Whatever brought you to try out the incredible game of disc golf, congratulations! Whether you just want to play a few casual rounds a year with friends or family or you have competitive goals in mind, the most important rule to remember is to always have fun. When you approach disc golf with that in mind, you will never grow tired of it.
When you are getting ready to play a disc golf tournament, you should take the time to prepare mentally and physically. Today, we want to talk about physical preparation. What can you do to get your body ready for a long day of tournament disc golf?
Many PDGA-sanctioned events require you to play two rounds in a day. These are very long days. Pace of play is always slower in a disc golf tournament setting compared to casual rounds. There’s a lot of waiting around and it’s easy for the body to stiffen up in between throws. Even when you have one round a day with tee times, you can expect a pretty long day of disc golf.
You have your favorite disc golf bag. It’s full of your favorite discs. What other accessories do you need to carry? Whether you are playing a casual round or a multi-round tournament, there is some gear that is vital to include. Then, there are a few other extras that are nice to have in the bag if you have the space.
Some kind of towel (or multiple towels) is an absolute must to have on or in your disc golf bag. You need to be able to dry off discs during dewy morning rounds or on rainy days. Towels are also useful to
What used to be known as ultimate Frisbee is now simply known as ultimate. This is a fun and exciting sport. Many disc golfers came from ultimate backgrounds, while some avid disc golfers are just discovering this other flying disc sport themselves.
At one point, there were almost two sides of the fence. You were either an ultimate player or a disc golfer. Now, that gap has been bridged significantly as both sports become more and more mainstream. Many of today’s top disc golf professionals came from ultimate backgrounds, including Team Innova’s own “Big Sexy” duo of Nate Sexton and Jeremy Koling. Of course, we all know one of the best professional ultimate players ever, Brodie Smith, has brought a lot of new eyes to disc golf since he joined the PDGA.
Every disc golfer wants to be able to increase their maximum distance. You're not going to get there with a midrange disc. That’s a simple fact. Gaining max distance and improving skill level are good reasons why dedicated professional and advanced players spend hours in the field working on their form. Field work is also great for intermediate players practicing or trying out new discs. As you improve your disc golf skills and become a more advanced player, you will be able to take advantage of the disc flight characteristics that high-speed disc golf distance drivers and “hybrid” control drivers offer.
So, what is the best disc golf driver? That will always be a debate among
There is a lot of science behind disc golf physics. Factors like velocity, throwing angle, drag, lift and spin will have different effects on flying discs. The discs themselves have different design traits that allow them to fly in various flight paths.
Today, we want to talk about the science of flight when it comes to disc golf. We will pull some references directly from one of our favorite disc golf book, “The Definitive Guide to Disc Golf” by Justin Menickelli, Ph.D, and Ryan “Slim” Pickens, M.A. If you have not read this book yet, pick up a copy in the DGU Store. It covers everything you need to know about t
The exact origins of disc golf history are hard to trace. People have been playing catch and throwing flying discs around since the days of the old Frisbie Pie tins in the late 1800s. Somewhere along the way, someone must have developed the concept of disc golf and thought about throwing the disc at a specific target and counting how many throws it would take to get from point A to point B.
“Steady” Ed—The Father of Disc Golf
The man credited as the “Father of Disc Golf” as we know it today was “Steady” Ed Headrick (PDGA Member #001). He patented many key inventions. The first was the plastic Frisbee that he developed in 1966 while working at the Wham-O toy company. And yes, the name is a nod to the old Frisbie pie tins that are credited for starting the flying di
We meet disc golfers all the time out on the golf course who have been playing casually for years and are pretty good, yet they’ve never actually played in a disc golf tournament. Perhaps they aren’t interested in a competitive format or they just don’t know enough about how tournament play works. More often than not, the latter is true. They don’t join local disc golf clubs or sign up for PDGA-sanctioned disc golf tournaments because they don’t quite know how to get started.
Meanwhile, there are a lot of beginners out there who are already hooked on disc golf and eager to improve their games.
If you are wondering "Why should I play in my first disc golf tournament?" Well, it's because competitive tournament play is a great way to push yourself to the next level.
The wonderful thing about local disc golf clubs and regional events are that they are designed for all levels of players. They are broken down into many different divisions. There are male and female divisions. There are amateur and pro (open) divisions. There are novice, recreational, intermediate and advanced divisions. There are even age-protected divisions for players 40+, 50+, 55+, 60+ and sometimes as high as 70+. Whatever your age, gender or skill level, there is a division that you can play in and experience competition with other players like you.
Here are some tips for playing in your first disc golf tournament:
1. Join a Local Disc Golf Club
Just about every local disc golf course around you will have its own disc golf club, and then there are other regional disc golf clubs that might travel around and play multiple courses in the area. Most of these clubs will have monthly and/or weekly tournaments. These are competitive events, but typically a bit more casual than a PDGA-sanctioned event. Joining a local disc golf club is a great way to meet more disc golf players in your area and to ease into competitive play on your local disc golf courses that you know and love. You can learn disc golf rules and etiquette by playing alongside people who have more competitive experience. You may even find a PDGA-sanctioned weekly series happening at a disc golf course that will allow you to establish a PDGA player rating, which will be more serious than a casual weekly but not quite as intimidating as a large tournament.
2. Join the PDGA
Joining the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) will help grow the game. You’ll be supporting our official competitive organization for disc golf while also growing yourself as a competitor. When you hear disc golfers talking about their player ratings, they are referring to their PDGA rating, which is based on tournament round performance. Your average rating is a way to help measure one golfer against another, and it will ultimately help you know which division you should be playing in. You may start in novice or recreational, but the ultimate goal is to move up to intermediate, advanced or even the open division when you think you are ready to take on the next level of challenge. Being a PDGA member will allow you to establish your player rating based only on scores posted in PDGA-sanctioned tournament rounds.
3. Sign Up for a Tournament
When you think you are ready for a tournament is up to you. Our advice is to take the leap and sign up for one. You can search local events and register on Disc Golf United or Disc Golf Scene. Finding an event at a disc golf course where you are most comfortable is a good way to start. If you don’t have a player rating yet, that’s fine. Your first event will help you establish one if you are a registered PDGA member. The point is you are trying something new and it will help you take your passion for the game to the next level. Most people who play in one tournament get hooked. It really is a lot of fun!
4. Choose Your Division
Selecting which division you want to play in, especially for your first tournament, can be intimidating. Where do you fall? There are a lot of options. If you don’t have a rating yet, you can choose whichever division you want. If you are rated 900 or above, you must play in intermediate or higher (including age-protected divisions). If you think you are better than a novice or recreational player, then don’t hesitate to sign up for one of the higher divisions. If you aren’t sure, then recreational is a good place to start. If you are really new to the game, then novice is just fine (if available—not every tournament will have a novice division).
Remember this is just your first tournament. You can move up or down next time if you find yourself in the wrong division. Eventually, you might move your way up to the open division with enough practice and tournament play experience. You can also reach out to the tournament director (TD) before the event and ask for a division sign-up recommendation.
5. Watch the Pro Coverage
YouTube is loaded with amazing professional disc golf coverage from production companies like Jomez Pro, Central Coast Disc Golf, GK Pro, The Disc Golf Guy, The Spin TV and the Disc Golf Network, just to name a few. Watching the pros play will help you better learn the rules and etiquette of disc golf, as well as observe top-level form and shot selection strategies on the world's most demanding disc golf course designs. Just remember that these are the best players in the world and you have to hold yourself to your own standards. You might get on that coverage someday if you really work hard at it, but you have to start somewhere.
6. Have Fun!
Everyone is nervous for their first competitive event. It’s natural. The best thing you can do is try to relax, have fun and don't worry about what the scorecard says. Play a practice round before tournament time, learn the course layout, enjoy every birdie you get and don't let any bogeys get you down too much. Stay within your own game and stick to your normal routine, whether you are throwing a putter from the disc golf tee or any flying disc in your bag. You probably aren’t going to win your first tournament unless you signed up for a division way below your skill level, but you can use it as a learning experience. The bottom line is, play your own game. Don’t be too concerned with your cardmates’ scores, or if you have a rough stretch of holes, but do observe how they play. It can help you get a better feel for the flow of the game in a competitive setting and see how they handle different situations on the golf course.
You probably aren’t going to know every single disc golf rule when you play in your first tournament, and that’s okay. Ask your playing partners if you aren’t sure, and just pay attention to what they do in different rules scenarios like taking relief from an out of bounds (OB) line. Etiquette around the tee pads and when putting are also very important to learn, along with when and how to use your mini marker disc to mark your lie. Playing with disc golfers who are more experienced than you is one of the best ways to improve your own skills and knowledge.
Where Do I Find Local Disc Golf Events?
If you are looking for a local disc golf club to join, Facebook is probably your best bet. Search for your home courses in the area and odds are there will be a disc golf course page and/or a disc golf club page. You’ll be able to find out about what’s going on and when the group plays. If you are looking for PDGA-sanctioned events and you are ready to sign up for your first big tournament, then check out the DGU Events page. You can search or scroll down the list to see upcoming events, tournament details and registration links.
When it comes to playing in golf club events and sanctioned disc golf tournaments, the best advice is to simply sign up, show up to the tournament course and get ready to have the time of your life! You’ll feel more connected to the local disc golf scene than ever before and you will become a better player. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Here is a list of some major U.S. cities with disc golf club websites:
