Are you looking to get better at disc golf? Here is a collection of tips we’ve learned from our sponsored professionals as well as other knowledgeable disc golfers who have something beneficial to share.
Sometimes we step up to the tee, very confident in our shot selection. But then, we noticed the wind picking up from right to left… and we started second guessing our plans. Which disc should we throw now? How do we adjust for the wind?
David Feldberg is here to help. He talks us through the basics of reading the wind and shot selection. Let us know if you learned something in the comments!
In this quick clinic, professional disc golfers and UPlay Disc Golf founders Zoe Andyke and Dustin Keegan teach us basic tips of how to throw the disc farther and get more driving distance.
The number one thing that new players want is driving distance. Here are a few tips to help you get more:
1. Line up your arms to see how far you can reach back. By reaching back all the way, you have potential for more hit speed and much more power.
2. Turn your head, hips, and shoulders with your throw. Line your head up with your reachback and throw
3. Load your body for that perfect line by maintaining a perfect 90 degree angle.
4. Allow your bodies to pull through your arms utilizing the muscles in your legs and hips.
5. Allow your off hand (the one not holding the disc) to follow through.
6. Stay “springy” at the legs in an athletic position to maximize leg power. Don’t stand up straight when trying to throw for distance.
A “spin putt” is where you spin the disc by rotating your wrist at least 90 degrees during your putting motion. Spin putts are more effective when putting into headwinds and for longer distance putts. The spinning motion helps the disc travel farther and makes it less susceptible to movement from wind.
A “push putt” is often the preferred choice for closer putts. This putting style is also referred to as a loft or shovel putt. With a push putt you simply open your hand and let the disc come out. The push putt is recommended for short term accuracy. A big advantage of the push putt is that when these putts miss they generally stay much closer to the basket and require shorter comebacks.
Click this link for more disc golf putting tips by professional disc golfers.
In this quick putting tip, Team Infinite member Drew Gibson gives us advice to help improve our putting accuracy.
By focusing on spreading his fingers out along the bottom of the disc and thumb towards the center of the flight plate, Drew feels that he’s able to get better control of the angle and trajectory of the disc when he putts.
As you can see from this video, for Drew, this gives him a nice clean release and accurate putting stroke. Perhaps this tip can help you improve your putting as well.
In this two minute putting clinic, disc golf legend Dave Feldberg explains the importance of consistency when putting. To be a more consistent putter, you need to hit the mark. Start your motion at the same point where you will release the putter. When you drop the disc back, a slower drop back will provide more consistently to help you hit the mark. When you’re hitting the mark more consistently, you will make more putts.
We met with Nate Sexton at the 2018 Las Vegas Challenge and asked if he could teach about the Sidearm throw. Nate is one of the the best disc golfers in the world, and has one of the most accurate and powerful Sidearm throws. He most often uses his sidearm throw with a Nate Sexton Firebird (aka SexyBird). In Vegas, he made a short video with us explaining how he grips the disc, his run-up, angle, and release. Hope you enjoy! Leave a comment if you learned something that will help your game!
We met with Madison Walker at the 2018 Las Vegas Challenge and asked for some putting tips! She talks through Grip, Stance, and Mental Game. These tips should help your putting game improve if you put them into practice! Thanks to Madison for her time and wisdom!
Follow her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldmadandthesea
Follow her Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadAWalkFrisbee/
To start the discussion of the State of Disc Golf survey, we first decided to look at an aspect not often
discussed on the golf course. That would be the subject of stretching before a round of disc golf.
Stretching is often overlooked but something that most major sports suggest you do. In essence,
stretching is supposed to elongate the muscle in order to increase muscle flexibility and joint range. In
disc golf, that increased flexibility may result in more distance and longevity. So, let’s see what the State
of Disc Golf survey can tell us about how often we stretch as disc golfers. As mentioned previously, over
6,000 golfers participated in the State of Disc Golf survey. Looking below you can see what percentage
of golfers stretch and how often they stretch.
As you can see, 10% percent of golfers stated they never stretch. Of the other 90%, only 38%
mentioned they always stretch before they play. Out of curiosity, we decided to compare each groups
of disc golfers and how often they stretch. Golfers were asked to rate their skill level from the options
of Professional, Advanced, Intermediate and Beginner/Rec. Below you can compare the responses of
each skill level and how often they stretch.
Of note for those who marked professional disc golfer, 51% stated they always stretch before a round.
This is the highest percentage of the four groups. In addition, they have the lowest percentage of
people who said they never stretched. Beginners appear to stretch the least with 13% saying they never
stretch. If you compare each skill level, you’ll see a pattern in the pie charts. The more advanced of a
player you are, the more likely you are to always stretch before playing disc golf.
So, does this mean if you stretch before a round you’ll shave off a couple strokes? It’s no guarantee, but
I don’t see any harm in taking a few minutes to stretch before a round if there’s a chance to improve.
As you think about disc golf and the many motions involved, some simple stretches to start your round
could include; torso twists, arm circles or simply rolling your head around to loosen neck muscles. If
you’re looking for other resources several pros refer to the Disc Golf Strong blog. They have a Youtube
channel where you can see exactly how to do specific disc golf stretches.
