Strategy

Disc golf strategy

Does Your Arm Speed Match Your Disc Speed?

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Flight Numbers

Harry Potter Sorting Hat helping to pick your disc golf disc
Why does Harry have the poo emoji on his head?

Flight numbers. Who, exactly, came up with these things? I feel like at the disc factories they have their own version of the sorting hat from Harry Potter. As they make each new disc, they hold it under the hat and the hat says… Speed 14, house Innova!!! Then all the other discs cheer and hijinx ensues.

OK, maybe I’m being a little harsh. I actually do have a pretty good grip on what they are “supposed” to mean. The problem is that the numbers are based on one particular speed and type of throw. If you don’t happen to throw that exact way, the disc won’t fly “by the numbers” for you. And you have exactly two chance of that happening… Slim and none.

This makes buying discs based on the flight numbers an almost useless practice. Sometimes you’ll buy a disc and it does what the numbers say it should. Many other times, it’s like the numbers on the disc are some kind of not so funny inside joke that the folks at the factory are laughing hysterically at.

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Did Someone Say More Distance? (Part 2)

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Tyrone Biggums looking for disc golf distance
Can’t I get just a little more?

Did our previous post on distance leave you itching for more? The wait is over. Here is part 2 of our examination of the importance of disc golf distance.

How Much Distance is Enough?

This is really the $20,000 question, isn’t it?  How much controlled golf distance is enough?  How much do you really need?  Sure, another 10 feet would always be nice, but at some point you are chasing something that doesn’t actually help your score.

The first thing you need to do is take an honest look at your game and your score card.  Where are your extra throws coming from?  If you can only throw 200′ with accuracy, but you 3 putt every basket, you really need to learn to be OK with 200′ for now.  I know it’s boring, trust me I know.  But putting practice needs to come first in this situation.

At some point, distance will become a priority.  200′ isn’t far enough to be helpful if you want to play competitive golf.  That begs the question, how far is?  Part of that answer has to do with the courses you play.  Part of it has to do with a point of diminishing returns.  Part of it has to do with disc golf course design in general.

Without getting into too much complexity, I want to throw a number out there…

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Did Someone Say More Distance? (Part 1)

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Tyrone Biggums wants more disc golf distance
Did someone say more distance???

Tyrone Biggums wants crack.

My 6 year old niece wants candy.

Chicago wants a football team that doesn’t suck.

None of those people want those things more than disc golfers want more distance.  If you took the quest for more disc golf distance off of social media and out of the disc golf forums, the internet might implode due to the gaping vacuum you just left.

I get it.  I really do.  I would love to be able to throw 500 plus feet.  But you know what? That’s probably just not going to happen.  At 44, and playing more than 11 years (I wish I’d found this sport earlier in my life), I’m pretty comfortable with the controlled distance that I’ve achieved.  On flat ground, thrown on golf lines, I’m good with how far I can throw.  And it’s usually not even over 400′.

You know what else I’m good with?  Not spending countless dollars on new discs thinking they will improve my distance (instead I spend countless dollars on disc for other reasons!).  Not spending hour after frustrating hour in a field trying to eek out a few more feet.  Not obsessing over who throws furthest when I play with friends (OK, you outdrove me, you’re the man!  How many throws am I ahead by?).  And most of all, I’m totally good with not obsessing over something that doesn’t actually improve my score.

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The Disc Golf Practice That Lowers Your Score and Makes Course Management Easy

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Before you can even think about course management, you have to tailor your disc golf practice to the shots you’ll actually need out on the course. It doesn’t do anyone any good to know what shot you need to throw and then not be able to throw it.

The Disc Golf Putt You Don’t Practice Enough

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What putts do you practice? Putting. It’s where the game of disc golf is won and lost. It’s the one skill that the pros practice more than any other. They might even practice it more than all of the other skills combined. If you are serious about your game, you practice it too. You might … Read more

Avoid This Common Disc Golf Approach Shot Mistake

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Last week in our regular Monday disc golf tips post, we talked about the 5 things you should be thinking about when throwing your approach shots. At the end of that post, we hinted that there was one tip that deserved its own post. This week we look at that tip and how it can … Read more

Disc Golf Tips – 5 Things You Should Think About on All Approach Shots

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Recently, one of our readers, Mickey, reached out and asked us to cover course management. Looking back across all of the posts on this blog (and holy cow are there a lot of them now!) we realized that we hadn’t really covered much, if anything, in relation to this very important topic. This week will … Read more

Just the Tip – Try Someplace New

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I’m spoiled. At least when it comes to disc golf courses I am. I am lucky enough to live 2.5 miles from an amazing course with 36 holes of disc golf goodness. Squaw Creek in Round Lake, IL is currently rated on DGCR as the best course in Illinois. It’s my home away from home. … Read more

Just the Tip – Sometimes the Tee Pad is Wrong

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“I know why your drives keep going into the woods on the right on this hole.” “Because this hole hates me?” “No, turn around.  You’ll see why right away.” As we walked up the fairway, him to his disc out in the open, me to mine depressingly kicked off into the woods, we both turned … Read more