Focus Friday is back! We are starting it off with the Westside Harp. That means over the weekend, you can buy this disc at InfiniteDiscs.com at a 10% discount!
The Harp is a very overstable approach putter. I’ve had great success flicking it, using it on hyzer throws, and for straight approaches. It is a trusty putt-and-approach disc that can handle some power. I’ve been throwing the Harp in BT Hard plastic which has some good grip to it and it can handle some tree hits and rough landings on rocks. Despite all the collisions I’ve put it through, I haven’t noticed much of a loss in the BT Hard Harp’s stability. This is a fantastic driving putt and approach disc!
Here is a look at a few of my throws with the Harp, trying it out both forehand and backhand at different angles. This helps illustrate the difference between my old, beat-in Harp and a brand new one.
Head on over to our site and pick one up this weekend. Use the discount code FOCUSHARP and you’ll get 10% off. It’s a great time to restock or try out the disc.
Note: After placing your discs in the shopping cart and before checking out, click on the “Discount Code” box under the shopping cart and enter that code. Then proceed to checkout.
Which disc would you guys like for us to focus on next week? Post in the comments below.
This week we will continue to examine the sales numbers and ratings to determine the best distance drivers for 2020. Last week we looked at all drivers, (check out those results here) but this week we will narrow the criteria and limit the candidates to speed 10 and higher discs. And like last week we will look at the sales numbers and the user submitted ratings to determine which distance driver is the best. Then we will consider your votes for a week, and declare the winner.
Despite taking the number 2 spot in the fan voting, the Destroyer maintained the number one spot, taking first in sales and ratings. According to O’Connor G., “Destroyer is number 1 for a good reason! I love the variation in the flight patterns of the different molds. You can bag 5 destroyers that all feel the same in the hand (a good size for my hand as well) but have drastically different flights.”
How We Chose the Best Disc Golf Driver For 2020?
There are several different components to our rating system that we used to determine the best disc golf distance drivers for 2020:
First, we counted the sales volume and made a list of the top sellers of 2020.
Second we look at both how you have rated the discs, and how many reviews you have made for the top drivers to date on Infinite Discs website. A high rating and a lot of reviews translates into a desirable disc.
And finally, we considered what you our blog readers and social media followers said when asked the question: What do you think is the best disc golf driver?
In The Beginning
When I started playing disc golf, I did what so many of us did before we understood the flight numbers on the discs, I went for the high speed discs. “Super Long Distance Driver”? Yes, please! “High Speed Driver”? Of course I want my disc to fly fast! It was as if we expected our drivers to jump out of our hands the moment we quit holding them tight.
Most of us have since come to understand that higher speeds mean that we have to be able to throw faster in order for them to fly the way they were designed. Although that may limit the speed of the disc that we choose, with a variety of lighter weight plastic types available today, even less experienced players can generate enough speed to be able to throw the faster discs. That creates a much larger audience for higher speed discs. Today we are going to take a look at how that audience fills their bags with those long distance drivers.
Best Disc Golf Distance Drivers by Sales
We already know from last week’s blog about several of the top high speed drivers. Since they made the list for the best overall drivers, obviously they are going to make the list for the best high speed drivers. Those include the Innova Destroyer and Wraith, the Discraft Zeus and Hades, and the Infinite Discs Emperor and Pharaoh.
Also like last week, there are a few discs that made the list for top sales, but not for the top ten in reviews. And a couple that made the top ten for reviews, but not the top ten for sales. Let’s start by looking at the top selling distance drivers for 2020:
2020 Sales Rank
Disc Mold
1
Innova Destroyer
2
Innova Wraith
3
Discraft Hades
4
Discraft Zeus
5
Innova Beast
6
Discraft Force
7
Innova Shryke
8
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
9
Discraft Avenger SS
10
Infinite Discs Emperor
11
Discraft Thrasher
12
Innova Boss
13
Innova Mamba
14
Innova Tern
15
Discraft Nuke
16
Infinite Discs Aztec
17
Innova Katana
18
Inova Corvette
19
Discraft Crank
20
Nuke SS
The Best Distance Drivers According to Star Ratings
These are the rankings based on reviews and highest ratings submitted by users on Infinitediscs.com
Rank
Disc Mold
Star Rating
# of 2020 Reviews
Weighted score
1
Innova Destroyer
4.8
70
5.44
2
Innova Wraith
4.61
53
5.01
3
Infinite Discs Aztec
4.83
21
4.77
4
Discraft Zeus
4.69
22
4.65
5
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
4.72
18
4.62
6
Discraft Hades
4.77
14
4.61
7
Infinite Discs Emperor
4.7
16
4.57
8
Innova Shryke
4.58
19
4.49
9
Discraft Thrasher
4.65
13
4.48
10
Innova Tern
4.63
13
4.46
List of Top Distance Drivers
Click the links below to see check out the details of the mold.
We’ve shown you the total sales and reviews for the top drivers of 2020. Now it’s time to look at what YOU chose as your top distance driver. We added up the hundreds of votes and here is the top choices.
Several companies crashed the Innova-Discraft party with this list. Although those two companies still dominated the top ten, and owned the top five, the fan vote showed interest in several other brands.
The Dynamic Discs Trespass just missed the top five by one place, and a percent-and-a-half. This distance driver has the same flight ratings as the Destroyer and Zeus. Infinite Discs made the list with their popular driver that has a ton of glide, the Pharaoh. And MVP made the list with the Wave.
The next ten spots include molds from seven different brands:
11
Mamba
2.3%
12
DD3
2.3%
13
Tern
2.3%
14
Boss
2.3%
15
AvengerSS
1.9%
16
Destiny
1.9%
17
Raider
1.5%
18
Ballista Pro
1.5%
19
Trace
1.2%
20
Mayhem
1.2%
Infinite Discs Aztec
The Aztec isn’t even a year old, but it already has the best star rating of any of the distance drivers. The only thing keeping the Aztec out of first place is the number of reviews. With a 10, 5, -1, 2 flight rating, the Aztec delivers surprisingly long drives, with a stable flight and a solid finish. The Aztec is available Metal Flake Glow C-Blend, which is more stable than the I-Blend or G-Blend plastics.
Innova Shryke, Tern, and Beast
This high-speed distance driver has enough turn and fade to give you amazing s-curved distance drives. Once it is beat in, it becomes a shapeable disc while maintaining its long glide. Despite its speed 13 rating, the mold can still be used by less experienced players. However, with the right arm speed and room to throw, the Shryke can bomb down the fairway.
The Innova Tern has the same flight rating as the Shryke, only one speed slower. That combination makes the disc popular for throwing big flex shots. The Beast also has that flight rating, only it is a speed 10 disc. Also, the Beast takes the title of oldest disc in this group. It was approved in 2002
Discraft Thrasher
The Discraft Thrasher joins the Hades and Avenger SS as the most understable molds of our distance drivers. Those three molds edged out the Shryke, Tern, and Beast for the title of most flippy disc. Unlike our overall driver top ten list, there are a lot more understable discs on this list. Maybe the higher speeds allow a wider variety of skilled players to throw those molds, where the slower speed understable discs might be too flippy for the big arms.
Discraft Force
At the opposite end of the stability spectrum from the Hades is the Discraft Force. This overstable driver is popular among stronger players due its turn resistance and strong fade. It is a little too much disc for newer players. But, its brisk sales this year indicates that there are a lot of players skilled enough to handle the overstability.
Discraft Avenger SS
I’ve been bagging a near-max weight Avenger SS for a few months, and I love it. It is a shapeable mold that delivers nice s-curve shots when thrown fairly flat. Despite the flight numbers, the Avenger SS rarely gets away from me by turning too much. I get long drives, with slightly more fade than the flight numbers indicate. As an intermediate player, the Avenger SS has served me well. Although the Avenger SS is already a popular mold, having the disc released with touring pro’s stamps on them, like so many of the top selling discs do, definitely boosts sales.
Average Flight Ratings of the Top Distance Drivers of 2020
Taking a look at the average flight of the discs on the list, we find the flight numbers round to the flight of the Tern, 12, 5, -2, 2. Naturally, the average speed will be higher than the overall driver average, since overall includes control drivers, but the turn and fade are different, too. The average turn for distance drivers on the list is flippier than the overall drivers, -2 vs -1. And there is less fade than the overall average, 2 vs 3.
With the Beast being the oldest disc, getting approved in 2002, the Hades is the newest disc, with a 2020 approval. Being only a couple of months old, the Hades came out with a bang. Five of the 13 discs on the list were approved in 2008 or before. The average approval year is 2013.
A Small, Elite Group
One of the obvious facts that jumps out at us when we look at the top selling and top rated discs is that there is not a variety of brands represented. Three companies make up the list of 13 molds that made it to the top. It’s rarely a surprise to see Innova and Discraft battle it out for the most molds at the top of any list. Each company had five molds on our list. What may be more surprising is the new kid on the block, Infinite Discs, claiming three spots on the list. Infinite’s oldest mold is still only a couple of years old. With its lineup of desirable flights and unique plastic blends, Infinite may be sitting at the top of the sales and ratings lists for a long time.
Covid-19 and Sales
Since the Covid shutdowns that have occurred around the world have affected supply chains at all levels, it would be crazy to say that it didn’t affect the sales numbers. While different manufacturers were affected to varying degrees, our list would most certainly look slightly different had the pandemic not occurred. In addition to supply lines being affected, sales were also affected, with people snapping up discs in unprecedented numbers. However, rather than try to dissect how each brand was affected and whether or not they were hurt or helped by the pandemic, we just presented the sales numbers for the year and made our top selections from the those numbers.
Tell Us What You Think.
Now it’s time for you to tell us about your favorite distance driver. Which is your top choice? Are the older, classic molds going to continue to stay at the top? Are the newer discs just hype, eventually fading into obscurity while the latest, greatest discs move up the sales charts? What about the smaller brands that are fighting for their share of the disc golf pie? Please take a few minutes to let us know which distance driver is number one for you. If your go-to distance driver is not on the list, let us know what it is.
Dynamic Discs is releasing some new Team Series Discs in the Lucid-X Chameleon plastic. There are four Pros, each with their own discs. They are as follows:
You’ll be able to watch Eric Oakley and Zach play in this weekend’s Idlewild Open by Dynamic Discs & The Nati. Paige Shue will play in the upcoming Discraft Green Mountain Championship this September 12.
In this unprecedented year of pandemic, unrest, and shutdowns, we’ve seen people buying discs faster than suppliers can get them made and shipped. People are still playing disc golf. What better activity for either staying home, with putting and upshot practice, or maintaining social distancing out on the course. Since people are still playing, and buying discs, we wanted to see what kind of impact the world situation might have had on our disc selections. For the next few weeks, we will look at the best discs of 2020, broken down by disc type. This week, we will look at the best disc golf drivers of 2020.
2020: What An Interesting Year
Since a bulk of the year was during the pandemic, we will see if our disc selections have been different than in years past. There would likely have to be something bigger than a global pandemic to get us to change our favorite discs. But, there are factors that do get us to change.
For example, if our favorite disc golf pro, who happens to be a world champion, puts out a new disc. Or puts out a new version of an old disc. Those kinds of things affect disc golf sales, as we’ve seen in the past. Let’s start by jumping right in and see who is the King (no pun intended) of drivers for 2020.
There are several different components to our rating system that we used to determine the best disc golf distance drivers for 2020:
First, we counted the sales volume. That makes sense. The mold that sells the most is certainly a contender for the number one disc.
Second we look at both how you have rated the discs, and how many reviews you have made for the top drivers to date on Infinite Discs website. A high rating and a lot of reviews translates into a desirable disc.
And finally, we will considered what you our blog readers and social media followers say when asked the question: What do you think is the best disc golf driver?
Best Disc Golf Drivers by Sales
According to online disc sales at InfiniteDiscs.com, the following are the top drivers in disc golf for 2020:
2020 Sales Rank
Disc Mold
1
Innova Destroyer
2
Innova Wraith
3
Innova Firebird
4
Innova Teebird
5
Innova Valkyrie
6
Innova Leopard
7
Discraft Hades
8
Discraft Undertaker
9
Innova Thunderbird
10
Discraft Zeus
11
Discraft Heat
12
Innova Beast
13
Discraft Force
14
Innova Shryke
15
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
16
Discraft Avenger SS
17
Discraft Anax
18
Innova Leopard3
19
Infinite Discs Emperor
20
Discraft Thrasher
Best Discs According to Star Ratings
Based on user submitted reviews and star ratings, these are the top 10 rated drivers of 2020:
Rank
Disc
Star Rating
# Of 2020 Reviews
Weighted Score
1
Innova Destroyer
4.8
70
5.44
2
Innova Wraith
4.61
53
5.01
3
Innova Teebird
4.77
41
5.00
4
Innova Firebird
4.57
49
4.91
5
Innova Thunderbird
4.67
35
4.81
6
Discraft Undertaker
4.78
23
4.75
7
Discraft Zeus
4.69
22
4.65
8
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
4.72
18
4.62
9
Discraft Hades
4.77
14
4.61
10
Infinite Discs Emperor
4.7
16
4.57
While most of the top discs appear in both lists, two understable Innova fairway drivers — the Valkyrie and Leopard made the top 10 sales list but not the top rated discs list. Interestingly, the two discs that replaced them — the Pharaoh and Emperor are high speed distance drivers. It appears that website visitors are more likely to buy easy to throw fairway drivers, but more excited to review discs that provide maximum distance.
So, here we go with the breakdown of some of the top contenders for best disc golf driver of 2020 based on sales, reviews, and ratings. After we hear back from you in the comment section at the bottom of the page, we will update the blog to declare an ultimate winner of the best disc golf driver of 2020.
Top Drivers of 2020: Fan Choice!
For our third and final criteria we reached out to our fans in this post and on social media to let them have their say on what they think the best disc golf driver truly is. The results of the fan vote are as follows:
Fan Vote
Rank
Disc Model
Percent of Vote
1
Innova Destroyer
20.0%
2
Innova Wraith
19.0%
3
Innova Thunderbird
6.3%
4
Discraft Hades
6.3%
5
Discraft Zeus
5.3%
6
Discraft Undertaker
3.0%
7
Innova Teebird
3.0%
8
Streamline Trace
2.4%
9
Innova Katana
2.4%
10
Innova Valkyrie
2.4%
We’ve tallied your votes to determine the fan winner. We counted 127 votes on the blog and on Facebook. Garnering just over 20% of the votes is the Innova Destroyer. In a very close second place is the popular, and similarly flying Innova Wraith. The Wraith got just under 19% of the votes. In a tie for second place, with 6.3% of the votes is the Innova Thunderbird and the Discraft Hades. Just one percentage point behind those two molds is the Discraft Zeus.
The next few spots are occupied by the Undertaker and TeeBird at 3%, and coming in a 2.4% is the Trace, Katana and Valkyrie. Although the Streamline Trace is the only non-Innova or Discraft mold up to this point in the tally, there were 29 different molds that only received one or two votes. Those include molds from Discmania, Prodigy, Westside, Latitude 64, Dynamic Discs, MVP, Infinite Discs, Axiom, and Vibram.
A Summary of some of the Top Drivers
The Innova Destroyer
This perennial powerhouse made a splash when it was released over a decade ago, and has pretty much dominated the category ever since. Its popular flight numbers, giving a little turn with a reliable fade, has made this disc a winner from the beginning. The Destroyer’s availability in lighter plastics makes it a hit with people of all skill levels.
Innova Teebird
The only thin rim control driver in the top five of the best disc golf drivers of 2020 category, this reliable workhorse has a spot in the bag of many pro and amateur alike. It has been around for two decades, and clearly has a popular flight number. It has become a signature disc for a couple of pros, which might contribute to its popularity.
Innova Firebird and Thunderbird, Discraft Undertaker
These three molds are ‘tweener’ drivers, with thicker rims than traditional fairway drivers but not thick enough to be considered distance drivers. Whatever you call them, all of these molds are popular with people of all skill levels, helping them make the list of best drivers for the year.
The Thunderbird is a straight-flying disc that still has a decent fade at the end. It is the definition of ‘control driver’.
The Firebird could be called a more stable Thunderbird. Its ability to fight headwinds and deliver a solid fade has made the Firebird one of the most in-demand drivers for many years. Certain Firebirds, such as the Sexton Glow Firebirds, are popular for their added overstability, making them even more in demand.
The Undertaker has a little more turn than the Firebird or Thunderbird, but still has a good fade at the end. With a hyzer flip, the Undertaker can be shaped for some long throws.
Discraft Zeus and Infinite Discs Emperor
While the Destroyer has been the #1 rated disc for years, it’s no surprise that similar discs by other brands are also very popular.
It wasn’t long after McBeth moved to Discraft that they announced the newest disc to the Discraft line-up, the Kong. The name was later changed to the Zeus. With a flight number similar to the popular Destroyer and the Infinite Discs Emperor, the Zeus was an immediate hit. With its desirable flight, beautiful swirly plastic, and its endorsement by a world champ, the Zeus fought for the number one spot last year. And, it remains a contender this year.
With its Destroyer-like flight and popularity among professional disc golfers like Garrett Gurthie, Dave Feldberg, and Kona Panis, it’s no surprise that the Emperor achieved top 10 status for ratings this year.
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
This high-speed driver has been one of Infinite’s most popular drivers since it was released. It has a slight turn and a reliable, but not too harsh, fade. Available in several plastic blends, the Pharaoh’s distance is its strength. Fortunately, the mold comes in lighter weights, too, giving the novice player and touring pro alike and option for long-distance throws. Making its top-ten appearance for three years in a row, the Pharaoh is here to stay!
Discraft Hades
New to the Discraft lineup this year is the understable, but controllable, speed 12 Hades. With lots of glide and flight numbers that fill the needs of a variety of skill levels, the Hades has been a hit for Discraft. Introducing a disc with the name of a repeat world champion on it surely helps with sales. Then, mix in some popular flight numbers and you have a winning combination. The Hades has flight numbers that are similar to the widely used Innova Tern. If you want a flip-to-straight flight with a solid fade, or a big turnover shot, the Hades would fill that slot in your bag. Of all the drivers in the top 10, the Hades has the most high speed turn by far.
Innova Valkyrie and Leopard
The Valkyrie and Leopard are known as Innova’s “easy to throw” drivers. These are the very drivers that are included in most Innova three disc starter sets. In their base DX plastic, these popular beginner discs can be very understable. With the huge growth of disc golf during the pandemic it is no surprise that these popular beginner discs made the top sales list. But do the Valkyrie and Leopard have what it takes to be considered the best disc golf driver of 2020?
What Makes a Top Ten Disc Golf Driver
So, why do we like those discs? If we break down the flight ratings of all of the top ten discs, we can come up with an average flight, and see if that helps us understand why these discs are popular. The ‘average’ flight rating of these ten discs, using the common flight rating of speed, glide, turn, and fade, is 10.6, -5, -.9, 2.6. If we round those numbers, we pretty much get the flight of the Wraith, which is the second most popular disc on the list. The Innova Wraith is one speed slower than the Destroyer, which occupies the number 1 spot. As was mentioned, the Destroyer shares the same flight rating as the Zeus and the Emperor, as well as other popular molds that didn’t make the top ten, like the Trespass, Outlaw, and DD3. Apparently, we like that general flight.
The average flight is similar to the flight of 6 out of the 10 best discs. We like discs that give us a little turn, but also give us a reliable fade. We like wide rims, but not too wide. Other than the Hades, we don’t want a lot of turn. (Discs in the 11-20 most popular range have more flip, or turn, to them, such as the Beast, Valkyrie, Shryke, Heat, and Avenger SS) We also like some of our discs to have all fade and little to no turn, for utility shots.
In With the Old, In With the New
The first four molds on the list, Destroyer, Wraith, Teebird, and Firebird, were all released prior to 2008. They’ve been around for a while and have proven their value to the disc golf community. The last four discs on the list, Zeus, Pharaoh, Hades, and Emperor, were all released in the last couple of years. Only time will tell is they remain as popular in years to come. Probably so, since three out of four of them have the popular flight characteristics mentioned above. For the record, the average PDGA approval year for the top ten drivers is 2012.
Feel Free to watch this video which summarizes the results in a minute and thirty seconds:
Your Opinion: What is the best driver for you?
We want your opinion. What do you think the best disc golf driver is and why? What weight and plastic do you like it in. How long have you been playing disc golf, how far can you throw? Please comment below.
It’s been a while since we have posted a data article! It’s the perfect time to reflect upon the best selling disc golf discs of 2020.
As many of you know, Disc Golf has experienced immense growth this year! With a pandemic on hand, many people are looking for ways to get out and recreate! A lot of new people wanting to purchase all kinds of discs, starter sets, and baskets. This, mixed with the fact that some major manufacturers were required to shut down operations for many weeks, cause for a shortage in certain disc golf molds.
Many molds sold better than ever before while many molds sold out for weeks at a time, causing their sales numbers to drop. When you take in the data, remember that half the battle of these molds was simply staying in stock.
This data will show exactly which molds sold the most in the first half of 2020. Ready? (Unfortunately we cannot show exact sales figures, just relative data to show which discs sold better.)
The best selling disc golf discs during the first half of 2020.
The Results
The Discraft Buzzz took first prize, while the Innova Destroyer and Discraft Luna took second and third. We definitely struggled to keep these molds in stock, but their sheer popularity took them to the top 3.
The Judge, Hades, and Mako3 were just some of the molds that could have made it much higher on the list, but our low stock issues kept them further down. That’s just how 2020 has played out!
Best Sellers by Disc Type
Let’s take a quick look at which type of disc sold best:
Yep, so far it has been the year of the putter! We saw a crazy run on putters during the early stages of the pandemic. Many people were staying at home and needed putters to practice putting with. For some people, it was the only way to enjoy the sport they love!
Distance Drivers took second, as always popular molds. Everybody wants to throw further! Control Drivers took third, while Mid-Ranges took last place– even though the Buzzz took first place in the overall Top 50.
What do you think? Did your favorite discs make the Top 50? Was there a disc that should have made it, but didn’t? Let us know!
Discmania has been introducing their Active Line discs, initially in base plastic runs, but the time has now come for new disc names and premium plastic. There are five “new” (renamed) discs that are available in both Active Baseline plastic and some in Active Premium. Head on over to Infinite Discs to check out these discs to see if they are a good fit for your disc golf bag: the Mentor, the Genius, the Magician, the, Maestro, and the Sensei.
Note: The original names have been retired.
Discmania went with an excellent choice of vivid colors for these new disc golf discs. This new Active Premium Line plastic looks wonderful and has good grip. You can read more about the release here. And of course, if you’ve been waiting for this new release and already know what disc you want, head on over to Infinite Discs to make your purchase.
Leave a comment below: which of these five Discmania discs is your favorite? What are your thoughts on Discmania’s new Active Premium Line plastic?
Yesterday we released the Inca, a new mid-range disc among the Infinite Discs lineline. This mid-range is released with an epic Incan warrior. I imagine him charging the chains on the disc catcher. We’ve decided to start it off with a P-Blend Glow plastic. Allowing you to play a round of disc golf at night and during the day!
This is a great disc for the individual who is looking for a moderately overstable mid-range. It has a consistent flight with slight end-fade. You can also manipulate this disc fairly easily and it will hold most lines you put it on. The P-Blend Glow plastic feels good in the hand and has enough grip that it won’t slip out prematurely. Check out this great video that talks about the Inca and shows you the flight path. Thanks Taylor!
Drew Gibson’s Scepter
Disc golf fans have never seen a Scepter as majestic as the Drew Gibson signature edition. This control driver looks even better than it did before in this Swirly S Line plastic with this sweet signature stamp. Thanks Drew Gibson, yet again. You can get yourself this disc to add to your disc golf collection, whether it is for the wall or for you bag.
All of us here at Infinite Discs, we thank you all, for making it possible for us to provide awesome discs to our fellow disc golfers. Throw on!
In my last blog post about the 2019 survey, where I talked about injuries and exercise (HERE), I was surprised to learn that people were more likely to be injured if their exercise regimen was specifically tailored to disc golf. I wanted to see if we could learn what other factors might be driving that counter intuitive (to me) statistic. That is what I will talk about today. I’ll look at a couple of other survey questions to see how they relate to the injury rate.
More Opportunities For Injury
My initial thought was that if a person is so dedicated to disc golf that they would adopt an exercise program specifically for the sport, they would also be attending leagues, tournaments, and throwing more practice rounds than the average disc golfer. Therefore, more opportunities for injury. Let’s see if we can test that hypothesis. First, let’s look again at the general injury rate among all survey participants. That rate is about 19.4%.
Round And Round We Go
Now we can look at other statistics. In the survey we asked how many rounds you threw in a month. According to the results, people who averaged 1-4 rounds per month have an injury rate of 6.5%. That percentage increases with each increase in the number of rounds played, until a slight dip occurs in the 25-30 round/month category. Then, it reaches the highest level with 31+ rounds played. If you play 31+ rounds per month, congratulations on getting so many rounds in! And, statistically speaking, you have an approximately 1 in 4 chance of getting injured. Your chances of getting injured are greater than the average if you play 10 or more rounds per month, . The results are graphed below.
Injuries And Tournament Attendance
Let’s see if tournament attendance follows the same pattern. I’ll present the data in the same format as with the injury rate in the graph above, breaking the category down into the number of tournaments we participated in, versus how many people who played that number of tournaments were injured. That doesn’t mean people were necessarily injured while playing in a tournament. Just that they played in a tournament some time in 2019, and were injured come time that year. I also broke it down into sanctioned and unsanctioned tournaments. Here are those survey results.
According to the survey, tournament attendees don’t increase their chances of getting hurt significantly as they increase the number of tournaments they play. And as an average, the injury rate is 23% for those people who play tournaments, versus 19.4% for all disc golfers. Slightly higher, but not too significant.
Exercise and Injury
Although there are many factors to show why we would get injured more often when using a fitness routine tailored for disc golf, these survey results at least partially validate the idea that playing more often gives us more opportunities for injury. Countering is the notion that if we are playing more often, we should be in better shape, thus reducing our chances for injury. Despite the survey results in the last blog, I still recommend a fitness and stretching routine that is specifically for disc golf. Since we use such a variety of muscles in our sport, getting in shape for disc golf would make someone in good condition overall.
In addition to examining these statistics about injuries and disc golf, I wanted to reach out to an expert. Seth Munsey of Disc Golf Strong works with the top disc golfers in the world. He has a few thoughts about why we would have a higher injury rate among those of us who exercise specifically for disc golf. His comments lead me to believe that the issue is that people’s definition of ‘exercising specifically for disc golf’. I think when people say that, they are really saying that they exercise with a general fitness routine. If they are in good overalls shape, that will help for disc golf. But, the overall fitness isn’t the same as preparing specifically for disc golf.
Words From a Pro
Seth Munsey said, “There is a big difference in “exercising” and “training.” Many people that exercise do so with the intent of burning calories, feeling the burn, sweating, etc. While it is always a good thing that people are moving and strengthening their bodies, it is entirely different than training for disc golf. Training is exercising with purposeful intent. Exercises are selected and programmed specifically for the demands placed on the disc golfer’s body.”
He concluded by saying, “There are likely other factors at play that we could investigate and discuss, but following a general exercise program and not exercises that are best for disc golf could definitely lead to a higher injury risk.”
One More Thing I Was Curious About
In addition to the things I’ve covered, I thought it might be interesting to see if cart and backpack bag use affecting the injury rate. Do we get injured more often when we continually have to pick up our bags? I would expect a lower injury rate for cart users, and a higher rate among backpack users.
As the charts below show, using a cart doesn’t significantly decrease your chances of getting injured. Interestingly, the survey shows that backpack type bag users are even less likely to get injured. That is not what I would have guessed. Whether or not we get injured depends on many factors. Despite the survey results mentioned in my last blog post, I still recommend a fitness and stretching routine. One specifically for disc golf as the best prevention of injury. Getting in shape for disc golf would make someone in good condition overall.
Check out some exercises for disc golf at Disc Golf Strong, HERE
The Harp is a very overstable approach putter. I’ve had great success flicking it, using it on hyzer throws, and for straight approaches. It is a trusty putt-and-approach disc that can handle some power. I’ve been throwing the Harp in BT Hard plastic which has some good grip to it and it can handle some tree hits and rough landings on rocks. Despite all the collisions I’ve put it through, I haven’t noticed much of a loss in the BT Hard Harp’s stability. This is a fantastic driving putt and approach disc!
line. This mid-range is released with an epic Incan warrior. I imagine him charging the chains on the disc catcher. We’ve decided to start it off with a P-Blend Glow plastic. Allowing you to play a round of disc golf at night and during the day!
Disc golf fans have never seen a 
