Is putting too easy? too hard? Just right?

[BirdieMachine]

With Paul McBeth mentioning he would like to see narrower baskets put into play what do you think personally. Is putting too easy, too hard or just right for you?

 

[Chainsgoching]

I would welcome him to use a smaller target if he likes, but I would say I have plenty of challenge, outside 20ft

 

[Nasty Nate]

Just right. Not all baskets are the same size, so some end up being smaller than others. Maybe out there in Californialand they have all Discatchers and Mach X, but there is yet to be a golden standard for baskets everywhere.

Maybe smaller targets would be fun to switch things up for a more difficult round, but I think they are fine just how they are. It would be interesting to see alternative target styles though, perhaps something like throwing through a tire similar to how quarterbacks practice.

 

[onemilemore]

I would welcome him to use a smaller target if he likes, but I would say I have plenty of challenge, outside 20ft

QFT :thmbup:

 

[BirdieMachine]

I voted too easy, but coming from ball golfing as my #1 sport I've missed my share of 3 footers over 25 years. Putting is too easy guys.

 

[DavidSauls]

I voted for the narrower baskets, but it depends on how much narrower. I regularly play on a course with narrower-than-standard baskets, and I like it. But I doubt I'd care to play a course with, say, Bullseyes.

I incorporate into that thought baskets that are not narrower, but instead have the vertical opening shortened.

 

[Stardoggy]

The best disc golfer in the world thinks putting is too easy. I tend to disagree, but that's just me.

In related news, summer grass just told Kermit the Frog that it IS easy being green.

 

[whitefedora]

Pyramids pink course is bullseye baskets

 

[whitefedora]

The best disc golfer in the world thinks putting is too easy. I tend to disagree, but that's just me.

In related news, summer grass just told Kermit the Frog that it IS easy being green.

Summer grass in New Mexico would like to formally disagree.

 

[BirdieMachine]

I voted for the narrower baskets, but it depends on how much narrower. I regularly play on a course with narrower-than-standard baskets, and I like it. But I doubt I'd care to play a course with, say, Bullseyes.

I incorporate into that thought baskets that are not narrower, but instead have the vertical opening shortened.

I agree on the first part, narrower then normal but only so much Just enough so your errant putt misses. You know the one which caught chains high and outside and dropped. You know you missed the putt.

I wouldn't be for shortening the height though, I think with lob putters that would kill them.

 

[Jay Dub]

The size of the baskets, I believe, are still based on the size of a Frisbee. Since golf discs are smaller the baskets should also be smaller.

 

[MarkDSM]

I think about 4 inches narrower at the top and keep the length and two layers of chain. My own reasoning is nudge scoring separation on reasonably reachable from drive par 3s. Tighten up the landing zone for 'parked' for birdie.

 

[tomdizzlefizzle]

Looks like someone needs to build a basket between bullseye and normal size and then market it.

 

[jjpitt29]

Putting is easier than in ball golf.

BUT

Ball golf doesn't have spit outs, pass through's, ring kicks, etc. Also add in the factor that we can miss a put and then go OB (ala McBeth at worlds in the final 9). We can also miss a putt and have a longer come back, etc. Rollaways and so forth.

Putting between the sports is really impossible to compare.

Putting in disc golf is easier, but I argue that a miss in disc golf can and generally is way more punishing than in ball golf.

 

[zj1002]

I think the target size/zone of the ching skillshot is perfect. Its smaller than most baskets and is what I use for practice because of this.

 

[bbwrenn]

Statistically speaking, driving is more important than putting on the PGA tour. I know, I know "drive for show, putt for yadda yadda yadda...". But the fact is that all the best PGA tour players are great ball strikers and that's because starting in the 90s courses got longer and narrower. They called it Tiger proofing, but the trend started a bit before he came along. He did make it even more common though.

If you at PGA stats though, the best players on tour all average out to have VERY similar putting ability, the variance isn't there. The vast majority of the time someone's putting is "on fire" and "they can't miss", they're actually having a great driving and approaching round as well. They're closer to the pin on average and that makes it easier to putt.

Why did I just hit you with that wall of text? Well, I think in disc golf putting is exponentially more important at the high levels. 2 putts on holes you drove less than 35 feet from on the pro tour are death. You can't win majors if you're not sinking most of your putts inside 40 or 45'. So basically what I'm saying is that for those who want us to become or imitate ball golf, something about the targets has got to change.

Now I don't necessarily want to be ball golf at all... I love the current "tour" and I think adding more professionalism is great. But I also think the baskets are currently very appropriate for all levels of players and have become quite consistent on a professional level. Spit outs and cut throughs on really good putts on the best baskets are fairly rare for our best players.

If someone wanted to see about making baskets for "pro events" that were adjustable, now that sounds like a great idea. But changing the average basket at this point seems prohibitive of growth for our courses and casual players if not impossible to do altogether.

 

[esdubya]

Good topic..

I'll vote "other"

Would like to see different sized baskets based on the needs of the individual hole. Some bigger, some smaller. Up to the designer's discretion, in other words.

Have to be careful about making them ALL smaller. May make putting more difficult, but it would place a higher premium on parking the upshot and less people would 'go for it' on long upshots or putts. That may have a negative impact one of the more fun aspects of this game.

 

[simpletwist]

Just right. I hear all the time how we need to grow the sport. How would making it harder help? The sport is growing in part because it isn't that hard. Not to say I think it's easy. Why not use a Bullseye basket for pros?

 

[Pbmercil]

I think basket sizes are good. Now personally I would like to stop the obession with making baskets that catch better and better. If we are going to continue down that road I would like to see smaller baskets.

 

[Ted Bratton]

The targets are great in my opinion but we've all heard a few of the best putters think the game would be better if the target was made a bit tougher. I watch all of the coverage that there is and even Ricky and Paul miss often, but compared to golf they sink everything lol. Disc golf is obviously a golf game but we don't necessarily have to compare and contrast every facet to golf itself. I prefer disc golf at the moment, in a big part because of price, but golf is far and away the most refined golf game and it is smart to model disc golf's difficulty level after it. I would be all for narrower targets, more elevated targets, and more varied/tougher targets. I really enjoy courses with very challenging targets that are elevated and/or swinging, or precariously placed.