disc golf Archives

Everything You Need to Know About Disc Golf Mini Markers

November 20, 2024 Ted Hegemann Leave a comment

Disc golf involves more than just throwing discs toward a basket. Players must familiarize themselves with rules, gameplay strategies, techniques, equipment, terminology, and even flight ratings. For beginners, understanding the variety of discs, flight numbers, and plastic options can feel overwhelming. Among these essential tools is the mini marker disc, a small but significant part of the game. Here’s everything you need to know about disc golf mini markers

What Are Mini Marker Discs Used For?

The primary role of a mini marker disc, often called a “mini,” is to indicate the position—or lie—of a thrown disc once it has landed. In disc golf, every throw changes the player’s position on the course. To continue play, the next throw must be made from the lie, which is the designated area behind where the previous disc landed.

If a player doesn’t use a mini, the lie is marked by the original disc, and the playable area is a rectangle measuring 20 cm x 30 cm directly behind it. When a mini is used, it is placed just in front of the disc (toward the basket). The disc is then removed, and the lie becomes the rectangle behind the mini. Using a mini marker effectively shifts the lie forward by about 8-9 inches, giving a slight advantage.

Are Players Required to Use a Mini Marker?

The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) doesn’t require players to mark their lie with a mini in most situations. However, there are two exceptions:

Out-of-bounds discs: If a disc lands outside the boundaries, a mini must mark the new lie.
Rule-mandated adjustments: When a rule requires or allows a change in the lie’s position, the player must use a mini to mark it.

Beyond these exceptions, using a mini marker is optional. In fact, it’s possible to play an entire tournament without one. That said, mini discs are affordable, portable, and worth carrying—especially for competitive play.

Why Use a Mini Marker?

Using a mini marker has a few practical advantages:

Closer positioning: Marking your lie with a mini gives you a slightly closer position to the basket, which can be helpful in tight situations.
Consistent routine: Some players find placing a mini helps establish a rhythm before their next throw, allowing a moment to reset mentally.
Improved focus: Writing a motivational phrase or mantra on the mini can help players get into the right mindset.
Clearer visuals: A mini marker offers a smaller profile compared to a standard disc, giving players a less obstructed view of their footing.

While these benefits come down to personal preference, many players find mini markers improve their overall gameplay experience.

What Are the PDGA Rules for Mini Discs?

According to the PDGA’s technical standards, mini discs used in professional play must meet the following criteria:

Diameter: 7 to 15 cm.
Height: Less than 2 cm.

Beyond these specifications, there’s plenty of room for creativity. Mini discs can be made from a variety of materials, including plastic, wood, metal, foam, or even glass. Custom designs are also acceptable, as long as the mini complies with the size standards.

Common Questions About Mini Discs

Q: What is the purpose of a mini disc golf marker?
A: Its main function is to mark the lie, providing a clear and consistent spot from which to make the next throw.

Q: Are players required to use a mini?
A: No, except when marking out-of-bounds throws or adjusting the lie due to a rule.

Q: What are the benefits of using a mini disc?
A: Minis provide a slightly closer lie, help players maintain focus, and create a clear routine.

Q: What materials and designs are allowed for mini markers?
A: Any material is permitted, provided the mini falls within the PDGA’s size guidelines (7–15 cm in diameter and less than 2 cm in height).

Ready to Add a Mini to Your Gear?

Check out our collection of affordable, high-quality mini discs here. Whether you prefer classic designs or custom styles, you’re sure to find one that suits your game!

Disc Golf Scoring for Beginners

November 15, 2024 Ted Hegemann Leave a comment

Many people play disc golf for fun, without bothering to keep score. To those people, it is enough that they are spending time outdoors. However, some of us like to keep score when we play. It is a good way to gauge skill improvement. And if you’re in a tournament, you have to keep score.

Keeping score in disc golf is similar to ball golf: the player with the lowest score wins. This article will break down how scoring works in disc golf, highlighting some key terms and rules, whether you’re playing casually or competitively.

Key Disc Golf Scoring Terms

In disc golf, many scoring terms mirror those in ball golf, though there are a few unique twists. Here’s a quick overview of the basics:

Par: The expected number of strokes to complete the hole.

Birdie: Finishing the hole in one stroke less than par.

Eagle: Completing the hole in two strokes less than par.

Albatross: Three strokes under par.

Ace: A hole-in-one, where the disc lands in the basket on the first throw.

Hazard: A challenging area that incurs a penalty stroke; players may throw from where the disc landed.

Out of Bounds (OB): If a disc lands in a designated out-of-bounds area, the player takes a penalty stroke and throws from where the disc entered the zone.

Penalty Stroke: An extra stroke added due to a rule infraction or entering a restricted area.

For official tournament rules, the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) outlines the latest guidelines. Notably, as of 2024, every player is now required to keep score for the entire group, though they may have a caddy assist with this.

Scoring in Casual vs. Tournament Play

Disc golf scoring is straightforward: each throw counts as one stroke. At the end of a hole, players tally up their strokes for that hole and then add up all the holes for the total round score.

Casual Play

Most people play disc golf casually, often with friends, in a relaxed setting where rules around boundaries and hazards are loosely enforced. In this environment, scorekeeping is optional and often informal, focusing more on enjoying the game and the outdoors than achieving a perfect score.

Tournament Play

In competitive play, every throw counts, and rules are strictly enforced. Players keep each other accountable, with every participant on a “card” (group) tracking everyone’s score after each hole. Scoring can be done on a paper scorecard or through an app, and players confirm each other’s scores at the end of each round to avoid discrepancies.

Rules That Impact Scoring

Since there aren’t referees to enforce rules during tournament play, players and their card mates self-monitor for rule adherence. Breaking a rule typically results in a penalty stroke. Common infractions to watch for include:

Foot Faults: Incorrect footing while throwing.

Putting Violations: Not observing proper stance within the putting circle.

Courtesy Violations: Disrupting other players.

Failing to follow these rules can quickly add to your score. For more details, check out PDGA’s comprehensive rule guides on these topics.

Ways to Keep Score

Whether you’re playing a casual round or in a tournament, there are two main methods for keeping score:

Paper Scorecard: A simple, classic way to track strokes, where you write each player’s score for each hole.
Score keeping Apps: Many players prefer apps for easy tracking and automatic score calculation.

Apps are handy since they’re on your phone, making it easy to track scores wherever you go. Regardless of the method, keeping accurate scores helps build a fair and enjoyable disc golf experience for everyone involved.

By understanding disc golf scoring terms and rules, you’ll be well-equipped for your next round—whether it’s a laid-back game with friends or a competitive tournament!

Halloween Disc Golf Discs 2024

October 18, 2024 Ted Hegemann 2 comments

As fall colors start to appear in the trees and the daylight hours shorten, it means a lot less disc golf for most of us. For some it becomes difficult to find time when it’s still light. For others it means rearranging schedules to squeeze in a round here and there. But, it also means the Halloween season is upon us, with numerous brands coming out with themed disc stamps that celebrate the spooky holiday. This year was no exception.

Halloween Disc Golf Stamps 2024

I always look forward to seeing the spooky artwork and the interesting Halloween designs. I’ve been collecting them for years, and I’m always willing to add a couple more cool stamps to the collection. A lot of people love finding throwers that have Halloween stamps and colors. Let’s take a look at the stamps that are being released this spooky season.

Infinite Discs

G-Blend Halo Pharaoh Racing from the depth of Hell, the Pharaoh of the Dead leads an army of demons. And they’re headed your way! The Pharaoh is a bomber disc with tons of glide. Grip and rip a deadly Pharoah with this haunting stamp!

C-Blend Glow Centurion – The only thing worse than a zombie is a zombie with a weapon, body armor, and a bad attitude. The Centurion is a speed 7 fairway driver with enough turn to give the disc a nice s-curve, and a solid fade. The scary stamp is the icing on the zombie cake.

D-Blend Alpaca – This Alpaca is hangry! We’re not sure how it acquired its taste for human flesh, but watch out, it’s right behind you! The Alpaca is a wildly popular putter that feels great in your hand. It has a strait flight that is great for driving or putting. You’ll want to grab a few of these Halloween stamps for your bag.

Innova

R-Pro Pig – This Were-Pig has claws and fangs and a determined look in its eyes! This overstable mid features our custom Halloween stamp. The Pig is an awesome headwind disc can be used for hitting precision upshots, or hitting the basket with a hyzer putt. You’ll want to add this scary stamp to your pig-stamp collection!

Classic Color Glow Nexus Aviar – The Haunted Pumpkin makes it’s way to you for its annual Halloween appearance on an Innova disc. The Aviar is a staple in the disc golf community, and the favorite putter among many of us. With this cool stamp and glow plastic, you’ll be banging chains day or night!

Proto Color Glow Champion Gorgon – What do you get when you cross a pumpkin-ghoul and Medusa? We don’t know, but you should hope that you never run into it on a dark night! The Gorgon is a driver that can easily give you serious turning ability and massive distance. It is a speed 10 disc, so it might be the perfect disc for you if you need a smaller rim than faster drivers. This Halloween Gorgon comes in the amazing Proto Glow plastic, perfect for night rounds.

Proto Glow DX Roc – The mythical Roc was said to carry off animals as large as an elephant. It would have no problem carrying a few disc golfers! The Roc is a classic midrange disc that delivers wind-crushing stability and a solid fade. Many players have a variety of Rocs in their bag for a variety of needs. Try one today with the Halloween stamp.

Search all of our Halloween discs here.

Discraft

Continuing their tradition of offering creative, colorful Halloween discs featuring a different horror movie theme each year. This year they give a nod to the new Beatlejuice movie. Discraft offers their Halloween Buzzz with three options: SuperColor, single foil, and triple foil. The Buzzz is one of the most popular discs of all time! If you haven’t thrown one yet, a Beatlejuice stamp would be a great one to try! (available Oct. 11)

Prodigy

Check out the Grim Rippit stamp on the understable putt/approach disc, the Prodigy PA-5. The PA-5 is an amazing hyzer-flip disc that will slice through the woods on a straight line. The Grim Rippit stamp on 300 Soft Color Fractal looks amazing and is available in several good-looking colors!

Prodigy D3 is a high-speed driver with a bit of turn in its flight. Boasting a lower profile than its driver brothers, the D3 has the flight numbers that make for a versatile disc golf tool. Nab one today with the awesome Grave to Green stamp and kill it on the course! The Halloween stamp comes in ReBlend Plastic, which is their 100% recycled / regrind premium plastic blend. Available in several stamp and plastic color options

MVP

Introducing the Tour of Terror Team Series from MVP. Four molds are included in the series. Three of them are glow discs, and one of them is in a plastic type that its never been in before!

James Conrad – Eve of the Mothman

Is it a myth? Is it a legend? The Mothman may be a myth, but James Conrad is certainly a legend! This scary stamp sits on an Eclipse Detour. Master your backhand turnover lines with the understable midrange. Beginners will love its straight flight. Experienced players will love its easy shaping.

Simon Lizotte – Bridgewater Triangle

Celebrate the mysteries of the world with this new Halloween stamp from MVP. Southeastern Massachusetts, home of Simon Lizotte, reports a variety of paranormal activities in the area. From UFO sightings to poltergeists. There have even been Bigfoot sightings! The haunting stamp that gives a nod to these phenomena adorns the Eclipse Pixel. The Pixel is the second disc in the Simon Line. It has a micro bead and a wonderful straight flight. Pick up a Pixel today and see why Simon loves it so much!

Silva Saarinen – Beneath the Wave

The Iku-Turso sea monster supposedly lurks below the murky waves of Finnish waters! This creature has been terrorizing mankind for centuries. Now you can celebrate the monster and support Silva by picking up an Eclipse Wave. The Wave is MVP’s most popular driver. With a flight similar to the popular Wraith, the Wave will help you shred the fairways and achieve your longest throws. With the Tour of Terror Eclipse edition of the Wave, you’ll be bombing the course on glow rounds, too!

Eagle McMahon – Flying Thrills

The dark is when gargoyles and other creatures take flight. You’ll never see them coming until it’s too late! Then your world will be filled with beasts, shrieks, and shivers! Enjoy this Mike Incho created stamp on a Fission Pyro. This is the first time the Pyro has been made in Fission plastic. The Pyro is an overstable midrange that has good glide and a solid fade. The Fission plastic will give you an enhanced flight and adds a new feel to the Pyro.

Discmania’s Spooky Series returns with a tasty selection of signature discs with spooky stamps. Check them out before they disappear!

Colton Montgomery’s Last Howl PD

Fight headwinds and creatures of the night with Colten Montgomery’s Last Howl PD. This haunting stamp comes on a Swirly S-line mold. The PD is overstable and reliable, yet at a slower speed to allow people with a variety of skill levels to make good use of its flight.

Check out the Last Howl PD here

Kyle Klein Vanguard (Sold Out!)

Make no bones about it, the Vanguard was meant to be thrown with power! Its flight is straight as a sword, or a femur, and the fade isn’t as aggressive as more stable discs. Support Kyle and get a great disc with a scary stamp!

Check out the Vanguard here

Niklas Anttila Nordic Phenom 3 DD3

This spooky Jack-O-Lantern has come to life! Seeking revenge for generations of carved pumpkins, the ghoulish stamp on a Horizon S-line would make a great addition to your bag. What is not scary is the flight of the DD3. Sporting the most popular flight numbers in disc golf, the DD3 will quickly become your go-to driver.

Check out the Nordic Phenom 3 here

Ella Hansen Show Stopper 2 FD

These possessed animals are part of the Scariest Show On Earth! You are their treat! Get this stamp on a Swirly S-line disc, and get to know the versatility of the FD. Shape shots and carve lines with this popular fairway driver.

Check out the Show Stopper 2 here

The Infinite Discs Mystery Disc

September 18, 2024 Ted Hegemann One comment

Let’s face it, surprises can be a lot of fun! Especially when it comes to trying new discs. If you are a disc golf enthusiast or simply desire to try something new and unexpected, you’re going to want to check out Infinite Discs mystery disc add-on. What is a mystery disc and what makes it so exciting? Let’s explore Infinite Discs’ mystery disc program.

What are mystery discs?

Infinite’s mystery discs are just that – a surprise! When you order a disc from Infinite you have the option to add a mystery disc to your order when you checkout. We don’t let you know what the disc will look like, nor how it will fly. We only guarantee that it will be a premium-plastic disc.

What makes mystery discs fun?

You might get a special tournament stamp. You might get a unique stamp. You might get colorful disc. Possibly glow plastic. You might even get a disc from a brand you’ve never heard of. And you might end up with your new go-to disc! The fun part is not knowing what disc you will get until your order arrives.

disc golf

Overstable vs Understable

September 13, 2024 Ted Hegemann 7 comments

The flight of a disc is one of the most important factors we consider when buying a disc. The feel of the disc in our hand would be a close second. But, how the disc actually flies for us tops the list of factors. One of the most important aspects of the flight of a disc is its stability.

Disc Stability

The stability of a given disc is how the disc flies immediately out of our hand, and how it behaves as it slows down. I talked about those disc qualities in my blog about flight numbers, HERE. For this blog, we’ll explore the terms ‘overstable’, ‘stable’, and ‘understable’. We will also looks at the weakness in using those terms to describe the flight of a disc. So, let’s get right to it!

The terminology can be confusing. For the sake of this blog post, I’ll look at each of the three terms mentioned above and establish a definition for each of them, so we can be consistent in our description about the flight of the disc. I’ll start with the term ‘overstable’.

Overstable

Let’s define ‘overstable’ as a discs ability to resist turning during the first part of the flight, and its hard fade as the disc slows down. The ‘turn’ of a disc, for a right-hand back-hand throw (RHBH) is its movement to the right immediately after the disc is thrown. The ‘fade’ is its movement to the left as the disc slows down. As players improve their technique and skill, their ability to throw the disc at high speeds increases. As the speed of the throw increases, so does the need for more overstable discs to prevent the flight from turning too much.

Check out this list of the highest rated overstable disc golf discs.

Understable

Now let’s consider the term ‘understable’. We consider a disc as being understable if it has a tendency to turn a significant amount right out of the hand. A disc that is very understable typically doesn’t have very much fade at the end. An understable disc is great for newer players who lack the arm speed to throw more overstable discs, since they can’t generate enough speed for the overstable discs to fly right. If the necessary speed can’t be achieved, nearly every disc becomes overstable to a beginner. Check out this list for the top understable disc golf discs.

One of the ways the manufacturers can offer more molds to beginners is to offer overstable molds in lighter weights. Due to the disc having less mass, newer players can ‘cheat’ the system and still throw molds that would be too overstable in heavier weights.

Check out this list for the most understable disc golf discs for sale.

Stable

Now let’s talk about the term that has a little more flexible definition: ‘stable’. When I hear people calling a disc ‘stable’, they typically mean that the disc doesn’t have a lot of turn, nor does it fade hard. When I hear it in reference to another disc, it can either mean more overstable or more understable, depending on the situation. If you say that you are throwing a Slab (12, 3, 0, 4), but want something a little more stable, you are saying that you want a disc that is not so overstable.

If you are throwing a Kon Tiki (4, 5, -3, 0) and say you want something a little more stable, you mean that you want something that is less understable. Basically, in both examples you are saying that you want something that flies a little less extreme and a little closer to a neutral flight.

Occasionally, I’ll hear someone refer to a disc being more stable than another, when they mean more overstable. That is an inconsistent use of the term, and may lead to a follow-up question to clarify the meaning. To eliminate any ambiguity, I recommend referring to discs as being more or less overstable or understable.

These are the top rated “stable flying drivers.”

Flight Numbers

The flight numbers of a disc help us know the basic flight of a disc. Those numbers are fairly accurate if we can throw the disc at the proper speed. If we can throw a disc with sufficient speed, we can then look at the last two rating in the flight rating to determine the overstability or understability of a disc. Let’s look at some examples.

Disc Flight Number Examples

The Scepter and the Sphinx are speed nine discs from Infinite. The Scepter’s flight numbers are 9, 4, 0, 4. The ‘0, 4’ are the last two numbers, and tell you that this mold would resist turning, even at high speeds (the 0), and will finish strong to the left (the 4). It is an example of an overstable fairway driver.

The flight numbers for the Sphinx are 9, 6, -3, 1. The -3 is the amount of turn that the Sphinx exhibits when thrown at the necessary speed. That means it will turn to the right quite a bit at high speeds. Add a little headwind into the situation and the Sphinx could end up as a roller. Plus, the last number, ‘1’, indicates that the Sphinx isn’t going to fade very much to the left. It is an understable fairway driver.

The more negative the turn number means the more turn to the right the disc will move during the high-speed portion of the flight. A disc with a -5 turn number will turn more to the right than one with a -1 turn number. Discs with a turn of 0 or positive 1 won’t turn to the right very much at all, and are great for headwind shots.

The fade number tells you how much a disc will move to the left at the end of the flight. The higher the number, the more it will travel to the left as it slows down. In our examples above, the Scepter (fade number is 4) moves a lot more left than the Sphinx (fade number is 1).

Visualize Overstable/Understable/Stable

For many of us, understanding overstable vs. understable and comprehending the behavior of a disc just by reading a blog post can be challenging. If you’re a visual learner, this video will provide a clear demonstration of how Connor throws discs with various stabilities, showcasing their distinct flight patterns.

Conclusion

Knowing the stability of a disc helps up choose discs that work for our needs. We can get a general idea how the disc will fly, and can determine if it is something we are looking for. Keep in mind that the weight and plastic type also affect the stability of a disc. Check out Infinite’s flight ratings for each disc, for a more accurate depiction of a discs actual flight. Click HERE to see the blog mentioned previously, which talks about the Infinite Flight Rating.

2024 Worlds Discs

June 25, 2024 Todd Durrant Leave a comment

Here at Infinite Discs, we like to support as many major events as we can through tournament support discs, and there is not a bigger disc golf event than the World Championships! So, we are very excited to carry these special edition Worlds 2024 discs which will be released on July 2nd at 7PM Eastern Time. Through your purchase, you too will help to support high level events like the World Championships.

Cryztal Passion
Cryztal FLX Zone GT

ESP Glo Zone

Jawbreaker ESP Athena

ESP Swirl Buzzz

Big Z Luna

Z Sparkle Zeus

We also have some limited edition World Championship Travel Bags by GRIPeq especially made to support the 2024 Worlds event. There is a very limited quantity of these bags being sold for $190 to support the tournament:

Worlds GRIPeq Travel Bag

Introducing Infinite’s Lykke Lorentzen

June 6, 2024 Ted Hegemann Leave a comment

In the southeast portion of Norway is the capital city of Oslo. South of Oslo is the town of Horten, Norway. That happens to be the town where Infinite Discs’ sponsored FPO player Lykke Lorentzen grew up. She has since moved to Tonsberg, just a quick trip away from Horten, where she currently has an apartment. Although she has the apartment, she says that as a touring pro it is difficult to declare a hometown. “Right now I tour full time and can’t really say I live anywhere,” jokes Lykke.

Growing Up

Lykke with her mom and grandma, wearing a bunad, a traditional Norwegian dress worn at special celebrations. Hers was made by her grandma.

Lykke grew up with two younger siblings, a sister and a brother. She is close in age with her sister and they remain good friends. She is also close to her mom and step dad. When she is not on the road, she loves to spend time with them back in Norway.

Disc golf became part of Lykke’s life about seven years ago. She and a former boyfriend moved to a city where disc golf was popular. She played a few times, but didn’t really catch the bug. After another move, she agreed to join a weekly league. “After that I was hooked,” said Lykke. “I’ve always been a competitive person. Keeping score and getting a results helped me want to improve.” At that point she was all-in! She began putting every day and playing as much as possible.

Going Pro

Lykke’s move to professional disc golf would have happened a little sooner, we’re it not for Covid. She was supposed to start in 2020, but had to wait a couple years. She said, “I toured as much as I could in 2022 and 2023, but since I’m from Europe and I didn’t have a visa I couldn’t play all the events.” For the events she did play, she had to fly back and forth from America to Norway. “In January 2024 my athlete visa got approved and I can officially tour full time,” she said. Then she added, “Which is super exciting!”

Even in here first year as a touring pro in America in 2022, Lykke finished in the top-20 at several Elite Series events, including a 13^th-place finish at the Portland open. Last year (2023) she had several top-10 finishes, including Worlds, US Women’s Disc Golf Championship, and Idlewild.

This year, she’s already had top-five finishes in Jonesboro and Texas State, and got a win at the prestigious Las Vegas Challenge. “That felt awesome,” she said. “It felt great to finally have a win and play four good rounds.” She added, “It was a great experience and I learned a lot. Hopefully it will help me on the road to get my first Elite win.”

Winning LVC

As for how the win ranks in her career, she said it was big! “Winning my first Nationals back home was a big deal for me. So was playing good at Worlds last year,” she said. “But, the win in Vegas was definitely the biggest one so far.”

Despite picking up some nice finishes and a sweet win, she is still focused on getting the elusive Elite win, and improving her skills. “My goal is to play consistently better and play to my potential,” she said. “I want to have (an Elite Series) win, and I will work to learn as much as I can to get closer to reaching that goal.”

Keeping healthy is necessary to achieve her goals, and is something that Lykke takes seriously. “We are trying to be strict with our diet, and especially with eating enough protein every day,” she said. “I love to work out and we try to do it as much as we can. It gets a bit more difficult when we’re on tour, but we take our ab-workout seriously and go to the gym when we can.”

When asked who has influenced her career, Lykke offered a couple well-known players. “I look up to Kristin (Tattar) for her mental game and how she focus on playing as good as she can and not just results,” she said. “I look up to Bradley (Williams) for the way he tries to get better every year and not settle for being “okay”.

The Future

Not only does Lykke expect to see her game improve, she expects big things from the sport of disc golf. She expects the growth to continue into the future. “I hope it’s way bigger that it is right now,” she said. “We might see a separate MPO and FPO tour as the field grows bigger every year.”

Since Lykke has an open bag, meaning she can throw discs from multiple brands, she has a lot more options to choose from than many pros. Which discs does she like? “My favorite discs are the Maya, Emperor, Pharaoh, and the Dynasty,” she said. We like her choices!

The only thing she likes more than her discs is her fans. “My fans are amazing! I wouldn’t be here without them and appreciate every single one,” said Lykke. “Their support means a lot and every disc I sell really helps me to stay on tour!”

Go Green: Recycled and Eco Friendly Disc Golf Discs

April 22, 2024 Ted Hegemann 2 comments

Today’s disc golf discs come in a variety of colors, shapes and materials, and most are made with some kind of plastic. Synthetic plastic has been around for over a century and has shaped the way we live. However, this amazing invention does come with some baggage. First, most plastic is made from crude oil or other non-renewable resources. And second, it does not easily break down, meaning it will be around for a long, long time.

In this blog we will look at the environmental aspects of disc golf discs and discuss ways to minimize the impact. We’ll look at what some manufacturers are doing to reuse and recycle plastic discs. Plus we will talk about other ways that we can be environmentally conscious as we participate in the sport of disc golf.

Long Live Plastic

If you grabbed your go-to driver and buried it in your backyard, your great-great-great grandchild would be able to dig it up and it would still be mostly intact. It might be more pitted and have a rougher feel, but it won’t have broken down much in that time span. That is just the nature of plastic. If you throw away an old disc, you essentially are burying it, and it will be around for hundreds of years. What other option do you have?

Plastic Blends

Most discs are made with a blend of plastic types. While this makes them feel awesome in our hand, it becomes problematic if we want to recycle the disc. Products made from a single plastic type come with a recycle logo and include a number that tells you which type of plastic types that product is made from. They can easily be recycled. Multi-type plastics don’t have that luxury. But there are still options for recycling.

Manufacturer Response

Manufacturers saw a couple possible solution to recycling their blemished plastic. First, they sold discs as factory seconds at a discount from their regularly priced discs. Some discs only have minor blemishes but still have the flight characteristics of a new discs. Those discs could be sold for less that retail, keeping the plastic on the market without adding any additional processing.

If discs were in worse shape than factory seconds and not resalable to the public, manufacturers still have an option to use them instead of tossing them in a landfill. They could shred the plastic and use it to make new discs. Since they formulated the plastic, they would know its properties and know what other plastics it would be compatible with. Many different brands offer discs with pre-consumer recycled plastic.

Brands With Eco Friendly Plastics

Innova has its Echo Star line which is made of at least 50% recycled materials.

Dynamic Discs offers discs in recycled plastics such as BioFuzion, BioGold, and Revive.

Latitude 64 reuses their discs in their BioGold and Recycled plastics.

Westside has Revive plastic, and MVP has R2, both of which use blemished plastic to create new discs.

Doomsday Discs has it’s Biohazard plastic which is partially made from recycled material. They also have Landfill plastic. Landfill is made from recycled / regrind plastic that would normally go to the, you guessed it, landfill.

Discraft has been saving discs that didn’t pass their quality control measures, and now they are using the plastic from those discs to make new molds. Check out their Recycled ESP and imagine what discs those molds were made from.

Yikun now offers the Eco-Friendly Inner Colour Ultimate Frisbee. It is an Ultimate disc made from recycled plastics, for the environmentally conscious players.

The above plastic types are good examples of using existing plastic to make a new disc. Other brands use more eco-friendly plastics to begin with to produce a disc that doesn’t use as much non-renewable resources.

Discs Made from “Environmentally Friendly” Materials

Euro Disc is a German brand that makes ultimate and discs golf discs. They are demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. Embracing eco-friendly practices, Eurodisc produces its range of frisbee discs, including Ultimate, Kids, and Mini models, from 100% bio-based organic plastic, derived from renewable resources. This approach ensures that the discs are sustainable and can be recycled through normal household waste systems.

AGL has its hemp blend, which used the amazing renewable resource of hemp to produce some of their discs.

Gateway has its Organic plastic, which uses recycled rubber and a corn-based bio-polymer to produce an amazing feeling plastic. They also off Hemp blend, which combines recycled rubber and hemp. Hemp is a renewable, natural, versatile plant that can be made into many different products.

Aerobees is Frances first disc manufacturer and their focus is biosourced materials, which are materials made from organic biological origins.

Not Recyclable

Although the aforementioned efforts by manufactures help reduce the amount of natural resources used when making the discs we love, most of today’s discs have one issue in common: Their multi-plastic ingredients make them mostly non-recyclable. That is the environmental cost of making disc golf discs with the current plastic choices. However, one company is trying to change that cost.

Trash Panda Disc Golf

I was able to visit with and interview Jesse from Trash Panda Disc Golf several years ago in Colorado. At the time, Jesse had an ambitious goal to make disc golf sustainable. He wanted to make discs out of recycled plastic, and make them recyclable, too. How has he done since then? I reached out to Jesse for an update! Here is what he said:

“Since we chatted last in my garage, we’ve released two molds made from 100% recycled plastic – the Inner Core and the Dune. With the success of those two molds, we’ve diverted 15,000 lbs of plastic from landfills and continue to exceed even our own expectations of what is possible.

“In 2023 we proudly became the first disc golf company to ever achieve B Corp certification – which is a month-long assessment that ensures companies meet the highest ethical and environmental standards.”

In addition to achieving his goal of producing a recyclable disc out of recycled plastic, Jesse and the crew at Trash Panda have set up a great program for recycling discs. Disc golfers can send in their unwanted/damaged/broken discs in exchange for a discount at Trash Panda. Those discs will then be either ground up am made into discs or other plastic products, or they will be donated to youth programs to grow the sport. Either way, the life of the plastic will be extended and will be kept out of the landfill. As of this writing, they have received over 11,500 discs and turned them into discs, minis, and Disc Dots.

What Can You Do?

What you can do to be environmentally conscious?

Buy environmentally friendly plastics – Make an effort to look see what recycled options are available. Many of the recycled plastics have an amazing feel and are still durable. By voting with our wallets, maybe was can get more options in ‘green’ plastics.

Buy used – Premium discs have a long life and we can usually get a used disc much cheaper than new. As an added benefit, used discs are sometimes already broken in. That will give us a seasoned disc immediately, instead of having to play with it for a long time.

Donate your discs – If you can trade discs with other disc golfers, or sell them to a retailer, we can end up with discs that we like or want to throw without the cost of buying new. If those options aren’t available, check out Trash Panda’s recycle program and give your old discs a new home.

There may be many aspects of our life where it is difficult or impossible to make a difference for the planet. Disc golf is not one of those things. Our sport comes with an environmental cost, but the steps we’ve outlined will help make disc golf more sustainable into the future. It always feels good to help with the environment, and if we can be helping while playing disc golf, that is a win-win for everyone.

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