First year of disc golf thoughts

[leftsidedomination]

So I have finished my first year of disc golf. I feel that my mid range game needs a ton of work. Should I focus on that more than my driving distances? Been working on putting a lot lately, because I have been slacking a ton in that. Thinking I should work on putting for at least 1 hour every day. In the winter it is tough to really work on my game with sliding all over the tee pad, so I was thinking on just focusing on getting used to the mid ranges in my bag. Try and get my buzzz to 300 feet or more, once I find shoes that will work on the tee pad. Let me know what you guys think. Any help would be glady appreciated.

 

[tbird888]

There is no right or wrong answer, but here's my take. Due to the slippage of an icy teepad, it's a great time to work on your standstill throws. It'll help you work on involving your core and lower body into producing power more than just your arm. It's also a good time to get yourself a broomstick (or basket/bucket on a pole/anything that will give you something to putt at) and work on your putting and the muscle memory of your putting stroke. Since you're working on form more than scores, putters and mids are great to throw. Since they tend to float more than drivers, they'll stay on top of the snow easier (not always) when they land.

Glad to hear you've been bitten by the bug. Take it easy and be careful on those teepads. I would say a shoe/boot with a Vibram sole would be one of your best options. The last thing you want to do is slip and fall!

 

[leftsidedomination]

Was thinking about jsut using the heavy duty/clunky boots that I use for hiking in the snow. Distance doesn't really matter for me in the winter, I just want to better my game. I have a month until my next tournament. I really want to be prepared for it. Roughly how many practice putters should I have?

 

[scarpfish]

The object of the game is to complete the course in as few throws as possible. Where are you getting the strokes at? That's where you should focus.

I would suspect for most new players, the majority of the damage is being done within 100 feet of the pin.

 

[g2avity]

Towel drills, Dan Beato's pec drill, hammer drills will all help and can be done indoors. Check the sticky thread in the Technique & Strategy section for specifics.

 

[leftsidedomination]

My game is being hurt right now on the putting and throwing the line that I need to hit. My short game I have all figured out. I'm more confident with a mid range in my hand or my go to jk for up shots. If I can be consistent in driving distance/hitting the line and be accurate in putting, I would be a much better player

 

[takman]

Forget about distance, forget about the course. Find an open field or a park with a few trees to throw around and just throw. Get to know your discs by sheer repetition. Practice all the types of throws you know and learn some new ones you don't throw often. Get a practice basket and putt till you cant stand it.

 

[tbird888]

Sounds like you know where to focus already.

As for practice putters, despite the stack I have, I usually use two. Knowing I'll be walking to the basket a lot more with less chances to correct any errors, there are no throw away putts. I'm forced to keep my focus on the current putt.

 

[leftsidedomination]

So I really only need 2-3 putters for practice?

 

[TheArnoldPalmer]

i'm sorta in the same place as you only playing a year but seriously... I'd say the biggest things i've noticed in helping my game is:

-playing with better players
-cutting the amount of discs I carry in half. (really no reason to be carrying 30+ discs if you've been playing for a year. Get good with the essential discs you really need!)
-get good at putting (after all the tourneys I've played this year... Nothing worse than parking a long hole and missing a 10ft putt!)

 

[leftsidedomination]

I've been cutting my molds down in my bag. Decided on carrying like 8-10 molds now. Carry about 20 discs. Going out and getting some new plastic this weekend. Was thinking about the Nuke, Force, Eagle, Leopard, Stalker. Any suggestions on those? Right now I have the Beast, 1 Roadrunner, 2 Nuke SS(flippy as ever, yet brand new), 1 new eagle, beat pro Leopard, 2 Zombees, 1 new Buzzz, 1 new Hornet. Have to get more of the buzzz. Debating between the Stalker and the Leopard

 

[tbird888]

Again...my advice, not gospel (about improving your game - if you just want to have fun, ignore me)

Carrying all those molds will not allow you to develop different "throws". You'll wind up carrying a bunch of shots instead of carrying discs that complement your throws. I would recommend one or two drivers, one neutral mid, and one putter. No one wants to hear that because plastic is fun. I know I didn't at your stage of the game. It wasn't until I started cutting back that I started to develop better release angles and more diverse throws (FH, BH, OH, Roller) because I had to do it or suffer score wise. I learned more throwing one disc rounds than I did carrying a full bag. (Again...advice, not gospel) You would be better served to frequent the technique forum, not the equipment forum.

If you're not getting 300' out of your Buzzz, I wouldn't be carrying any drivers faster than the Eagle. The super fast molds might give you distance, but they will also slow both the development of your arm speed and the reduction of OAT. Pushing distance out of your slower drivers (and definitely your mids and putters) all winter will pay off in huge dividends when the discing "season" returns.

As for putting, you technically only need one putter for practice. Much like field work, having another one is another putt before you have to retrieve. Just remember to reset between putts. Don't just stand and deliver. You're practicing to build muscle memory and develop a routine as much as you are sinking putts.

 

[leftsidedomination]

Thanks for the advice. Will for sure be using my fairway drivers more this winter. I'm getting my eagle out there about 290 without much effort. I'll stick with the slower plastic until I can become confident throwing the faster plastic.

 

[Gabby608]

Like you, I am fairly new to this game. I have been playing less time than you, but I do play 5 to 15 rounds a week on a short course because I have been striving to improve my midranges. I practice putting in the backyard everyday for at least 30 minutes, but I think the thing that has helped more than all the rest, is the fact that I took everything that was too fast out of my bag. I now only carry a X Soft Focus for putting (which I will soon do away with because I have tried a $$$ Magic, and I love it), a beat in R-pro Aviar P-A, a heavy Z Buzzz, a Gator (which I am just learning), a slightly beat Star TL, a nearly new Cyclone, an extremely beat JLS for turnovers and rollers (which I just started working on), and finally a Champion Beast for headwind drives, which happen all too often here in Southwest Oklahoma. In short, reducing the number of molds, and keeping disc speeds to 7 or under (except the Beast) has helped me greatly. I do plan to make some changes to the bag, after the first of the year, which will reduce mold numbers even further. I hope this gives you some insight as to what has helped me. In general, less molds and learning different shots with each mold. Oh, and PUTTING, PUTTING, PUTTING!!!
Hope this helped, Travis Gabbard.

 

[LeddZepp8687]

If you are really itching to buy new plastic then a stalker is a great addition to any bag in my opinion. My Ti Stalker is by far, without a doubt my favorite disc. I can punch it down a straight an narrow fairway or throw it on any line and it will hold it.

As far as any 'SS' discs by discraft being flippy, you have arm speed now so unless you are looking for discs to perform turnover shots you might want to consider taking them out. I have 3 SS discs that I got early on that will flip over if I put any arm on them. I have a nuke SS that I got used that I wanted to try to use for longer turnover shots but even if I slow my arm down and attempt to hyzer-flip it will turn over pretty hard. Maybe I am wrong in my beliefs about the 'SS' discs but those are for players with less throwing power, right?

 

[knettles]

Less high speed drivers is good advice, but to a degree. I can't throw a Buzz 300 feet, but I can still throw a Beast a good deal farther than an Eagle (and still accurately). However, I don't have any discs over speed 10, with the exception of my Blizzard Wraith. For my power range (320 ft), I noticed my distance plateaued around speed 10/11 discs. So I stay away from speed 12 and 13 because they don't add anything. Basically, experiment and figure out where your distance starts plateauing at, then stay below that speed level for a while.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

Roughly how many practice putters should I have?

I use ten just because that's what fits into the cheap bag I bought for practice putters. I have about fifteen because I have four different bags.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

Oh and BTW on discs in general, when I've had to lay off and then start over, I found the best thing to do is to work up to faster discs. IOW take putters as far as you can before moving to mids and progress to faster discs as you can.

 

[Dan H.]

I usually practice putting with 15-20 putters. They should be similar or the same mold but inside 25 feet, I don't think it matters much.

Practice everything: putting, aproach, technical and wide open distance drives.

I do recommend not using very many discs. Pick 1 or 2 midrange and fairway drivers that are beginner friendly/ work for you and get to know those really well. I think too many beginners start buying tons of discs and it slows their development because they are constantly having to learn new discs.