Best Disc Golf Discs For Beginners
If you are just starting to play disc golf and you don’t get any coaching to help you buy discs, you might end up with discs that are way outside of your skill level. That has happened to lots of disc golfers. And resulted in a lot of disappointment and bad habits.
To an outsider, one disc isn’t much different than another disc. They might not know about flight numbers and what they mean, and wouldn’t be able to tell you which ones would be better for beginners.
This post focuses on molds that support beginners in developing proper form and confidence. We’ll talk about flight numbers and show you which numbers would be better for your skill level, and which ones to avoid for now.
Understanding Disc Flight Numbers
Disc golf uses a four-number flight rating system. While far from perfect, it’s the most useful benchmark we have. Here is what each digit tells you and why it matters:
- Speed: Indicates how fast you must throw the disc for it to fly correctly. High-speed discs must be thrown a lot faster than slower-speed discs. Attempting to throw high-speed discs without the proper skill can result in poor form and poor habits. Beginners should stick with speeds between 1 and 5. You can get slightly faster discs if you can find them in lighter weights (under 160g), but your focus should be on slower speed discs.
- Glide: Describes how long the disc stays in the air. Higher glide numbers help beginners maximize distance with less power. Look for a glide of 5 or more.
- Turn: Measures how much the disc will veer to the right (for a right-handed, backhand player) when thrown with speed. Beginners benefit from discs with turn ratings between –1 and –4. If your disc starts turning too much early in flight, consider a faster or more stable mold (less turn).
- Fade: Reflects how much the disc will curve to the left at the end of its flight. Lower fade values are easier for beginners to manage, since their throws don’t have the speed of an experienced player.
What About Disc Weight
Although the flight numbers on a disc might tell you if it is good or bad for beginners, the weight of a disc can also make a big difference. Lighter disc golf discs are often better for beginners because they require less power to throw effectively, making it easier to get more distance with less effort.
Heavier discs can be harder to control for new players since they require faster arm speed to achieve a full flight, often resulting in short or inaccurate throws. A lighter disc is also more forgiving, as it tends to glide longer and stay in the air, giving beginners more time to see how their throw affects the disc’s flight. This added distance and control can help new players build confidence while developing proper form.
Best Disc Golf Discs for Beginners
With the information about weight, disc speed, and flight numbers in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best discs for beginners. This list is taken from Infinite Discs reviews and disc popularity.
- Gateway Voodoo Another straight putter, the Gateway Voodoo has an interesting feel. It is soft and very grippy. The Voodoo comes in a variety of plastic types.
- Innova Nova The Nova has a straight flight, with no turn or fade. It just goes where you want. The Nova is an overmold disc.
- Yikun Yan With a little more glide than most mids, the Yan is a deep-rim, straight disc that will hold any line you put it on. It is a great choice for picking up some distance with little effort.
- Viking Cosmos A great option for beginners who want a disc with a little more distance potential is the Viking Cosmos. Its flight is just what a beginner will need to expanding their game.
- Latitude 64 River The River is a popular disc that has lots of glide, and enough turn and fade to make it a versatile mold. It is also one of the highest rated fairway drivers on the market!
- Viking Rune This low-profile putt and approach disc is deadly straight! It has a bit of glide to help off the tee. Or you can putt with confidence with this beaded putter.
- Latitude 64 Jade The Jade is part of the beginner Gem line, along with the Ruby, Sapphire, Diamond, and Amber. They are available in lighter weights and all have flight numbers that are beginner-friendly.
- Divergent Discs Leviathan The extra turn in the Leviathan contributes to its popularity among newer players. You’ll pick up extra distance while you hone your form.
- Infinite Discs Alpaca The Alpaca is a popular disc with pros and beginners alike. You’ll find a straight flight off the tee pad and a great feel for putts inside the circle.
- Latitude 64 Diamond You will definitely want to consider the Diamond when you move up to a driver. As mentioned before with the Jade, the Diamond was made with beginners in mind. Grab a 150-class Diamond for beginners, then move up to a heavier version as you improve your skill.
If you look at each of the discs listed, you’ll find they all fit the description above of what makes a great beginner disc. None of them are high-speed discs. None of them have crazy fade. They are all stable to understable discs. They are just what you should look for as you start your disc golf Journey!
Below is a link to the complete list of the best beginner discs. Check it out to see which of the molds might be on sale!
The Innova Firebird takes first, of course, with the Dynamic Discs Felon coming in second place. The popular Felon was created to battle the Kansas winds, and it does a great job. If you’re looking for a disc that will not turn and give you a beefy fade, check out the Felon in Lucid plastic.
Obviously, the Champion Teebird and Champion Thunderbird will podium with this category, since they were the highest rated overall. Taking third place is the Discraft Undertaker. The Undertaker has a little more turn than the top two discs, but still has the reliable fade. The Undertaker will be celebrating its tenth birthday this year, having been released in 2016.
People are not only buying a lot of Sphinx’s, they are liking them a lot! The flippy I-Blend Sphinx is the highest rated understable fairway driver with 4.87 out of 5 stars. I have several Sphinx in I-Blend (and other plastic types for different situations.)
