Disc golf driving instruction focuses on teaching players how to throw a disc accurately and with distance. The key elements of a good drive include grip, stance, and arm motion.
Grip: The way a player holds the disc is crucial for accurate throws. The most common grip is the power grip, where the disc is held with the fingers wrapped around the rim and the thumb on the top of the flight plate. The key is to keep the disc stable and secure in the hand while allowing for a smooth release.
Stance: A good stance allows for maximum power and control. The player should stand with their feet shoulder-width apart and point their feet slightly forward. The player should also bend their knees slightly and keep their weight on the back foot, as this will allow them to transfer their weight forward during the throw.
Arm Motion: A good arm motion is key to generating power and accuracy. The player should start with the disc behind their back and bring it forward with a fluid motion. The arm should be fully extended at the point of release, with the disc tilted slightly upward to generate lift.
Once players have mastered the basics, they can focus on more advanced techniques such as hyzer, anhyzer, and rollers shots. Hyzer shots are thrown with the body tilted forward allowing the disc to curve to the left. Anhyzer shots are thrown with the body leaning slightly backwards allowing the disc to curve to the right. Rollers shots are thrown to make the disc roll along the ground after it lands.
To help improve your game getting field practice is key to becoming a good driver off the tee. Practice gives you the chance to study the flight patterns of different discs and understanding how wind conditions can impact that flight pattern.
Basics of Disc Golf
Disc golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world with men, women and children of all ages discovering how to play disc golf. As you might have guessed, it is similar to the regular golf that we are used to but rather than the clubs and balls that are used to play in regular golf, disc golf involves use of golf discs.
Disc golf is a game as simple as the traditional golf, where players use discs that are smaller than traditional Frisbees instead of balls and clubs. In simple words, it is a flying disc game where a player has to throw a disc to a specific target with precision and accuracy.
Talking about the basics of the sport, the disc is thrown from a particular place called ‘tee area’ to a target which is called the basket or hole – an elevated metal basket. As a player progresses he should take his next throw from the spot where the previous throw has landed. The golf discs used today are much smaller and heavier than used previously. They weight around 150-180 grams and typically have a diameter of 20-23 centimeters. There are a wide variety of discs used in this game and are generally divided into 3 parts – putters, all-purpose mid-range discs, and drivers. This specific game shares the same joy as that of traditional golf, whether sinking a long putt or hitting a tree midway.
The golf discs are used to aim for a disc target which is erected into the ground; attached to the pole are a set of chains and a basket into which the disc is thrown. Like regular golf, disc golf courses range between 9 and 18 holes to complete a round. The game has one single objective and it is to complete each of the holes in the smallest number of throws starting from a designated area (known as the tee area) and ending at the disc target. Improving driving distance and accuracy are keys to making par on the disc golf courses. Learning the proper throwing techniques and consistent putting practice can also improve your scores.
Disc golf is really an interesting sport to get involved in and it does not really have much requirement other than to be open-minded and ready to learn as this kind of mindset is what will allow you to be successful in the sport. When you are disc golf beginner you will realize that there is a lot more to learn than you probably thought before you started playing for the first time.
So after getting the disc that suits you, then the next thing is to start practicing so that you can master the techniques one after the other. That definitely requires time which means you have to be patient such that even if you do not get the results as early as you want it, you only need it to prevent yourself from giving up but rather continue practicing. Don’t forget that practice makes perfect and as soon as you’re excellent at one technique, you move on to the next and you keep going until you have completely mastered all the techniques. Also, observe how your game changes as you successfully master and apply each technique; this allows you to measure the progress you have made.
Many disc golf beginners commit these three mistakes when they drive and putt:
3 Mistakes Disc Golf Beginners Commit
Disc Golf is not as new a sport as many people think. It has been around since the beginning of the 19th century and the modern-day version of the game was introduced in the 1970s and 1980s. However, since not many people know about it, they perceive it as a new sport and generally make it an excuse to save themselves from the embarrassment of making silly mistakes while playing it. Here are top three mistakes that beginners commit and then blame it on the regency of the sport and the eventual lack of practice.
Tensed up body
Most of the beginners get intimidated by the distance they are supposed to cover with their throw. This means that they end up with tensed muscles and as a result, a stiff body and a throw. This eventually translates into a bad throw and a bad start. You need to understand that you need to be quick with the throw and not heavy. Loosen your muscles a bit, relax, smile, gather confidence, take a deep breath and throw with all your power.
The Run-Up!
Most of the beginners do not believe in a standstill throw and instead always go up for a running throw. However, there is one thing that they do not realize and which is highly relevant. A stand still throw means that you can focus on just one thing – the throw. While, when you take a run-up and then throw, you have to take care of two things – posture and throw. When you take a run-up, you can miss the correct posture technique just before throwing. This will result in a loss of precision and accuracy. Thus, practice technique using a stand still throw and work on your precision. In case you still have to go for a run-up throw, go for a short run-up and brisk walk instead of running. Learn how to X-step.
The Grip
In disc golf, a good grip on the disc is one thing that is highly critical. Not only important, but it is also hard to achieve. A good grip is when you hold the disc tight but not so tight that you end up tensing your knuckles, and a good grip lets the free movement of the wrist but not make it sluggish. If you wish to get a good throw, you need to practice on your grip. Many new disc golf players are never able to achieve the required distance or precision because they never work on the grip. You might be doing the same.
Advantages of Playing Disc Golf
Because of the fact that the disc golf game is so easy to learn, no one is excluded from playing it. It is a game that can be played by anyone from a school going child to an old aged person. Recently many parks have golf courses already set up, most of which are free to play.
In the twenty-first century, where there is much more focus on fitness, people are finding this sport a healthy way to nourish their health and the quality of life. The movement of body associated with playing disc can help in the conditioning of body muscles, promotes physical fitness and brings in peace of mind with very little chances of getting injured.
Another advantage of playing it regularly is that you can have your concentration level increased by mastering the shots and negotiating the obstacles.
With its increasing popularity and over 85K members of PDGA, tournaments are held all the year-long in the USA. One of the largest among them is “United States Disc Golf Championship” where competitive professionals take the sport to a new level. Annual winter tournaments called ‘Ice Bowls’ are held at courses around the world. This is a sport that has been around for over four decades and in the United States alone, there are over 2,500 disc golf courses to show the popularity of this sport over the years.
Disc golf is actually very beneficial in terms of health and fitness as it helps to keep the heart rate up and also improve blood circulation in the body. It is easy to learn and as a result, it has no age restriction as anybody can play it and enjoy it.
With all the positive impacts and year-round fitness, playing this game is a sheer fun in itself- no matter of what age group or skill level you belong to.