Disc Golfers: Know Thy Disc!

In today’s post,”Disc Golfers: Know Thy Disc!”, we explore the extreme importance of knowing how each disc flies in various situations. We’ll also discuss strategies to forming a deeper understanding of each disc. This will result in better results and lower scores on the course.

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“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Upon reading that quote and trying to relate it to disc golf (a habit that’s becoming more and more engrained these days), I find myself asking one question: What if thy is thy own worst enemy? Or, put another way, “Am I my own worst enemy on the disc golf course?”

After briefly reflecting, my answer becomes an emphatic “Yes! I am DEFINITELY my own worst enemy on the disc golf course!”

I demonstrate it every time I go out. Sometimes I’ll try and hole a shot from way out when there is water behind the basket. Other times I’ll throw it into the woods and compound the problem by trying to fit my disc through a sliver of tree branches where even Bagger Vance would tell me to pitch out. (Here’s the movie reference clip for anyone curious…).

The point is, I make a lot of regrettable decisions on the course. It’s why I wrote this post called Beware the Glory Shot!

And way up on the list of regrettable decisions is deciding to throw discs that I don’t understand.

Sure, I can read the flight ratings and have an idea. That can be helpful. Here’s a post on flight ratings if you’re interested.

But I’m talking about truly understanding how the disc will behave after you release it. Only then can you confront a shot and know that if you throw it the way you plan, it will do what you want it to do.

Of course, you may not throw it the way you planned to. But at least, by knowing your disc, you are eliminating an unknown variable from the equation.

Ultimately, what I’m talking about is confidence. We want to stand at our next shot and feel confident that we can execute it. So let’s dig in to how we can attain that confidence out on the course by the simple act of knowing and understanding each of our discs.

No Substitute for Experience

Like I said before, you can get an idea for how a disc will fly by reading the flight ratings. But you’re not going to really know how it flies until you throw it a lot.

Ideally, you will want to throw this disc at different release angles, different speeds both forehand and backhand. Then, and only then, are you going to truly understand the disc and how it flies for you.

One proven mistake (proven by me) is watching how the pros throw a given disc and assuming that it will do the same for you. Nope! Doesn’t work (not at my level anyways (upper beginner at the time of writing this))!

There are no shortcuts here. To get to know the disc you are going to have to throw it many times by yourself.

Another challenge is that presumably you don’t have a box filled with the exact same discs (weight, year, plastic, etc.) like the pros have. This means, after each throw with a given disc, you have to retrieve it.

Without going out and buying multiple copies, there are still some things we do that will help us better understand each disc in our bags…

The practice Sessions

When learning your discs, you are going to want to do a lot of practice sessions with them. I recommend that you look at the disc you are throwing and be mindful of it. A lot of times when we do practice work, we are working on some sort of mechanics or form (which is great by the way).

But what if a session or two were dedicated to learning your specific discs?

By simply looking at each disc you throw, keeping your form the same, and noting the flight afterwards, you can start to form this understanding.

Then, once you get a feel for the disc, you can begin to envision the types of shots you would use that disc for on the course.

Maybe you notice a disc flies straight and true for you from 150 feet out. At 200 feet, however, it turns over too much without a major change in release angle. Now you’ve got an understanding of when to pull that disc out, and how to release it.

Other discs might cut hard for you at the end (fade). Now you might have a disc that you can pull out when there is an obstacle directly in front of the basket.

You can also note how discs do in varying conditions such as wind. The possibilities are endless!

The more cognizant you are of each throw with a disc, the more of an understanding you will build over time. It’s a long-term play that will pay you back in spades on the course over time.

If you want to expedite this process, I have found a way that works really for me in terms of learning a specific disc.

The one-Disc Round of Disc Golf

The one-disc round is easier said than done! The temptations are great! In ball-golf I still have not been able to do a round without my driver. In theory, you just leave the driver (and 3-wood) in the car and play what is commonly known as “old-man” golf. You hit the ball 200 yards straight, then do it again until you can attack the green. In theory, the lack of strokes you lose to hazards and shanks, will more than compensate for the reduction in distance.

I happen to subscribe to this line of thinking, yet I still never tried that round without my driver.

Well, this is a similar idea. You pick a disc you really want to learn and you leave all your other discs in the car. Then, you go out and play that round with just one disc.

I have done this! One time it was by accident and I only had one disc on me. Another time it was by design (note: the disc I used (Buzzz SS) is now one of my go-to discs.)

I found it to be most helpful with a midrange in terms of a true 1-disc round. The midrange can be a very serviceable putter, and at my level, goes just as far as my driver.

If you don’t want to go by the letter of the law, a 2-disc or 3-disc round can also be very effective. I brought my Leopard (fairway driver) out with a putter, and found it to be quite effective in learning that Leopard as well (also a staple in my bag).

I even went so far as to write a post dedicated to a 3-disc starter set that ages really well with your game. Check it out and let me know what you think!

However many discs you choose to bring, the concept remains the same. You get to know each disc really well.

When you are on a course (vs. practice in a field) each shot has a little more weight to it. You can tell yourself that it’s just a practice round but you still want to execute the shot well. So, because each shot matters, you pay attention to it more closely. You also have to throw a range of different shapes to the shot, that you just can’t emulate in the practice field.

As a result, whether your shot works or not, you are getting to know your disc much more quickly. In the future, when you pull it out for a shot, you will feel confident knowing it is the right disc for the job. And confidence is the name of the game…

Having confidence in your Disc

The value of knowing your discs really well can’t be overstated. Having knowledge about which disc to use in a given situation will exponentially improve the likelihood that you will execute the shot. After throwing it enough, your trust and confidence in yourself with a given disc will grow. Over time, and by learning each disc in your bag, you will start to feel extremely confident before most shots you throw.

You will be able to envision the shot and have an intimate understanding of what the disc will do for that particular shot.

More confidence leads to better results. Better results lead to more enjoyment. More enjoyment leads to more practice. More practice leads to better understanding of your discs (Somehow I feel that Yoda would be proud of that paragraph).

It’s a cycle of confidence and it all starts with an understanding of what each disc can do in a given situation.

Know Thy Disc – In Summary

If I’m my own worst enemy on the disc golf course, then steps should be taken to neutralize this effect. It seems to me that forming a deeper understanding of how each of your discs will fly after you release it, can go a long way to achieving that end.

Once you know your discs, you can choose the best disc for a given shot presented to you on the course. Because you know how it works, you can envision the shot beforehand. Then, it’s just a matter of executing it. You may. You may not. But at least you have eliminated a major unknown variable. Also, in all likelihood, if you do miss, you will probably be in a better position than you would be if you chose the “wrong” disc.

To learn your disc properly there are no true shortcuts. You need to throw it a lot. Go out and practice with it and be mindful of how a given disc flies with each shot.

Maybe there is a disc you want to know well because you think it’ll be a staple for you? If so, go out and do a practice round using only that disc. The added import of each shot will help you to learn the disc better in a shorter amount of time.

Ultimately, all this “work” will pay off in the form of confidence. You will feel confident that you have the right disc for that given shot. This will translate to better results and the upward spiral continues.

So, next time you are disc golf’n around a course, a field, or even your back yard, make a conscious effort to learn thy disc. That’s just one less enemy, and one more ally for you to have out on the course.

Thanks for reading everyone! Feel free to chime in below with your thoughts. Have you ever tried the 1-disc round? Is there a disc in your bag that you know like the back of your hand? I hope you find this helpful and it helps you with your game like it has for me. As always, feel free to reach out and contact me any time. Also, given that this site is new at the time of writing (started April, 2022) I encourage you to subscribe and come along for the ride as I continue happily discgolf’n around with my life. And if you feel so inclined, please pass it along any way you know how...