And so it begins...

[RamblinRedhead]

I'm 56 years old - have thrown Frisbee since I was a kid, and throw pretty well. I like throwing things! Disc golf, is a whole new thing, though - and I'm finding my old Frisbee skills do not translate so much into playing well on the disc golf course.

I've watched the videos on driving. Sprained my ankle trying to do it. Not a great dancer either So I have been driving from a stationary position, with no x-step, or run-up, or anything.

I need to get out and exercise, and walking around throwing things is WAY more fun than just plain old walking around. I have an excellent Disc Golf course near where I work (I geocommute to southern MD, the course is in La Plata), and a some nice courses in Norfolk, my home base. So I have been going more often, despite not setting the world on fire.

Initially went to Pembroke Mall at VABEEVA, and the really nice man at the England Store helped me make disc choices from a large selection of Inova discs. I like to see and handle the goods, so I'll probably stick to that brand. I started out with 2 discs - An R-Pro Wahoo (it FLOATS!), and a JK Pro Aviar-X. I have since added a Starlite Sidewinder, and a Stardart. I especially like the Sidewinder, it is fluorescent orange, and thus easy to find after I throw it off into the weeds. I laughed (and cried a little) when I see people discussing throwing 300'+ because I am starting to achieve over 100 feet on a somewhat consistent basis - but usually not straight. My oddball throwing style consistently arcs left, and now that I'm throwing a bit farther, fades right if it hasn't run into a tree before then. I have recently been driving both long distance discs off each tee (my own private version of "Best Ball") - the Sidewinder consistently goes longer for me, and with more consistency. Still a lot of cruddy crash and burn throws, though. Oh, and I stupidly lob it high, so my release is likely all wrong, too. Once in a while I keep it low and then the throw looks and feels SO good! My best throw is probably not much over 150', though, so nothing to brag about here.

I usually do better on the putting - use the Stardart exclusively, don't like the other putter very much, but can't say why. Except that it just doesn't go into the basket for me.

Because my drives are so all over the map, and I guess because of my previous life with Frisbees, I sometimes do some amazing throws to get myself out of really bad spots. I'm sorry this is so long, but I am contemplating another visit to the nice disc merchant tomorrow - and wonder if anyone has some guidance on 1 or 2 Inova discs I should consider. I don't want to be one of those folks with a big manbag with 79 discs in it. I'm not a man, and I have to haul a purse around the rest of my life, no desire to do so at the DG course. I cart my three discs with me, and enjoy traveling light.

I do hope to try the x-step again, wearing some hiking boots with better ankle support (and hope I don't do a face plant on the tee pad!).

Also, why do I NEVER see other women out on the course?!? I am literally the only female I see at both the MD and VA courses I play! And is there hope for me?

 

[Future_Primitive]

Welcome to the forums and the plastic addiction! :thmbup:

Personally not a big fan of the Wahoo myself so my advice would be to leave that one at home for now. If you opt to go shopping again and like Innova then your best bet is snagging a DX Leopard or two, maybe one in the 150-160 range and one 160-170. IMO one of the best discs Innova makes not to mention there is a reason they put in the beginner pack as it is easy to throw.

Given your frisbee background maybe adding a neutral midrange like the Mako or Mako3 would give you a somewhat similar feel in the hand.

After that hit an open field and let them fly or keep doing your "best ball" style and throw them all off the pad. Sidewinder, Leopard, Mako and the Dart. Keep on having fun and trying to throw them at various release angles to get a feel or what works and what doesn't. And don't fear the trees as they do a great job of knocking off the newness of those discs. They tend to fly a better when they get beat up and scratched up from lots of use. Enjoy!

 

[zontar]

I agree with the Leopard and Mako recommendation. I'm 51, relative newbie and have a pretty tough time with the Wahoo. you could easily play a round with these two discs.

 

[sisyphus]

Welcome to the addiction!
Frisbee guy here from the 70's, didn't start disc golfing until 2011 at age 50. I'm still pretty proud of my upshot and putting skills (that translate pretty well from Frisbee). I went down the road of trying every high speed, beveled edge disc I could, hoping for the magic to suddenly start producing 300' throws, but I think what most folks say is correct: you'll improve your form quickest with midranges and putters anyway.
Innova has a great selection of discs, but don't be afraid of trying other brands, too. Putters are just up to what feels best for you. Discraft has two of the best mids out there in the Comet and the Buzzz. Innova may have one of the best fairway drivers in the Teebird, and I like the feel of Latitude 64's River to complement it. Happy to say I can get those mids out to 250'+ and the fairways over 300' now by playing. A lot.
Mostly, find a routine that makes you smile every day you play, and keep flinging those things, and the form and distance will get better and better!

 

[RamblinRedhead]

Tahank you for the confirmation!

Even more than that, thanks for letting me know it's not just me! The Wahoo seemed like a smart buy, because one course I play at has a long hole with water on both sides - it's almost inevitable you'll end up in the water there! So having a floater seemed like a great idea. But I really can't seem to work with it most of the time.

From reading other posts, at this stage I was also maybe overshooting my skill level with a distance driver, assuming I would be better than I am, just because I've thrown the larger discs for so long.

First time I played years ago, the guy who invited me loaned me two of his discs. And I beat him. I didn't play again until recently, but probably was a little overconfident based on my "beginner's luck".

However, I really do like playing, even if I'm not good (yet?). I don't understand all the terminology, but it's really challenging, and I think I have good instincts, just need to work on my form to get more distance (and consistent aim on the long shots). And it makes me get off my duff!

 

[Hyzenberg]

Don't take this the wrong way, but being 56 and playing disc golf is absolutely awesome, congrats and keep at it. I actually just got my Dad into the sport who is of similar age, very active life style and threw lids his whole life. I bought him a few starter disc that has helped with his consistency, granted he is throwing 150 or so but he has dialed it in and is very consistent.

I would recommend the following disc:

Fairway Driver: Innova DX Leopard (160-170g)
Mid Range: Discraft Buzzz (170's)
Putter: Dynamic Disc Classic Judge (170's)

Disclaimer: Putter's are very subjective, I bought my dad a judge and he liked it a lot due it feeling similar to a traditional frisbee. He started off with an Aviar and struggled, upon using the judge he is very consistent. He my not make the shot be he is always hitting metal, which is way better than what I was doing 2 months in..He's made a few out of circle shots that have pressured me to make my shots lol.

 

[august dupree]

Great post sir.

I second the dx Leopard and Mako recommendation. Keep throwing the sidewinder if you like it but it's a little bit too fast of a driver for you now to go straight at all. You will really enjoy a dx Leopard. It will still curve a lot for you but you will likely see improvement much quicker when you do happen to hit those good line drive throws.

Also, don't be in any hurry to incorporate an x-step. Unless your timing is really good it is not likely to gain you much distance and will likely make your throws more wild and inconsistent. Work on consistent clean level line drive throws from a standstill with good weight transfer and you will progress much faster and develop a more solid foundation for the long run.

 

[Pymm]

Don't take this the wrong way, but being 56 and playing disc golf is absolutely awesome, congrats and keep at it. I actually just got my Dad into the sport who is of similar age, very active life style and threw lids his whole life. I bought him a few starter disc that has helped with his consistency, granted he is throwing 150 or so but he has dialed it in and is very consistent.

I would recommend the following disc:

Fairway Driver: Innova DX Leopard (160-170g)
Mid Range: Discraft Buzzz (170's)
Putter: Dynamic Disc Classic Judge (170's)

Disclaimer: Putter's are very subjective, I bought my dad a judge and he liked it a lot due it feeling similar to a traditional frisbee. He started off with an Aviar and struggled, upon using the judge he is very consistent. He my not make the shot be he is always hitting metal, which is way better than what I was doing 2 months in..He's made a few out of circle shots that have pressured me to make my shots lol.

These are great recommendations! I still use my Buzzz and Judge every round. I started with a Leopard but moved on up in speed after a while. As a former sub sailor, nice to see someone from Norfolk, my sea duty port for my entire career!

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

Like has been suggested, the leopard would be a great one to try. The only thing I'll add is don't fall for the trap of thinking premium plastic is better in all situations. I personally think DX is great, and a DX teebird is worth checking out as well. Some discs I prefer in DX that others like in premium and vice versa. Go with what feels good when you pick it up.

Also if you want that frisbee feel, zephyrs are super fun to throw, and just float right on out there.

 

[glassila]

Welcome and good luck from Upper Michigan!

 

[Stardoggy]

Everybody always says DX Leopard, but I'd say get a Star Leopard. It won't beat to a flip machine right away, and you can pretty much use it forever.

 

[RamblinRedhead]

Thanks for great suggestions!

Wow! I'm so grateful for all the responses - and how friendly y'all are here! And no offense on the age thing. I actually tried to learn how to play soccer at 52. The running was not working for me - so I played keeper. I'm a glutton for punishment! I also took up motorcycle riding at 40, and still ride (though not enough!). A good day would be to ride down to the course for a nice round of DG, and then afterwards go hit some curvy back roads and explore. Lunch at a little divey barbecue place would make the day complete!

I will try to figure out if there is anywhere around here to buy anything besides Innova - though I have to say the shop I go to is really excellent on offering advice - the owner, a fellow redhead, is an avid player! He told me about this site, too. For now, a Leopard sounds like a no-brainer, and then if he has a Mako, likely that too. Then no more discs until I get those all dented up and looking good, and figure out what I'm doing.

Thanks for the advice on not doing the x-step yet - what a relief!

The MD course is NEVER crowded, so it's likely I can throw as many as I like from the tees, and experiment, and learn. If anyone comes up on me, I can always let them play through. Thanks for the great starter advice, and the encouragement. The guys out on the course just seem to gawk, and it's hard to even get them to say hello! Maybe it's the motorcycle boots?

 

[EROPPER]

Welcome to the forum and this great sport! once you know which discs to collect, you can always order them online, as well ---- free shipping on every order----> https://www.discgolfstore.com/

I would second the idea of getting the GStar plastic Leopard, for durability and grip, also the Discraft Meteor in the Z line seems to be a great beginner Mid for me and my 10 year old son, also the Discraft Avenger SS is an easy to throw Driver for newbs who accidentally hyzerflip with great glide for distance

good luck, and have fun chucking plastic around

 

[Peter S]

Another easy to throw disc is a Dragon and it also floats in water. This would be a better option for the water holes than the Wahoo for now.

 

[RamblinRedhead]

Maybe one of these days I'll play well with others. Or just play with others, though

Everybody always says DX Leopard, but I'd say get a Star Leopard. It won't beat to a flip machine right away, and you can pretty much use it forever.

I did end up with a Champion Leopard (that's what the PIAS store I went had) - I really like the way the plastic on that feels, and it has been throwing better for me than the Sidewinder. Last night I played a round of Me vs. Myself at my uncrowded course - threw the Leopard, a Buzzz, and my Sidewinder from each tee, to see compare, and also just practice my form more times in the round (and cheat my score down...).

It's going to take a while to drive consistently, with either power, or control. However, at each tee, I got at least 1 decent drive - by decent, I mean for me. As in 150 feet, maybe a bit over 200 feet a couple of holes. Second throw, I was usually parking it right under the basket, I'm so much better at that second throw, even when it's still fairly long . I guess I'm a midrange-type person!

 

[PBokor]

My Too

It's going to take a while to drive consistently, with either power, or control. However, at each tee, I got at least 1 decent drive - by decent, I mean for me. As in 150 feet, maybe a bit over 200 feet a couple of holes. Second throw, I was usually parking it right under the basket, I'm so much better at that second throw, even when it's still fairly long . I guess I'm a midrange-type person!

Agreed. While I carry 7-8 discs, only a couple get used for 95% of my throws.

I tee off with my ultra lightweight mid-range Shark on 15 of the 18 holes (Leo gets to play on the other three) and all upshots over 150'. The ultra light Colt gets all the short upshots and most putts. I carry another ultra light Birdie for just one hole, which sits on the side of a cliff with a raging river just beyond the basket. The heavy weight Whale is there for severe uphill/downhill putts, which my home course seems to favor and also for when the wind comes up after lunch.

Anything else in my bag is either ballast or new discs which might get a trial throw here and there.

 

[Innovafan2562]

Welcome from IL. The best advice is to not get discouraged and just keep chuckin' that plastic!