Minis, what's the deal?

[Nick Phoenix]

Hi, I'm just learning about Disc Golf.
What is the deal with minis?
I understand their purpose in play, but why a mini?
Why not another disc, or any other object?
Do people actually use minis for play, under what circumstances?
I've seen clubs have tournaments that say the entry fee is $5 and a mini, what do they do with the mini?
Just wanted to know, what's the deal?
Thanks!

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Yeah its a pretty dumb concept in reality. Some people do use other approved diameter objects i believe.

Minis are just fun in general.

 

[juju]

 

[DavidSauls]

Basically silly. But....

I know some people who can throw them pretty well, just for kicks. There are minis designed for flight, more or less.

There are special mini baskets, about 2' tall. At our tournament, we sent up a 9-hole mini course and play a little mini-golf tournament on Saturday evenings. Just for kicks.

Why are there minis? I dunno. I always get the feeling that disc golf is trying to look a little bit like golf, when they mark their ball on the green. But, if you're going to have them, you might as well find a way to have fun with them.

 

[Quinum]

Yeah minis are a bit weird. I have one in case I play with folks who like to use them. My buddies and I just flip our discs forward one length, keeping the leading edge of the disc on the ground. Then we put our foot down where the disc used to be...same concept as the mini I guess, just using the disc that's already there instead of picking it up.

 

[JC17393]

Originally, the rules stated that you had to mark your lie with another disc, but it could not be a disc you threw in play. So to avoid confusion and arguments over which disc was the marker and which was the thrower, discs that were too small to use in play (minis) were introduced to serve the purpose. From there, the rule was eventually changed to require use of a mini disc rather than a full size disc for marking purposes (the 1990 revision).

 

[Aim For The Chains]

thanks I was going to ask if someone truly had the "history" of the mini lol.

Wonder what the first ones produced were?!

 

[captain jack]

Maybe I like the way it feels in my pocket.

Its better as a fairway marker if you use a run up because your less likely to step on it and slip.

Last, because it fits my putting ritual.

You are free to use one, or not, that is the relaxed nature of disc golf.

 

[Steve West]

thanks I was going to ask if someone truly had the "history" of the mini lol.

Wonder what the first ones produced were?!

I think they pre-date disc golf. I remember throwing little Frisbees as a young'n.

 

[Nick Phoenix]

I was just told by someone on facebook that they use them to pull pairings for random doubles also.

 

[The Birdie Beast]

Would it be legal to have a mini with spikes on the bottom that dig into the ground? I just know that if your lie is on a bush, long grass, or a dirt hill the mini can get bumped around.

 

[tampora]

From what I gather.. it used to be alright to flip your disc in order to plant your foot at the forwardmost point of your lie. However, someone was caught (maliciously or innocently unaware, who knows) flipping their disc more than once for a few extra feet advantage. Thus, you can either leave your disc alone and play from behind it... or, you can put a mini in front of it and play from where your disc used to be.

Usually your disc lands right side up. However, if it landed upside down, then you flipped it right side up, and if there was a break in play... you could later forget it was upside down to start and flip it again accidentally.

 

[RistoS]

According to the current rules, a mini is generally an alternative way to mark a lie. However, it is required to use a mini to mark a lie when a thrown disc cannot be used (shot gone OB, disc stuck in a tree, etc).