Similar to golf, disc golf is a sport that involves throwing a disc at a target. Invented by Ed Headrick in the early 1900s, disc golf has risen to popularity around the world, especially in the western continents. Although the sport may seem simple at the beginning, no sport is without its complications. One such confusion a newbie may encounter is choosing the discs to use.
In this article, we will summarize all you need to know about the sport and help choose the discs that will be right for you.
What is Disc Golf?
In short, disc golf is a sport where players throw a flying disc at a target. The game can either be played as singles or doubles. The main goal of the game is to have the lowest number of total throws while hitting your targets.
What is Needed to Play the Sport?
The first thing will be to find a disc golf course near you. As the game of disc ball is quite long, it is advisable to bring some supplies like water and snacks in a bag. The bag will also be used to carry the most important item required to play the game, which is the disc itself. To play our best, we need to test out different types of discs so without further ado, let us get started.
Choosing Golf Discs
Golf discs come in four categories: distance drivers, fairway drivers, midrange drivers, and putters. Each of these discs has its specialty. Distance travelled is perhaps the most important for beginners. You may choose from Axiom disc golf discs, which are currently the best disc golf discs on the market and come in a variety of colours. Now, it’s time to take an in-depth look at each of these golf discs categories.
Distance Drivers
As the name implies, distance drivers are specialized in travelling far distances at high speeds. These discs have broad rims and sharp noses and can cut through the air at incredible speed. Provided with enough strength and proper technique, distance drivers can travel up to 400 feet. These drivers have the biggest learning curve among the rest.
As exciting as the disc sounds, it is not recommended to start with these drivers. The disc requires a lot of precision and practice; throw it incorrectly, and you’ll see it lose control and drop earlier than expected, which can be very frustrating. Furthermore, the momentum and sharp design of the disc are quite dangerous and may cause injuries. Hence, it is recommended that children and beginners refrain from using these discs until they gain more experience.
Midranges
Discs that follow your command and do not deviate from their path easily unlike fairway and distance drivers which require more precision and are harder to use overall. Midrange discs have fewer aerodynamic edges and fly slower. However, they do have smaller rims that fit in most people’s hands and the rim can also be deeper than the drivers.
With their beginner-friendly design, midrange discs provide optimum control and precision. This helps in the disc landing close to the basket and can be used to tee off easily. It is an excellent choice as your first disc.
Control Drivers
Also known as fairway drivers, control discs don’t travel as fast as distance drivers but they are easy to control. These discs have stable flight and go straight, making them ideal for passing through tight lines.
Although fairway drivers lack the potential to travel far distances, with thinner rims and being the oldest ones in the book, fairway drivers may bring fruitful results which may outperform the long-distance drivers in the hands of someone just getting into the sport.
Putters
In contrast to drivers, a putter is slow and maintains a straight path through the air to their destination. They are also easy to control so missing the basket or avoiding going past it will not require much practice. Being able to use putters will give you an edge against other players.
Putters are incredibly simple and easy to get into the basket. However, with putters being the deepest, slowest, and thinnest rimmed discs, they will not fly long distances so you should practice with the other discs and use the putter as the final touch to finish the game.
Understanding Flight Ratings
Even if it seems confusing at first, learning what the flight ratings mean will help you figure out which discs are good for you and will also impress your children. There are four numbers on a disc representing four qualities: speed, glide, turn and fade. ‘Speed’ is the amount of force you have to use to throw the disc for it to fly properly, ‘Glide’ is how long the disc can stay in the air, ‘Turn’ is how much the disc turns when thrown and lastly, ‘Fade’ is the amount the disc turns left or right by the end of its journey.
In Conclusion
Although reading all this may have you confused, disc golf is quite a fun and simple sport which is perfect for a day out with your kids. It is just as fun with friends and can get everyone in a competitive mood, and winning may even give you bragging rights. As we all know, practice makes perfect so even if you struggle for the first few days of picking up disc golf, at some point you will become an impressive player. We hope that this article has made you familiar with everything there is to know about the sport of disc golf. Good luck and Have fun!
