It is time for our annual State of Disc Golf Survey where we ask for all disc golfers everywhere to share their thoughts and experiences with the sport through some simple survey questions. This survey has become a great way to see how the sport is growing and evolving. We have really appreciated everybody’s input in the past.
Where to Take This Year’s Survey
You can take the 2022 State of Disc Golf Survey by going to THIS LINK
Feel free to share that link on social media and with your disc golfing friends. The more opinions that are shared, the better!
Where to See Previous Survey Results
We always share the data from these surveys through the Infinite Discs blog. You can click easy links to see those different articles presenting the results. Here are links for the previous three years:
It’s worth taking a look at those blog posts for all of the fun charts and analysis. Here’s an example from the 2019 survey showing how many discs did survey participants collect without any intention of throwing in 2018?
Random Prize Winners Will Be Selected
As usual, we will be giving away a few prizes to randomly selected participants. We’ll be giving away some slinger bags, discs from boutique brands, and other prizes and you have a chance to win if you take the survey this year. Winners will be contacted after the survey is complete.
This holiday shopping guide was written for 2021. Check out our most recent article for 2022 disc golf gift ideas.
Every year at Infinite Discs we put together a unique, fun list of gift ideas for disc golfers. Let’s take a look at the 2020 holiday ideas that we feel would please any disc golfer. This is your 2020 Disc Golf Gift guide!
Discs!
Of course, no disc golf will turn down more discs for the holidays. But where do you start if you don’t know which specific discs they need in their bag? You might as well get something that is fun to throw and collectible, or that shares a little holiday spirit. That way, whether they throw it, or keep it as a memento, they’ll be happy. Here are a few holiday discs you might consider:
SPECIAL EDITION DISCS — One of the fun gift ideas for any disc collector or player is a limited edition disc, or a signature edition supporting a professional player. In 2020, signature editions became something of a rarity and sold out quickly whenever they became available. But you might be able to snag a good one if you hurry. Plus there are other limited editions and special editions, including fun tournament stamp discs. Infinite Discs has a great selection of Pro Tour Championship Discs that make great mementos and throwers!
HOLIDAY EDITION DISCS — Several different disc manufactures make holiday edition discs. If your disc golfer prefers more of a spooky edge, we have a lot of discs that were released as Halloween discs. Or, if you want a more traditional “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” style, we usually have a few of those as well.
You can BROWSE THE HOLIDAY SELECTION HERE and filter by brand or disc type to find exactly what you like among the holiday editions.
DISC DEALS BOXES — Every year, without fail, one of the most popular gift purchases from Infinite Discs the Infinite Deals Box. These are 7-disc package sets with a variety of different disc models from different brands, including stock stamps, tournament stamps, misprints, and more. The downside in 2020 is that the disc supply ran so low with the top manufacturers that there were simply not many discs to use for Deals Boxes. So, our supply of Deals Boxes has been extremely limited. The most popular two packages are the following, and you can check back from time to time and see if you’re lucky enough to snag one:
MISPRINT DISCS and X-OUT DISCS – Sometimes you can find some real treasures at a discounted price by browsing the Misprint and X-Out discs that Infinite Discs keeps in stock. “Misprints” are discs that have stamp flaws, double stamps, or some kind of messed up artwork on them. “X-Outs” are factory seconds that have minor flaws in the plastic that shouldn’t effect the flight of the disc. You can even grab a bunch of these misprints and factory seconds as white elephants for disc golfers.
If you want to impress your disc golfer for the holidays, hit them with a big ticket item that they will love but might not have felt ready to purchase on their own. Here are a few ideas:
ZUCA ALL TERRAIN CART — One of the most popular disc golf carts for the frequent disc golfer is the Zuca cart which is built to carry a maximum quantity of discs, provides a place to sit during long rounds, and carries a variety of accessories. There are also many other features which can be added to the Zuca cart, like padded seat cushions, more drink holders, putter pouches, and more. There are color combinations available for any taste.
MVP ROVER CART — Maybe you don’t want to spend two or three hundred dollars and your disc golfer already has a backpack that he or she likes. You can simply grab them the new MVP ROVER CART to essentially give their backpack a set of wheels so it can be pushed or pulled around the course with ease. There aren’t a lot of bells and whistles with this option, but it gets the job done.
CART ACCESSORIES – If the disc golfer on your list already has a disc golf cart, there are many accessories that can be added. One of the newest and most exciting add-ons for a player who wants to carry more discs around than anybody else is the POWER POCKET POUCH which can be added to the handle of existing carts to carry more putters or disc favorites. It’s super handy, and yes, excessive!
PORTABLE PRACTICE BASKETS — Any disc golfer would be utterly impressed with a new portable disc golf practice basket. There are a wide variety of baskets available on the market by a lot of different manufacturers, all with the intent to provide an easy way for players to practice in their yard, set up small courses, or take with them on camping trips, etc. Here are some of the newest and most popular options:
Black Hole Pro with Transit Bag — The Black Hole Pro is a very popular practice basket by MVP and this year they’ve added a Transit Bag as an easy way to carry the broken-down basket from place to place.
Viking Discs Royal Basket – The Royal Basket by Viking Discs is one of the newest additions to the family of portable baskets. It is a heavy duty basket that is built to last, but not too heavy to move around. It’s a great option for a basket that will catch discs as well as many course baskets.
Dynamic Discs Scout Basket — This is the latest folding, portable basket option and was released in 2020 by Dynamic Discs. It is collapsible and easy to carry around in the bag which is included with your purchase.
DGA Mach Lite— This is our favorite and by far the best-selling collapsible basket. It is easily folded and transported inside a shoulder carry case, yet is very sturdy and well constructed. The color availability tends to change from year to year, so you may find it in green, blue, orange, or other colors that DGA introduces from time to time.
Viking Discs Battle Basket Pro – For a lighter weight basket that is very easy to move around and set up for casual backyard play, the new Battle Basket Pro is extremely affordable. The chains are thinner, allowing for more “splash-out” putts, but it is a fun target at a low cost for casual play and practice. It’s also a great option for young players who are just picking up the basics of the game of disc golf.
HYZER DISC RACK — Maybe you’re looking for a way for your disc addict to store their copious amounts of discs. You can help them keep their extra discs or collection organized with the new Hyzer Disc Rack. Think about it… you’ll be helping your disc golfer stay organized while also keeping your own domain a little less cluttered with discs. It’s a win win!
There are a couple of different designs available, including one with the Hyzer Disc Rack branding and another with Infinite Discs logos and branding. The shelf is very easy to build without tools and is designed especially for discs while also including extra hooks on the front for hanging towels and bag tags. The top shelf holds a bag or trophies for display. While this is an item that might be a little bit outside of the casual disc golf budget, it definitely stands out as an impressive gift for the holiday season.
One of the most exciting things you can give to any hard-core disc golfer or disc collector is a one-year membership in the Infinite Discs VIP Club. That way, the disc golfer you love will receive a unique, collectible disc every month, automatically, as well as discounts on the Infinite Discs website and access to exclusive releases in the VIP Club Store.
Maybe you don’t have a huge budget, but you want to get your favorite disc golfer something nice that is under $100. Here are a few fun ideas that will fit the bill…
INFINITE DISC SLINGER BAG — The Infinite Disc Slinger is designed for affordability, ease, and comfort for quick disc golf rounds. It provides a quality bag option for beginners as well as experienced players who simply want to grab a dozen discs and hit the course. This is the perfect crossover between traditional shoulder bags and backpacks. You can throw it over your shoulder (the strap can be adjusted for whichever shoulder you prefer), carried in your hand, or slung across your body like popular sling bags. It is available in a variety of different colors. See the Disc Slinger Bag HERE
LARGE SELECTION OF APPAREL — Whether you’re looking for t-shirts, or sweatshirts, or jackets, or hats, there is a huge selection of apparel options from many brands on the Infinite Discs website. These choices fit any taste of budget. Check out those apparel options HERE
DISC GOLF PUZZLES AND BOARD GAMES — Maybe you’re stuck inside for the winter months. Or maybe you just like disc golf enough to watch to play it on the table top. There are actually some fun board games now which are built around the disc golf experience. Plus there are 500 and 1000 piece puzzles that are a real challenge to put together, featuring every disc golfer’s obsessions…piles of colorful discs! Check out Disc Golf Board Games and Puzzles HERE
THE KWIK-STIK RETRIEVER — Disc Retrievers have always been a good gift idea because pretty much every serious disc golf plays near water or trees and needs a way to get back the discs that have flown astray. The Kwik-Stik is one of the most popular options on the market with a telescopic pole that can extend to an impressive reach and a couple of different ways to trap and pull in the hard-to-reach disc. Some players are hesitant to spring the cash for a retriever even though it will save money time and time again when counting the number of discs saved. That’s where you come in– give one as a gift and that player will find endless occasions to use it!
INFINITE DISCS HUCK PACK — A great choice as an entry-level backpack for new players, or for experienced players who want an affordable option to carry more discs, the Huck Pack just came out in 2020. It features great disc storage capacity and two water bottle holders to keep you hydrated. Though it is affordable, it still manages to be a rather comfortable choice. But if the Huck Pack isn’t for you, there are other very good, affordable backpack options as well, like the Dynamic Discs Trooper, the Prodigy BP-3, The MVP Shuttle Bag, Latitude 64 Core bag, and more!
ProPull DISC GOLF TRAINER — The ProPull resistance band training kit has become a popular item for serious disc golfers who want to improve their throwing speed and strength. It can be used anywhere that the bands can be secured to a pole or tree. Check out the demo video HERE and see if this is the perfect gift for your disc golfer.
THE POWER POCKET POUCH — If you need a great gift idea for somebody who uses a disc golf cart, then the Power Pocket Pouch should do the trick. This handy cart accessory attaches to the cart handle and carries and additional 4-8 “go-to” discs as well as other items, like a cellphone, scorecard, mini marker, and more. See the Power Pocket Pouch HERE
STOCKING STUFFERS
These small items would be fun for little gifts to any disc golfer. They don’t take a lot of space, they aren’t expensive, and they can add a little fun to your Christmas morning…
Flight Towel — The Flight Towel is one of the latest trends in disc golf. These towels come with a fob attached, and each fob is made out of the rim of a popular disc. That way, the towel isn’t only good for drying discs, but it can be used as a warm-up tool where the player whips the towel through the air in a throwing motion. That helps warm-up the throwing arm with the player gripping the disc that rim that they love. It’s an interesting and fun accessory that should make any player pleased.
Other Disc Golf Towels — Towels are frequently needed by disc golfers to keep their discs dry, and we’ve got a variety of different towels, from lightweight to thick and absorbent. They can easily be stuffed into any stocking. Plus, there are towels that are branded for just about any manufacturer, so no matter which brand the player likes, there should be a towel just for them.
Pyrohyzer Glass Mini Discs — Another fun product that Infinite Discs started carrying this year is the unique glass mini discs by Pyrohyzer. Each mini is handmade and entirely unique. The prices vary depending on the amount of extra features, like “shatter” patterns, swirls, glow-in-the-dark, and etching. Though these glass minis are nice enough to display, they can be used as mini markers during disc golf rounds. They’re definitely a top-notch gift idea that fits into the stocking. Also available in MICRO MINI sizes.
Many Disc Golfers like to play in the dark, and to do that, they often prefer to throw glow-in-the-dark discs. The easiest and fastest way to charge up a glow disc is with a UV Flashlight. We have a simple, affordable UV flashlight in stock that is just the right size to carry in a pocket or in a bag. Plus, we have other tools for night disc golf, like LED lights that can be taped to the bottom of discs, or glow-in-the-dark tape rings to stick on non-glowing discs.
Infinite Discs Chalk Ball – The Infinite Discs Chalk Ball is one of the newest grip enhancers on the market in 2020. Other grip bags have filling like beads, sawdust, or dirt, etc. However, this one features the equivalent of climbers chalk which enhances the player’s hold on the disc in all kinds of weather. Plus it can easily be clipped onto any backpack or cart with the carabiner that is included.
Friction Gloves — While these might appear to be somewhat expensive gloves at first glance, they are actually worth every dollar for disc golfers who want to play when it is cold outside. They take the bite out of the cold air, but more importantly, they provide extra grip on the disc, even when the plastic is wet. That way, disc golfers can play in the gold without taking gloves off to throw and putting them back on again to warm up. If you don’t want to buy a pair of the Friction Gloves, they are also sold separately for single hands, so that the throwing hand can have the enhanced grip.
We also have the newest line of WARM FRICTION GLOVES which are thicker to keep hands and fingers warm in even lower temperatures which still providing the grip to play the game.
Disc Dots for Putting Practice – The DiscDot is a new product that is focused on helping players to focus. These little plastic balls attach to the chains of a basket– the player picks the chain. Then when practicing putting, the player can focus on the little colored balls to hit exactly where they’d like. The 2-packs come with bright, neon colors that are easy to see when focusing on the chains.
Kneepad Stress Minis – Another easy, useful stocking stuff is a Kneepad Mini marker made out of stress foam. These multipurpose minis come in handy in several ways. First of all, they can mark your lie just like other minis, but they also provide a soft pad for when the player needs to take a knee to throw from under a low-hanging branch. In addition, since they’re made out of stress foam, they can be squeezed to release tension before or after putting. Plus, they are fun to throw and won’t cause damage when they hit something (or someone) because they’re light and soft. Put them on the ground, kneel on them, throw them, or squeeze them– these are fun little mini discs!
Of course, if you’re out of ideas, or you simply prefer to let your disc golfer pick their own discs or accessories, you can count on gift cards. Infinite Discs has two options for gift cards:
E-GIFT CARD — Delivers a code to the specified email address which can be used to purchase product on the website.
PHYSICAL GIFT CARD — We ship a plastic gift card to you so that you can wrap it, put it in a stocking, or hand it to the recipient.
WE WANT YOUR INPUT
Please post in the comments below about your ideas as ideal gifts for disc golfers. We’d love to know, and there are other shoppers out there who are looking for great ideas.
Dallin Blanchard is one of our top tier sponsored players, he doesn’t have the opportunity to tour as much as he would like, so many people aren’t aware of who he is. And with the recent release of his signature tomb, we thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce him through a little Q&A post. He is a phenomenal player, ranked 12th in the world, per the latest PDGA ranking update. He lives in Idaho, has a wife and four kids, and works full time. Without further ado, read more about Dallin, and give him some support by buying his signature Tomb which is now available on InfiniteDiscs.com.
How did you learn about disc golf?
My dad, brothers and I used to play “frisbee golf” while growing up. We would play with ultimate frisbees while on camping trips and in the backyard. We didn’t know there were actual baskets and that this was an actual sport so we would use trees and other obstacles as our targets. My oldest brother picked up disc golf while at PA school in Las Vegas. He told me about it and I was immediately hooked.
How long have you been playing disc golf?
I started playing disc golf in the spring of 2013 which makes it close to 8 years. I started playing casually while living in Washington DC and then got more serious when I moved back to Idaho in the summer of 2014. I played my first tournament in 2014 in the Intermediate division. In 2015, I decided I wanted to be a pro, so I played my first Open tournament and took 5th. Since then, I have only played in the Open division with the exception of the 2016 Memorial Championship where I played Advanced and tied for 5th place.
Within the disc golf world, who do you look up to?
Paul Mcbeth because he is the best and I want to be the best and beat the best. I still have a ways to go though… Garrett Gurthie because of his amazing skills with the disc and amazing attitude on and off the course. He is very easy to root for! I look up to several other players but these 2 guys stick out the most.
What’s your favorite Driver – why?
My favorite backhand long distance driver is the Star Destroyer. The Destroyers that are in my bag both give me max distance with a very consistent turn at the beginning of the flight and left fade at the end of the flight. My favorite forehand driver is the Infinite Discs Slab. I love that I can throw this disc as hard as I want and will always know that it will finish to the right for me. Both drivers are very consistent and have given me lots of birdies!
What’s the best aspect of disc golf? – ie) Long drives, hitting gaps, long putts, meeting people or something else?
While all the things you mentioned are really good things about disc golf, my favorite aspect is the competition. I grew up with 5 boys in my family and pretty much all we did growing up was play sports and compete against each other in the backyard. I love competing against myself and being able to push myself to be the best. I also enjoy competing against better players than myself because it gives me a drive to figure out how to get to their level.
What is your favorite course, and what made it so?
I have 2 favorite courses. My first favorite is Freeman Park in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The reason this is my favorite is because this is the course that I “grew up” on. It is a beautiful well maintained park with big mature trees and grass fairways. There is a small creek that runs through about 5 holes of the course. This course has everything needed to make an elite disc golf player. My second favorite is Camp Sekani in Spokane Washington. This was one of the first wooded courses I played. I love the big tall pine trees and wooded fairways that require you to shape your shot to get into birdie position. I am a fan of all types of courses whether it is in the park or in the woods.
What brand is your favorite?
I currently throw discs from the Innova, Infinite, and Discmania line up. My favorite brand has always been Innova because that is where it all began for me.
Other than disc golf, what are some of your hobbies?
As mentioned above, I am a sports fanatic and played basketball, baseball and football growing up and through high school. I love riding bikes around our neighborhood with my wife and 4 kids. I enjoy everything about the outdoors and love camping and hiking with my wife and kids. I also do a little hunting and fishing each year as well. Also, another favorite hobby of mine is cooking food on my Green Mountain Grill smoker.
Will we see you tour more in the future?
Having a full time job, a wife, and 4 kids definitely makes it very difficult for me to be on the typical disc golf tour. My plans for 2021 are to play in 2 pro tour events, Worlds, qualify and play USDGC, and play several A tiers and B tiers in the Idaho, Utah, Montana, and Washington areas. As disc golf continues to grow and sponsorships continue to increase, I definitely hope there are opportunities for me to tour more in the coming years.
Thank you Dallin for giving us the time to answer these few questions. Keep an eye out for him this upcoming year, as he has plans to play in two pro tour events among other events. You can even look him up on social media, he has had multiple shout-outs there. Or follow him on Instagram: dallin_blanchard. If you like the tomb, you should check out his Concrete Signature Tomb, it is a great looking disc.
David Feldberg in cooperation with Infinite Discs now releases a new signature stamp on the Pharaoh. Behold Dave’s new stamp on this excellent distance driver:
Add this to your disc golf collection, whether it is on your wall for good lookin’ discs, or in your bag to make long distance drives out on your local disc golf course. You can pick this uniquely designed disc online now by clicking here. Also, it glows in the dark! What is not to love about this newly stamped distance driver Pharaoh from David Feldberg and Infinite Discs?
Nobody saw the surprises, challenges, and often bizarre events of 2020 coming. It has been a very unexpected year. On top of the obvious heartbreak of sickness, death, job losses, and disrupted lives, even small sports like disc golf and pickleball have had its disappointments with the cancellation of major events. But let’s really dive into the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on disc golf in terms of growth and the marketplace.
“Skip the Course. Stay Home”
A lot of people, especially tournament directors and touring professionals, felt an acute sting when the PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) suspended all sanctioned events starting March 14th. It felt like much of the year was ruined for competitive disc golf. And yet, many players still felt like they could enjoy recreational play to some extent, especially since many jobs were sending people home, schools were switched to online courses, and other public events were all cancelled. People had time on their hands and parks seems a safe place to socially separate while doing something fun.
Then on March 23rd, the PDGA sent out a letter to registered members to please “skip the course and stay home.” They encouraging leagues not to gather and basically requested that all players avoid their local courses. It wasn’t long before many courses in the most populated cities started pulling their baskets out, just to make sure nobody would gather to play. The request made total sense. After all, the world was in a panic, Covid-19 is very contagious, and staying away from one another is a good way to avoid the spread of disease.
But did everybody get that memo? Conditions can vary greatly in the many different parts of the country. In more rural areas, things pretty much continued as usual because cases of Covid-19 were barely present, if detected at all. More densely populated areas had to take more drastic measures. But it would be incorrect to claim that everybody everywhere was staying at home. Many disc golfers continued to play, whether in small groups, with family members, or alone. Disc golf, in many ways, it a socially distant sport when tournament and league play is removed.
With all that said, there are many people who know nothing about the PDGA. They aren’t members, or they play casually, or they discovered disc golf while looking for a way to pass the time. Those people obviously did not hear or head the call to stay home. How do we know? Because disc golf exploded.
A Great Way to Pass the Time
Maybe it was the number of people in forced quarantine from work, school, and other events that fed the interest in disc golf. Maybe the outdoors simply feels safer than staying pent-up in a building. Whatever it was that created the perfect storm, disc golf suddenly became a very popular way to pass the time during the pandemic.
Infinite Discs has a unique perspective into the disc golf growth and interest trends, being a seller of disc golf products. Here is a look at website traffic that hit the InfiniteDiscs.com website from the end of 2019 to the present (June 5th).
The candlestick in June is shorter than the others because the week was not over when the chart was made. We’re not sure if the apparent growth will settle to a new plateau or if it will continue in an upward trend. But the increase in traffic, even dwarfing 2019 holiday sales, shows an obvious increase in interest. The dark blue represents “organic searches,” meaning that those are people who found and visited the website through their own searches and exploration. That is where most of the increase was generated– new people looking for discs.
Disruption in the Supply Chain
While the growth and interest in disc golf and the coinciding desire to purchase discs increased, the ability to supply those discs dropped. With the declaration of a worldwide pandemic, many states in the USA mandated the complete shutdown of “non-essential” businesses and manufacturing. Disc golf apparently is non-essential, but that did not stop people from wanting discs. More people were spending more time either on the course or playing in the backyard. Most of the major manufacturers and distributors of discs and targets (baskets) were forced to shut down or operate on a skeleton crew. Suddenly, manufacturers like Innova, Discraft, MVP, Prodigy, and others were unable to feed the growing demand. Not only could they not keep up, but they were falling behind on previously scheduled manufacturing runs, meaning that the supply would take a long time to catch up, even when allowed to turn the machinery back on again.
For an visually stunning look at the conundrum of disc golf supply vs demand during the pandemic, take a look at the following graph. It shows the sales trend at Infinite Discs from October 2019 through May 2020. The red shaded area roughly designates the time period that several major manufacturers were forced to close and had very limited ability to ship restock.
So, during the steepest time of growth, the disc manufacturers were unable to continue functioning. The obvious effect of that pattern is a drastic drop in inventory levels at disc golf retailers. When new supply is unavailable, old supply drops precipitously.
Infinite Discs took up a mantra of “More the 50,000 discs in stock” in 2017 when we were able to move into a larger facility and increase our inventory levels. It was our goal to stay well above that level for the long term. We printed thousands of promo cards stating that mantra. But the supply chain challenges of 2020 made it impossible. Here is a graph showing Infinite Discs disc inventory levels starting in November of 2019 (the peak of inventory before Black Friday sales kicked in) to the present.
When we combine the sales levels with the decrease in inventory levels, you can easily see the correlation. Again, when interest and sales increase, but the ability to restock is removed, the balance of supply vs demand is broken.
Sorry, We’re Out of Stock
One easy product to discuss when pointing out the effect of the pandemic on disc golf purchases is baskets (or “targets”). With many people taking up backyard putting to pass the time, the demand for disc golf baskets sky-rocketed, quickly clearing retailers out of inventory. Much of the time, large items like baskets are drop-shipped from the manufacturers when they are ordered through online vendors. That is a logical way to avoid the issues of storage and the high shipping costs of moving heavy items around the country. A customer buys a basket, then the online retailer sends an order to the manufacturer to ship directly to the customer.
But if the manufacturers are closed…then drop-ship orders are no longer available. So even if the baskets are technically in a warehouse, they aren’t accessible. Infinite Discs tried to battle that problem as things started to shut down and immediately ordered large shipments of baskets that in some cases took weeks to arrive. Suppliers were basically piling baskets on pallets and shipping them out before having to lock up and go home for an indefinite period of time.
So in many cases, the choices were few when it came to obtaining portable baskets at a time when people most wanted portable baskets. That lack of supply existed with other products as well.
Where Are the Popular Discs?
For many years, Innova has been the highest-selling brand at Infinite Discs. Without making detailed comparisons through the years, it is safe to say that they represent a large portion of the disc golf market. Innova’s manufacturing facilities are located in California, and that was one of the first states to shut down businesses because of the pandemic. If the discs in highest demand were not being manufactured for a couple of months, then how do you think things are looking for Innova now that they are back in business and trying to catch up?
Once again, here at Infinite Discs, we can share a little bit of insight into that problem. We have an algorithm which calculates the number of discs we need for each disc model and in each plastic type based on 30-day vs 90-day sales vs discs in stock. That way we can restock based on the sales trends in an attempt to keep the right quantities in stock for every disc. We recently placed a restock order with Innova for nearly 16,000 discs based on that algorithm because the demand was so high and the inventory levels so low after the shutdown. At the time of this blog post, our current inventory level for all Innova discs in stock is 3,975 discs. That means that the shipment that we’re still awaiting should have four times our current inventory, just in restock! But Innova is struggling to meet those quantities as they have spent days putting the shipment together, because they have many more retailers making similar demands, and they too are at very low inventory levels after having a couple of months without manufacturing.
Take a look at popular Discraft disc models. In the case of Discraft, where signature Paul McBeth discs are a huge boon to the brand, keeping certain discs in stock at all is a challenge for the same reasons. Last week, Infinite Discs had these totals available for certain models:
Luna = 0
Malta = 0
Anax = 0
Zeus = 0
Zone = 0
Those are some of the hottest discs in the current Discraft line-up, aside from the Buzzz. None of them were in stock. Not a single disc in any kind of plastic. After a small restock, we’re back to zero again this week.
In May the new Paul McBeth Hades was announces as soon as Discraft was able to open up their operations again, along with a slew of other signature discs. With nearly 1,000 Hades in stock at midnight of the release day, Infinite Discs was sold out by morning. One of the most hotly anticipated signature releases, the Paul McBeth Tour Z Swirly Luna, was one that we’d asked for 1,200, but received just short of 100. To this day, we’ve still received no more than 300 total of the disc after two small, follow-up shipments. Why? It is Discraft’s fault? Nope. They also cannot keep up with the new demand and the depletion of inventory when they too are trying to make up for lost time.
When Will Things Turn Around?
Basically, the Pandemic caused a huge increase in interest, when it comes to Disc Golf. The cancellation of tournaments and the plea not to assemble in groups didn’t stop new players from picking up the game. The new increase in demand has drained the market of discs and other supplies. How long will it take for the market to catch up to the new demand and eventually normalize? We don’t know. We’re struggling to keep discs in stock, but people won’t stop buying them. Will there be an eventual shortage? Will it take months or years for disc makers to meet a new surge that was never anticipated or expected?
What are your thoughts on the pandemic and it’s effects on disc golf? Did you see an increase in interest in the game? Are more people on your local courses now? Share your experiences in the comments below.
It is time once again for STAMP WARS where we accept stamp designs from aspiring artists and then let the public decide which ones will appear on special runs of discs. Here is a quick look at how it will work.
STAGE ONE – December 2019 – SUBMIT YOUR DESIGN
In order to submit your stamp design for voting, you must read and agree to the rules and submit THIS FORM along with your stamp design file.
It is important to understand the rules, so be sure to read them. Basically, you will be promising that your work is original, not taken from anybody else, and not including any copyrighted material or characters. We’ve had to disqualify some stamps in past years for being traced or flat-out copied from other people’s work. That included some clip art submissions and monochrome versions of existing photos. We will also disqualify any stamp that we consider tasteless, pornographic, or offensive. Please stick with your own, original designs and in good taste.
Get your creative juices flowing and get your ideas submitted. THE SUBMISSION DEADLINES IS JANUARY 15th, 2020!
STAGE TWO – The VOTING
Once the submission process is over we’ll begin the process of elimination through a voting process. The Voting will be open to all Infinite Discs customers. We will announce the voting each week through our social media. The field will be narrowed each week until there are only four remaining finalists.
You are welcome to encourage your friends to vote and to campaign as much as you’d like for your design. On our end, we’ll simply move the stamps with the most votes during each round of voting onward to the next level. Voters will not be able to vote more than once on each round. IF WE DISCOVER CHEATING then we can remove the contestant.
STAGE THREE – THE FINAL FOUR
The final four stamp designs remaining after the voting process will be stamped onto discs to be released in the Infinite Discs store. We will stamp the same quantities on the same molds of the same brands in order to make sure that there is no unfair advantage for any of the four designs. Then the grand prize winner will be decided by which design sells the most or the fastest. We will either wait until for a period of one month if there is a close race, or we will declare the winner if the disc quantity for one of the stamps gets low enough that it becomes the obvious winner.
PRIZES
The prize for reaching the final four is a $100 gift card to the Infinite Discs online store, plus 5 discs with your design. The prize for winning 1st place after the sell-off is an additional $250 gift card to the Infinite Discs store. Plus, we’ll continue to use that winning design on additional runs of the stamp across several popular brands.
We’re excited to see your designs, so let the 2020 Stamp Wars begin!
DESIGN HINTS:
To be usable as a disc stamp, please make your designs monochrome (black “ink”).
Do not submit full color or multi-colored artwork.
Do not make thick, filled patches in the artwork– those thick areas would trap bubbles under the foil which causes drop-out when stamped.
Any shading should be line-shading or half-tone shading, since a foil can’t “fade out”.
Stamp designs which fit nicely into a circle will typically look better on discs, rather than very wide or very tall images which “shrink” the circular space in which they are presented.
Incorporating an Infinite Discs logo in some way is always a plus.
During the 2019 State of Disc Golf Survey, we asked players about their average throwing distance on drives. When looking at the overall field of players that responded to the survey, here are the percentages that claimed specific distance abilities:
You’ll notice that the largest percentage of overall players claimed a distance between 301 and 350 feet maximum. That distance represents almost 31% of players. The next largest percentage claims a distance between 251 and 300 feet, at almost 27% of those surveyed. Close behind that is the 351 to 400 foot range at 22%.
That means that if you add together those three categories with a distance from 251 – 400 feet, that covers the vast majority of players while much smaller groups claim 400+ feet. Only 2.1% of those surveyed claimed to be able to through 451 to 500 feet and a minor sliver of .5% claimed a distance of over 500 feet.
DISTANCE VS AGE
We thought it would be fun to take a look at the results broken down by age groups. So here is a very chart-heavy report, but we hope that you enjoy seeing how age influences distance. As you scroll through the age breakdowns, you’ll notice that the middle ages have a much higher number of survey participants, but the averages stay pretty close…
AGE 12 – 17
AGE 18 – 21
AGE 22 – 25
AGE 26 – 29
AGE 30 – 35
AGE 36 – 40
AGE 41 – 50
AGE 51 – 60
AGE 61 – 70
AGE 71 +
Only when you start to hit the charts for 61-70 and the 71+ age groups do the distance abilities begin a dramatic drop-off, landing more of those older players in a range under 300 feet.
DISTANCE VS ELEVATION
Now, for a little something you’ve never considered, we have a breakdown of the claimed distances from survey participants versus the elevation of the states in the USA where those players are from. Did you ever wonder how much elevation figures into distance? While higher elevations often make disc flight paths more overstable (and the reverse for lower elevations), the abilities to throw further seems to favor those who live at higher elevations.
This chart, provided by Lucid Software’s analysis team, can be a little bit hard to decipher, but it basically takes the average elevation of all the survey participants that answered for each distance. You can see that the further the distance (shown at the bottom of each bar) the darker the bar becomes, with the darker bars representing higher elevations. The average elevation is shown above each bar.
The black box feature’s Lucid Software’s bullet points (or take-aways) stating that distance data seems consistent with other sports, like baseball, and that disc golf course designers in higher elevations might consider longer hole distances. Of course, we can take or leave that advice, but the data seems clear regarding distance versus elevation of where players live.
However, here is a thought– it could be that the courses are very different at lower elevations where wooded courses are more predominant. In those lower elevation, wooded courses, players need to play with precision as their focus, rather than distance. After all, if playing in the woods, there is little need for power throws due to low ceilings and obstacles. However, at higher elevations, the trees may be less predominant on courses, making distance more of a factor. You either throw far across open fairways, or bomb high throws over the tops of the few trees on the course.
What do you think is the cause for this distance disparity when it comes to altitude? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and thanks again to all of the thousands of players who participated in the survey.
Infinite Discs conducted its annual survey of disc golfers in the beginning of 2019 so that we could once again take a look at the growth and opinions held by those who play disc golf. It is always fun to see the changing trends and to weight the opinions of a large group of players. Infinite Discs has been conducting the survey since 2014 and as always, we thank those of you who contributed.
While some of the basic information that we asked, like gender, employment, location, etc. may only be marginally interesting on their own, those answers also help to analyze more interesting data from the other questions. We will continue to publish those results and analysis in the coming weeks. For now, here are the basics…
6542 Disc Golfers Participated in the Survey This Year
Of those surveyed, 93.6% were male, 5.9% were female, and the remaining .5% did not specify gender. That result is virtually identical with the 2018 results, showing no change in the balance of male vs female players who took the survey. While that may not translate exactly into the percentage of total players (these are simply survey participants), it does represent a continued disparity between males and females involved in the sport.
Married vs Single
The majority of players who took the survey this year are married or with a domestic partner while 35% are single and 5% or divorced, separated, or widowed.
Age of Survey Participants
While it appears that the bulk of disc golfers still fall in the age range from 29 to 50, we must also consider that few youth would know about or participate in a lengthy disc golf survey. It would still be nice to see the numbers grow in that younger age group below 18-years-old. There is a lot of growth potential in the junior high and high school age groups.
Employment Status
While there were some different “other” responses in the survey which specified occupations like bartender, caretaker, lawyer, frolfer, professional disc golfer, none of your business, etc., most responses fell into the basic categories indicated in the chart. We see that 76.2% of those surveyed are employed for wages, while 8.9% are self-employed, 7.4% are students, and 3% are retired with the remaining falling in other categories. I supposed it is great news that the unemployed percentage dropped from 2.5% in the 2018 survey to 1.7% in 2019’s survey. The number of retired players also increased from 2.3% last year to 3% this year.
Most Popular States
We will reiterate that these results are drawn from those who participated in the survey. While it may not represent the entire disc golf scene, it gives a pretty nice snapshot of where there are more disc golfers. Plus, we realize that our survey is not shared nearly as much outside the USA.
For those of you who like a “heat map” of where survey participants live, here is map of the USA where the darker the state is shaded, the more people participated in the 2019 State of Disc Golf Survey. The lighter shaded states had fewer participants:
We also had a very healthy number of survey participants from Canada, Europe and Scandinavia. There was one survey participant from Africa.
Watch this blog for more 2019 State of Disc Golf Survey results!
HOLIDAY EDITION DISCS
ZUCA ALL TERRAIN CART
Black Hole Pro with Transit Bag
INFINITE DISC SLINGER BAG
Thank you Dallin for giving us the time to answer these few questions. Keep an eye out for him this upcoming year, as he has plans to play in two pro tour events among other events. You can even look him up on social media, he has had multiple shout-outs there. Or follow him on Instagram: dallin_blanchard. If you like the tomb, you should check out his 
