How much disc golf do you play//prevent injury?

[treethacker]

I try to play as often as possible but lately life has gotten in the way plus since my backhand never goes more than a couple of hundred feet its pretty discouraging to expect a whole lot of great scores! Pretty much resigned to the fact that I will never figure out that throw.
Usually my right knee and hip hurt after a game but I have found that a day or so of rest usually gets it to feeling better so later on I go back out and hurt it again.
Many here would say "its your form that is hurting you" to which I would say "your right!"Just can't figure out how to correct it.

 

[Airfishey]

I play every day for the most part. Might take 1 day off a week or so for rain or because I don't feel like going out. I never really have to do anything to keep my arm healthy though. I feel like if I threw a lot of overhand I would definitely have to ice the shoulder though. Kind of like how baseball pitchers need to ice more than softball.

 

[Adaven]

weight training in the off season has helped me to be able to throw without any soreness the next day. I would note that any time you rely to heavily on overhand shots you're asking to be sore.

 

[treethacker]

There's an Off season for disc golf?? When did that start??

 

[KMaC]

I throw backhand.

I play almost every day and never have to ice up my shoulder. You should try it some time.

 

[Posey Ching]

I throw sidearm.

I play almost everyday and never have to ice up my shoulder.

 

[JMONEY]

I play a course almost everyday and if I don't then I hit up the soccer or football field and will unload anywhere from 30-200 drives. My arm shows no sign of soreness but my shoulder has one time, never again?

 

[DiscBiscuit]

weight training in the off season has helped me to be able to throw without any soreness the next day. I would note that any time you rely to heavily on overhand shots you're asking to be sore.

There is NO off-season. Saturday winter leagues at Flip City, and Sunday
winter leagues at McGraft. All winter long, no breaks really helps.

I play at least 2 times a week, every week, 52 weeks a year. I'm 30, and have never had problems with
my health. My friends are a different story though. Backs, shoulders, knees,
ibuprofen........

 

[Feli]

Disc golf is more of a recreational game than a sport IMO. I think of it much more like bowling or archery than actual sports like tennis, basketball, etc. I guess I never viewed DG as something you have to "train for" or "recover from"?? My warm up is the walk from the car to first tee, with maybe a couple shoulder circles lol. Sidearm is tougher on your shoulder, though; you are using a lot less of your strong trunk muscles and asking a lot of your pec and shoulder.

If some of you really play every day or even multiple courses per day, maybe you could try getting more high glide discs (valkyrie, dragon, leopard, cobra, etc) and throwing backhand to let them (instead of your arm) do the work? With work, I don't have time to play more than maybe 1-2 rounds per week - sometimes only 1-2 per month if it's busy. Even when I was in college and had a lot of free time, about the only times I'm even a bit worn out is when I play 18 holes and then have a second go-around... but that's really no different than just walking 5mi with a few hills. It was never anything an ibuprofen and a beer couldn't fix. I do throw backhand fwiw.

 

[ThePatrick]

There is NO off-season. Saturday winter leagues at Flip City, and Sunday
winter leagues at McGraft. All winter long, no breaks really helps.

I play at least 2 times a week, every week, 52 weeks a year. I'm 30, and have never had problems with
my health. My friends are a different story though. Backs, shoulders, knees,
ibuprofen........

That's tx golf. No off season, just some days that hurricanes cause added challenge.
But to not thread drift, stretching before and after every round, and warming up will be the biggest help. After that... some specific weight lifting or resistance training can be next step for injury prevention. Not that this makes me an expert, but I threw javelin in college and I'm married to a PT that plays more tourneys per year than almost everyone on this board.

 

[sidewinder22]

Disc-golf is a sport, its more technique than conditioning much like golf and baseball, but its an advantage to be athletic and in shape as most the top pros are. Tournaments can be quite tiring carrying around a 20-30lbs bag, and basically hiking 8mi around a mountain all day. Multi-day tourneys are tough and I always sleep well after them. I've fractured my foot and tibia, strained trap, calf, hamstring and ab muscles, tendonitis in elbow and knees from playing.

 

[Mike C]

Disc golf is more of a recreational game than a sport IMO. I think of it much more like bowling or archery than actual sports like tennis, basketball, etc. I guess I never viewed DG as something you have to "train for" or "recover from"?? My warm up is the walk from the car to first tee, with maybe a couple shoulder circles lol.

Agreed. It's a walk in the park, tossing some discs.

Back when I muscled my drives more my shoulder would get sore sometimes, but these days it's very rare for me to get sore. I have 100+ hole days too, and play every day that I can + practice putts at home. Outside of DG I go for frequent walks, skateboard and lift weights so in comparison DG is very mild. I consider it my relaxation time.

 

[Feli]

Disc-golf is a sport, its more technique than conditioning much like golf and baseball, but its an advantage to be athletic and in shape as most the top pros are. Tournaments can be quite tiring carrying around a 20-30lbs bag, and basically hiking 8mi around a mountain all day. Multi-day tourneys are tough and I always sleep well after them. I've fractured my foot and tibia, strained trap, calf, hamstring and ab muscles, tendonitis in elbow and knees from playing.

I'm not here to argue, but DG really is mostly about recreation IMO. Sure, it's one step above pool or darts, but it's just not seriously demanding physically. Let's get real: when the a sizable % who play the "sport" are also fond of Willie Nelson and Phish concerts, then it's probably not exactly the NFL or NBA we're talking about here.

Fwiw, I do tend to consider golf and a rec game too. IMO, if it doesn't ever involve running or jumping, heavy lifting, skating, etc and getting your heart racing, it's probably not a rec game and not a sport. Beer league softball would qualify, but just barely... maybe only for the outfielders and the shortstop lol. If you want to call DG a technique or finesse sport instead of a recreational game, that's fine. It's semantics. Like I've said, I've never found DG to be very demanding. I'm new here, but I'm sure there are other threads on this "is DG a real sport" topic lol.

 

[jimbosprint]

OUCH! Pulled a muscle in my side today. Slipped on a rubber tee and tried to catch myself - with terrible results. Couldn't throw more than 50 ft afterwards and didn't finish the round. Hope this feels better tomorrow.

 

[sidewinder22]

I'm not here to argue, but DG really is mostly about recreation IMO. Sure, it's one step above pool or darts, but it's just not seriously demanding physically. Let's get real: when the a sizable % who play the "sport" are also fond of Willie Nelson and Phish concerts, then it's probably not exactly the NFL or NBA we're talking about here.

Fwiw, I do tend to consider golf and a rec game too. IMO, if it doesn't ever involve running or jumping, heavy lifting, skating, etc and getting your heart racing, it's probably not a rec game and not a sport. Beer league softball would qualify, but just barely... maybe only for the outfielders and the shortstop lol. If you want to call DG a technique or finesse sport instead of a recreational game, that's fine. It's semantics. Like I've said, I've never found DG to be very demanding. I'm new here, but I'm sure there are other threads on this "is DG a real sport" topic lol.

Rec play is just that, rec play. Disc golf can be whatever you make it and courses can vary from real easy pitch n putts to quite difficult courses that play through ski resorts and mountains. I can swim drunk, so does that make all swimming a rec sport?

To win a Pro disc golf tourney requires a good bit of athletic ability. Its hard to argue that the reigning world champ aka Avery Jenkins is not an athlete. You were saying something about involving running, jumping...

 

[dukdukgolf]

I'm not here to argue, but DG really is mostly about recreation IMO. Sure, it's one step above pool or darts, but it's just not seriously demanding physically. Let's get real: when the a sizable % who play the "sport" are also fond of Willie Nelson and Phish concerts, then it's probably not exactly the NFL or NBA we're talking about here.

Fwiw, I do tend to consider golf and a rec game too. IMO, if it doesn't ever involve running or jumping, heavy lifting, skating, etc and getting your heart racing, it's probably not a rec game and not a sport. Beer league softball would qualify, but just barely... maybe only for the outfielders and the shortstop lol. If you want to call DG a technique or finesse sport instead of a recreational game, that's fine. It's semantics. Like I've said, I've never found DG to be very demanding. I'm new here, but I'm sure there are other threads on this "is DG a real sport" topic lol.

your simply an imbecile. I mean that in the best possible way of course. No way i waste my time picking through your entire post but wow. You must put very little effort into anything,,thats why everything is rec for you. very sad really.


Other than that guy,,,good to see all the responses to this thread. Im actually surprised by how many people dont do much in way of conditioning,,especially if your playing a couple rounds a day. Personally i think better conditioning is gonna be the future with disc golf just as it revolutionized ball golf.

I remember a story of tiger woods when he first started on the tour and Lehman and a couple other golfers were eating breakfast before a tournament. They saw tiger woods going for a 5 mile run before the start of a tournament. That was totally unheard of until woods came along. Now, most of the top ball golfers have personal trainers and the craziest workouts and conditioning (check out a few of the woods workouts that have been published,,its beyond nuts).

The fact of the matter is that the stronger,tighter,more agile and more flexible your muscles are, the better your muscles will perform. It has revolutionized ball golf and there is no reason why the same idea cant apply to disc golf.

What conditioning is best is the question i think. Flexibility, agility exercises would be good id think but would still like to learn some weight training if anyone is doing some. Kettle balls and maybe some cable work? not sure.

 

[Cyclops]

I hit a new personal record for playing this week. I had to burn up some vacation from last year so I took the week off and wanted to hit some courses that I haven't played with my 14 year old son. Let me say I'm 45 and in good physical shape compared to most guys my age. I have played every day for 8 out of the 9 days I've been off. Minimum 3 rounds of 18 holes and some 27. After the 3rd day I was feeling beat-up in the morning and aching. Mostly my legs, calves and neck, the rest was okay. On the fourth morning my routine became taking two advil with my morning coffee, to help with the stiffness. After being up for 2-3 hours(up @ 5:30) I would say "okay feel good, where we playing today?" So after 39 rounds in 8 days many of them in 90 degree temps with high humidity. I think it all boils down to how good a shape you personally are in and knowing your limits. I normally start the first round playing poorly and get better on each round till I start losing accuracy on drives from the tee. When worn out after a few rounds (4-6 hrs) the short game stays the same and putting. But power drives from the tee become like a lose cannon. I'd say 50% go off the fairway or lumberjack. Seems we spend as much time looking for discs in the thick as driving. I still want to play and am willing to go on. However the boy starts complaining he's beat, hot and needs food. I just love to play.

On that note, I have to get ready to hit the course with the boy today (day 9). Looks like another scorcher with mega humidity. Oh! pack a water cooler and drink a lot of fluids(water) to prevent dehydration and help with fatigue. Stop when it just isn't fun anymore and becomes a chore.

 

[Feli]

...Its hard to argue that the reigning world champ aka Avery Jenkins is not an athlete...

Avery Jenkins? WTF? You mised well say Nate Doss is a well conditioned athlete. I'd love to see either of those guys be competitive in a triathalon, full court basketball game, or any real sport (besides maybe shotput?). Geez, at least cite Climo or one of the Euro pros who are in good shape if you're gonna say DG is a serious athletic event which requires tons of training and top cardio conditioning.

We'll just agree to disagree. Some view DG as a walk in the park, and others think it's a straining sport. When your heart rate probably doesn't top 100 (and if it did, it's due to being nervous or being out of shape and walking up a hill), I have trouble calling it anything more than a rec game. Again, JMO. It's great if some of you guys are playing so much DG that you're getting tired and sore from it, but you'd probably have nearly the same effects from just hiking around the forests and mountains.

 

[Feli]

your simply an imbecile...

There's absolutely no need for name calling and computer toughguy stuff; we're adults here (I would assume?). There's no need to make mistakes with homonyms that you were taught in 3rd grade either, but that's neither here nor there.

...I remember a story of tiger woods when he first started on the tour and Lehman and a couple other golfers were eating breakfast before a tournament. They saw tiger woods going for a 5 mile run before the start of a tournament. That was totally unheard of until woods came along. Now, most of the top ball golfers have personal trainers and the craziest workouts and conditioning (check out a few of the woods workouts that have been published,,its beyond nuts).

The fact of the matter is that the stronger,tighter,more agile and more flexible your muscles are, the better your muscles will perform. It has revolutionized ball golf and there is no reason why the same idea cant apply to disc golf.

What conditioning is best is the question i think. Flexibility, agility exercises would be good id think but would still like to learn some weight training if anyone is doing some. Kettle balls and maybe some cable work? not sure.

I would tend to agree a bit here. DG isn't anywhere near the amount of walking which ball golf is, but especially on hot + humid days, there will be some level of overall fatigue which begins to sap the power from players who are out of shape. I don't think it's appreciable in DG since you really get any reasonable amount of time to casually walk to your disc and perform the next shot. The only exception might be the rare situations where you're hustling to find a disc in the long grass or trees during a tourney to avoid a penalty. Like any sport, the heart is the most important muscle, and cardio is the foundation.

 

[Mike C]

I play nearly every day and do high intensity weight lifting 2 or 3 times a week, plus a lot of skateboarding in between. I find eating right and getting sleep is all I need to keep going. Having something to smoke and drink at the end of the day is nice too.