach, similar to a chip shot, to get close to the hole. The goal is to complete every hole in as few throws as possible.

The hole is completed when the disc has come to rest in the basket (which is defined as resting in the basket, being supported by the basket, or being supported by the chains) or when it hits the designated part of an object (for example, post or tree if there are no baskets and it is an object course).

Similar to golf, disc golf is scored in relation to par. Par is defined as the number of throws it should take to reach the putting area, plus two. If a golfer reaches the putting area on every hole in the desired number of shots and then two putts every hole, he would shoot par for the course.

The game started with a par 3 mentality. Most older courses in the country have 18 dueceable holes. Part of the reasoning for this was most players could not throw the disc over 300 feet due to lack of technology. As technology advanced, so did length of holes. It is very common now to see courses with at least two or three par 4's or what are sometimes referred to as “two shot holes” referring to the fact that it takes two shots to reach the basket instead of just one.

While most players still refer to their score sometimes in relation to everything a par 3 despite the actual par of the course, some courses, such as Idlewild in Burlington, Kentucky, Renaissance Gold in Charlotte, North Carolina and Winthrop Gold in Rock Hill, South Carolina, list par at higher numbers. Winthrop Gold hosts the United States Championships (USDGC) every year and par is listed as 68 (8 par 4's, 3 par 5's 8 par 3's) during the championship. A player only needs to remember how much they are up or down from par to figure out their score easily.

Despite the confusion with par, it is technically not needed. All par is is an easier way for the golfer to keep score. If par is consistent throughout all players, no matter what the par is listed as, the golfer with the fewest throws will still win.

Stroke play is the most common scoring method but there are many others, including match play, skins, speed golf and captains choice, which in disc golf is referred to as "doubles".

History

Disc golf, in some form, has probably been played since the early 1900s. But modern day disc golf started in the late 60's, when it seems to have been invented in many places and by many people at the same time. For example, George Sappenfield, a Californian, realized that golf would be a lot of fun if played with Frisbees®. He set up an object course for kids to play on. The early Frisbee® Golf Courses were “Object Courses” using anything from lamp poles to fire hydrants as targets and begin to crop up in the Midwest and East Coast. A year later Sappenfield introduced the game to many other Frisbee® players. Many of them brought the game back to the U.C. Berkeley campus. It quickly became popular and they laid out a permanent course in 1970.

The first standardized target course was put in by “Steady Ed” Headrick, a great flying disc innovator known as the “Father of Disc Golf,” in what was then known as Oak Grove Park in La Canada Flintridge, California (Today the park is known as Hahamonga Watershed Park). This park is immediately to the south of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which supplied at least a few of the earliest players. Ed worked for the San Gabriel, California-based Wham-O Corporation and is credited for pioneering the modern era of disc sports.

Ed Headrick coined and trademarked the term “Disc Golf” when formalizing the sport and invented the Disc Pole Hole, the first disc golf target to incorporate chains and a basket on a pole. Headrick founded, the Disc Golf Association (DGA), the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) and the Recreational Disc Golf Association (RDGA) and worked on standardizing the rules and the equipment for the quickly growing sport. Ed open sourced his trademark term "Disc Golf" and turned over control and administration of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) to the growing body of Disc Golf players in order to focus his passion for building and inventing equipment for the sport. Upon his death, Headrick was cremated and his ashes were made into a limited number of discs per his wishes. The discs were given to friends and family and are sold with all proceeds from the sales going to a nonprofit fund for the “Steady” Ed Memorial Disc Golf Museum at the PDGA International Disc Golf Center in Columbia County, Georgia. One of the discs that contains Headrick’s ashes will be permanently placed on the roof of the center. When asked why this was to be done by a member of the local media, PDGA commissioner Brian Graham responded “Frisbee®'s don't die, they just end up on roofs.”

Disc golf is also known for its large population of female players.The Women's Disc Golf Association is a good example of gender equality in the sport, whereas sports like American football have virtually no women playing the sport professionally or competitively.

Course Description

As of early 2006, there were more than 2000 permanent disc golf courses installed around the world, although the vast majority of them are in the United States.

As in “ball golf,” a typical course will have 18 holes, but each hole averages between 250 and 450 feet rather than yards. Many smaller courses have only 9 holes, while an increasing number of courses offer an additional 9 holes to make 27 available holes to the disc golfer. Many disc golf courses are in open, grassy public parks, but more challenging courses are set in semi-wooded and hilly areas, some quite rough and natural. One good example of a classic long course with wooded hills is De Laveaga Disc Golf Course in Santa Cruz, California, USA.

The target in disc golf is usually a metal basket that is mounted vertically about three feet in the air, and attached to a pole that is around 5 feet tall. To better allow discs to come to rest in this basket, chains are suspended from another circular section near the top of the pole and allowed to hang limply to a point where they are connected to the pole in or near the receiving basket. The standard disc golf target has 12-24 chains suspended inside it.

Another common target is the ‘Tone Hole.’ This is generally a metal pipe, approximately 8” to 10” in diameter, mounted on a sturdy wooden post. Hitting the target is confirmed by the sound of the disc contacting the pipe. ‘Natural’ holes, being pre-existing natural or man-made features, are occasionally used as well.

Disc golf is unique in that PDGA and WFDF rules, based in player conservation efforts as well as fair play, make it a violation to cause damage to the course's flora. With most courses not requiring greens fees, the relative low cost of discs, and tournament fees still fairly low, the disc golf social structure may be among the most egalitarian and relaxed in organized sports.

Golf Discs

There are a wide variety of discs, divided into three basic categories: putters, mid-range discs, and drivers. Within each of these categories, each disc has its own distinct flight characteristics. There are golf discs designed to fly straight, turn left, or turn right, depending on how they are thrown by the player. The putters are designed similar to discs you would play catch with: e.g., a Wham-o brand Frisbee®. They are designed to fly straight and predictably, and very slowly compared to the other two. Mid-range discs have slightly sharper edges, which enable them to cut through the air better. These discs are harder to learn to throw, but can fly much farther. Drivers have the sharpest edge and have most of their mass concentrated on the outer rim of the disc rather than distributed equally throughout. Drivers are the hardest types of discs to learn how to throw; their flight path will be very unpredictable without practice. There are several classes of drivers intended for different distances: depending on a driver's “stability,” it could be a straight or turning driver. Golf discs typically weigh between 150 and 180 grams (5.3-6.3 oz.), and measure about 21-24 cm in diameter. PDGA rules prohibit discs weighing more than 200 grams, or whose weight is more than 8.3 grams per centimeter of diameter.

The most common brands of disc are Innova , Discraft , Gateway , Millennium , CHING , DGA , Lightning , Aerobie DiscWing , Latitude 64 , and 1080 Disc Golf .

Discs come in various types of plastic. For example, Innova makes discs in four types of plastic: their “DX” line plastic is the most affordable model, which wears most easily over time; the “Pro” line plastic offers increased durability, an enhanced grip and better glide; the “Champion” line is distinguished by clear or pearlescent plastic, and they are designed to provide maximum durability while retaining their flight characteristics; lastly, the new and most expensive “Star” line is advertised to offer the durability of the Champion plastic with the improved grip of the Pro plastic. Other companies such as Millennium offer discs in their “Millennium” plastic, their improved “Quantum” plastic, their “Supersoft” line and their top-of-the-line “Sirius” plastic. Discraft offers “D,” “X,” “Z,” and the latest, “ESP,” which is similar to Innova's “Star” or Millennium’s “Sirius.” It is important to note that the durability, glide, performance, and cost of the discs are greatly influenced by the type of plastic. For example, upon impact with a tree, a “DX” plastic disc is much more likely to become bent or otherwise damaged -- and therefore change it’s flight characteristics -- than is a “Champion” plastic disc. The trade-off is that a premium-plastic disc often costs about twice as much as the same mold in low-grade plastic. Many players swear by the cheaper plastic, claiming that D or DX discs that have been “seasoned” to varying degrees have more desirable flight characteristics; unfortunately, this often necessitates carrying many copies of the same disc in various states of wear.

Players often carry their discs in specialized bags designed to organize their gear. Manufacturers of disc golf-specific bags include REVOLUTION Disc Golf, Innova, Discraft, and Lightning.

Throwing Style

The two most common throwing techniques are the forehand throw (aka side-arm), and the backhand throw. Of the two, the backhand style is most familiar to new players and is the most common.

A right-handed player performing a forehand throw will generally hold the disc in his right hand and throw the disc with the palm of his hand facing the direction of the throw. A right-handed backhand thrower will throw the disc with the back side of his hand facing the direction of the throw.

The different types of throws spin the disc in opposite directions, causing the disc to turn and fade left or right, depending on type of disc thrown, wind, spin speed, and many other variables. Many players try to master both techniques or learn to play both left- and right-handed to account for as many situations as possible.

Additional throwing techniques include (but are not limited to):

• Hyzer — Disc thrown with the nose down and the far edge angled toward the ground. This will turn left for a righthand, backhand throw.
• Anhyzer — Disc thrown with the nose up and the far edge angled upward. This will turn right for a righthand, backhand throw.
• Hyzer-flip — Stable to Understable disc thrown with a hyzer angle, but with enough spin that it “flips” up to a flatter flight path. Many professional players use this shot for maximum distance.
• Roller - The disc is thrown either forehand or backhand, at close to a vertical angle, in such a way that when the disc hits the ground, it rolls. In the proper conditions, advanced players can get more distance from a roller than any other shot.
• Hammer/Tomahawk — A throw where the player holds the disc over his shoulder and releases it near vertically, with his thumb on the topside of the disc, and the index and middle fingers under the rim; the throwing motion is like an overhand baseball throw, and it is usually used for getting over obstacles such as shrubs or small trees. Depending on the stability of the disc used, a tomahawk throw may curve only a little and land upside-down, or it may “corkscrew,” turning several directions in the air and usually landing with backspin. No matter the stability, the disc will turn to the left for a right handed thrower.
• Thumber — Also known as a thumbhook. The player holds the disc in the same manner as the tomahawk, except with the thumb wrapped around the underside of the disc. In releasing, the disc will spin off of the thumb of the thrower, and create a very straight throw that has the possibility to fly quite far if thrown with enough force and spin. This throw will turn right for a right handed thrower.
• Grenade — Disc is held with a backhand grip, only upside down and thrown with extreme hyzer. Ideally, the disc will take a short bounce, flutter (resembling an explosion, hence the name) and stop very close to the landing point.
• Prebinator — A chip shot where the disc is held upside down and chipped to the basket with a normal forehand toss. The disc flies and dives straight down at the basket. Back spin is generated such that in case the disc misses the basket, it will come to a rest near the basket. The Prebinator takes a great dive down into the basket, taking advantage of the larger basket entry area.
• Discus Style — A true forehand (what is referred to as forehand is actually sidearm) drive in which the thumb is placed on the inside rim of the disc, the index finger follows the edge of the disc, and remaining fingers are on the top. The throw begins with the disc behind your back, with your shoulders in line with where you want your throw to travel. A small run up leads into the hip turn, with your arm following. You want to keep your arm as close to level with your shoulders as you throw Release the disc with a flick as your arm lines up with your shoulders, which should be squared to the target. Follow through with your whole body pivoting on your off foot. The Discus, if thrown correctly, transmits almost all of your motion into the disc, making it capable of acheiving extremely long distances. For right handed players, the throw fades to the right, making it a great complement to the traditional backhand.
• Bi-Moto Putt — a two handed putting motion with the disc held at eye level and in line with the target. Also useful when putting into the wind.
• Turbo Putt — a putting style where one holds the disc similar to a waiter holding a serving tray. Fingers are outside the disc rim with the thumb near the center of the bottom side of the disc. Some throwers place one or more fingers on the inside of the rim for stability. The throw is like a push-spin with the forefinger imparting spin on the disc.
• Scoober - an escape shot where the disc is thrown backwards over the shoulder, with the back facing towards the target. The disc is intended to roll upon striking the ground.

Disc Flight

Stability is one of the most important disc properties when choosing a disc. There are three stability classifications, based on the behavior of a disc when thrown using a level right-handed backhand or a left-handed forehand(reverse the direction for left-handed backhands or right-handed forehands):

• Understable: An understable disc has a natural tendency to curve to the right.
• Stable: A stable disc will maintain a straight flight path.
• Overstable: An overstable disc has a natural tendency to curve to the left.

The stability of a disc depends on a number of factors, including the weight, size and shape of the disc and the speed with which it is thrown. Stability is increased when the player is able to “snap” the disc off the fingers, giving it a high rate of spin and therefore a lot of angular momentum, like a gyroscope; the increased stability will allow the player to increase their accuracy. Thus, a disc that is overstable for one player may be stable or even understable for another.

Throwing into the wind will make a disc fly more understable than it usually does, due to the higher airspeed. For a right-hand backhand thrower, this means that a disc will turn more to the right than it would normally. Therefore, to maintain a straight line, an overstable disc (i.e. one that turns to the left normally) should be thrown into the wind. An understable disc will be more likely to turn over (or flip) when thrown into the wind. For a right-hand backhand thrower, this will result in a dramatic right turn. The headwind will also cause the disc not to fade back to the left at all. Throwing with the wind will cause the opposite effects: a disc will behave as if it is more overstable, so players usually choose a more understable disc in a tailwind.

Each disc is also meant to be thrown within a certain speed range. If the disc is thrown slower than that range, it will fly overstable (to the left). Conversely, if the disc is thrown faster than that speed range, it will fly understable (to the right). The directions given in parentheses are for right-hand backhand throwers. A common example of this is when a beginner purchases a disc that is designed for pro-level players with extremely strong throws. This disc, in the hands of a beginner with a weak arm, will curve hard to the left (overstable), not giving them much distance at all.

The disc spin, angle upon release, and air speed (partially related to arm speed) are important control factors. The Bernoulli principle of flight allows the disc to achieve lift, when the air flows over the top of the disc faster than the bottom of it. As a disc gets older and is used often (banged into trees, rocks, targets, etc.) it will normally become more and more understable.

The roller, which segues smoothly from the air to the ground, can far exceed the distance of a regular forearm or backhand throw. Disc geometry is crucial as only certain discs will roll well.

Differences with Ball Golf

Many disc golf courses installed last century have mostly par 3 holes. This is mainly due to property limitations in public parks where most courses are located. Several newer courses installed on larger parcels of public and commercial property have been designed with par 4’s & 5’s in addition to par 3’s, similar to their older cousin “golf” courses (known as “ball golf” among disc golf enthusiasts).

Disc golf holes on recreational courses are roughly 1/4 the length of ball golf holes, at 150-300 feet per hole. Championship courses usually have an average hole length of around 400-450 feet. The key difference comes with the measurements- disc golf is played using feet, golf uses yards.

Rule Differences with golf and disc golf

• In golf, the player can only carry 14 clubs. Disc golf has no rule concerning how many discs a disc golfer can use. Whereas golfers must “play it where it lies” on the ground, it doesn’t work the same with disc golf since the disc is thrown and not struck. Disc golfers must have a supporting point (usually foot but can sometimes be a hand) on the playing surface within 30cm behind the front edge of where their previous shot landed (if inbounds) at the point their next throw is released. A special minidisc is usually used to mark the previous lie on the ground in case the player wants to use that same disc on the next throw.

• Disc golf doesn't have “hazards” as defined in ball golf. Bodies of water, park roads and areas of cement are typically defined as out-of-bounds in disc golf. But unlike ball golf where an out-of-bounds shot requires returning to the previous lie with a penalty, disc golfers have the additional options to mark their lie at the last point the shot was over inbounds or proceed to a drop zone if one is provided. This is more like the marking rules for ball golf hazards.

• Another quirky difference is the optional penalty for a disc that lands more than 2 meters above the playing surface. The course designer may specify that on particular trees, holes or the whole course, a disc landing above 2 meters will receive a one throw penalty. If not specified, there's no penalty for a disc landing any height above the ground. In ball golf, it's likely a player will need to take an unplayable penalty if their ball lands above the ground. On the other hand, balls are much less likely to remain stuck above ground than discs are as they fly through trees.

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