My Disc Golf Wishlist

After losing my Leopard at Aspen Grove, I figure I need to buy some more discs.

Champion Leopard – 150-160g, white
Champion Discraft Express – 150g, green
Champion or DX Beast – 150g, blue
DX Polecat – 175g, yellow
DX Roc – 175g, any color
Aerobie Epic, any color
Aerobie Arrow, any color

This is probably $90 worth of discs. By the time I’ve got the funds allocated to go buy them, I’ll have forgotten ever making this journal entry.

15 thoughts on “My Disc Golf Wishlist”

    1. Re: Absolutely

      Absolutely. You stand where one disc landed, and throw that one, or any other disc from your bag, or from anyone else’s. The trick is picking the disc that is going to glide, turn, fade, roll, or stick the way it needs to for that shot. After all, with Disc Golf you often have to go around trees in the middle of the fairway. “Hook” and “slice” (turn and fade) are GOOD things in Disc Golf, provided you’re doing them when you need to go around something.

      Unlike regular golf, you can hook and slice on the same shot, and usually DO on a long drive. “Turn” is what the disc does in the early portion of the flight, usually to the right with a right-hand backhand. “Fade” is what the disc does in the late portion of flight, usually to the left with a right-hand backhand.

      Some discs turn lots and don’t fade much. Some discs don’t turn much, and fade lots (these are best for long shots that take you around a corner at the end). Some discs fly pretty straight the whole time. These don’t usually fly as FAR as the others, though. And note that discs ALWAYS tend to fade off to the forward-rotating side (Right-hand backhand rotates clockwise, which means the left side of the disc is coming “forward” with the direction of travel) because that side is where the most wind resistance is.

      And then there’s weight: heavier discs don’t fly as far, but do better in wind than lighter discs. You’d think that the difference between 150 and 175g wouldn’t be that significant, but it is.

      Innova and Discraft both have numbered guides showing how each of their discs turn, fade, and glide, sometimes even explaining how the different weight classes and plastics will change that behavior.

      In short, the science of this game is every bit as involving as the science in ball-golf, and the flights are prettier.

      1. Re: Absolutely

        Yeah, I need to play sometime. Seems like the game’s a lot more “accessible” than ball-golf, too, at least at the amateur level. (q.v. previous remarks re: cost)

        How long is an average disc golf hole?

        1. Re: Absolutely

          300 feet or so. Long holes are 400 feet or more. Short ones are 250 or less. Typically anything between 200 and 450 will be a par 3, which means you need to drive all the way to within 100 feet of the pole, and then throw to within 20 feet so your third throw is a reasonably easy putt.

          Naturally, driving to within 20 feet of the hole is ideal, but difficult.

          –Howard

  1. Hobby purchases

    And to think it was only a few months ago that Howard was praising disc golf as a really good hobby for, among other things, the fact that it didn’t cost us very much. 🙂

    1. Re: Hobby purchases

      Compared to ball-golf (several hundred to get started, and $10 to $100 per game, depending on where you go) it’s still cheap. (This summer I’ve spent $100 or so on discs and a bag, and I’ve played 25 times or more. I could have gotten by on much less, but I didn’t WANT to.)

      Compared to skiing (the big Utah hobby) it’s easier on the wallet AND the knees.

      Compared to sitting at home and watching TV, it’s healthier.

      Compared to playing with the children… well, I can drag the children out for a “frisbee adventure” (my sneaky-term for “come with Daddy while he shoots nine poles) so it’s sixes.

      –Howard “shall I justify something else?” Tayler

      1. Re: Yup.

        People lose their clubs sometimes too. Mostly by throwing them into the nearest water hazard in a fit of anger. Which doesn’t work so well with discs, I suppose, because it doesn’t really satisfy that need for anger relief to see a frisbee zipping along merrily into the distance.

      2. Re: Yup.

        So you need *even* more. Sounds like a sound business plan to me!

        Hmm … maybe I should try getting the Frogs to play disc golf instead of boule. *ponders*

  2. Well, to get into “ball” golf, I would be spending about $500-700 for clubs, since I need “extra-stiff” (no jokes, please) clubs. If someone would open a disc-golf course in my town, I’d run out and try it in, as my wife would say, “a hot nanosecond.”

  3. Okay, I went to the Poultry Days ultimate tournament last weekend, and the good fellas from FlashFlight were there all set up.

    They claimed to be working on lightup golf discs, and had a prototype basket on hand. Not that, well, hurling glowing chunks of plastic through the woods at night is bound to end well [they just need to invent glowing trees!]… But at least you’ll be able to find the darn thing! (incidentally, the discs do live up to the claims they make, and are darn good fun to play with even if relatively expensive)

  4. I’m pondering getting involved with this, since 1) I need exercise (obvious, to anyone who’s seen my costume!), and 2) there’s a course in a nice park not 2 miles from home. (Cedar Creek Park, Fairmont, Minnesota.) I’ve found a few sites describing rules and such…but haven’t really seen any comments from anyone on advice for beginners: which discs to pick, how and what to practice, basic course etiquette (do I just show up at the first hole and start throwing, or…?), and anything else a beginner should know in order to get started the right way.

    Got any ideas, or pointers?

    1. Discs to start with

      You’ll need two discs to start:

      1) An Innova “Aero” – 165g or greater
      2) An Innova “Leopard” – 155g or less

      Both discs come in “DX” plastic (solid colors) and “Champion” plastic (translucent). The champion discs are less likely to get chipped or dinged, but they cost twice as much. I’d start with DX discs, because you’ll only need to spend $15 total to get started on the game, and if you lose one you won’t feel as bad.

      You could play with just the Aero to start. It flys straight, and thrown properly will go as far for a beginner as an overstable or understable driver will. It’s a great disc for approach shots, and it’s good for putting, too.

      The Leopard is technically a “fairway driver,” but beginners use it well for driving from the tee. It’s got a little less stability to it, so if you put some turn on it you can get it to fade back in the other direction.

      With both discs, focus on throwing FLAT. Wind up, throw, and follow through all in the same plane. Any tilt at all on your release will be dramatically exaggerated by a golf disc. Once you master that, you can start doing things to increase your power outside of that plane without losing control of the disc.

      –Howard

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