How far is average for first time players?

[Armus Patheticus]

It seems like our various backgrounds and the history of our work and use of our bodies explains the wide variance in first-time results.

It has often been said that strength is not the key to throwing far, which is mostly true. But physical fitness makes a difference, and that term means something different to me than is probably usual. I view physical fitness as the bodies' fitness to be used for whatever is demanded of it. The only way to get this fitness is to demand a lot, in terms of quantity and variety, from your body.

Perhaps this is why the best first-timers I have seen have been working, diversely active, rural people: Mennonite kids, farmers, builders, and my brothers. Having never thrown a disc golf disc, my body had a general enough understanding of itself in relation with itself and with the mass it touched to throw it relatively well. I can only imagine that this came from a life of constant doing, for I am not an athlete, or particularly graceful or strong.

Ideas, stories, or alternative theories?

 

[LateWesternSky]

If you throw relatively well, than why the username?

 

[DiscFifty]

You don't have to be in shape or an athlete to throw a disc far or putt well, etc. That's the initial beauty of this sport and why it has attracted such a diverse community of players.

 

[ray1970]

Too often, there is more emphasis put on how far a person can throw instead of how well you can throw or how well you can play in general.

I play with a lot of athletic people half my age who could crush a drive for distance even when they were just starting out. The problem was they didn't have much control over where it would land, couldn't throw a decent upshot, and struggled with putting. Even though their youth and athleticism gave them a distance advantage on me right out of the gate, I usually shot lower scores.

Bad part for me is those guys have stuck with it and gotten much better. Now they have a solid game to go with that distance and its a rare day when they don't beat me in a round.

 

[disco40]

I think for beginners, some people have "snap" in them, and some don't. The ability to move their arm really fast for a very short period of time while also engaging their legs/hips. Kinesthetic awareness, you could call it. The rest of us have to learn, or re-learn this as a skill. Some yet have surplus raw arm power that will see them through the early noob days.

Not to take this analogy too far, because throwing a disc is way harder than breaking balls in pool, but being physically strong was not important in breaking the balls hard. It was about every other subtle thing you could think of. Tiny guys or skinny guys (and gals) could absolutely crush the rack. Conversely, sometimes the big guys had no "snap," but they could strong-arm their break well enough to get by.

One big physical barrier in disc golf though, maybe the most important, seems to be hip mobility. If you can't engage the hips in a powerful way, by hook or by crook, you're not going to throw as far as you want. If you're relatively young and fit with good hips and you have some decent body awareness and ability to snap, you're gonna throw far. Basically, all young people will be able to throw far soon after starting, barring some major lack of coordination. And disc golf will build coordination for those who start off wonky.

This is basically "old man yells at cloud" when it comes down to it, but those are my impressions.

 

[scooby snack]

This is subjective to each individual. You might as well ask what par is.

 

[Moose33]

It's hard to say. I could throw an overhand shot 300 my first time out, but it took me years to learn a good backhand. Could forehand 400 within 2 months of playing.

My wife, who is small but a great athlete could throw nearly 300 on the reg by her 3rd round and if she played more than twice per year could easily compete in open women locally.

I have another friend who is a tall in shape guy but never a competitive athlete and it's taken years for me to teach him to throw decent.

It's super subjective and person specific I think, but I think if you know how to use your body well it gives you an immediate edge.

 

[Dingus]

Some people have brains that are wired for proper kinetic motions. It is like pitching; you don't train pitchers, you take people with the natural ability to throw a ball with the proper kinetic chain links and you perfect them. To take a random baseball player and train them to be a pitcher would be a complete waste of time. Same goes for disc golf. Some people come into it with the proper brain chemistry to create the ideal kinetic chain. It doesn't matter how muscular they are, all that matters is that the CNS can inform the existing muscles to act in cooperation.

To answer the thread question, those with a natural kinetic understanding throw around 350' their first time, while those without that ability start in the 200' range. It may only take the naturally talented person a year or so to achieve 400+, while the untalented may struggle for years to even achieve the 350'. The least important part in this whole equation is fitness level, although those with developed kinetic awareness generally have better fitness because physical activity is generally more rewarding for them.

Proof that muscle doesn't matter:

 

[BillFleming]

It's all in timing and form. Take ball golf....you can be a young, muscular person like Tiger Woods (was) and have a 100+ MPH swing speed. But if your form and/or timing is off, that ball isn't going where you want it to go. It's the same with disc golf....strength isn't important until your form and timing is accurate/consistent.

 

[jmdaire27]

450'? 600'? Who knows?

I agree with the sentiment that, in general and for the majority of players, having accuracy and a well rounded game will likely result in playing better and enjoying the game more. Putt often!

 

[Steve West]

....strength isn't important until your form and timing is accurate/consistent.

Oh, strength is pretty important. Lack of strength will limit how far the disc can go. But almost all young men have a sufficient amount of strength for respectable distances.

 

[BillFleming]

Oh, strength is pretty important. Lack of strength will limit how far the disc can go. But almost all young men have a sufficient amount of strength for respectable distances.

I didn't say that strength isn't important. I said "strength isn't important until your form and timing is accurate/consistent." I believe a player needs to work on form and timing first....then strength. Someone who only has strength is going to throw far, but their throw will be all over the place. Once a player's form and timing is correct, they will have accuracy and some distance. Then add in the strength and their distance will increase.

 

[armiller]

I'd say that between 18 and 84 percent of players should be able to throw 300' on their first day.

(This is inspired by some less than helpful medical literature I remember reading a few years back)

 

[Armus Patheticus]

If you throw relatively well, than why the username?

One day I was driving through Ashland Ky, and I stopped to play the courses there. A bunch of guys showed up for cash doubles, it must have been a Saturday or Sunday morning. They had an odd number and asked if I wanted to join, which I did. We played the long course, long tees, and after a few holes at which I performed exceptionally unwell, my irritated partner complained that I "should have told them I had a pathetic arm".

A lot of wild things happened at that park. I can't even remember what it's called.

 

[LateWesternSky]

One day I was driving through Ashland Ky, and I stopped to play the courses there. A bunch of guys showed up for cash doubles, it must have been a Saturday or Sunday morning. They had an odd number and asked if I wanted to join, which I did. We played the long course, long tees, and after a few holes at which I performed exceptionally unwell, my irritated partner complained that I "should have told them I had a pathetic arm".

A lot of wild things happened at that park. I can't even remember what it's called.

I guess that really stuck with you.

 

[dr.chainslove]

Armco Park. 36 holes and 72 pads through some wild elevation. Sounds like you played the Blues.

 

[air show]

First round I would say 200ft. I found that a change in grip from using a Wham-O grip with index finger on the rim to a power grip was the first big step in distance.

 

[Armus Patheticus]

I guess that really stuck with you.

Yes, this comment persisted as my disc golf identity evermore. Oh I was devastated.

 

[Casey 1988]

I played for my first time age 13, and I threw about 80 feet at a time due to being on the Basketball team in Middle school but then I threw more wild at the first few outings, having lost a disc of the 2 the uncle gave me, a Stingray I had to use my Rubber Putter only for a year, at the time there was nowhere in my town to buy a Disc golf disc, now local sports store and Walmart sell Innova and so because of nowhere to buy discs got to know how to use touch. I did not know what I would like in discs so I could not buy online as the one company that always shows the Profile had not started to do that in 2003 plus I need to feel discs in my hand.

 

[davetherocketguy]

The real question that isn't being asked in order to address the thread title: Real life distance or internet distance?