disc golf 101 – Page 38 – DiscgolfNOW.com

Disc golf is an awesome game already. It's starting to gain traction as a pro sport and is hugely popular all over the world. Now you want to know how to play disc golf. That's great because in this 37 step guide, you will learn the game in every way. From buying your first discs to throwing on your first hole to finishing your round and learning more about the sport. In this article, I'll break down the game of disc golf step by step and picture by picture into an easy "disc golf 101" format so that you can easily learn exactly how to play disc golf. Are you ready? Cool, let's go! Step 1 So what is disc golf and how do I play it? Disc golf is a game in which players attempt to throw a frisbee disc from a tee box into a standing basket hole. It's similar to ball golf, in that players try to get their disc into the basket in the least number of throws, or strokes. The player with the least number of strokes in a round, which is 18 holes, wins. But disc golf differs immensely from ball golf and is a fun alternative to the monotony that can be seen in many of ball golf's rounds of play. Disc golf can also show you a new, exciting way to spend your time, a way to engage socially and make new friends, a path to exercising and better physical health, a lot of competition, a way to relax, a way to save some money, and just an overall awesome atmosphere that stands out from almost every other activity out there. Step 2 How to get started It's that time, guys. As new disc golfers you're going to need some supplies. The very first thing you need to do is visit your local disc golf store. If you have a disc golf store near you, that's your best bet. But most sporting goods stores have discs in stock. Head out to that store. Once you're at the store, find the section specifically for disc golf. Do NOT buy regular frisbees. Disc golf discs are much different and are made to fly long distances. Check out our quick guide, What's the Difference Between a Golf Disc and a Frisbee? to see how frisbees and disc golf discs differ. Once you start looking at discs, you might notice that the prices at most stores are a little high. Yes, I know. It's better to buy discs online from Infinite Discs or Amazon because their prices are so low. But there's a reason you need to visit a physical store with disc golf discs: you need to feel and understand the difference between a disc golf disc and a larger frisbee. You also need to know what disc golf discs feel like in your hands. I want you to like the way your disc looks and feels. So find one of the discs we recommend below in a color of your choice. At this point, you can go ahead and buy it or try to find it on a cheaper online retailer's site. My go-to stores are usually disc golf stores in the local area, but now that I know what discs feel like and which ones I like, I usually head to Infinite Discs (all brands) or Discgolfunited.com (for Innova) and grab my supply. They're both awesome and you should definitely check them both out. Be sure to also ask friends if they have any discs they don't want or that you can buy from them. You will most likely know at least one friend as the majority of people don't just start playing disc golf out of the blue. You may have had a friend mention it or take you out. Ask them or anyone else you know. Step 3 Disc choice: type and weight You're getting ready to buy some discs. When you play disc golf, you have to understand that disc choice is important. The first factor in selecting the right discs is disc type. During your rounds, you will use three types of discs. The picture below will show you the difference in two types of discs, just so you can see the physical difference. The picture shows the difference between a distance driver (left) and a putter (right). Let's check out the three different types of discs: 1. Driver: this is the disc you will almost always use first for your tee shot. These discs are meant mostly for speed and distance. 2. Mid-range: this disc is used mainly for approach shots close to the basket and for tee shots when the basket isn't too far away. The main goal of a mid-range is accuracy and glide (a disc's ability to maintain loft or stay in the air). As a new player, your mid-range will be your new best friend. 3. Putter: putters are meant to travel short distances as accurately as possible. You will use your putter to either make a very short approach shot or to sink the disc into the basket for hole completion. As you begin to understand what disc types you need, also be aware that all discs are not made the same. Discs are also made into different weights. Almost all companies use the standard gram weight label for their discs. My Innova Katana below may weigh 170 grams whereas yours could weigh 160 grams (link to Discgolfunited.com). As a beginner, it's best to throw discs between 160 and 172 grams. Lighter discs will help you at first, as you may not be able to throw as fast. Heavy discs will hinder your speed even more, which you don't want. As you grow and develop as a player, you will really grasp the different weights and what they are used for. But weight doesn't really matter all that much. Just make sure you find a disc that feels good, doesn't seem too heavy, and is recommended for beginners. For a more thorough explanation of the disc types and their differences, you can check out my article that goes into a lot more detail and actually introduces a second category of driver. Step 4 Choosing discs So in the last section I stated that disc selection is important and I can't stress this enough! As a beginner, it may seem like you can just go grab a disc and throw it. It will all work out, right? Wrong! Disc companies make different discs for different skill levels. They understand the physics of spinning discs so they use that to make discs that will fly with less speed, turn to one side or the other, and stay in the air longer. As a new player, you must pick discs that work for beginners. Most discs have a flight ratings system that consists of four numbers (i.e. 8/5/-2/2). You will see it on the disc. My post, the 37 Best Disc Golf Discs for Beginners (You Need These), is an awesome reference where you can find a couple of good discs for your arsenal. What do these numbers mean? I'll give a quick primer here, but I actually have an article that goes into more detail on not only what they mean, but what you should select for different purposes and skill levels. Check it out here. Speed: the first number is how hard the disc needs to be thrown to work correctly. Beginner's want a lower speed. Speed is judged on a 1-14 scale. 14 speed discs have to be thrown the fastest. Beginners want something from 4-9 speed. Glide: the disc's ability to maintain loft in the air or stay in the air longer. Glide is judged from a 1-7. Beginners want a higher loft (4-7). Turn: also called stability, for a right hand backhand (rhbh) player, the turn is a discs tendency to turn towards the right during the initial part of the flight. Turn is judged from a 1 to -5. Beginner's want a lower number preferably into the negative (0 to -3). Fade: fade is a disc's tendency, for a right hand backhand (rhbh) thrower, to hook left at the end of the its flight. Fade is judged from 0-5. Beginners want a disc that flies straight, so from 0-2 is best. If you want to improve, the best beginner discs to get will have low speed, high glide, high turn, and low fade. To learn more about Innova's Flight Ratings System, check out their article on it here. You can also check out my awesome article, What Do the Numbers on a Disc Golf Disc Mean? Below, I've got a couple of examples of what I have in my bag that can be great for beginner players. Innova DX Leopard A fun disc to play with and probably the perfect driver for any new player. Check it out here on Discgolfunited.com. Discraft Buzzz One of the best mid-range discs of all time. I use this religiously and interchangeably with my Innova Atlas and my Innova Wombat. You can check the current price of the Elite Z Buzzz here on InfiniteDiscs.com or get one in the Discraft DSSB starter pack here on Amazon. Dynamic Discs Prime Judge A very sturdy and reliable putter. Find a putter that you like and feels good to throw. For me, it's the Judge. I highly recommend this disc (Link to InfiniteDiscs.com). Me and my buddy go out to play pretty regularly and we both use this for our putts. Step 5 Disc colors On top of what type of disc you get, color selection is crucial. Every single time you go to throw, you'll need to find your disc. This is where color comes in. If you really want to lose your discs, go ahead and buy green, brown, black, or camo colored discs. I'm sure you probably would prefer to hang onto your discs, especially if you paid for them. Remember: lost discs equal lost money. If you don't want to lose your discs, think about unnatural colors - light blue, orange, pink, purple, yellow, and white for example. These colors are usually not found in nature, which makes them easily distinguishable after your throws. Now, it's inevitable that you will lose a disc. It just happens sometimes. But you should try to do everything you can to avoid this. This guide, The Beginner's Guide to Finding Lost Disc Golf Discs, will help you avoid losing disc golf discs. Step 6 Everything you need to get started Up to this point, you might be wondering how much all of this is going to cost. That was my burning question when I first got started, too. The answer is pretty simple: The total amount of money you will spend to start will vary between about $20 and $100 dollars. You can elect to buy the Innova DX starter set on Amazon, use your own bag, and roll on. Or you can elect to spend a little more, get three good quality discs, and the Infinite Discs Slinger Bag before you play and spend about $100 bucks total. The amount of money you can spend will vary upon how much you have. But disc golf is great because you barely have to spend money on the game. Besides equipment, all of your rounds can be free! Don't forget about miscellaneous items for your bag as they could run you just a little bit of cash, but no more than $15-20 dollars. You also may need: • Mini marker disc: or just use another disc to mark where your disc is at. What is a mini marker disc? Check out our post about it here. • Sharpie: to mark your disc for that first hole-in-one. Grab a 4 pack here. • Towel: to wipe off sweat and to dry your disc for those inevitable throws directly into the nearest creek. Make sure to use a towel that you don't mind getting dirty. You can choose between a variety of awesome disc golf towels here on Amazon.com. • Chapstick: a long time out in the course can cause your lips to dry out. You don't need this, but I carry it in my bag. Blistex also works pretty well. • Sunscreen: I take a ton of this to the course because of my paper white skin. Don't forget it because sunburns suck. Make sure to at least wear an spf 30 or above like Banana Boat sport. Check current prices on Amazon here. • Penetrex cream: You definitely don't need this, but it's an awesome inflammation cream to help heal your injuries after rounds. Be prepared, though, because this stuff is expensive. But Penetrex works (link to Amazon). • Snacks: you'll be out on the course for a couple of hours, so you need some snacks. Whole-grain crackers, nut bars, and protein bars are your best bet. Try to eat a meal a little while before you go because that helps you not get as hungry while you're playing. Try the Nature Valley sweet and salty nut bars (link to Amazon). They are the bomb. • Water (or gatorade): you need some high quality H2O to help you not get dehydrated. Gatorade can help you maintain energy and keep up you blood sugar for high performance on the course. *Note: remember that you'll spend a few bucks in gas as well as everything else. Even still, disc golf is super cheap to play. Learn more than just the basics. Learn how to play the right way. The Ultimate Beginner's Guide. Check it out here. Step 7 Your attire for the course Whenever you go out to play, you need to pay just a little bit of attention to what you're wearing. As far as your outfit goes, make sure it's comfortable for when you throw. If you can move around the same as you would in the gym, your outfit is probably fine. Also, try to dress appropriately for the weather. If it's cold, dress warm. If it's hot, wear less clothes. The most important part of you attire is your shoes! The terrain on disc golf courses is almost always hilly and rough. Even when it's not, you need to have good grip. I personally use Merrell sport hiking boots. They're basically tennis shoes with grip. You can also wear outdoor shoes like the Adidas Terrex R3 shoes. Those will work fine. Tennis shoes are acceptable as well. They don't offer as much grip, but will work if you don't have anything else. I still say that you should avoid all cleats. They may work well on the terrain, but won't do very well on concrete tee pads. Step 8 Choosing a bag Out on the disc golf course, you're going to need some kind of bag to hold your discs while you play. Having a bag is essential. But do you have to buy one? No, not really. My friend Hunter and I both survived without a bag for over a year of playing. He used an old college bookbag and I used an NFL backsack that was able to hold about 6 discs. We made it work. But buying a legitimate disc golf bag made rounds so much more awesome. Now, I have the Infinite Discs Slinger Bag (link to Amazon). I got it for about $30 dollars and I love it. It's perfect quality for the cost. If you're thinking about buying a bag, go cheap. Grab a Slinger Bag, a Trooper Bag, or any one of these other bags: • The Nutsac disc golf bag • Discraft Weekender bag • Innova Champion discs standard bag • Fade crunch bag Step 9 How to play the game of disc golf in two short paragraphs (with scoring) When you play disc golf, you will try to throw your disc from a designated tee pad into an upright basket. Each hole has a certain number of throws, or strokes, to get your disc into the basket. If you get your disc into the basket in the correct amount of throws, that's called par. More throws than par is called a bogey, double bogey, triple bogey, etc. A fewer amount of throws than par is called a birdie, eagle, double eagle, or ace (the classic hole-in-one). When you throw the first disc, go to the spot it landed. Your next throw will be from that spot. Continue by throwing another disc then go to that spot. Throw again and again until you're able to throw the disc into the basket or the basket chains. Take your score and put it on a scorecard. Add up the scores from all of your holes. Lowest score, or whoever had the least amount of throws, wins the round. Step 10 Our one simple rule and some frequently asked questions So let's just quickly go over a couple of simple rules and frequently asked questions. I will link to posts with more detail throughout the next couple of paragraphs. Informal rule #1: you don't always have play super competitively. Sometimes you can go out, forget about score, and just throw some discs. What happens if my disc lands on top of the basket? Your throw doesn't count. You have to take a stroke and throw again. You can read more about this in our article, "What if My Disc Golf Disc Lands on Top of the Basket?" What happens if my disc goes out of bounds? You take a penalty stroke and either throw from that spot, a spot just in bounds, or a designated drop spot. Unless you are playing competitively, though, you don't really have to play with out of bounds. You can read more about this in our article, "What if My Disc Golf Disc Goes Out of Bounds?" What happens if my disc goes in the water? You take a penalty stroke and throw again out of the water. You can read more about this in our article, "What if My Disc Golf Disc Lands in the Water?" I'm playing with other people and we've both thrown our disc, who throws next? You all have a certain throwing order initially, but whoever is farthest away from the basket throws next. For more information, check out our FAQ page here. Step 11 Read, 101 Disc Golf Tips to Take Your Game to the Next Level If you happen to like the game and want to improve, we have a fantastic reference for you. Check out, 101 Disc Golf Tips to Take Your Game to the Next Level. This article has everything from what you need to learn in the beginning of your disc golf career to how-to tips and tricks so that you can improve quickly. This 6,600-word behemoth is determined to make you into the best disc golf player possible. Click the name or click here to read it now. Step 12 You will lose discs, so check out our lost discs guide I mentioned this guide a little earlier, but be sure to check out our post, The Beginner's Guide to Finding Lost Disc Golf Discs. It will come in handy once you start playing more. You need to read and understand it so that you can gauge the finer points of not losing your disc, but to also be able to find it if it does disappear on you. It's best that you are completely prepared before you play. Pro tip: as soon as you buy your discs, take a sharpie and mark them. Put at least some initials and a phone number on the bottom of the disc or on the inside of the ring. This will ensure that you're doing everything possible to get that disc back if it does get lost (you can't help, though, if people choose to steal your lost disc - because it happens). If you thoroughly ready through that guide, you can prepare yourself well enough to almost never lose discs. To this day, I have only lost one disc. And it was a horrible throw, with a darker green colored disc, into some really thick brush and other swampy crap. I looked for an hour with no luck. It was on a private course so I probably won't ever get that one back. It didn't have my name on it anyways. But when karma came around, I ended up finding another Innova Champion Beast Barry Schultz edition. Check it out below. Also, even if you haven't lost any discs, keep looking through weeds and brush whenever you have a spare few minutes. I've found many discs just by doing this. The most recent example is that Innova Champion Barry Schultz Beast. I just took a few minutes to look in the brush near a hole where I'm sure lots of discs get lost and there it was! Step 13 Let's find a course Now that you're ready to get out on an actual disc golf course, we have to find one near you. Depending on where you live, that might be a challenge. But there are thousands of courses all over the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries where you can find a place to play. The easiest way to find a local course is by Googling, "disc golf courses near me." Google is so advanced now that it can pinpoint every course around you with awesome accuracy. In my surrounding area there are about five or six good courses. For you it may be more or less. Some other sites to check out: • Discgolfcoursereview.com • PDGA.com's disc golf course search Also, don't be afraid to ask friends if they know any good local spots. They may be willing to give up a secret course in the area. Step 14 Figure out a scorecard Before you play, figure out how you're going to keep score. You have four options. 1. In your head: this is the simplest way to keep score, but it can get tedious after 18 holes of remembering exactly what you shot. 2. Paper scorecard: this has been the go-to for decades now. Paper scorecards are still all the rage. Most are free and are easily printed off of everyday disc golf websites. Save this scorecard and print it out if you want to. 3. Smartphone scorecard: these are the cool, modern tech way to handling all of your scores. Most smartphone apps like UDisc are actually pretty cool. They don't just keep your score. They can also help with hole distances and layouts for thousands of courses. The 21st century rocks, y'all. 4. Don't keep score: if your round is going way downhill, just skip the score. Sometimes just going out with a friend for some practice is the best way to improve. Here's a quick video from our Youtube channel on this. I was having a crappy round and so I stopped keeping score and just threw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF04F3lIfj8 Step 15 Arriving at the course...what do I do? When you first arrive at the course, check your bag. Make sure you're all prepped and ready to play. Check your party to make sure everybody is there and ready to go as well. Most courses have a standby area, so don't be afraid to have everyone post up in this area before you check for course rules or park rules. Those rules should be near, or should guide you to, hole number one. That's where you will start your round in a few minutes. Until then, there's more to do. Step 16 Good etiquette and good sportsmanship Etiquette When you get to the course, I want you to practice good course etiquette and avoid bad sportsmanship while playing. Good etiquette starts out with simply reading the park rules and the disc golf course rules. Most courses have an information board for the course around the main starting area. If there isn't one, there may be a park rules board. Find it and learn it. You must obey all park/course rules. Starting today, you represent the disc golf community. Good course etiquette continues with your cleanliness. Always, always, always clean up any trash or remnants of junk that you drop on the course. Food is no big deal as animals will probably carry it off during the night. Whenever you play, try to keep the noise level down. It's more than okay to have a good time, and me and my friends act ridiculous on the course, but there are limits. Don't scream while people are throwing, try to mess up other people's shots, or do things in general that will piss people off. It's easy, just don't be a freakin' idiot and you'll be fine. If you're slow on the course, make sure to let other faster players and parties play through. Nobody's wants to wait all day to play the next hole so move on over. Further, if you find lost disc golf discs (and there's a name clearly written on it), try your best to return them to their rightful owners. Returning lost discs is major disc golf karma as I've already eplained. I like to think that for every disc you find and return, you will find one for your own bag. In 2018, I returned multiple discs and I found just as many. The first one I discovered was a Discraft thrasher. I sent it to the guy and he was very thankful. Soon after that, while playing a round, I found a brand new cooler-looking Discraft Thrasher laying right on to of a basket with no name. Now, that's what I'm talking about! For our awesome article on disc golf etiquette, check out, "The Complete 27 Step Guide to Disc Golf Etiquette." Sportsmanship Whenever you play, you should always seek to avoid bad sportsmanship. Cussing at other players, getting mad at the game and taking it out on other people, and just generally being an a**hole on the course are all examples of bad sportsmanship. Do your best to keep it fun and friendly. So far, I haven't met anyone on the course that was a total dick, but I'm sure there are plenty of players out there who are. Step 17 Stretching before your round Before you head out on the course, you have to stretch. Stretching is super important for a number of reasons. 1. Let me see you get loose: stretching can help you get really loose so that your body is limber and flexible for the round. This will help you play better. 2. Don't get hurt: Stretching can help you avoid injuries. Tight muscles tear easily. Once your muscles are stretched a bit, they will be flexible and less likely to suffer from too much physical strain. If you'd like to find out how to avoid injuries and learn more about stretching, check out out our awesome article called, "The 17 Best Disc Golf Stretches to Improve Your Game." Step 18 Start playing We already found hole one so it's time to get going. Grab your gear and tell your buddies it's time to go out. They should all be just as ready as you are. Now is the moment of truth! Step up to hole one. Step 19 Tee box and your drive When you step up to the tee box, take note of the material. Is it grass, turf, or concrete? Most courses will at least provide a concrete tee box or something that they have made specifically for disc golf. Hopefully your course has at the least has an outlined the tee box. If not, just do the best you can to make one up. Now take a look at the hole. Try to find the basket. Is it in plain view? If not, start walking toward it to find it. If you see it, now you know where it is. Begin planning your shot. Even though you may have never played before, think about how you're going to get your shot to the basket. Strategize a little bit. Approach the tee pad with disc in hand. Are you ready to throw? Okay, let's do it! Start your throw and make it happen! Step 20 How to throw So you need to learn how to throw. Yeah, me too. Throwing can be quite difficult at first. But don't let that discourage you. No matter who you are, at first you will be bad. Your throws will be horrible and you will suck. Just ask Richard in the video below. Just remember, though, that you probably will not ever be as bad as your first round. This means improvement. With throwing, it's all about the techniques and a lot of practice. If you can get the basics down and practice with a ton of repetition, you will quickly get a lot better. *note: the video below has bad language https://youtu.be/hUF3WM-s-Ec Step 21 Feet, hips, head, and arms In order to learn the techniques of the game, there are four factors that really influence how you throw. The video at the bottom of this section shows pro players using all four factors to crush their drives. • Your feet placement: slow and steady wins the race when you're walking up on the tee. A few small steps will suffice when going through your throw motions. I always start with my right foot which is the same as the my throwing arm. I take about 3-4 steps before I turn my body and take one final giant step out with my right foot again. If you were left handed, it would be the opposite. • Rotation of your hips: the rotation of the hips is what gives you a lot of your momentum. In the middle of your throw you really want to get a good rotation in order to get maximum distance. • Rotation of the head: it may seem like you need to keep your head straight in order to throw your disc but that's not true. In the middle of your rotation, your head needs to rotate with you and down so that your hips can get the maximum rotation for more distance. In the end you will turn your head back just in time to see the target and launch your disc. • Straightening of the arms and elbows: when your arm goes back behind your body, it needs to straighten out almost completely before you sling it forward. This will help you get the most momentum out of your throw by the time the disc comes back to be thrown in front of your body. https://youtu.be/GfjiaZ9DvXQ Step 22 Wind up and throw that disc! Once you're set up to throw, make sure to always think about using proper technique when you get ready to throw. Remember my "momentum rule": NEVER run up on the teepad for momentum. It may seem like you need to run up to get as much momentum as possible to throw the disc as hard as possible. It's actually the opposite. You need to be very smooth with your throws. As the old disc golf saying goes, "slow is smooth and smooth is far." Now get your throw ready, wind up, and throw! For an awesome reference on how to learn proper technique, check out our post, 7 Steps to the Best Disc Golf Technique and a Perfect Throw. Step 23 After you throw After you chuck your disc, watch where it goes! It's important to know where it lands so you don't lose it. No matter where it lands, try not to get upset. You definitely won't have a lot of good throws in your first few rounds. Don't dwell on the negative. Just reflect on the positive and try your hardest to throw the disc as well as you can. Step 24 The next throws Every throw after your first initial drive will gradually start to get you closer to the basket. Use as much focus and technique on your next few shots to get you there in as little throws as possible. Once you're about 50-100 feet away, you will begin your approach with smooth approach shots that don't have very much power behind them. For approach shots, I recommend an easy curving hyzer shot if possible. Just try to throw the disc and have it curve toward the basket. Your disc should land anywhere from two to thirty feet out. Once you're within this range, you can putt and complete the hole. Step 25 The basket and how to "hole out" You're heading toward the basket and getting closer with each throw. You're going to be throwing your disc into the metal basket at the end of each hole and I just want to be clear with how to, "hole out," or complete each hole. In order to complete the hole, you have to get the disc inside the basket cage or inside of the chains. The disc cannot land up against the bottom pole or on top of the basket. That doesn't count. Once you get the disc inside the basket cage or the basket chains, you've completed the hole and can move on to the next hole. Step 26 Finally, let's putt! You've made it to the basket. Huzzah! That's a challenge in itself and I remember the struggle. Now that you're up close and personal with your course's DisCatcher, it's time to finally bang some chains. Make sure you line up with the basket. Next, have a putter ready to go. Stay focused and take your time so that you won't miss and have to putt again. Now push the disc out and let it fly toward the basket. Hopefully you heard the "ching" and can go grab your disc! Remember: whoever is farthest from the basket putts first. For a really great set of beginner putting tips, I recommend you check out, The 12 Best Disc Golf Putting Tips for Beginners, on my blog. Step 27 Keep track of your discs As you're playing, in order to continue on your hot streak of not losing discs, try hard to always keep track of your throws. Sometimes I play single doubles and throw multiple discs. Keep track of all of your throws and count your discs to make sure you have them all before heading on to the next hole. It's a buzzkill to forget a disc and have to hike back two to three holes to find your disc left right in the basket. And it's always with your favorite disc, too. I did this the other day with my Dynamic Discs Sheriff. I realized it on the next hole and quickly ran back to grab it. Keep track so you don't have to do this. Step 28 Forget about the trees As much as trees piss me off sometimes, I've learned the trick to avoiding as many trees as possible: don't think about the trees. Sometimes it's really hard to do that. Believe me, I know. I've had a round where I hit 12 trees in a row on my opening drives. I think I cursed more that day than any other day this year combined. It was bad. But I read something on a reddit forum post that suggested to stop thinking about the trees on the course. If you hit a tree, just move on. Don't let it affect you. That advice has worked great and now the trees are hardly an issue in my game. Check out my guide to playing disc golf and not hitting those pesky trees! Step 29 Trying out other throwing styles Once you get the standard backhand throw down, why not try a few other throwing styles? There are multiple styles to choose from that can help improve and expand your game. Here are the other two most common examples. 1. Forehand: the second most common throw in disc golf. You throw this completely opposite of a backhand with a sidearm motion. This shot is great for learning so that you can get the disc to curve in the opposite direction of a normal backhand throw. 2. Hammer/thumber: another common throw that doesn't get used as often as it probably should. You throw this way with an overhand motion by placing either your thumb on the inside ring or your index finger on the inside ring. The disc will have a unique curve depending on how you hold it. Check out my Tomahawk guide here! Step 30 Moving on with the game and adding up scores Continue throwing throughout your round, hole by hole and throw by throw. Make sure to always try to use proper technique, take it slow, and breathe. Trying to rush through your round or play it too fast will only see you play poorly. Take each hole as it is and try not to get frustrated if you aren't playing very well. Look at each and every hole as an opportunity to start fresh and improve. Keep grinding and you will be able to finish strong. In disc golf, as in life, it is the follow through that makes the difference Throwpink.com Step 31 Comparing scores Now that you've finished with your round, compare your scores with you friends. How did you do compared to them? Good? Bad? No matter what, for your first time, you probably did fine. If you decided to play by yourself, take that score and see how you did compared to the par of the course (which is all of pars of each hole added up for a course total). Most likely, you will be over that total. Not a problem, but now you know what you need to do for next round. Next time out on the course, seek to improve your score so that you can continue improving. Step 32 Reflecting on your game - it's mostly mental After your round, you may start to do some reflecting on how you played. Most likely, if this this was your first round, you probably played pretty bad. But don't worry about that. Don't worry if you sucked, because I'm here to tell you that I did, too. So did every other first time disc golfer. My first round ever was with a group of semi-professional disc golf players who took the game more serious than I ever have. They could rip any drive they wanted to with ease. And here I was thinking that I could easily throw a disc far if I threw it hard enough. Wrong. Disc golf is a game that takes a lot of practice and a lot of time to get good at. There is no perfect round for even the best disc golfers out there, but if you continue to play and get better, you will start seeing better rounds. Step 33 Exercising and staying fit for disc golf If you want your game to be top notch, you need to start exercising and attempting to stay fit for disc golf. Aside from the game, working out has tons of health benefits. But exercise is one of the keys to becoming great at the sport if you truly want to make a competitive run with it. Hopefully, you already work out regularly. This can be a huge advantage for you, as it was for me. I was already used to running miles, walking a lot, and exerting myself physically for an extended period of time. If this sounds like you, your disc golf game could be pretty solid after just a few months of practice. If you don't exercise regularly, it's not a big deal. Disc golf is not a sport that requires a ridiculous amount of physical exertion per round. You will walk about a mile total, but you don't have to do a whole lot else besides throwing if you don't want to. I still recommend adding in some weightlifting, or at least bodyweight, exercises to your weekly routine. This can help you truly become a great player if you want to be. For a really good disc golf workout, check out our post, The 12 Best Disc Golf Exercises to Keep You Fit. We've also got a great core workout post called, The Only Disc Golf Core Workout You'll Ever Need. For recovery after your round, check out our post, The 11 Step Plan to Recover After a Disc Golf Workout. Step 34 Learn as much as you can Whether you're doing it for your full-time job or your new favorite hobby disc golf, learning more is always important. If you truly want to get better at disc golf, you need to start putting in the effort to learn more about the sport. This has helped me tremendously. I played for over a year without getting better. It frustrated me because I knew that with some practice, I could get better. Yet I didn't get any better at all with practice. Once I started to take in the advice, tips, tricks, and knowledge of the disc golf world around me, my skill on the course started improving drastically. I started this blog with the intentions of helping others get better and it turned out to be one of the best thing I could've done for my own disc golf game. Teaching others on this blog has helped me improve ten times as much in a quarter of the time. I would say that's pretty amazing. So learn as much as you possibly can. My ebook, The Disc Golf Player's Manual, can really help you with your game. Check that ebook out asap. Step 35 Buy more discs - the rule of six Whether you read this blog or you watch my YouTube channel, you'll hear me talk about my "rule of six." It's a very simple concept, talking about how you should always carry at least six discs, two of each type. That being said, in your bag you should be carrying two drivers, two mid-ranges, and two putters (six total discs). All of that means that you should go and buy some more discs, because three discs is not enough to play with. We've already talked about how discs get lost fairly easily, so by buying three more discs, you can abide by my rule of six. I believe in the rule of six because, If any of your discs get lost, you will have an extra disc to play with. Now personally, I carry about 15 discs. You don't have to do that. But I like having the selection at my disposal. If you can't afford to carry that many, six discs is the number to start with. Head over to InfiniteDiscs.com to get yourself some more plastic! Or head over to Discgolfunited.com to get you some great Innova plastic! Step 36 Subscribe to my YouTube channel and email list The ultimate goal of DiscgolfNOW.com is to make you into a better disc golf player. We know, though, that you may have just started playing, so please subscribe to both my website email list and my YouTube channel so that we can keep you updated on all things disc golf. My YouTube channel, DGN Disc Golf, offers a new disc golf video each and every week, while my blog is consistently crunching out new content. Take a few minutes to sign up on both platforms so that you don't miss out on any of it! Step 37 View my related content Check out some of our best related content to help you improve your game. Please let us know if you have any other comments, questions, or concerns. We are here to help you become the best disc golf player possible. Now get out there and go throw! 101 Disc Golf Tips to Take Your Game to the Next Level The 17 Best Disc Golf Stretches to Improve Your Game 9 Weird Tricks to Improve Your Disc Golf Game (Forever) The Beginners Guide to Finding Lost Disc Golf Discs The 12 Best Disc Golf Exercises to Keep You Fit Don’t forget to check out the book! Before you go, don't forget to check out the best beginner disc golf book on the planet, "The Disc Golf Player's Manual." This ebook is packed with over 200+ pages of the best tips, tricks, and advice for new players. Im telling you, this book is epic. If you want to seriously improve in disc golf, you need this book. So don’t miss out!