How to Play Disc Golf Well

Disc golf is different from traditional golf. First, you use a disc instead of a ball. Second, you don't need any golf clubs. Third, instead of a hole in a green, the target is a wire basket suspended below something like a basketball hoop with hanging chains set a few feet above the ground. Additionally, the holes are typically only 400 to 500 feet long. Admission to these courses is either free or costs only a nominal fee at many public parks.

A disc bag is used to carry the array of various discs that may be needed for different situations. Clothing is much less formal than golf. Disc golf apparel is casual and loose-fitting to allow the movements necessary for throwing.

Disc golf was invented in 1976, a decade or so after flying discs were introduced to the world. The game is played over eighteen holes and uses the same terminology as golf with tees, greens, par, bogie, hazards, approach shots and putts. The tee in disc golf is usually a concrete pad and the drive off the tee and subsequent shots are called throws.

Throws are made with one hand either backhand, overhand or forehand. The first throw off the tee is a backhand shot for distance and should travel at least 300 to 400 feet. The flight path for a right-hander should start out going right, come back to the middle and end slightly to the left.

A backhand throw gets its power from the high speed of the arm and the snap of the wrist from a cocked position. An actual snap sound should be heard when a backhand throw is done correctly. If there is no snap, a player should switch to discs of the type called under-stable. Over-stable discs are used by experts for very long throw distances. In ranking, under-stable discs are those with low numbers; over-stable discs have high numbers.

Forehand throws or Tomahawks are best tried only with over-stable discs and are successful only if sufficient snap is generated by arm speed and a reverse wrist-cock. An overhand throw with mid-rank discs generates the height needed to avoid obstacles. Extra height can also be gained with a throw called the Scoobie by placing the thumb inside the lip instead of outside.

Putting is a short distance throw that can be done either backhand from the chest or forehand, with one foot in line with and behind the other. It is also possible to putt with the feet side by side, either forehand or backhand.