Disc golf is an absolutely amazing sport. It hooked me in from day 1 and I’ve loved it ever since. I started playing around 2016 and have put in quite a bit of time and effort. Not just playing the sport, but really researching and learning the game as well.
So I do consider myself to be an above average player. By no means would I consider myself an advanced player at this point, but I am an expert on almost all things disc golf. Just for some context, this article that you’re reading right now is literally my 200th post on DiscgolfNOW.com. I don’t know how many hundreds of hours I’ve put into this site, but my goal is to help you get better. The great side effect of that process is that I’ve learned the game at a high level.
But with this post, I’m going to do two things:
1) Work on becoming an advanced disc golfer myself and using these 7 tips to improve my own disc golf game. I would say I’m an intermediate player. I’ve done the research and these tips are the 7 best tips I could find to go from intermediate-level play to advanced-level play.
2) Show you these 7 advanced tips to help you improve your game and work toward becoming an advanced disc golfer! Are you ready? Okay, let’s go!
7 disc golf tips for advanced disc golfers
1. Slim down your bag
The first way of starting the journey from average joe disc golfer to elite level competitor is by slimming down your bag. What I mean by this is you need to look at how many discs you’re carrying and make that number go from way too many (15+ different discs) to a decent, elite-level number of discs (12-15 at the most). A lot of pros carry more discs but they may be duplicates of their go-to discs (so they might carry 3-4 of the same Innova Destroyer driver). But they only carry a few different discs in their bag.
Elite, professional players understand this concept. A lot of different discs in your bag might seem awesome but can actually be detrimental to your progress and improvement. If you have too many discs, there’s no way that you can master all of them. A jack of all trades when it comes to discs doesn’t work. Playing with a lot of different discs means being an average disc golfer. The smaller number of discs you use, the easier it will be to master those few discs. So…what can we do to slim down the bag?
First, just start by taking a look at your actual bag and how many discs you’re carrying. If you have over 20 discs, that’s way too many. You’ve got to get it down to no more than 12-15. Take out discs you rarely use or “might use” on the course. That should be at least 1-3 discs.
Next, let’s start looking at effective discs. You want to find your most effective, most used discs and learn how to use them. That should eliminate 1-2 more discs. This is good because we’re getting there.
Lastly, you want to build your bag right. Build it so that all of your discs address specific needs on the course. This is what professional players do. The pros have specific discs that they play with. These discs that fit certain roles in their bag with as little overlap as possible. If you’re looking to truly build your bag right, check out the following resources below.
The first resource is a post on how to build a great disc golf bag here on my site. You can check that out here: “How to Build the Ultimate Disc Golf Bag Pt. 2: Discs.”
The second resource on building a great, pro-level disc golf bag is the video below. It’s called “Choosing Discs with No Overlap,” by Danny Lindahl on YouTube.
2. Play solo disc rounds
My next tip is to take advantage of playing solo disc rounds. These 1-disc rounds can have a lot of benefits for your disc golf game. Here’s how:
The first reason is because these rounds can be quicker and allow you to get more practice in. Some players can play a course two or three times through like this. Instead of lugging a huge bag around the course and getting tired after only 18 holes, walking through with a single disc (or two – yes, you’re allowed to play with 2) can save your energy. So you might be able to crank out 36 or even 54 holes!
The second reason is for focusing on your form and technique. Using one disc, preferably a disc in which you “disc down,” or go down to an easier disc like a putter or mid-range, is how you get out of a fast and hard mindset with throwing all of your discs (especially drivers). Use easy discs and work on every part of your form and technique.
The third and final reason is for focus and strategy. Using a single disc forces you to seriously strategize throughout the entire course because you don’t have an entire bag of discs to turn to. You don’t have a disc for every single shot so you’ve got to improvise and do whatever you can to get your disc from teepad to basket. That’s tough as it is with all of your discs. Now you’re only using one disc. This also forces you to focus more on each and every shot. You can do this a little bit easier because you’re not thinking about what discs to pick. Just what shot can get me from each lie or teepad all the way to the finish.
Quick tip: try using a regular frisbee for your solo disc round. Normally you wouldn’t use frisbees in disc golf, but a large diameter frisbee can pose a serious challenge out on the course. These discs normally don’t fly further than 50 to 100 feet, so you’ve got to figure out how to get that frisbee from point A to point B. It’s tough. Give it a try!
For more, check out my post called, “Solo Round Guide: Can You Play Disc Golf With One Disc?”
3. Daily practice
Before I really dig in to this tip, I can’t emphasize the importance of practice enough. If you’re just looking to improve, practice is my #1 tip for you. But to move closer toward being an advanced or elite disc golfer, you have to do more than just practice. You have to practice daily. This is crucial. Just look at the pros. In order to stay at the top of their game, the practice every single day. It’s their job so they put in the work practice-wise.
“Don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong” -anonymous
But practicing is more than just getting out on the course and playing a few rounds a week. It actually takes a lot of work because there are many facets to being great at disc golf. Many parts to the physical part of the game that you must learn to improve and play at a high level. Here are all of the different things you’ve got to learn and practice:
Driving/long shots: driving is obviously a huge part of your game so this needs to be addressed first as it’s the first thing you do on a disc golf course. I don’t believe that any of the big three parts of disc golf (driving, approaching, and putting) are any more important than the others. All forms of practice are important, especially the big three. I just want to address driving first.
Practicing your driving or your longer throws is important because you do it a lot on the course. You will have at least 18+ drives so this is a crucial part of your disc golf game. Now there is really one main way that we work on driving: field work. Getting out in a field, with all of your discs, and practicing your driving or your long shots. Simple and effective. Just make sure you have a goal in mind and always take it seriously. This repetition will guarantee that you improve your skills.
Check out my field work tips post here.
Approaching: approaching is also insanely important because you’re going to approach on every hole (even if you ace it – technically that was a drive and an approach shot). It’s also important because, if you don’t sink your shot, your approach determines where you will putt from. Because you obviously want to be as close as possible.
Master your approach shots by first doing field work. Head to an open field and pick a target or take a portable basket to throw towards. This will help you out trendously on the course.
Drills can also help you learn how to crush approach shots. In my “50 Best Disc Golf Drills” post, the Hip Mobility Drill (#32 on that list), the Approach 21 Drill (#33), and the Landing Zone Approach Drill (#34), are all fantastic for learning how to approach.
Putting: “Drive for show, putt for dough” as the old saying goes. That means that you drive to show off, but you putt to win and then win the money. They’re both important but putting is how you finish out each hole and win. And In order to become an advanced disc golfer and an elite putter, you need to work on putting a lot. That obviously means a lot of putting practice.
The first way to improve your putting is to set a goal for a certain amount of practice putts you want to achieve each day or week. 150 putts a day or 1,000 putts a week is a solid goal. Most pros keep up with this or much more.
The other way to improve is through putting drills and games. Drills are ridiculously beneficial and putting games can be super fun while allowing you to improve your putting. If you’d like to see a whole post on this, check out, “The 11 Best Disc Golf Putting Drills and Games,” here on my site.
Different types of throws: another part of becoming an advanced disc golfer is learning, practicing, and mastering all of the different types of throws in disc golf. You have the backhand, the forehand, the tomahawk overhand, and the thumber overhand throw. It’s important to know and understand all of them.
Specialty skill shots: lastly, you need to learn, practice, and master all of the different specialty skill shots in disc golf. These include:
- The Hyzer
- The Anhyzer
- The Turnover Shot
- The Roller
- The S-Shot
- The Hyzer Flip and…
- The Flex Shot
If you want to become great at disc golf, you have to learn all of those shots. For more on this, check out my post, “What Are All the Different Types of Throws in Disc Golf?”
And there are still other parts to the game aside from the five I’ve listed above. But those are the main parts of the game that you need to practice. There are also other, off-the-course parts of disc golf that you have to practice. Check that out in tips 4, 5, and 6.
The routine
Before you move on to the next tip, I want you to think about how you’re going to put in the practice work to improve your game. I highly recommend setting up a weekly routine.
In order to not get burnt out from all of the practicing, I want you to establish this routine, or a schedule, for yourself and whatever you choose to practice that day/week. And practice doesn’t have to be long or boring. Just a quick 20-30 minutes a day can really help out your game. But the best thing you can do is to get on a good schedule of practice. Write it out and have a routine for each week. Here are a couple examples of how I’ve set up my practice schedule⬇️.
Example 1 (with lighter physical gym workouts only twice a week)
Monday – Putting practice
Tuesday – Approach work
Wednesday – Disc golf workout and leg workout in the gym
Thursday – Technical knowledge & rules
Friday – Field work
(+ upper body workout in the gym)
Saturday – Rest/miscellaneous practice
Sunday – Full round
Example 2 (with working out in the gym four times per week)
Monday – Field work (+ chest workout)
Tuesday – Technical knowledge & rules (+back workout)
Wednesday – Approach work
Thursday – Shoulders and disc golf workout
Friday – Putting practice (+ arm workout)
Saturday – Full round
Sunday – Rest/miscellaneous practice
So as you can see, you can vary it up and make a schedule that fits around your free time. That’s what I do. Also, don’t be afraid to take rest days if you need to. Just don’t take too many!
For more on practicing, check out my post on it here: “The Complete Disc Golf Practice Guide: Driving, Approaching, & Putting!”
4. At home practice gear
Another great way to continue practicing and improve your overall disc golf game is with some at-home practice gear. Having your own practice gear is extremely important and allows you to get better on your own time at home. For the best results, grab the following three practice items:
Personal Practice Basket: a personal practice basket guarantees that you get a significant amount of putting practice in whenever and wherever you want. Easily improve your putting game with your own basket. The best part of buying a practice basket? They’re extremely high-quality and insanely cheap. Most really good baskets only cost $150-200 dollars.
For more on why you should buy a practice basket, check out my post, “11 Reasons Why You Need a Disc Golf Basket.”
You can also see our best baskets post here: “17 Best Disc Golf Baskets (Get One and Win)”
Practice Net: one really great piece of practice equipment that I bought pretty early on in my disc golf career was a large practice net. I set this up in my garage and can practice throwing for as long as I like.
Grab yourself the practice net I bought here on Amazon.
The Propull System: The Propull system is an absolutely phenomenal way to improve your game. This awesome resistance band trainer allows you to use a real disc with a band attached to “increase acceleration in the exact angles and positions related to your individual throwing motion,” states InfiniteDiscs.com.
Grab the Propull Disc Golf Trainer here on Amazon.com.
If you’re interested in more about practice equipment, I’ve already written an entire post on this one tip called, “The #1 Way to Improve Your Disc Golf Game This Year.” ⬅️ Check it out!
5. disc golf knowledge
Just because you practice a lot doesn’t mean that you don’t need to study the game and work on the mental part of your disc golf game. This is extremely important. Here are a couple of ways to improve your disc golf knowledge.
Check out all of our awesome content: here on DiscgolfNOW.com, I aim to provide the best, most high-quality content on the internet. This site has – including this post – 200 posts (200 plus by the time you read this) talking about everything disc golf. Even if you’re an experienced player, you still stand to benefit from my site.
The PDGA Rulebook: in order to truly improve and become an elite disc golfer, you need to know the rules and how they apply to every situation on the course. If you’d like to gain insight and grow your mental prowess on the disc golf course, check out the PDGA Official Rules of Disc Golf here on their site.
Find a mentor: lastly, I highly encourage you to find someone who can mentor you in the game. A mentor is extremely important because they can show you tips and tricks that you may not have thought of before. They can also show you these tips and tricks in person AND critique you while you learn it all.
When looking for someone to show you the ropes, you can do a couple of things. First, you can find a local player who’s been playing for a long time. Join a local disc golf league or a local club and that shouldn’t be too difficult. If you can find a local pro player that will show you advanced tips and tricks, that’s the best way. Most players will at least give you a tip or two or critique your form.
You can also go online to Reddit or Instagram and ask for advice. This isn’t an in-person mentor, but online mentors are fine as well. As long as they can help you, that’s all that matters. YouTube videos and clinics work as well. They’re not in-person mentors but these resources are always helpful for me.
For more on on why mentors are important, check out my post, “7 Reasons Why You Need a Mentor in Disc Golf.”
6. Off the course work
When you’re not actually playing disc golf, there are many things that you can do off the course to benefit you both mentally and physically. This crucial off-the-course work will undoubtedly end up translating into a healthier, more fit, smarter disc golfer. Here are 7 things you can do off the course to help you improve your health so that you can become a better disc golfer.
Working out/lifting weights: working out isn’t just important for your health, but it can improve your strength. I always promote this for becoming a healthier and stronger disc golfer. Stronger muscles can help you throw farther, balance better, and improve stamina while playing. Try working out specifically for disc golf. Check out my post on this below ⬇️:
“The 12 Best Disc Golf Exercises to Keep You Fit.”
Fitness cardio: on top of lifting weights and getting stronger, you need to do cardio a few times a week. Cardio, which improves your cardiovascular fitness, includes running, cycling, and other forms of movement that get your heart pumping! Sometimes I will play quick rounds where I jog through the course as I play. Stop. Throw. Jog to the disc. And on and on through the round. This is important to build stamina while you play. If you get tired after only half a round, this can and will affect your play for the rest of that round. So get your cardio in check.
Abs: abs are extremely important because they help you build a strong core (basically the middle of your body). The core is important because it helps you stay balanced and can help you with power during your throws. Check out my disc golf ab workout below ⬇️:
“The Only Disc Golf Core Workout You’ll Ever Need.”
Stretching: wow, It’s tough to even explain how important stretching is. Stretching doesn’t just help your muscles to get stronger, but it can help you recover after long rounds or workouts, recover from injury, and it can promote a healthy mindset by helping to eliminate stress from your body. Stretching is awesome. Check out my post on it below ⬇️:
“The 17 Best Disc Golf Stretches to Improve Your Game.”
Nutrition: you are what you eat. Simple enough. If you eat like sh*t, you’re gonna’ feel like sh*t. And that will translate directly onto the disc golf course. So you need to clean up your diet and try to eat a little bit healthier. Take a multivitamin. Use protein supplements to make you stronger. Just focus on your nutrition and what you put into your body. It will make a huge difference.
Hydration: making sure to get proper amounts of fluid in your body is SUPER important to your health. I’m mainly talking about water, but other hydrating drinks are fine as long as you drink enough water every day. I try to drink at least a half gallon or more every single day. On days that I play rounds or do long workouts, I’ll try to get more than a half gallon in. Stay hydrated. Especially on the disc golf course.
Sleep: last but not least comes sleep. Sleep is crucial because it help the body regulate a lot of different things. It can also help your body and mind recover from a tough day. Don’t skimp on sleep. Because you will regret it.
7. Find new, challenging courses
The last tip on this list for becoming an advanced disc golfer is to make sure you’re always challenging yourself. I know a lot of players who stick to their home course, only play that one course, and are REALLY REALLY good when playing there. But take them somewhere else they’re not familiar with and their round scores are dramatically worse.
If you truly want to become a great disc golfer, you should always look for a challenge when playing. If I can, I try to vary up which course I go to and always look for new courses to play. This will help you adapt and learn how to play through challenging new course designs and layouts you’re not overly familiar with. See, pretty simple.
So that’s about it
All of the 7 tips on this list are things that you can do today to start improving your game from good to great or from intermediate to advanced. All of these tips can really be used by any disc golfer to take their game up a few notches (even beginners). If you’re looking to Improve your game and become an elite disc golfer or competitive player, take these tips and start practicing. Then practice some more. Keep learning and keep trying to get better. It will take time, but I know that you can do it. Thanks for reading, disc golfers!
Related content
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Don’t forget to check out the book!
I know you may be a pretty good disc golfer, but you should pick up a copy of the best disc golf ebook on the planet, “The Disc Golf Player’s Manual.” This epic ebook is packed with 200 plus pages of some of the best content out right now. Now you may be too advanced for this book, but someone you know could benefit from all of the awesome tips inside. So check it out today!