The disc golf straddle putt is an extremely versatile putt that everyone should learn. Learning this technique can take strokes off of your score and get you out of some pretty sticky binds on the course. It can also benefit you in your training regimen. Today we look at pros that use it and we explore how, why and when to utilize this adaptable putting technique…
I know I keep doing this. I hope you aren’t put off by it. It’s just that, I really can’t help myself. I just see so many similarities between putting and free throw shooting!
In my last post, I showed you a warm up routine employed by the second best free throw shooter of all time that will help you with your putting on the course (it has certainly helped me). It doesn’t ask you to change your technique, and provides other valuable insights into putting as well. Check it out here.
Today, I’m putting a slightly different angle on this (more of an anhyzer really). I’m comparing the disc golf straddle putt to the underhand “diaper shot” free throw which is used very sparingly in the NBA.
If you look at the statistics, there is no reason it should be used so sparingly in the NBA. This article lays it out really well. Basically, despite the tremendous success players had with it, they didn’t do it because they were worried how they looked.
Except Rick Barry that is. He used it and is 8th all time at 89.3% FT% (and just fractions of a decimal out of 4th place). In fact, when Wilt Chamberlain used the underhand free throw for a season, he had his best free throw season shooting ever!
So, why did Wilt abandon it? He felt like a “sissy” he said (among other things). Shaquille O’Neal, a famously bad free throw shooter (but one of the most dominant forces to ever play the game) flat-out refused to try this method for similar reasons.
Isn’t that always the way? The middle schooler in us is hard to shake. I’m certainly no different…
In fact, if you watch this video (below) of the diaper shot being used in the NBA, you are going to see a lot of snickering going on in the stands and on the benches.
Bringing it back to disc golf, when I first heard of the straddle putt, I couldn’t help but equate it to the diaper shot in my mind. Because of this, I definitely gravitated to the staggered stance putting style more commonly seen out on the course.
I wonder (I actually don’t know) if this is the same reason we don’t see a lot of people straddle putting on the course? Or is it just for more logical reasons like thinking a staggered stance is better?
Whatever the case, I absolutely think that the straddle putt has a major role to play in everybody’s disc golf game. It is a great putt for getting yourself out of binds on the course and around obstacles. It can also help you to change up your putting practice routine, which we’ll see has benefits as well.
Who knows, after enough practice, perhaps you’ll make the switch to straddle putting full time? But first, let’s see what it is…
What is The Disc Golf Straddle Putt?
I’ll briefly explain the putt in words and then give you some videos so you can see if it for yourself…
Basically, from what I know, you are spreading your legs wide and perpendicular to the line to the basket. Then, in a swinging motion that stays in line with the center pole you are bring the disc down between your legs, then swinging back up and then releasing towards the basket.
Here’s a video showing what it is and giving some helpful tips as well…
It should also be noted that he is using the “splush” straddle which is a combo of the spin and push putting techniques. The “push” is also a common way to straddle putt as well. As usual, you’ll have to find what works best for you (I use the splush too).
Getting Power on your Straddle Putt
I hear/read this quite a bit. People have trouble getting enough power on their straddle putt. I too have a similar concern. Once I get much farther than 20 feet, I feel I have to force it a little bit. This can obviously throw off your form and lead to missed putts.
Well, watching the video above, we heard that guy talk about “loading the weight into his heels during the take-away, while hinging at [his] hips.”
Kristin Tattar, seconds this notion, but also adds to it. She is a well know professional straddle putter. In the video below she is playing “an amateur” (incidentally, I find this guy Jonathan to be endlessly entertaining) in a winter round. He is simultaneously interviewing her and gets her to give some good insights on putting.
From the 1:18 mark to the 3:08 mark, there are two separate insights she gives into her putting. At 2:32 Jonathan asks (essentially) “How do you generate so much putting power?” Go ahead and watch and I’ll recap below…
“it’s a combination coming from my legs, when I push myself up, and from my wrist,” she says.
She then goes on to say “But the most important part is the wrist.”
Tattar finishes by explaining, “When I come down with the putter, I roll my wrist in, and then I just quickly release it and it gives a lot of power.”
To me that sounds like she’s loading it up and snapping it at the chains. Then, if you make sure to follow through and “shake hands with the pole”, you should also be on line as well…
Give it a try and see how it goes! I’ll be sure to do the same!
When to Use the Straddle Putt
I most commonly see the straddle putt used out of necessity. Usually, when there is an obstacle blocking your path to the basket, or you don’t have room behind you (perhaps because it’s OB or there’s another obstacle ) to do your staggered stance putt.
This is when I use it, and let me tell you, it’s a lifesaver(scoresaver?)!
Now that I’ve consistently added it to my practice routine, I am so much more confident with the straddle putt. And when I invariably end up in the woods near a basket, it gives me so many more options for how I can stand to make the putt.
I can lean way out around obstacles, or split little trees in front of me with little space to operate in.
Having this versatility, and not being married to one putting style, can really make the difference between a few strokes per round.
But I’ve found that there are other benefits as well.
The Practice Benefits for the Disc Golf Straddle Putt
This could be because I’m on the older side of people that are getting into disc golf, but I found that using the disc golf straddle putt in my practice routine has helped me stave off injury/soreness…
I guess I’m just leery of overuse injuries. Especially when I first got my basket (a must have! Explore basket options here!) I started noticing that doing the same stagger putt over and over every day lead me to get sore in certain areas and it didn’t feel sustainable.
Now, if I even get a whiff of that discomfort, I can happily practice the straddle putt and use different muscles/put strain on different joints (especially in my lower extremities).
I try to putt every day. In general, I will now exclusively straddle putt every 3rd day or so…
For other posts dedicated to disc golf putting, check out a page I dedicated to the craft, here!
Maybe it’s because I built stamina for the stagger stance. Or maybe, it’s because I’m now incorporating the straddle putt into my routine. Whatever the case, I do not feel the same soreness. Nor do I feel like I am overtaxing any one part of my body.
And because I see the massive benefits of the disc golf straddle putt, I am more than happy to incorporate it into my practice routine.
Disc Golf Straddle Putt – In Summary
I don’t see a lot of people using the straddle putt out on the disc golf course. Part of me suspects that it’s for optics, but I really can’t say for sure. We do know for sure that this was a factor for NBA players not using the “diaper shot” at the free throw line.
Whatever the case, I highly recommend that you incorporate the straddle putt into your practice routine.
It can get you out of so many jams on the course. It just gives you so many more options for how to attack a given putt. This is especially true when you are in the woods near the basket and/or have obstacles in your way.
When you do practice the straddle putt, you may be searching for power. Load up the power in your legs/heels and hinge at the hips. Also, try using Kristin Tattar’s advice and snap your wrist (finish by shaking hands with the basket).
Incorporating this into your routines may help you stave off overuse injuries and prevent you from overtaxing any given muscle/joint.
In the end, the most important thing in terms of disc golf and “looks” is your score. When that score looks good, who cares how you get there?
Put the straddle putt in your bag of tricks and reap the rewards out on the course!
Thanks everyone for reading! I’m curious, do you think that the straddle putt is far less common because of how it looks? Do any of you use it exclusively? Chime in below in the comments. As always, I hope you found this post to be helpful. For more like it be sure to subscribe, and/or reach out to contact me any time. I want to hear what you want me to post on next… In the meantime, enjoy disc golf’n around the putting greens and practice that straddle!