The infamous Ace. Something players dream about getting after they start getting more serious about disc golf. A feat so tough, that it takes some years to finally achieve it. The ace in disc golf is often the epitome of a ton of hard work, dedication, discipline, some luck, and one absolutely epic shot on the hole.
For those that have gotten an ace, pics have been posted to social media and rowdy celebrations have taken place amongst friends. For those that have yet to achieve it, there are many more rounds to be played to finally experience the celebration. But today, we’re going to explain what exactly an ace is, make some recommendations on discs for you, and give you some great tips to try and help you get your first ace. So what is it?
What is an ace in disc golf?
“Ace” is one of the most basic scoring terms in disc golf. An ace in disc golf means throwing a hole-in-one, or taking only one throw to get the disc from the teepad into the basket. This type of shot requires perfect accuracy and direction.
Disc golf holes range between par three and par five, meaning it should take three, four or five throws to get the disc into the basket. To even think about a hole-in-one, a disc golfer needs to take into account wind, hazards and length – and then throw it perfectly into the basket.
Check out the video below for some great aces by professional disc golfers.
How to score an ace
Now If you can remember what a par is, it is an expected number of strokes on a hole (let’s say a par 4 or 4 strokes/throws to complete the hole). If you wanted a par, you would have to complete the hole in 4 throws. All disc golf holes are either a par 3, par 4, or par 5, meaning you need to get the disc in the basket in 3 throws, 4 throws, or 5 throws, respectively.
In order to get an ace on those holes, this is what you would have to score:
• Score a 1 on a par 3. This is the most common hole to get an ace, or hole-in-one on, because these holes are generally the shortest and offer the best chance to get the disc in the basket in 1 shot.
• Score a 1 on a par 4. Less common but they occasionally do happen. Also called an “albatross.”
• Score a 1 on a par 5. These are extremely rare as most par 5 holes are very difficult to achieve in less than 3 or 4 shots. I’m actually not sure if anyone has ever aced a par 5 before.
But aces, or hole-in-ones, do occasionally happen on the disc golf course.
The history of the ace
The ace’s history, like that of the other common terminology we use, began it’s history with ball golf according to this article on pga.com. It appears that the first ace ever recorded happened in Scotland in 1869. A young ball golf pro named Tom Morris nailed the first ever hole-in-one on old hole 8 of the beautiful Prestwick Golf Club (link to their course website). The word, “hole-in-one,” probably came about because of that shot, being as it went into the hole in 1 shot. The history is a little fuzzy, though, around the hole-in-one.
The history of the word, “ace,” according to Thoughtco.com, was thought to have come about in early 1920s golf culture because of how “ace” was used in other parts of the culture. Ace referred to something being #1 or the best (ace pitcher/ace player). It also refers to the #1 card in a deck of cards. So it’s easy to see how it could’ve been picked up.
And I’m sure that disc golf brought the term over just as it did with all of the other common terms now used in the #discgolfcommunity.
3 ace-worthy discs
Before we get into my top 3 disc recommendations for aces, I’m going to make a special recommendation for a record-setting disc golf disc: the Millenium Polaris LS control driver (link to InfiniteDiscs.com). It’s a very straight-flying control driver with flight ratings of 8, 5, -2, 1 – making this a fantastic disc for just about all players. This is reportedly the disc that holds the current ace distance record of 726 feet. Motodom.com wrote a post that you can read here about disc golfer Brent Bell and his insane ace.
1. Innova Aviar
The Aviar is a fantastic disc from Innova and a great putter for aces on those short par 3 holes. With flight ratings of 2, 3, 0, 1, the Aviar runs stable but is a great disc for beginners all the way up to advanced players. You can check out the Aviar here on Discgolfunited.com.
2. Discraft Buzzz
What’s the buzz on the Buzzz? Well, it’s by far one of the most popular mid-range discs and it’s also king of the aces. This disc has given out thousands of aces to worthy disc golfers. And personally, it’s just a fun disc to play with. You can grab one here on InfiniteDiscs.com. The Buzzz is great for every level of disc golfer.
3. Dynamic Discs Sheriff
If you read any of my other disc recommendations on this site, you’ll notice that I love the Sheriff. I guess a lot of other people do, too, because this isn’t just one of the most popular discs on InfiniteDiscs.com, but one of the most popular discs for aces on their site. You can get yours here on InfiniteDiscs.com.
7 quick tips to help you land your first ace
1. Sometimes it’s all luck
This one is for real. Obviously, being able to get the disc to the basket is a plus. But occasionally, you’ll get a lucky skip or bounce into the basket. All I’m saying is, just take it how you get it.
2. Don’t press toward that ace
Just because you want that ace doesn’t mean you need to be hard-pressed to try and get it every time you play. And there’s no need to get angry if it doesn’t happen. Just let your first ace come naturally. It will happen. Give it time, go have fun, and you will get it.
3. Technique
I talk about good technique in most of my tip lists because of how important it is to learn it. I mean, it’s like one of the most important concepts in all of disc golf. If you don’t have good technique, you don’t throw well (and that means no aces). Check out our post, “7 Steps to the Best Disc Golf Technique and a Perfect Throw,” to learn more.
4. Distance
Distance isn’t the most important thing to learn in all of disc golf, but it can be good in relation to getting aces. Because you will have to sling the disc at least a couple hundred feet to nail that ace. Check out our awesome tip list, “The 27 Best Disc Golf Distance Tips for Beginners,” to start improving your distance.
5. Play more
Here’s a simple tip: go play more. Whoa, you’ll get better and there will be more chances to get that first ace!
6. Don’t give up
Easy. You will get that first ace. Just keep trying and don’t quit.
7. Read our 101 tips list
To wrap this up, check out our post, “101 Disc Golf Tips to Take Your Game to the Next Level.” This epic post is guaranteed to help you seriously improve your disc golf game. You do that and you’ll be well on your way to crushing that first ace. Alright, disc golfers, good luck!
Overall
Crushing your first ace is tough. We already know that. But hopefully with all of the tips, disc recommendations, and other info given out today, finally getting to that ace will be quicker than you think. Just remember: the better you get and the more you play, the quicker you will get to that first ace.
Great job!
If you’ve gotten this far, you must really want to learn more about disc golf! If you’re interested in more of what we have to say about the sport, check out some of our best posts below.
50 Ways to Get More Birdies and Improve Your Disc Golf Game
The 50 Best Disc Golf Drills to Change Your Game Forever
The 27 Best Disc Golf Distance Tips for Beginners
The 15 All-Time Best Disc Golf Discs
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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!