I want to argue "common knowledge" about discing down

[ArcheType]

Let me preface by saying I'm a huge advocate of discing down, its great for technique and accuracy improvement, but it is not the end all be all to being a good golfer.

Discing down is good if you want to learn, but there comes a point where its perfectly ok to stop (namely, once you're happy with your technique). I spent a long time trying to push the slowest dic out on every hole I could, and it was a great way to learn, but after playing with some adv/open players, I've seen the benefits to discing back up. I've watched guys throw bosses on 315' holes and park them every single time with a hyzer route.

My point is just because a hole is 250' doesn't mean you need to stretch to reach it with a putter when you can just park it with a mid or something faster.

 

[simpletwist]

Great minds think alike. Discing down is just one means to an end. And like they say, there's more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[New013]

i completely agree, there are times i throw my wraith fifty feet just because i need something to really hook. the idea that drivers should only be thrown when you want to go 300+ is completely shutting off a wealth of shot shaping possibilities.

i say we issue a challenge... go to the most balanced course distance wise in your area (some legit par 4's and 5's but not a really long course). play a round with just your most versatile putter, mid, and driver separately; then compare the scores and see what the result is.

i bet the result will be a lot closer than what you would think.

 

[scarpfish]

I think you guys are forgetting that discing down is supposed to be a temporary exercise to help expose and correct form flaws, so you can throw those faster discs a lot more accurately. Its not meant to be a permanent solution.

I spent a long time trying to push the slowest dic out on every hole I could, and it was a great way to learn, but after playing with some adv/open players, I've seen the benefits to discing back up. I've watched guys throw bosses on 315' holes and park them every single time with a hyzer route.

Of course they can park that shot consistently, that's what makes them adv/pro players. Those aren't the guys that discing down is meant for, (although I've seen many of those same players discing down for field practice).

But then again, how do you think they learned to do that? Probably through learning good form by throwing slower discs.

 

[ArcheType]

I mostly meant this as a message to newer players, its great if you have the technique to throw a putter 250' or 300', but it doesn't mean you have to. On a good day I can push a putter out as far as 320', but I'll be damned if I'd throw it on a 320' hole.

Push slow discs for distance as field/technique work, but dont be afraid to disc back up on your local course. I've been throwing buzzzes on everything >250', because I'm wayy more accurate throwing a buzzz at 60 or 70 percent than a putter at 80 or 90.

 

[Sid the Kid]

Obviously different discs work better on different lines. Drivers will do curvy lines better than putters, obviously.

The real benefit from discing down comes in the form of not overshooting a hole. For instance, there is a 250' easy shot on my home course. I can park it with my QOLS if I power down. Sometimes powering down doesn't work like I plan and I end up aout 50' past the basket. Or I can throw my putter full force and park it every time. There isn't much of a line to shape for this particular hole, but discing down helps me get a deuce.

There would be more of a problem if I HAD to throw my Qols to park it. So I guess what I'm saying is learn how to throw all your discs on many lines and as far as you can, so you have options.

 

[dehaas]

I agree with this. Faster discs hide flaws in form better than slower discs, and discing down I think is intended to practice form. Ultimately you wanna throw the shot that gives you the highest percentage of landing where you want. Although it does feel good to park a hole with a mid that the rest of the group is throwing drivers at.

I think you guys are forgetting that discing down is supposed to be a temporary exercise to help expose and correct form flaws, so you can throw those faster discs a lot more accurately. Its not meant to be a permanent solution.



Of course they can park that shot consistently, that's what makes them adv/pro players. Those aren't the guys that discing down is meant for, (although I've seen many of those same players discing down for field practice).

But then again, how do you think they learned to do that? Probably through learning good form by throwing slower discs.

 

[ArcheType]

I'll say it again, I completely agree that discing down is a great way to learn, probably the best way. But the only advice noobs get is disc down, disc down, disc down, I just want the information out there that there ARE times when it is ok, and sometimes even a better idea to disc back up when it comes to scoring well.

 

[Darth Anovin]

Does a ninja have only one weapon? Absolutely not! I've said this before and I'll say it again. If you land your drive with an aviar 10 feet from the basket and I land my Valk 10 feet from the basket, we both have 10 foot putts for birdie. To each his own!

 

[Darth Anovin]

And before I get blasted, let me note that I'd only be throwing that valk at 40 or 50 percent.

 

[MNcyclone]

I personally like throwing full clubs. Discs behave very differently at different speeds and spin levels. When I power down a disc, I lose consistency of speed and spin, and therefore I add uncertainty about how that disc will fly. Some players are experts at powering down discs. They have their muscle memory programmed to know exactly how that destroyer will react at every level of power. To each their own I guess, but I want each disc to be exactly the same every time I pull it out of the bag.

 

[Rythum55]

I think its up to the individual throwing the disc. Me personally will be throwing the putter. I just naturally feel better, and more relaxed when I throw harder, and know i don't have to worry about my disc doing the right thing. If a pro knows how to throw a valk to make it hit a basket 100' away, great. but i don't trust my distance discs at 100', i barely trust my mid's at 100'. Discing down is great, but knowing your arm, and your discs is better. I have family that is just getting into this, they sit there and try to throw Wraiths (which they can't turn over to begin with) 50'. I personally think its stupid to try, when you have a putter that will do it with no thought.

 

[jrawk]

1) Reiterating what scarpfish said... discing down is a practice/conditioning tool for continuing improvement.

2) It's imporant to throw what you feel confident throwing, however wide the disc's wing may be.

3) Lastly, during multiple round competitive play, if it takes less effort to throw a destroyer 300ft than it does a Leopard, i'm going to throw the destroyer and conserve my energy.

 

[Raptor]

I personally like throwing full clubs. Discs behave very differently at different speeds and spin levels. When I power down a disc, I lose consistency of speed and spin, and therefore I add uncertainty about how that disc will fly. Some players are experts at powering down discs. They have their muscle memory programmed to know exactly how that destroyer will react at every level of power. To each their own I guess, but I want each disc to be exactly the same every time I pull it out of the bag.

Me too, at this stage of my game it's full power or nothing. Well maybe not full power, more like at least "full snap".

 

[Lithicon]

There are some other things I think some forget too. Slower disc usually produce better accuracy as long as you're in about the 80% power range. While I don't personally agree with throwing a Boss on hole that short, for a few reasons; there are times to justify certain disc.

If you want to reach a reliable 315' hole, throw a Teebird on a hyzer. Or a Firebird and let it do more of the work, you'll accomplish the same task with usually a higher percentage of accuracy. I mean you can list situation after situation and those disc will usually fill it's role. There are a lot of situations though That happen to require accuracy over distance. Those could be where a slower disc shines.

Now, I'm not calling anyone out. But, if those same players put slower disc in their bag, it could take them from mediocore Int-Adv players to upper rank Int-Adv players. Then again, it could have no effect. Never know till you try.

 

[vonDrehle]

All I know is many of the top pros still carry Leopard like disc in there bag. That is enough for me to always keep one ;D.

 

[jongoff09]

I personally like throwing full clubs. Discs behave very differently at different speeds and spin levels. When I power down a disc, I lose consistency of speed and spin, and therefore I add uncertainty about how that disc will fly.

and know i don't have to worry about my disc doing the right thing. If a pro knows how to throw a valk to make it hit a basket 100' away, great. but i don't trust my distance discs at 100', i barely trust my mid's at 100'.

There are some other things I think some forget too. Slower disc usually produce better accuracy as long as you're in about the 80% power range.

I know, not exactly to the OP, but I agree with these posts ^^. I trust my discs when I throw them between 80-100% power. I know how they fly and I will not have to guess about how much more stable a disc will be when I power down on it.

 

[New013]

the purpose of the thread wasn't to tell everybody to go out and throw your drivers 150' off the tee to the pin... i think most of you are missing the point. there is a recurring theme on the forum when new people come on and they get rammed with.. drop your driver.. drop your driver, and everyone just assumes that's the best logic for every player who starts off.

what he's saying is that its okay for new players to feel like they can pull out a driver even though they can only throw it so far. we're implanting in to a lot of peoples heads that if they can't throw a wraith 320' you should never throw it. i disagree with that logic in part because sometimes there are lines you can hit with a wraith inside of 250' that you couldn't hit with anything else.

for instance, if i'm up to a water hole where the carry is 200' and the pin is 220' there are a lot of options i could choose. a lot of the times i'll grab my wraith and hyzer spike the **** out of it and land it right by the pin. i wouldn't feel comfortable pulling off that same shot with a putter or mid.

another example would be a short shot to the pin where you have to go way around an obstacle, to get the disc to fade way back at the end it's much easier to take one of your os drivers and put a lot of spin on it and go around that object and get that fade back to the pin.

i didn't say go up and throw your driver like you throw your mid; i'm saying you can shape shots with a driver that you can't really accomplish with slower speed discs.

the OP is simply pointing out that it's gotten to the point where everyone is on the extreme of no drivers until you can throw them the proper way and distance. that is very good logic for a lot of players to improve their form but it's not a one size fits all way to learn disc golf. some people might be better helped with having one or two higher speed drivers in their bag at the beginning. i think he's just asking for some people to have a more open mind when it comes to the different ways to approach the game.

 

[Triflusal]

A wraith is not a very good spike hyzer disc, and if a new player can only throw it 320' I am going to suggest he ditch it. I cannot think of a line 250' and under that a wraith is a better choice than something else.

 

[ArcheType]

I'm not advocating something that extreme as a wraith on a 250' hole, because I don't like to power down THAT much, but if I want to power down my glowzelle or PD, and I hit the line I want, then who are you (speaking generally) or anyone else to tell me I should throw a mid there?

I'm also not just using distances, all I'm trying to do is tell newer players there are occasions where it is perfectly fine to throw a mid on a 200' hole, or even a driver (I have a local hole I throw a skip on like this, instead of trying to get a putter to hyzer that hard)

So, in summation, just because you walk up to a hole and see the tee sign says X distance does not mean you HAVE a certain speed disc on it every time. Be open to new shots/lines/disc choices.

I still completely advocate discing down as a way to building consistency, accuracy, and distance.