Discover Disc Golf

22 Apr, 2017

Since its formation in the 1970s, disc golf has been called the sport of the future. With continual advances year in and year out, the future has arrived and the time for disc golf is now. This article was written to answer the question: "How to start playing disc golf?".

With the same idea as traditional golf, the objective is to throw one of a variety of discs into the target in the fewest throws possible. While traditional golf takes countless hours to master and many different clubs, you can pick up a single disc today, head to a local course, and get started.

Disc golf is designed to be a sport that has little-to-no barrier to entry. It doesn’t matter your age, gender, income level, or athletic ability. Disc golf is a sport for everyone.

It’s also great for families to play together as you all get the chance to get out of the house and learn something as a group. Don’t be surprised to see other families walking down the fairways ahead of you. We’re not kidding when we say disc golf is perfect for everyone.

The “Bug”

Once you get started in disc golf, odds are you’ll hear a phrase from nearly any other disc golfer you run into.

“I got bit by the bug.”

That bug? An addiction to disc golf.

At some point in the first few rounds of disc golf, you’ll get bit. It might be a perfect drive down the fairway that you’ve been wanting to hit, or a long putt that crashes into the chains. It could come after you set a personal best on your local course.

You head back home and when you catch yourself thinking about that big drive or what you can do differently on a difficult hole… you’ve been bit by the bug.

Where To Play?

Finding a course near you is easier than ever thanks to many online services. The PDGA Course Directory is an interactive site to find your home course or find other hidden gems around you. Also, check out the ever-growing Disc Golf Course Review database. You’ll find great comments and feedback on local courses to find where you should head next. We even have our own Ask Discmania thread for our fans' questions there. Also UDisc is a great app we recommend for finding courses.

Here's a screenshot of the Disc Golf Course Review (click the picture to access their site):

Disc Golf Course Review offers in-depth instructions for finding courses and how good they are.

You’ll likely find some courses easier than others. Don’t take that has a bad thing. While it is tempting to jump into the top level championship courses, being able to play easier courses will be a big benefit to you. Experience on all types of courses will also help.

Playing on tightly wooded courses will help you learn control off the teepad and how to hit your ideal line. Wide open courses will allow you to really let a drive rip, but the elements might play a bigger factor. Knowing how to play in all conditions will help you become an elite disc golfer.

Having a home course is important to work on the basics in a familiar environment. It might not be your favorite course, but it will always be home.

Once you feel comfortable enough to branch out from your local courses, there is nothing better than a disc golf road trip. It doesn’t have to be far, but block out a full day, pack the car, and hit the road. You can knock a few courses off your to-do list all while getting better at disc golf.

The First Step

No one knows your local disc golf scene better than other local disc golfers. The courses, the best routes on each hole, the best places to buy discs. You’ll be able to learn quite a bit by just asking around. Other players are usually happy to help you.

Just try searching online for disc golf clubs in your area. Odds are you’ll stumble upon a website or two that can point you in the right direction.

Be sure to check Facebook as well. Facebook groups for local disc golfers are quite common and can be a great place to find others to play with or where to get started.

With many online shops with great selections of discs, nothing beats being able to handle a disc in person to really see what the feel is like. Ask those in local clubs or those who you run into at the local course for where they like to shop. Next thing you know, you’ll be trying to find your new favorite driver.

We also recommend you to read the Most Popular Discmania Disc Golf Discs article. Our brand store - Discmania Store is always happy to help you and recommend the right gear to get you started with. You'll find our contact details at the end of this article. You can even call us for personal advice.

Watch and Learn

We’ll make a prediction. If you haven’t already done this, odds are, this will happen soon. You’ll find yourself sitting on your couch or laying in bed pulling up YouTube videos of disc golf. From tournament coverage and highlight videos to “in the bag” showcases and ace runs, there are countless hours of videos waiting to be watched.

Take our Deep in the Game video series. With Avery Jenkins and Jussi Meresmaa, you’ll be able to learn basics such as driving, approach shots, putting, and even the mental aspect of disc golf. It’s a one-stop-shop for some of the best instructional disc golf videos available.

Here’s a trailer of the Deep in the Game series:

You’ll also want to watch tournament coverage from action around the world on The SpinTV.

Disc Golf isn’t always perfect drives and beautiful putts. You’ll be able to see how the sport’s top pros get themselves out of trouble. Watch how they can save par after a bad bounce off a tree or how they put the pressure on the leader in the final holes.

Here’s a great clip about the top 5 shots from the Disc Golf World Tour event United States Disc Golf Championships played on Winthrop Gold - the Augusta National of disc golf.

Less Is More

It might be cliche, but it’s true. You only need one disc to get started with disc golf. Sure, it’s better with a few, but it doesn’t take much.

A putter, midrange, and fairway driver will easily be enough to get you started. Take the Discmania P2, MD, and FD, for example. These three discs are not only popular among beginners, you’ll find them in the bags of top pros around the world such as Paul McBeth, Simon Lizotte, and Eagle McMahon.

You can watch what they throw and why here:

In My Bag - 2017 Edition - Simon Lizotte - Team Discmania

In My Bag with Eagle McMahon - Team Discmania

Paul McBeth "In the Bag" 2016

Since the beginning, we’ve stood behind the “Reinvent Your Game” mindset at Discmania, while the top pros have been able to reinvent their game with our products. If you’re just getting started, it is time to invent your game with Discmania.

It might be tempting to grab the brand new high speed driver, or that really overstable disc that really dives in on nearly any throw. You’ll get to the point where you can throw any disc on the market.

When you’re just getting started, don’t get ahead of yourself. Frustration will set in quickly and you might lose interest in the sport. Take it a step at a time and you’ll see improvements in no time. Trust us. You’ll have those beautiful drives and those long putts sooner rather than later. It comes down to a lot of timing, muscle memory, and confidence. Paul McBeth didn’t win four straight World Championships by playing a few times. It took years to get to the ultimate level.

And remember - most fun wins!

most_fun_wins

Benefits by choosing Discmania disc golf discs

We are very picky and quality-aware, so you don't have to be.

Instead of quantity, we concentrate on quality. If a prototype doesn't please us, we will not proceed with it. We want our discs to be timeless.

Our discs are produced by the most experienced disc golf manufacturer in the business, Innova Champion Discs. In fact, they are the creators of a modern disc golf disc. We are privileged to use their expertise when designing our well-thought disc selection.

Discmania is available through the Discmania dealer network across the globe wherever disc golf is played.

We reply regularly our fans' questions at the Disc Golf Course Review as well as social media. Find us on facebook here!

We hand pick each production run at our brand store - Discmania Store - to help you find the discs you need. Discmania Store is located right next to the factory, and we have the best possible knowledge of discs.