If you’ve found your way to this site, you’re probably interested in learning more about the sport of disc golf. I’ll be happy to share with you what I know about the sport.
First of all, it is called disc golf, not Frisbee golf. Frisbee is a trademarked product of the Wham-O corporation, from what I understand. Frisbees are the typical flying discs you’re probably more accustomed to seeing. They are used for playing at the park, the beach, for games of Ultimate Frisbee and for throwing for your dog to catch and retrieve. Generally, they’re large, slow flying and easy to catch.
A disc golf disc, on the other hand is smaller, harder, has sharper edges and is not meant to be caught. In fact, you can seriously hurt someone with one of these discs, so be careful.
Ok, now that we’re sure we understand what a disc golf disc is, let’s talk about the sport. Disc golf is played very much in the same ways as “ball golf”—our term for the more popular form of golf. Players tee off in a tee box and attempt to get their disc into a basket using the fewest throws possible. While people originally used any old target for disc golf, we now have very nice targets made by companies such as Innova. The target consists of a metal pole that holds up a basket and chains. The goal is to hit the chains and have your disc remain in the chains or drop into the basket.
Just as ball golfers use a variety of clubs to achieve different shots, disc golfers use a variety of discs to achieve the shots they need to make. There are three general classes of disc golf discs: drivers, mid-range discs, and approach discs/putters. Top-notch players can throw a distance driver in excess of 500 feet, but for the average player, a good throw is something over 300.
A couple more differences between ball golf and disc golf. While most ball golf shots go straight (unless hooked or sliced), discs do not travel in a straight line. For a right handed backhanded thrower (RHBH) (the typical way most righties throw a Frisbee), a disc will typically start straight, but as it looses speed drift to the left. This can become challenging when the hole demands a straight shot or a left-to-right shot. To achieve this kind of shot, a righty can either throw a forehand shot (also called a “flick” shot) or use what is called an understable dics.
Understable disc? What’s that mean? Well, discs are designed to fly in different ways. There are stable discs, overstable discs and understable discs. For a RHBH player, an overstable disc will turn harder left when thrown, a stable disc will generally fly straight and then fade left when it slows, and an understable disc will curve right for most of the flight before fading a little left as it slows.
Using these different kinds of discs will allow a player to vary his or her shots to suit the course. And now it’s time to start talking a bit about disc golf courses.
Disc golf courses are shorter than ball golf courses. We cannot throw the distance that ball golfers can hit. But that does not mean that the courses are not challenging. Rather than playing on lush, groomed fairways, disc golf courses are often carved out of rugged terrain, through forests, over and around water and other hazards. Disc golf courses are often installed in local parks that are not being utilized in other ways and, in that way are perhaps better for the environment. Disc golf courses do not need water, fertilizer or mowing. Just some occasional weed-eating.
There are many disc golf courses available to play on in America. Almost 3000 of them, in fact. And the best part is that the majority of the disc golf courses are free. Because they are usually installed in town, regional or state parks, and the maintenance of the courses require much less effort than a ball golf course, players do not need to pay huge greens fees.
In fact, one of the main benefits of disc golf is that there is a very low financial commitment to beginning. Sure, many disc golfers spend money on fancy disc golf bags, high-end discs and other perks, but you can get started with just a few discs and a bag or backpack to carry them in.
That’s about all I will write on this subject today, but look for more posts here about disc golfing. I’ll be discussing disc golf courses, equipment and technique in more detail soon.
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