11 Reasons Why You Need a Disc Golf Basket [2024 Update!]

2023 is here and it’s definitely time. Time to get better at disc golf and time to start focusing on what you need to do to get there. And I’m here to tell you that one of the cheapest and best ways to take strokes off your game is by buying a personal disc golf basket for practicing at home.

I know, I know. You may have a disc golf course near you and buying a basket may not have even been a thought for you this year. But let me persuade you and show you 11 reasons why buying a disc golf basket will help you start crushing your rounds.

11 Reasons why you need a disc golf basket this year!

1. Take your game to the next level

Ok, so we’ll start this post off right. You already know that, when it comes to getting better at disc golf, the number one way to do it is to practice. And that’s exactly what you can do if you decide to buy a disc golf basket. You can always hit the course and practice some, but that requires a little bit of travel and the baskets may all be taken up. With your own basket, you can just pick up a few discs and start practicing. Simple and easy and you don’t have to even go anywhere.

Buying your own basket is truly taking your game to the next level. You need to practice and you need the reps, so grab a basket so that you can put the work in. There are a lot of good disc golfers, which is why you need a basket if you want to one up them. I’m sure a good number of players have bought baskets, but by doing this, you separate yourself from the amateurs who only practice on the course. Buying a basket is the thing that can take your game up a notch. It’s the thing that can help you start playing with the elite players.

Check out some great baskets here on Amazon.com

You can also check out our recommended baskets page here.

If you really want to take your game to the next level, check out our awesome post, “101 Disc Golf Tips to Take Your Game to the Next Level.”

2. You can practice whenever you want

One of the best reasons to buy a disc good basket is because of the convenience it offers you. You can literally practice putting whenever you want to. No time of the day can limit you when you have your own basket. Work days with your real job and want to practice at 2 a.m.? Cool, you can do that. Want to wake up before the sun rises and practice? Well, you can do that, too! You can practice anytime you want so that your game can improve. Your basket – your schedule.

You can also practice wherever you want. You can put your basket in your bedroom, backyard, garage, or anywhere else that will work for you (as long as you are allowed to do so). I’ve got mine set up in my garage where I can practice 365 days a year. I just take it outside if I want to putt from farther than 20 feet. Most of the time, though, I just practice from 10-20 feet and I’m happy with that.

Check out the Hive Practice Basket here on Amazon. It’s definitely one of the best baskets under $100 dollars.

3. It will change your mindset

Buying a disc golf basket is a fantastic choice and can only stand to benefit you by changing your mindset when it comes to disc golf. Now I know that sounds a little strange so let me explain. When it comes to being new-ish to disc golf, most of the time you don’t really have a realistic view of yourself as a good disc golfer. I remember when I started playing. I sucked and everyone knew it.

Once I started practicing using my own basket, I started getting better at putting and it helped my overall rounds. I liked practicing on my own basket because it started helping me build confidence in my game. Disc golfers need confidence in order to play well and having your own basket can help with this. This practice helps you build some mental skill for your rounds.

Further, your own basket can allow you to really practice on your own, understand your own game, and can allow you to see where your strengths and weaknesses are with putting. Once you get out on the course, you will be mentally ready to play and putting won’t hold you back. You can then focus solely on other parts of your game and start dominating!

4. Your friends probably don’t have one

Another great reason why you should get a basket is because your disc golf friends may not have one. A lot of players may not think about buying a basket, but it can be a really great way to start improving your game, like we saw in section one. You should grab a basket so that you and your friends can have a little bit of fun at your place. Having this basket could also be a great way to introduce new people to the sport of disc golf. They could see the basket, try tossing a few discs, and start getting a feel for this new weird experience they are having called “disc golf.” Now all you need to do is take them out on the course!

5. They last a long time

Whether you own a disc golf basket or a disc, you need to make sure that you take care of your stuff. That’s a big concept that I always emphasize on the site (you know, making sure to take care of everything you own). But with disc golf baskets, because of the quality of almost all of them, they can last you a really long time. That’s a beautiful thing to me. I’m a person that likes to make good investments, and a quality disc golf basket is a great one.

Now we will talk about the cost a little bit in the next section. But for the price, and the length of time a good basket can last you, it is well worth dropping a little bit of cash. And if you take care of it, the basket can last you even longer!

A quality basket like the Dynamic Discs Recruit is tough enough to last you at least a decade.

6. It’s cheap to buy

The great thing about a basket’s ability to last a long time is the cost associated with such quality. Metal baskets have the potential to last decades if taken care of properly. If they are kept out of rain and other inclement weather, they can quite possibly last you a lifetime. Out in the weather, a good basket should last you at least 5-10 years or more. The best thing about this is the cost. They are really cheap. Most good baskets cost around $150 bucks, but you can get a decent basket for just over $100 dollars.

If you are building a course, you will have to fork out some cash into the thousands. So why not just grab one basket for now and worry about that later? Some of the best baskets that you can buy are no more than $150-200 dollars. I’m a fan of the MVP Black Hole Pro HD basket, the Black Hole practice basket, and the DisCatcher Sport basket

Check out the DisCatcher on Amazon.com.

You can find the MVP Black Hole practice basket here (link to Amazon.com).

You can find the MVP Black Hole Pro basket here (check current price on Amazon.com).

7. It’s even cheaper to make

Baskets are even more awesome because of this next reason. You can buy them for cheap and you can build them for even cheaper. Usually, if you can really research and plan it out correctly, you can save around 75% percent of the cost. We saw in the last section that baskets usually cost around $100-$200 bucks. The cost of materials for a homemade basket will usually run you about $25-$50 bucks.

Before you build your basket, take an hour or so and plan your build. Be creative in your design. While most players build their basket out of pvc pipe or wood, I’ve seen some made out of tires, grills, metal, and a lot of other materials. If you can dream it, you can build it. If you’re willing to put in the time, you can build your basket out of almost anything, really.

Check out this fantastic video on YouTube showing how to build a disc golf basket out of pvc pipe, wood, and a bicycle tire. It looks pretty interesting and I may give this one a shot.

8. They have portable traveler targets

One of the great things about having your own basket is, well, having your own basket. It’s yours and you can do with it as you please. But even cooler than that is your ability to own a portable basket. Many stores sell permanent course baskets that can be placed on a designed disc golf course. Those baskets don’t really move. But the majority of baskets that are bought, even if they are steel baskets, are completely portable. You can take them wherever.

Even better than that is your ability to own portable traveler baskets. Even though steel baskets are portable, they’re really tough to take places with you. They can easily be moved around different areas of your house or property. But you can’t really put them in a truck because they don’t fold up. The portable traveler baskets fold up and can be thrown in your back seat or in the trunk with your bag. Portable traveler baskets are freakin’ awesome

Check out the Innova DisCatcher Traveler basket here on Amazon.

9. You can make your own mini course

One really creative reason why you need to buy a disc golf basket is because you can create your own mini disc golf course. Before I even get more into this one, it may not be physically possible for some to do this and I understand that. I still think that you can take this tip into consideration. It may be a bit tough to do, but once you buy a basket, you can “build” a mini course and play on it. What I mean by this is that you can use your one basket and play it from different angles making a small course on the fly.

After you get your basket, you’ll need to find a place at a park or in the woods somewhere with a couple hundred yards of room. You can literally make up a small course in any way that’s possible. I definitely recommend making a full course with 18 baskets if you can, but the one-basket mini course is much cheaper. Take your one basket and place it in the middle of the space you have to work with. Now in a circle, make up four to six (or more) tee pads. Obviously this isn’t ideal, and will require more walking than a regular course, but can still be a fun way to play a little bit.

If you’d like more information on building a disc golf course, check out Innova’s course development resource here.

You can also learn about course building here and learn about the cost to build one here.

10. You really want one

I’m gonna mess with you a little bit on this tip. Why? Well, because I know that you really want to improve your disc golf game. You want to cut strokes off your score and not have to two or three-putt every single hole. You want to just get better overall at disc golf. Yep, me too. That’s why, if you don’t have a basket yet, I know you really want to get one.

Even if you say you don’t want one, subconsciously it’s there. Your brain is telling you, “it’s a really good idea! Why not go out and grab one?” I mean, your brain is totally right in this scenario. Baskets are freaking awesome to have, so why not pull the trigger and buy one today?

Check out the colorful Axiom Pro Basket here on Amazon.com.

11. Pair this with our #1 Disc Golf Tip

So we’re gonna end this tips list with a little bit of mystery. What I mean by this is that you should get a basket because, while you can practice on your disc golf basket, you can pair that tip with our #1 Disc Golf Tip of 2019. You can check out that post here.

I promise you that this tip is phenomenal and will help you improve your game tremendously. Once you understand that tip, which is for your approach and long game, you will be able to pair it with buying a disc golf basket for your short game. By having a personal disc golf basket, you can improve your game tenfold. So grab a basket and then check out that other awesome post!!

What kind of basket should I get?

Before you go out and make a big basket purchase, I want you to think about a few things that should be factored in to your choice:

1. What you want vs. your living situation: when it comes to everything that factors into your decision to buy a basket, what you want matters. If you don’t get a basket that you want, why even get it? You may as well just go to the course. But before you get the exact basket that you want, think about how that basket will affect your living situation. If you live in a tiny apartment with no space, you will probably have to get a traveler basket instead of a portable steel basket. If you have enough space like I do, you can spring for the metal basket or the traveler basket.

Check out the Innova DisCatcher traveler basket here on Amazon.

2. Make sure it fits the budget: so we already went over the costs of buying a basket and we’ve determined that they’re really not that expensive. You can get almost any basket you want for less than $200 bucks, but make sure you keep the cost within your budget. Save up the money to get the basket that you want. Don’t buy the most expensive basket just because. There are cheaper baskets with quality that is just as good. Be smart with your purchase.

If your funds are limited, check out this cheap Yaheetech basket on Amazon.

3. Buy for your skill level: the majority of disc golfers will probably just buy a regular standard-size basket similar to what you would find on a disc golf course. It’s a practical purchase and it makes sense. Most disc golfers are amateur to intermediate players and should practice on a standard-size basket. But for those that want to step their game way up, you should check out the marksman baskets. These baskets are about half the size of regular baskets and make you putt the disc just about perfect to make the shot. They are very difficult and are only for really good players.

If you’re interested in the marksman baskets, check out this one on Amazon.com.

Where should I get it at?

Well, there are a ton of places that you can grab a basket from. If you’re looking for just a traveler basket, you might be able to get grab one cheap at your local sports store. If you have a local disc golf shop, I will always encourage you to head there first. The only issue with local shops is that their prices are sometimes a little high. But a couple bucks extra to grab a good basket and not have to wait could be worth it.

If you’re looking for easy and something delivered straight to your house, hit up an online store like InfiniteDiscs.com, DiscStore.com, or Amazon. Amazon is okay to go to occasionally, but we always try to grow the sport, so try to buy your gear from a disc golf supplier.

If you want to look at all of the options for baskets again, check out our detailed post here: “The17 Best Disc Golf Baskets (Get One and Win).”

Don’t forget…

Oh, and don’t forget about a couple of things before you finish this post up and check out out our related content. Disc golf baskets are awesome. They make really cool gifts if you can swing getting one for someone else. Imagine how your buddy will react when he sees a giant, wrapped, oddly-shaped gift in front of his house? Then he unwraps it and freaks out because you just got him something awesome as a gift. Excessive? I think not! There’s nothing excessive about helping your buddies get better at disc golf. Just don’t let them get better than you! Don’t forget that you need one, too.

Disc golf baskets also look great in any mancave, basement, backyard, or garage. Why not do a little bit of decorating and help yourself get better in the process? Baskets should be a staple in any disc golfer’s home training arsenal/home decorating plan. If you want to be a serious disc golfer, you need to make a serious purchase. Grab a disc golf basket today and start crushing it on the course.

Don’t forget

You can also grab a copy of our book, “The Disc Golf Player’s Manual,” here on the site. It’s packed full of extremely practical tips and tricks to help you immediately start improving on the course!

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