My guide to finding lost discs

[Adamblakeroth]

Of course we all know the best way to make sure you don't lose a disc is to have lots of eyes on it as you throw. However, I play alone a bunch. And when you're as good as I am (not), chances are you'll spend a good chunk of time searching for that errant annie shot that didn't flip back over, or that hyzer that doglegged before the dogleg...Anyway, I've had pretty good luck with two disc finding techniques and I thought I'd share.

1) Visualize where the disc would've gone if there weren't any trees/bushes/brush to disturb the flight path. Guess where it would've landed the best that you can, then start there, and make a path back to where you lost sight of the disc. Unless you ricocheted it off a tree at 500 mph, it's been my experience that this usually works.

2) If tip one doesn't work, I'll try to get as high up as possible in the general area that the disc might be. Down here in Louisiana, that's often a down tree. I've found that a lot of times finding a disc just involves changing your perspective a bit.

Finally, and I imagine most dg players are pretty good with this, don't worry about snakes/spiders/sloths/creepy crawlies of any kind. In fact, don't even think about them. I've walked through thousands of webs and never been bitten. Also, I've seen countless snakes and 100% of the time, they saw me first and made the decision to go in the other direction, rather than unleash their snake fury on me or offer me some tasty forbidden fruit.

What techniques do you have for finding those discs you spent good money on?

 

[bazillion]

Welcome to the site! Here are my rules ...

Rule #1: Your disc is usually where you think it is. Go there first.

Rule #2: Go back to the teepad and replay your shot. See where the disc went, and then see Rule #1.

Rule #3: Start high, work low. If your disc ducks into the schule, check the trees and bushes first. (I do this religiously because I'm basically lazy and would rather reach up than down.)

Rule #4: Karma. You did mark your disc, didn't you?

Rule #5: If all else fails, remember that your next disc is as close as the marketplace

 

[DiscJunkie]

Always mentally "mark" your flight path with a LandMark. As your disc goes out of sight, look at something around the last known spot to remember - "big tree" or "bent tree" or "funny-looking bush" so that you know where to go to begin looking.

 

[vonDrehle]

Gotta be honest most of this stuff seems like common sense. Just remember a lost disc is always in the LAST place you look.

Only thing I would tell a new player is be sure to look up as well.

 

[Chiefstang]

If there is a group of you looking for a disc, and having no luck, look where everyone else isn't.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard "Dude, it went farther than that.", just to find it a second later.

 

[BarkBuster]

I searched for my Ace disc the other day for about 20 minutes (I felt like an idiot after creating that "How do people lose so many discs" thread ).. after 20 minutes and scouring the hillside I decided to walk down the hill and look over next hill (probably 500ft from where my throw landed) and found it! It had rolled at least 550-600ft from where it hit the ground.. Its amazing sometimes how they can make it all the way down these wooded hills without slowing down!

My key to finding lost discs? - Keep looking for it.

 

[slowRoll]

Another good tip is if you haven't found it in the first few minutes...to go past where you think it went, then look back towards the teepad. Oftentimes changing the angle of our line of sight will help us find where it was hiding.

 

[phishbrained]

Mine biggest tip is play with colors that contrast the environment if possible. People can make fun of your bright pink driver, but it sure is easy to see. All the other tips are great and it doesn't hurt to have a really beat up or dx version of your driver for those super nasty holes.

And look for the better possibility instead of only looking at how horrible it could have gone. I have searched for a half hour in the nastys for a drive that was under a bush 10 feet from the basket.

 

[chrishysell]

It's always been about patterns. People will come get me to look for their discs. I can pick the needle out of the haystack. I had a gf once who could walk past a patch of clovers and point at the 4-leaf clover. I have now met 2 more people playing disc golf with the same ability. Finding a lost disc is a very similar skill. I usually claim that I can smell Discraft plastic and that Innova stinks. Yes, i'm slightly nutz.

 

[GLong]

Mine biggest tip is play with colors that contrast the environment if possible. People can make fun of your bright pink driver, but it sure is easy to see.

I agree with this. I also put in minimal effort when looking for someone's tye dye/green/brown/whatever disc that gets lost 5 times every round. Get something in a decent color or don't ask me to help you look for it.

 

[Adamblakeroth]

Gotta be honest most of this stuff seems like common sense. Just remember a lost disc is always in the LAST place you look.

Only thing I would tell a new player is be sure to look up as well.

Maybe it seems like common sense...but I don't see people doing any of these things very often...Either way it helps to have a plan of action

 

[tmahan]

If you've been searching the schule for awhile and have ruled out the stuck up in a tree and rolled away possibilitis consider that it's probably sitting up on edge making it harder to see. This is when it can be helpful to zig zag along the alleged line so you might catch a broadside glimpse.

 

[BarkBuster]

Oh yeah.. Dont forget to look UP! Ive searched for discs for a few minutes only to realize it is stuck in the tree right above my head.

 

[notBOB]

pretty similar to my system.

1. establish ground zero, where the disc was last seen or the perceived destination.

2. be the eyes of the disc. get low, get high; get a different vantage point that will aid your hunt.

3. stay mobile if possible. the more ground you cover the more likely you are to come across your lost soul, but don't stray too far from ground zero.

trees suck, but gotta respect em. head height discs are unnaturally hard to spot, so always be alert of whats in front of your nose.

dont give up. its there. i pride myself on my disc finding abilities. and i love to climb trees.

 

[Skunk]

My method is pretty simple....watch where it goes!

 

[notBOB]

..just figuring out snow disc...dont kick the snow around til youve already lost your mind searching!! spot the tiny little sliver where your disc went in, and always have a reference pt to where that little bastard dove in at: trees, bush, deer, whatever. same goes for non snow disc i suppose, always have a reference pt.

 

[jkdisc]

i swear this thread has been done but im no prerube

 

[Roc1Time]

Its always shorter then you think

 

[prerube]

i swear this thread has been done but im no prerube

I am and it has. I will find it before the time limit runs out.

 

[prerube]

:doh: just missed my 5 minute limit
Tips on finding lost discs