How to Disc Golf

I would recommend the first time disc golfer takes some time out of their busy schedule to try and get a feel for how to disc golf without any pressure. Disc golf takes practice no matter how big of a chip you have on your shoulder so don't go in thinking your Tiger Woods.Don't forget Tiger Woods's daddy probably had to beat him for many years before he practiced enough to become a champ and the same applies for you but instead the game of disc golf itself will be beating you.

You want to start by purchasing a driver and a putter, just pick two discs that feel good to you. I would recommend an orc for a beginner with a weight around 170 grams. Most drivers will work fine for people, it's when you become more experienced that you will want a wider variety of discs.(I roll with the destroyer, xcalibur, and boss for my drivers but everyone's different) Any putter will do which ever one you feel you can throw nice and straight and consistently from short distances.

Go to a field in your area and start chucking. Watching the following video should be your first step in learning how to disc golf. The video explains the proper form for throwing a drive which involves a couple steps to get your body in position and develop snap.

In order to truly be a beast on the golf course you need to start practicing your putts and that means more than just during your round on Sunday. Repetition is key when learning to put and the more you practice the closer you will get to become a zen master of putting. That is a good way to think of it because putting is an art form that comes from lots of practice.

Learning to putt is a mental battle, controlling the mind is the toughest part. You can't let your nerves get to you when your putting, you just have to block everything out. When you putt it is different from throwing a drive, I feel like I am more pushing the disc in a straight line starting by about my belly button. I keep a slight bend in my knees basically an athletic stance and calm my breathing. Than I visualize the disc going in the basket and try and toss it in.

It becomes like brushing your teeth overtime and that is when you will become a destroyer. The saying goes drive for show putt for doe and you will know why when you start disc golfing.

Any good disc golfer will be proficient with multiple throws not just all back hand or all side arm. Each course presents different angles and shots that require using a different throw. If you have a dog leg right you probably would want to throw a side arm toss because the dis is going to naturally want to turn right. The same goes for throwing at a dog leg left with a back hand.

If you become one dimensional and only have one throw your game will suffer. Keep this in mind when learning how to disc golf so you don't screw yourself over. One throw will feel the best or the most natural but use your practice time to try all throws. I have a really strong sidearms so I have the tendency to want to throw sidearm on every hole and my sidearm is pretty versatile so I can basically get it done. you will learn that shooting 18 holes with all side arm drives, is like shooting yourself in the foot especially if the course you are playing is very intricate. So when you go out to practice your drives make sure you work on your weak points. If you suck at throwing back hands you better be practicing your back hands otherwise you will never truly learn how to disc golf

Back Hand

Side Arm

Over my days of disc golfing I have heard quite about of talk about who makes the best disc. Most people are on the Innova side of the fence and won't touch disc craft where I'm from in Oregon. Personally I think it is retarded to waste your breath and bash on Discraft because it is all about preference. I guarantee there is a disc made by disc craft that the Innova lovers would like but they are so anti-discraft they just never try it.

I am a huge fan of Innova discs, my favorites are the xcalibur, destroyer, and boss, but I like a couple Discraft discs as well. I recommend the flick for more advanced golfers and the magnet is an awesome putter that I highly recommend.

One of the biggest hurdles for people to conquer is keeping a level head for a full 18 holes. This can be a very difficult task for some people depending on their skill level and the difficulty of the course. This has always been a big problem for me. I would go in to the game feeling great than I would mess up big time and I just couldn't recover from there. One catastrophe would lead to another and another all because I couldn't keep my mental focus.

Remember this when you are out disc golfing, REMAIN CALM if you get angry you are just wasting your time out there. When you make a mistake don't forget that it is constructive and that you are a beast disc golfer no matter what. You are always learning and getting better so don't beat yourself up if you have few bad shots or a bad day.

One weird thing that will happen is if you are playing a very good round you can physc yourself out. You make it to about the halfway point of your round and start thinking you have to mess up sometime and this always gets to me.

When your out disc golfing try to remain super positive and you can not be hard on yourself at all no matter how long you have been playing. A big part of learning how to disc golf is dealing with ups and downs in your game. With every bad game that you can just laugh off you will have an awesome round to come.