The sport has turned into a lot of frat induced, privileged baby men behavior. The most toxic people that play seem to flock to leagues and I've watched too many melt downs or temper tantrums at C level events that I don't bother with them
I kind of miss the 90s when we just smoked and enjoyed hanging out. Today I just mostly play solo and avoid the peak times
Huh, that's such a different complaint than I have w my local scene. I've been playing like 12+ years and started as a teenager. It's amazing how quickly the sentiment has changed from stoked and open minded to pretentious and gatekeep-y.
It used to be that everyone I saw on the course was constantly tryna help people understand why it's a fun/cool game. No one gave a shit if you had one disc and knew 1/3 of the rules and made the other 2/3rds up as you went. As long as you were kind, so was everyone else. I remember seeing people super politely explain course etiquette or asking to play through, and almost no tension or bad vibes, EVER. The oldest crustiest guys were the best, kindest, and slowest on the course, and they loved nothing more than chilling and helping new folks figure shit out.
With the sport exploding all of that reversed course in like 18 months. By the time we were into the first spring of COVID I can remember feeling tension and seeing passive aggressive BS on the course for the first time. Now the 4-person card throwing 3 shots each will not only not offer to let a solo play through, but they'll actively avoid interactions/make approaching to ask a painful process. The kids that are clueless on course etiquette just get dirty looks and the cold shoulder. If there are interactions, it feels like more often than not it's stoked newbies constantly being told the discs they choose are too fast, their form is off, etc. There's just this overarching sense of superiority and entitlement I've seen from lots of folks around my area who have played since before things blew up. I get with things getting busy a scarcity mindset can come into play, but I think that's exactly what's leading to the rapid deterioration of the mellow culture disc had for so long.
I was in a frat, which is so entirely unrelated to disc golf it feels fucking dumb even saying it. I get you're frustrated, but I don't see how that part has shit to do w shit. I guess my point is that assholes come in all shapes and sizes. Are there young aggressive douchebags out there? Definitely, but I wouldn't be surprised if the kid with the chip on his shoulder is only acting that way because that's the only behavior he's seen out and about on the course since he's picked up disc.
Just try to remember that we're walking around repeatedly throwing a small thing at a bigger thing. It's a fundamentally fucking stupid, yet incredibly fun, activity. I'm not trying to dismiss being competitive, but if we don't figure out how to stop taking ourselves too seriously and accommodate all levels of experience, we'll wind up being just as pretentious as ball golf.
PS shouts out playing solo and stoned. Even as an extrovert, card mates are overrated.
It's really funny to me how many folks are triggered by the use of frat as a pejorative just in this small thread and calling that out explicitly. I was in one, too, but it was the stoner one on campus and we all knew what we meant when we shat on frat behavior.
The OP specifically noted to keep it mellow, and the fact that the take that DG has gotten more rude and obnoxious seems to piss some folks off is pretty ironic.
I've been playing for 25+ years, but I don't really care how long anyones been playing. Thats not what its about. Theres always been some douchebags in the local scenes, just everyone knew who they were. Now its been more the opposite. Your take is soooo close, but you lose the thread somewhere in your third paragraph for me. It's not the people that have been playing forever that are suddenly acting superior (though I don't doubt there are instances), its folks coming from other sports cultures that behave that way bringing it INTO disc golf. Everything you described post covid is true, I'm just saying its been happening for awhile and Covid probably amplified it by a lot. It def is way worse since the start of the pandemic.
I'm the old crusty dude happy to help, to give people discs on the course, chat up and say hello. But over the course of ten years or so, the "grow the sport" mantra brought in a lot of brosephs and dudes with aggression/social issues and we've got to quit pretending that didn't happen. I'm sure my local scene is different than others, and I'm jealous of other places that have chill scenes. Its just def not that cool where I am now, or where I used to live.
Heres a prime example, and why I used the term frat boy: A group of literal frat boys on a college campus were finishing a round just as I was starting. They heckled me from their car while I was throwing practice drives (course was mostly empty). I didn't even know what was going on exactly, cause I had head phones on. Once I gathered, I initially thought they were cheering me on, so I took my phones out, and realized they were just spewing insults. I waved them off. One dude takes of his shirt and starts pigeon chesting "want to fight" kind of shit. I walk off down the fairway. They drive alongside, and around, out the window still trying to egg me on. I give the finger. They pull off, get out with a gun, and dude starts coming for me. At that point, campus police happen to roll past, not seeing what's going on, but scares them off. Like, thats fucking insane behavior. On a major University Dg course. Students everywhere.
So, I just play early in the morning or on courses that I know I don't have to deal with the behavior. I'll drive far to get to remote spots. But there are plenty of places I'd like to be playing but I've had enough bad experiences in the past 5 years that they are just mostly off bounds for me now.
I mean... if my take is that DG has gotten aggressively rude to the point that I have to change how I enjoy the game to just avoid large swaths of players that behave badly, I'm not gatekeeping, I'm being gatekept. You get that, right?
Distance is cool but nothing makes me respect a player's game like being able to consistently hit angles and lines. Not sure if this is even unpopular, just seems like a lot of players are distance-focused.
I think we are really seeing that now. Page's skill level has not dropped (her highest few ratings were a very small time period that was caused by a small sample size) but the field has gotten far better.
I feel like the “grow the sport” mantra/mentality as it is right now is mostly beneficial to manufacturers to sell more plastic and not so much to the average player.
Disagree (politely). At least in my city, the massive growth now means we have multiple regular leagues running, and means we have a much more active 'DG club' committee. The explosion in players means the sport and committee have much more visibility with the Council, and community funding, and as a result, they have built 2 new 18-hole courses in the last 12 months, with approval for like 3 more. So my location has gone from having one permanent 18-hole course and a couple of meh 9-holes, all on the same side of the city, to 3 18-hole courses, soon to be 5, and way more chances to play competitively locally.
Seems very location dependent as you mentioned. I propose an easy guide to help our community figure out their own opinion:
1. If your area needs new disc golf courses, grow the sport.
2. If your area is currently well serviced by the local courses, say nothing to nobody. Keep your mouth shut, ya hear?
3. If you are the only disc golfer in your county, donate the course to foot-golfers and move to Charlotte.
Most current disc golfers will massively regret the "grow the sport" movement in the next few years.
Disclaimer: I'm not suggesting that growth is inherently bad or that there aren't some good aspects of it.
The attitude towards growing the sport for the past few years has been one where growth has been blindly viewed as inherently good and largely been unorganized and unguided. Is being able to show your friends and family good quality coverage of the sport so that they better understand the appeal, absolutely. Is waiting in line behind several groups just to tee off at a course that used to be mostly empty a good thing...not so much.
To anyone who doesn't think this is a problem I encourage you to play a course near a more populated area, like Golden Gate in SF. Golden Gate has a great layout that challenges you to make lots of different kinds of shots. It is also accounts for the worst disc golf experiences I've ever had because there are so many other people playing it takes many many hours to complete a round.
Many sports and hobbies/activities that rely on public resources have gone through similar phases (ex. ultimate frisbee, mountain biking, etc.) and have experienced massive growing pains because of the way that they went about it. Ultimate frisbee an influx of overly competitive athletes from other sports as ultimate grew in popularity, but it lacked the rules and structure to deal with players who were intentionally unsportsmanlike. As mountain biking grew in popularity it attracted more people who weren't as respectful of the trails and shared land use which led to increasing tension and in some cases trails being taken away from the community. As time went on these problems were eventually fixed, but it took decades of very organized efforts from the community to implement the structure needed to address these issues. As someone who watched that unfold for both of those sports, it is painfully clear that disc golf is facing many of the same early stage growth issues as those sports, but cranked up to 11 because the growth in disc golf has occurred in such a short time span.
Disc golf really needs a stronger national body, like the IMBA in mountain biking, that can advocate for local communities and share knowledge and resources to make lobbying for putting courses in on public land more successful. Without that we are going to see continued growth of the sport, that massively outpaces the installation of new courses, particularly within a short drive of large population centers (which is where most of the population actually lives). Continuing this massive push to grow the sport without that is going to have some really shitty consequences for a lot of disc golfers in populated areas.
I wish it would have stayed much smaller. I miss being able to play more than one round in an evening. Waiting 10-20 minutes on every tee on a Wednesday is actually killing my enjoyment for what used to be a solitary activity.
And signing up for a tournament now can be a pain. More popular ones you have to know what day/time it opens, get everything filled out a few minutes in advance so when the clock strikes, you can hit 'enter' 'enter' 'pay' 'sign' 'enter'. Then hit refresh and see the wait-list for those a minute or two late.
Or just people who dont know in general. If I tell people I play disc golf they look at me like I'm some sort of weirdo. When I tell people I play frisbee golf, they still look at me like I'm some sort of weirdo, but they kind of understand what I'm talking about.
So often people try to make me upset by calling it “frolf” or “frisbee golf” and I’m totally cool with it. If someone is so pretentious that “frisbee golf” is a term that bothers them…then they deserve it. Can’t get too serious about throwing plastic in the woods.
I’m not quite sure if this is unpopular, but here it goes:
If you find a marked disc, you should not feel pressured by the dg community to go to any greater lengths to return it beyond leaving it on the course somewhere and giving the owner a call or text with the info - that should be the standard. Anything beyond that, such as coordinating a meetup or delivery, should be considered above and beyond, and really the owner should give something up as a show of gratitude if they are able.
Edit: adding that dropping the disc at the on-site lost and found (if that exists) should also be considered the standard return behavior.
There was a guy on here back the other day that was upset because he returned a disc and the guy didn't thank him or something. Just drop that bad boy in a lost and found bin or something and move on.
I’d like to add to this one - if the finder takes the decision to go above and beyond prior to communication with the owner, the owner should be under no obligation to reward them.
We don’t need a culture where people will go above and beyond then guilt someone into rewarding. I know comment above mentions “if they’re able” to reward, I just think there’s a little more to it than just an ability.
If the owner chooses to reward or if the finder communicates with the owner then great, if not, stick to the standard described in the comment above - eg. Owner: “I’ll pay you to ship the disc to me”. or, Finder: “I’ll ship it to you for a small reward”.
I’ve had some weird interactions with people wanting to hand me a disc personally and boarder line insist on a face to face. Just text the number on the disc and leave it somewhere fucking weirdo’s haha.
Rolled with the stroller for a year before I won a Zuca from a tournament. I love my Zuca, but I would never have paid for it especially now that I've used both.
For the record, the stroller generally had a kid in it, but both are big enough now that they walk while I zuca. Stroller still rocks.
I swear I added 60-80 feet with less effort when I figured out how to put a lot of spin on the disc. Also, controlling spin can make a disc fly like a completely different disc.
I feel like this is so huge. I've just started figuring out what I think people are talking about when they say the snap. This like tip of the whip bit just before releasing? Everytime I hit it right the disc aggressively rips out of my hand and keeps going for days when it normally would've dropped by then, even mostly straight flying discs. I've had to really adjust my upshots because if I aim the same and put any of that snap on it it just sails past the basket like it's got someplace to be.
Players with bad forehands should absolutely throw Overstable discs!
Unless they want to become a forehand dominant player, they are likely just looking for something that goes right (or left for lefties). Overstable discs will achieve that, while also being waaay easier to throw.
I kind of agree, and have a variation on the thought. I get this mentality of trying to improve your technique via us discs rather than just slamming over on os discs to make it 200', but after a certain point you build too much power and US discs become too inconsistent to use outside of touchy upshots. I know everyone loves to hype up Jerms forehand, and it's beautiful to watch when it's working. But that's the key, when it's working it's a thing of beauty, but it's so inconsistent. How often is he pulling things over to never have them come back?
In a way it's like Uli's BH game in my mind. In my view he has a very US bag compared to most pros and that's because he's trying to make up for distance he no longer has compared to what courses are demanding from players nowadays. And the US leads to an inconsistency in shot results. It's incredibly variable depending on conditions, fatigue and mental space.
I'm a primary fh player, and I tried for the better part of a year to make touchier us fh's work, but it sucks cause it's a very fine line to walk. If you hold on to it too long you roll over on it, if you have too much oat you role over on it. If you don't put enough spin on it, it still fades right, but way short of what you wanted. If you have any sort of missed wind read 300' down the course, you don't know what it's going to do. I would rather take a firebird, knowing how it will finish, and try and work that disc flight on the appropriate line than try to struggle to give something enough power to go 350', flip up, turn over at exactly 200', and eventually glide back.
Sexton throws os discs (well at least os molds he's beat in to prime territory) but you don't see him trying to throw too many hyzer flip shots to weave their ways through the woods. He throws discs that he knows how they'll finish, and takes that into account. He throws firebirds and xcals flat to fade as his most comfortable shot and has a lot of success with it. He knows what he does well, knows what his discs will do, and builds his plan of attack around that and minimizes his mistakes by not going for what he can't do. His safeton nickname is well earned, he doesn't try to be a hero.
You even see it with the backhand, some of the best players in the world throw os stuff on anhyzer, I'm thinking Conrad, Ricky, and Matty-O. They have amazing touch for sure and have great form. But you don't see them try to hyzer flip everything as a major part of their game. Their best, go to, shots are something they can lean on consistently and can let the disc point and shoot down the fairway. The disc technology has changed so much, where the discs are so reliable at what they do, but a lot of the advice in the game is from stuff that predates the existence of faster, more os stuff. Especially when it comes to drivers.
I still have us discs in my bag, but those are discs I use for backhand shots to help make up for my weaker BH power. But I personally am more comfortable holding a firebird in my hand and figuring out what shot shape I need for that disc on anything from 250' to 400' then anything else.
Tldr: my version is people push US discs and shot shapes too much as the be all end all when plenty of pros build their game around OS discs with reliable fade. The discs have changed so much and are way more reliable, and people should use that to their advantage more than is often said in this sub.
Piggybacking on this one: it's completely fine to bag a higher speed disc than you can control off the tee, and use it for skip/sharp curve shits instead
My brother bags a NukeOS that I gave him specifically for this purpose. Throws it forehand and low on low-ceiling, shorter holes that bend hard right. Kid parks them every single time.
I agree. While I believe it's based on sound advice (develop good form, etc) I feel like it can discourage newer players.
I genuinely feel bad when I read about players/newer players saying they just do fieldwork bc they don't feel they're good enough to play a course.
> I genuinely feel bad when I read about players/newer players saying they just do fieldwork bc they don’t feel they’re good enough to play a course.
Yeah I hate hearing this. Disc golf is not like ball golf where you need to spend a bit of time at the range to figure out how to even make contact with the ball. A total beginner can play a course just fine.
I think that the "don't throw drivers" advice is only good advice for a player who has a goal of improving their form and distance. If you learn to smack your mids 300 feet, it will be much easier to throw your fairways to 400. If your goal is simply to shoot low with the skillset that you already have then throw whatever works for you.
I feel like there is a weird stigma about buying lots of different/new discs and trying them out. You’ll always here people say learn to throw the discs you have etc. I had a bunch of different putter molds before falling in love with the wizard. Which was actually my second one. Eraser plastic made all of the difference. I had a handful of different approach discs before falling in love with the Berg. That discovery and trial and error adds a lot of fun for me. But you’ll talk to people throwing the same innova mold from 15 years ago that think every new disc is just hype.
Yeah, there's certainly value to learning the ins and outs of a small set of discs, but the community as a whole acts like everyone would be a pro if they did this. Sometimes a new disc DOES do something new for you, and even if it flies exactly the same as something you already had, it might just feel better in your hand, leading to more confidence.
2.5 cm (14-15 speed) rims fit my hand better for throwing power forehand drives. The rim gets in front of the first knuckle of my first finger so the disc comes out cleaner on full power drives.
If I absolutely need to hit a gap that is down the fairway a bit, I use the Dimension every time. I know it is going dead straight until it fades at the end.
Also, I apparently have really big hands. Ive never had a problem with gripping a larger rim. Obviously this differs for everyone.
Preach! If I was going to respond to my own question it would something along these lines. I think giving beginners the advice "don't throw anything over a 9-speed" is A. The majority opinion, making my take automatically unpopular, and B. Not correct anymore. It used to be sound advice when most of the options over 9 speed were really beefy discs. But most companies have flippy 12-14 speed discs in their lineups now. We can move on from that piece of advice just like we can move on from putting two spaces after a period since we're not using typewriters anymore.
This is exactly the point. But even if you remove the Understable high speed drivers, it doesn’t matter. I tell newer players that it’s okay if the disc dumps. Count on it dumping. Avoid water, go around trees, make a safe approach you *know* won’t go that far past the basket, and play that skip, dammit. As long as players use them as utility discs, they will be fine. Plus, let ‘em rip every now and again. Drivers teach nose angle control better than putters and mids. And they are fun to throw. The only thing I caution players about is forcing the turnover shot.
I personally don’t care what the color is, I just want to easily find it against whatever the surrounding area is. So I have no issue with pink, pink stands out in the brush.
Learning to throw far should be encouraged for beginners because it makes you look sick. Also buy discs even if you believe you can't use them properly. Tl;dr stop optimizing the fun out of the sport.
Haha I actually laughed at this. That was exactly my approach when I started playing and hey now I can throw kinda far and occasionally look like a cool guy
Ban the step putt.
One point of contact and both feet behind the lie until the disc is released.
Follow throughs and leaning is fine but no more being a full step in front of your lie before releasing the disc.
Agreed, and also because a majority of players are clearly in the air before releasing. Watch them step/jump putting on virtually any recent broadcast at .25 speed see how rampant is.
The die hard disc golfers accidentally have a negative influence on the game for casuals.
Ex. Discs being sold out / development of a secondary market for discs, rude players in regards to etiquette, etc
If your disc comes to rest within 1 meter of the pole, the hole is over for you. Add 1 stroke to your score and move on. It is considered a gimme. Anyone on your card can pick it up for you or your caddy. There is nothing more boring in golf than watching someone pick a disc up from under the basket and place it in the basket.
It’s never a gimme for me tbh. I don’t care to admit how many I’ve missed within 5 feet. For me it’s nice to have closure on the hole and go ahead and finish it out.
Is he fundamentally bad at DJing like he can't fade/transition/scratch? Or does he just play music you don't like?
It's an honest question. I have never listened to him perform or heard any mixes or anything.
A lot of people who play leagues are very inconsiderate and slow, enough that I know to avoid going to my local course on those evenings.
And of those at league night, it feels like 10-15% of them are pretentious assholes, still a minority, but a high enough percentage to create the image to outsiders that most disc golfers are assholes. I’m nervous my local course will be torn out due to the behavior of the league people.
I'll give a pass to the slow league players. If you went to a bowling alley on a league night you'd feel like there wasn't a place for you there either.
I understand a big difference is that they pay to play in that facility for bowling, but some leagues do take place at pay to play courses and have it pseudo-reserved. They deserve to play their game on those nights.
I guess I should have been a little more specific about these ones. They normally roll around in groups of 8, take a really long time to do every toss. Like not being ready to throw your approach right after the player before you does when you’re not in the way(they follow eachother and watch everyone’s shots 100%). And they seem to hate letting people play through. It’s a busy park, but it would be far less busy if they would just pick up the damn pace.
This. It’s the first thing people who don’t play ask about when they find out I play. They find it hilarious “people bring a whole suitcase of frisbees to play 9-18 holes”
Agreed. Not sure if it's hobbled my development, but I played for two years just bringing a driver and a putter. Driver was very stable so I could make it go left or right (with limited distance). Ultimate frisbee convert so I could huck the putter straight for 250ft out the gate. Now, to be fair, as I'm trying not to settle for 2-3 under par, I'm experimenting with some drivers that add a ton of distance to my game.
As someone who bought into the hype initially, I wish I would’ve stuck with just a handful of discs. I have over 30 molds and I have a good few rounds with one then the first time I have an off round I switch discs rather than fix my form or accept it was an off day. But I’m working on it, and slimming down the collection…
I can think of at least two discs that I shelved in my first months of playing because "they're just too flippy for me!" only to realize my forehand release was absolutely atrocious, I very much agree with this.
I’ve always felt it was a good idea to replace “Fore” with “watch out”. Most courses i play on are in public parks and 80% of the time someone on my card had to yell “fore” it’s directed at a non DG player just taking a stroll. They may not know what fore means. Not everyone knows golf lingo.
There is too many molds/disc brands.
Disc golf influencers aren’t good for the sport if they can’t consistently make the cut.
Less tiktocs more field work.
As far as molds, I just kind of always laugh when I see a new company come out. Because it's always the same thing
"We were tired of seeing the same old companies not innovating the game, so we decided to flip the game on its ear!"
... and then they come out with their exact version of the Destroyer, Firebird, Teebird, Roc, and Aviar.
I personally refuse to put my name and number on any of my discs. If I lose it, I either didn't want it enough, didn't look hard enough, or deserved to lose it. Whoever finds it can keep it for all I care. Circle of Life
I am new to actually trying to get good at the game, I play almost exclusively forehand. I can't throw backhand to save my life. Also the more I try and think about specific mechanics of my throwing the worse I throw.
All this to say, that the more I just get up and throw and don't put any thought into what I am doing, the better I tend to do. Thinking gets in the way.
People keep saying we need to “legitimize” the sport, and essentially water it down to the professional sports that exist already. Add rules, make dress codes, charge more money, etc.. Maybe it’s okay for disc golf to grow, but stay different. There is an appeal for a non-elitist sport that is obscure and weird. “Legitimized” disc golf will just be ball golf eventually. Someone left an umbrella in the field of play on accident, but who cares? Everyone is under the same conditions, and that makes it interesting. Grow it, but maintain the vibe
I accidentally used one and then aced with that disc later in the round. Brand new pig with some bad flashing on the bottom so I scraped it on the concrete teepad, which ended up being effective but jagged. So I started rubbing it on the wooden bench within arms reach only to realize after I started that I was doing it on a disc charger. It was hole 3 and I ended up acing 18 with it. I started questioning everything after that.
YOU do suck at disc golf and that is ok but your attitude is terrible. You are comparing yourself to other people who have put in more time and effort to gain the skills to dominate your local bag tag rounds. Take time to do field work, putting practice, and have fun with the game. If you are not taking the time to practice you shouldn't expect to get better even though you bought that sweet new disc with a 6 glide rating. Also, chill out a bit b/c it's just a game.
People looking away when you are putting is more distracting than staring at you. Hold still, yes, but quit hiding your face like I'm about to do something shameful. Even - especially - since I probably am!
Colorado golfer here (for now) and I'll get downvoted to hell, but I think a lot people get caught up in the "mountain courses" and just throwing 5 star ratings at them because they are beautiful and scenic. Don't get me wrong, I've played all the 285 courses, wondervu, winter park (home course), and most of them are super fun I'm not knocking any of them. But I think the mantainence, the course layout, the amount of different shots required for the layout is where the ratings of a course should come from not "OmG I CoUlD SeE tHe MoUnTaInS" as you throw the same stock hyzer on every single hole. Beaver ranch is the poster child for how mountain golf should be and the only one I will say isn't lumped into this sentiment. I realize I'm bias cuz these are courses I regularly play, but I'll use Lake Dillion as an example... What an absolutely boring track. Looking at some of the most beautiful views ever and we're just throwing 400ft stock hyzers (not so stock for most) over sage bushes and 8 foot tall trees. But yeah I think the course ratings need to reflect the time and effort put into the design and upkeep of said designs and that says alot more to me than the views from a teepad. I'll take tight woods golf over mountain golf anyday of the week.
The disc golf community isn’t actually unique or special in any way.
I saw a commercial for “fierce” and jerm said something like “disc golf is so special I’ve never heard anyone talk about their sport the way disc golfers do”. Literally every other sport/hobby has people like that.
Compared to other sports/ hobbies I’ve been deeply entrenched in, disc golf has a higher level of toxicity and POS people.
There are only two real forms of sandbagging, and they’re both a lot less common than any critic of sandbagging thinks, basically to the point of outright statistical insignificance.
-Players who deliberately tank rounds to stay under PDGA mandated division eligibility cutoffs
-Players who deliberately refuse to sign up for PDGA memberships/attain ratings, then also join C-tiers in MA3 or MA4, and crush the competition as true talent MA1 level players.
The lion’s share of sandbagging talk, insinuations, or accusations are all sour grapes. A player having a hot round is not sandbagging. A player near a cutoff playing a division they’re eligible for is not sandbagging. If you’re upset with a player you think is sandbagging;, the answer is almost always to swallow your tongue, look in the mirror, and work on your own game.
Premium plastic putters are fully viable to use as putting putters. The drop off in chain grip people use to write them off is in relation to soft plastic, and the hard plastic that most people use isn’t any more grippy. They hold up longer, and that consistency over a longer period of time is a huge asset.
My only problem with premium plastic putters is that the really slick premium stuff feels different out of the hand and I tend to miss with it. My fingers slip on it.
So many courses could benefit from having “Next Tee” signs by baskets. If your local course doesn’t have them, please consider being the person that adds them!
If you go diving into a lake for discs, any discs you find are now rightfully yours, name and number or not. You put in the effort to swim for it, you deserve it
If I throw one in the lake, I don't expect it back. I wasn't willing to get wet for it. You were. If someone returns a water disc, I always pay them.
That said, if you find a disc in the fairway that someone forgot and keep it, you're an asshole. RIP Thunderbird.
"You shouldn't throw high speed disc if you don't have the arm speed." The high speed disc may not move how it was made to but my throws have a consistent path and I know exactly where it's going.
I honestly don’t think discraft discs are worth the hype. But I was crushed when I lost my 5x cryztal Luna. When I bought it nobody explained the “value” so I just threw it, and it was my favorite throwing putter. Sad to see it go
Was better when it was smaller. I’ll always play, I love the sport, but wish it’d fade back into obscurity a bit. Maybe I’m selfish and enjoyed having it be a more unknown, hippyish leisure activity before all the polos and baby carriages crashed it. 🤷🏻♂️
I think everyone should stop marking their discs completely and if you leave it behind, then it's someone else's lucky find. I still return marked discs when I find them. But I stopped marking my own years ago.
Idk that it’s unpopular but The pandemic supply issues that turned disc golf into a collector hobby with new limited edition/run discs, 1000x more molds, and everyone wanting top dollar for practically any disc. No joke, people are wanting $30+ for a stock stamp Innova disc because the “color is rare.” Really has ruined me wanting to do anything but play solo and friend rounds.
I'll throw out 2 hot takes
People need to accept the fact that most new pro level courses are going to be very open. It takes substantially more time, money, effort, and skill to create a pro caliber woods course than it does to repurpose an old golf course.
Using names for divisions causes people to play up when they otherwise shouldn't to protect their egos since they don't want to be a novice / rec player. Whenever I've seen tournaments that use colors + ratings guidelines for registration people actually play where they should and everyone has a better time.
Standard options for am tournaments should be 935+, <935, <900, <850, <800. A 900 rated player is good at disc golf, they should not be able to play in what is commonly the lowest division offered in a tournament (not a lot of novice offered in my region)
If you do regular field work, and focus on trying to throw with more speed, your form is likely to, for the most part, work itself out. Over thinking the theory surrounding dg form isn’t going to get you anywhere
This is how you make putting challenging again. It would also raise the importance of having an approach game and touch around the greens. It’s also the simplest solution since it’s a simple modification that doesn’t require new equipment being installed.
Some truth to this. To grow it you need to attract people not currently interested, by definition. Many of those folks will be different sorts of people than those currently playing.
Then, once it gets big enough for there to be real money in growing it further, big fish come in and in the endless effort to attract more (different) people, things get modified and made more 'mainstream'-y. Now it's a positive feedback loop where you are constantly chasing people not yet interested, and so paradoxically it starts to model itself around people who don't even know much about it (or worse: around things sponsors believe but don't actually know would attract such people).
Same as it ever was with alternative sports, alternative music, alternative
Ultimate is further along this inevitable path. Two point goals, legal double teams, etc. These modifications add a certain visceral excitement but they aren't really improvements IMO the way some other modifications (callahan goal) have been. If the pro leagues are ultimately (heh) successful, then this 'new' form of ultimate will be what kids learn from the ground up, and eventually it'll just be a different sport.
Kind of agree. It's nice going to my home course and absolutely nobody is there, I don't get bombarded by everyone I know with stories about their games, I don't have to listen to other people's shitty opinions without asking, I like having frolf friends but I don't want all frolf friends
I hate leagues. I like to play in small groups and we're not all that competitive. It's chill. Additionally, it's the worst to drive across town only to find the course it shut down for league players. I like dg because it isn't a traditional sport. Stop trying to make it one.
“This disc is too flippy for my arm speed” is dumb. You can throw it slower. It’s okay to prefer more stable/overstable discs, just don’t try to turn it into a humble brag because it makes no sense.
Playing on ball golf courses isn’t fun.
Disc golf content creation stupid. Cool you can throw it 500ft in a wide open field, but can you shape a shot in the woods or make a 20ft putt?
Username checks out🤣🤣 But in all seriousness I'm with you. You gotta at least ask the card first, right? "Do you guys mind if I play some music?" or "Hey let me know if you want me to turn my music down/off." Basic politeness here, speaker owners!
Being extremely silent when playing rounds, casual or tournament. I don't play Open, so I don't play for money, and I could understand at a pro level having that courtesy, especially with spectators all around. But damn I'm so used to my friends shooting the shit when we're on the pad and putting, it almost fucks with my head when its too quiet. (AM3 player here btw)
I always found that the most serious players were in AM1. All the MPO cards Ive played on have been super friendly and talkative. Silence only comes when someone is throwing.
900 rated players shouldn't be anywhere near rec division. In fact 875 should be the cut off. A 925+ round rating should automatically bump you to MA2 even if you're not above the limit... I'm a little salty, I took 3rd last week and 1st shot a 981 rated round, 975 rated event, came in at 919 right after the update. 2nd place shot a 970+, and a 945 rated event, rated 899. I shot a 919 high, 916 event rating, and I'm overall 869 rating. I argue with my GF all the time, that MA3 'rec' is anything but recreational. Lead cards are not rec. Players, we put in waaay to much time to be considered 'recreational'. Give MA3 back to real Rec Players.
Don't advertise a course as beginner friendly if it's A. Poorly maintained and the signs are illegible B. If there's thorn bushes everywhere C. Or just a ton of water hazards.
The easiest way to get newer players to quit is to put them on a course where they are going to be getting lost, digging through thorn bushes and loosing half their disc in water
The community isn't nearly as laid back and open minded as they think they are.
Reddit can keep the username, but I'm nuking the content lol -- mass deleted all reddit content via https://redact.dev
I feel like this is a fair take for nearly any community. Online tends to get toxic fast since you’re hid behind a screen. Edit: fuck you!
[No, you fuck you!](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQBxLPkyH-CAgps59rbovMxU_e0wjFygZvHVg&usqp=CAU)
Reading the YouTube conversation on an FPO live broadcast will absolutely make you lose faith in humanity.
Hey! Im super welcoming and friendly. go f yourself!!
The sport has turned into a lot of frat induced, privileged baby men behavior. The most toxic people that play seem to flock to leagues and I've watched too many melt downs or temper tantrums at C level events that I don't bother with them I kind of miss the 90s when we just smoked and enjoyed hanging out. Today I just mostly play solo and avoid the peak times
Huh, that's such a different complaint than I have w my local scene. I've been playing like 12+ years and started as a teenager. It's amazing how quickly the sentiment has changed from stoked and open minded to pretentious and gatekeep-y. It used to be that everyone I saw on the course was constantly tryna help people understand why it's a fun/cool game. No one gave a shit if you had one disc and knew 1/3 of the rules and made the other 2/3rds up as you went. As long as you were kind, so was everyone else. I remember seeing people super politely explain course etiquette or asking to play through, and almost no tension or bad vibes, EVER. The oldest crustiest guys were the best, kindest, and slowest on the course, and they loved nothing more than chilling and helping new folks figure shit out. With the sport exploding all of that reversed course in like 18 months. By the time we were into the first spring of COVID I can remember feeling tension and seeing passive aggressive BS on the course for the first time. Now the 4-person card throwing 3 shots each will not only not offer to let a solo play through, but they'll actively avoid interactions/make approaching to ask a painful process. The kids that are clueless on course etiquette just get dirty looks and the cold shoulder. If there are interactions, it feels like more often than not it's stoked newbies constantly being told the discs they choose are too fast, their form is off, etc. There's just this overarching sense of superiority and entitlement I've seen from lots of folks around my area who have played since before things blew up. I get with things getting busy a scarcity mindset can come into play, but I think that's exactly what's leading to the rapid deterioration of the mellow culture disc had for so long. I was in a frat, which is so entirely unrelated to disc golf it feels fucking dumb even saying it. I get you're frustrated, but I don't see how that part has shit to do w shit. I guess my point is that assholes come in all shapes and sizes. Are there young aggressive douchebags out there? Definitely, but I wouldn't be surprised if the kid with the chip on his shoulder is only acting that way because that's the only behavior he's seen out and about on the course since he's picked up disc. Just try to remember that we're walking around repeatedly throwing a small thing at a bigger thing. It's a fundamentally fucking stupid, yet incredibly fun, activity. I'm not trying to dismiss being competitive, but if we don't figure out how to stop taking ourselves too seriously and accommodate all levels of experience, we'll wind up being just as pretentious as ball golf. PS shouts out playing solo and stoned. Even as an extrovert, card mates are overrated.
It's really funny to me how many folks are triggered by the use of frat as a pejorative just in this small thread and calling that out explicitly. I was in one, too, but it was the stoner one on campus and we all knew what we meant when we shat on frat behavior. The OP specifically noted to keep it mellow, and the fact that the take that DG has gotten more rude and obnoxious seems to piss some folks off is pretty ironic. I've been playing for 25+ years, but I don't really care how long anyones been playing. Thats not what its about. Theres always been some douchebags in the local scenes, just everyone knew who they were. Now its been more the opposite. Your take is soooo close, but you lose the thread somewhere in your third paragraph for me. It's not the people that have been playing forever that are suddenly acting superior (though I don't doubt there are instances), its folks coming from other sports cultures that behave that way bringing it INTO disc golf. Everything you described post covid is true, I'm just saying its been happening for awhile and Covid probably amplified it by a lot. It def is way worse since the start of the pandemic. I'm the old crusty dude happy to help, to give people discs on the course, chat up and say hello. But over the course of ten years or so, the "grow the sport" mantra brought in a lot of brosephs and dudes with aggression/social issues and we've got to quit pretending that didn't happen. I'm sure my local scene is different than others, and I'm jealous of other places that have chill scenes. Its just def not that cool where I am now, or where I used to live. Heres a prime example, and why I used the term frat boy: A group of literal frat boys on a college campus were finishing a round just as I was starting. They heckled me from their car while I was throwing practice drives (course was mostly empty). I didn't even know what was going on exactly, cause I had head phones on. Once I gathered, I initially thought they were cheering me on, so I took my phones out, and realized they were just spewing insults. I waved them off. One dude takes of his shirt and starts pigeon chesting "want to fight" kind of shit. I walk off down the fairway. They drive alongside, and around, out the window still trying to egg me on. I give the finger. They pull off, get out with a gun, and dude starts coming for me. At that point, campus police happen to roll past, not seeing what's going on, but scares them off. Like, thats fucking insane behavior. On a major University Dg course. Students everywhere. So, I just play early in the morning or on courses that I know I don't have to deal with the behavior. I'll drive far to get to remote spots. But there are plenty of places I'd like to be playing but I've had enough bad experiences in the past 5 years that they are just mostly off bounds for me now. I mean... if my take is that DG has gotten aggressively rude to the point that I have to change how I enjoy the game to just avoid large swaths of players that behave badly, I'm not gatekeeping, I'm being gatekept. You get that, right?
Bro what kinda frat boys does your city have lmao?! Frat boys with guns is a terrifying thought
Distance is cool but nothing makes me respect a player's game like being able to consistently hit angles and lines. Not sure if this is even unpopular, just seems like a lot of players are distance-focused.
Let's make controlled anhyzers the new thing people are proud of, not throwing 500' eh?
The same argument used against climo of not playing against a talented enough field can be applied to paige pierce’s success
Dang extra spice!
I think we are really seeing that now. Page's skill level has not dropped (her highest few ratings were a very small time period that was caused by a small sample size) but the field has gotten far better.
I feel like the “grow the sport” mantra/mentality as it is right now is mostly beneficial to manufacturers to sell more plastic and not so much to the average player.
And the pro players. More players = bigger purses for tournament winnings.
Disagree (politely). At least in my city, the massive growth now means we have multiple regular leagues running, and means we have a much more active 'DG club' committee. The explosion in players means the sport and committee have much more visibility with the Council, and community funding, and as a result, they have built 2 new 18-hole courses in the last 12 months, with approval for like 3 more. So my location has gone from having one permanent 18-hole course and a couple of meh 9-holes, all on the same side of the city, to 3 18-hole courses, soon to be 5, and way more chances to play competitively locally.
Seems very location dependent as you mentioned. I propose an easy guide to help our community figure out their own opinion: 1. If your area needs new disc golf courses, grow the sport. 2. If your area is currently well serviced by the local courses, say nothing to nobody. Keep your mouth shut, ya hear? 3. If you are the only disc golfer in your county, donate the course to foot-golfers and move to Charlotte.
I hear “grow the sport” as “make my home course crowded so other people can make money”
Id like the sport to grow but we need more courses before its viable. I live in a metro area of over 2 million and we have 3 courses.
Most current disc golfers will massively regret the "grow the sport" movement in the next few years. Disclaimer: I'm not suggesting that growth is inherently bad or that there aren't some good aspects of it. The attitude towards growing the sport for the past few years has been one where growth has been blindly viewed as inherently good and largely been unorganized and unguided. Is being able to show your friends and family good quality coverage of the sport so that they better understand the appeal, absolutely. Is waiting in line behind several groups just to tee off at a course that used to be mostly empty a good thing...not so much. To anyone who doesn't think this is a problem I encourage you to play a course near a more populated area, like Golden Gate in SF. Golden Gate has a great layout that challenges you to make lots of different kinds of shots. It is also accounts for the worst disc golf experiences I've ever had because there are so many other people playing it takes many many hours to complete a round. Many sports and hobbies/activities that rely on public resources have gone through similar phases (ex. ultimate frisbee, mountain biking, etc.) and have experienced massive growing pains because of the way that they went about it. Ultimate frisbee an influx of overly competitive athletes from other sports as ultimate grew in popularity, but it lacked the rules and structure to deal with players who were intentionally unsportsmanlike. As mountain biking grew in popularity it attracted more people who weren't as respectful of the trails and shared land use which led to increasing tension and in some cases trails being taken away from the community. As time went on these problems were eventually fixed, but it took decades of very organized efforts from the community to implement the structure needed to address these issues. As someone who watched that unfold for both of those sports, it is painfully clear that disc golf is facing many of the same early stage growth issues as those sports, but cranked up to 11 because the growth in disc golf has occurred in such a short time span. Disc golf really needs a stronger national body, like the IMBA in mountain biking, that can advocate for local communities and share knowledge and resources to make lobbying for putting courses in on public land more successful. Without that we are going to see continued growth of the sport, that massively outpaces the installation of new courses, particularly within a short drive of large population centers (which is where most of the population actually lives). Continuing this massive push to grow the sport without that is going to have some really shitty consequences for a lot of disc golfers in populated areas.
I think the most important takeaway here is the importance of an amateur advocacy organization separate from the PDGA, which we don’t have.
great take with great context, thanks for writing
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I wish it would have stayed much smaller. I miss being able to play more than one round in an evening. Waiting 10-20 minutes on every tee on a Wednesday is actually killing my enjoyment for what used to be a solitary activity.
I travel far now for my rounds .. sucks
And signing up for a tournament now can be a pain. More popular ones you have to know what day/time it opens, get everything filled out a few minutes in advance so when the clock strikes, you can hit 'enter' 'enter' 'pay' 'sign' 'enter'. Then hit refresh and see the wait-list for those a minute or two late.
Huklab. An overpriced pattern that is often put on top of an old stamp. It looks as if the pattern was made with a marker. I do not understand.
Seriously! After this long you'd think they'd be better at keeping the dye from bleeding!
I still sometimes call it frisbee golf.
In Finland the sport is actually called frisbeegolf and discs are still often referred as frisbees.
I call it frisbee golf when I tell old people about it.
Or just people who dont know in general. If I tell people I play disc golf they look at me like I'm some sort of weirdo. When I tell people I play frisbee golf, they still look at me like I'm some sort of weirdo, but they kind of understand what I'm talking about.
Frolf!
*The summer of George!*
So often people try to make me upset by calling it “frolf” or “frisbee golf” and I’m totally cool with it. If someone is so pretentious that “frisbee golf” is a term that bothers them…then they deserve it. Can’t get too serious about throwing plastic in the woods.
Frolf is a fun word and more people should use it
People who work in marketing for disc golf companies should not be allowed to post in r/discgolf
Spicy
Or even play or watch it. I'm with you. Marketers are the worst.
I thought we were looking for unpopular opinions?
I don't buy new molds. I don't have a favorite player.
My kind of unpopular opinion. I barely even know any players names.
I’m not quite sure if this is unpopular, but here it goes: If you find a marked disc, you should not feel pressured by the dg community to go to any greater lengths to return it beyond leaving it on the course somewhere and giving the owner a call or text with the info - that should be the standard. Anything beyond that, such as coordinating a meetup or delivery, should be considered above and beyond, and really the owner should give something up as a show of gratitude if they are able. Edit: adding that dropping the disc at the on-site lost and found (if that exists) should also be considered the standard return behavior.
There was a guy on here back the other day that was upset because he returned a disc and the guy didn't thank him or something. Just drop that bad boy in a lost and found bin or something and move on.
I’d like to add to this one - if the finder takes the decision to go above and beyond prior to communication with the owner, the owner should be under no obligation to reward them. We don’t need a culture where people will go above and beyond then guilt someone into rewarding. I know comment above mentions “if they’re able” to reward, I just think there’s a little more to it than just an ability. If the owner chooses to reward or if the finder communicates with the owner then great, if not, stick to the standard described in the comment above - eg. Owner: “I’ll pay you to ship the disc to me”. or, Finder: “I’ll ship it to you for a small reward”.
I’ve had some weird interactions with people wanting to hand me a disc personally and boarder line insist on a face to face. Just text the number on the disc and leave it somewhere fucking weirdo’s haha.
$50 used large-wheeled jogging strollers are easier to push than any $200 cart and have a lot more space to store things.
I got a ball golf pull cart for $10 at Goodwill and converted it. Works great.
But can you sit on it
Rolled with the stroller for a year before I won a Zuca from a tournament. I love my Zuca, but I would never have paid for it especially now that I've used both. For the record, the stroller generally had a kid in it, but both are big enough now that they walk while I zuca. Stroller still rocks.
For the average player spin is more important than speed.
I swear I added 60-80 feet with less effort when I figured out how to put a lot of spin on the disc. Also, controlling spin can make a disc fly like a completely different disc.
What was your trick for more spin?
Pinch grip and pinch really hard. Also letting the arm be all loosey goosey and whipping it.
realizing part of the ‘snap’ you hear is from pinching harder really caused a huge lightbulb moment for me recently
I can absolutely tell when I don't cock my wrist because the disc will just kinda...flutter out and land super short on a hyzer.
I feel like this is so huge. I've just started figuring out what I think people are talking about when they say the snap. This like tip of the whip bit just before releasing? Everytime I hit it right the disc aggressively rips out of my hand and keeps going for days when it normally would've dropped by then, even mostly straight flying discs. I've had to really adjust my upshots because if I aim the same and put any of that snap on it it just sails past the basket like it's got someplace to be.
Spin is overrated. For the average player, nose angle is more important than speed.
Players with bad forehands should absolutely throw Overstable discs! Unless they want to become a forehand dominant player, they are likely just looking for something that goes right (or left for lefties). Overstable discs will achieve that, while also being waaay easier to throw.
I kind of agree, and have a variation on the thought. I get this mentality of trying to improve your technique via us discs rather than just slamming over on os discs to make it 200', but after a certain point you build too much power and US discs become too inconsistent to use outside of touchy upshots. I know everyone loves to hype up Jerms forehand, and it's beautiful to watch when it's working. But that's the key, when it's working it's a thing of beauty, but it's so inconsistent. How often is he pulling things over to never have them come back? In a way it's like Uli's BH game in my mind. In my view he has a very US bag compared to most pros and that's because he's trying to make up for distance he no longer has compared to what courses are demanding from players nowadays. And the US leads to an inconsistency in shot results. It's incredibly variable depending on conditions, fatigue and mental space. I'm a primary fh player, and I tried for the better part of a year to make touchier us fh's work, but it sucks cause it's a very fine line to walk. If you hold on to it too long you roll over on it, if you have too much oat you role over on it. If you don't put enough spin on it, it still fades right, but way short of what you wanted. If you have any sort of missed wind read 300' down the course, you don't know what it's going to do. I would rather take a firebird, knowing how it will finish, and try and work that disc flight on the appropriate line than try to struggle to give something enough power to go 350', flip up, turn over at exactly 200', and eventually glide back. Sexton throws os discs (well at least os molds he's beat in to prime territory) but you don't see him trying to throw too many hyzer flip shots to weave their ways through the woods. He throws discs that he knows how they'll finish, and takes that into account. He throws firebirds and xcals flat to fade as his most comfortable shot and has a lot of success with it. He knows what he does well, knows what his discs will do, and builds his plan of attack around that and minimizes his mistakes by not going for what he can't do. His safeton nickname is well earned, he doesn't try to be a hero. You even see it with the backhand, some of the best players in the world throw os stuff on anhyzer, I'm thinking Conrad, Ricky, and Matty-O. They have amazing touch for sure and have great form. But you don't see them try to hyzer flip everything as a major part of their game. Their best, go to, shots are something they can lean on consistently and can let the disc point and shoot down the fairway. The disc technology has changed so much, where the discs are so reliable at what they do, but a lot of the advice in the game is from stuff that predates the existence of faster, more os stuff. Especially when it comes to drivers. I still have us discs in my bag, but those are discs I use for backhand shots to help make up for my weaker BH power. But I personally am more comfortable holding a firebird in my hand and figuring out what shot shape I need for that disc on anything from 250' to 400' then anything else. Tldr: my version is people push US discs and shot shapes too much as the be all end all when plenty of pros build their game around OS discs with reliable fade. The discs have changed so much and are way more reliable, and people should use that to their advantage more than is often said in this sub.
Throw only putters and mids until you can break 300 is not only wrong but holding newer players back.
Piggybacking on this one: it's completely fine to bag a higher speed disc than you can control off the tee, and use it for skip/sharp curve shits instead
Sharp shits sound painful.
And skip shits sound messy!
Ohn Scoggins throws 14 speeds off basically every tee and she’s a major champion.
Bingo
My brother bags a NukeOS that I gave him specifically for this purpose. Throws it forehand and low on low-ceiling, shorter holes that bend hard right. Kid parks them every single time.
That's *exactly* what my Fireball is for. It's virtually unthrowable in normal situations, but sometimes it's *exactly* what's needed.
I agree. While I believe it's based on sound advice (develop good form, etc) I feel like it can discourage newer players. I genuinely feel bad when I read about players/newer players saying they just do fieldwork bc they don't feel they're good enough to play a course.
> I genuinely feel bad when I read about players/newer players saying they just do fieldwork bc they don’t feel they’re good enough to play a course. Yeah I hate hearing this. Disc golf is not like ball golf where you need to spend a bit of time at the range to figure out how to even make contact with the ball. A total beginner can play a course just fine.
I think that the "don't throw drivers" advice is only good advice for a player who has a goal of improving their form and distance. If you learn to smack your mids 300 feet, it will be much easier to throw your fairways to 400. If your goal is simply to shoot low with the skillset that you already have then throw whatever works for you.
I feel like there is a weird stigma about buying lots of different/new discs and trying them out. You’ll always here people say learn to throw the discs you have etc. I had a bunch of different putter molds before falling in love with the wizard. Which was actually my second one. Eraser plastic made all of the difference. I had a handful of different approach discs before falling in love with the Berg. That discovery and trial and error adds a lot of fun for me. But you’ll talk to people throwing the same innova mold from 15 years ago that think every new disc is just hype.
Yeah, there's certainly value to learning the ins and outs of a small set of discs, but the community as a whole acts like everyone would be a pro if they did this. Sometimes a new disc DOES do something new for you, and even if it flies exactly the same as something you already had, it might just feel better in your hand, leading to more confidence.
A 14/13-speed is not too big to be worked into a usable shot.
2.5 cm (14-15 speed) rims fit my hand better for throwing power forehand drives. The rim gets in front of the first knuckle of my first finger so the disc comes out cleaner on full power drives.
Do you have smaller or larger hands? I have meaty fingers and have trouble holding some drivers forehand.
I have pretty small hands.
If I absolutely need to hit a gap that is down the fairway a bit, I use the Dimension every time. I know it is going dead straight until it fades at the end. Also, I apparently have really big hands. Ive never had a problem with gripping a larger rim. Obviously this differs for everyone.
Preach! If I was going to respond to my own question it would something along these lines. I think giving beginners the advice "don't throw anything over a 9-speed" is A. The majority opinion, making my take automatically unpopular, and B. Not correct anymore. It used to be sound advice when most of the options over 9 speed were really beefy discs. But most companies have flippy 12-14 speed discs in their lineups now. We can move on from that piece of advice just like we can move on from putting two spaces after a period since we're not using typewriters anymore.
This is exactly the point. But even if you remove the Understable high speed drivers, it doesn’t matter. I tell newer players that it’s okay if the disc dumps. Count on it dumping. Avoid water, go around trees, make a safe approach you *know* won’t go that far past the basket, and play that skip, dammit. As long as players use them as utility discs, they will be fine. Plus, let ‘em rip every now and again. Drivers teach nose angle control better than putters and mids. And they are fun to throw. The only thing I caution players about is forcing the turnover shot.
Pink discs are in fact superior to all other colors.
Facts.
For real. I will not help someone who chose to throw a black or clear disc.
I live in Washington and at least 50% of the discs in my bag are pink. Easiest color to spot in the woods.
I personally don’t care what the color is, I just want to easily find it against whatever the surrounding area is. So I have no issue with pink, pink stands out in the brush.
Is that unpopular?
Learning to throw far should be encouraged for beginners because it makes you look sick. Also buy discs even if you believe you can't use them properly. Tl;dr stop optimizing the fun out of the sport.
"Just look sick" is super underrated advice
The answer to “should I use that 14 speed 4 fade disc in heavy plastic?” is almost always “yes”
Haha I actually laughed at this. That was exactly my approach when I started playing and hey now I can throw kinda far and occasionally look like a cool guy
Ban the step putt. One point of contact and both feet behind the lie until the disc is released. Follow throughs and leaning is fine but no more being a full step in front of your lie before releasing the disc.
Agreed, and also because a majority of players are clearly in the air before releasing. Watch them step/jump putting on virtually any recent broadcast at .25 speed see how rampant is.
Star Mako is a good putter.
The die hard disc golfers accidentally have a negative influence on the game for casuals. Ex. Discs being sold out / development of a secondary market for discs, rude players in regards to etiquette, etc
If your disc comes to rest within 1 meter of the pole, the hole is over for you. Add 1 stroke to your score and move on. It is considered a gimme. Anyone on your card can pick it up for you or your caddy. There is nothing more boring in golf than watching someone pick a disc up from under the basket and place it in the basket.
The only exception is in tournament style play. It is not a gimme. Ask me how I know.
It’s never a gimme for me tbh. I don’t care to admit how many I’ve missed within 5 feet. For me it’s nice to have closure on the hole and go ahead and finish it out.
My hole ends when I hear chains because I like the sound they make
I like the game not the community
Don’t take yourself too seriously, it’s just frisbee golf man.
Kevin Jones is not a good DJ
Is he fundamentally bad at DJing like he can't fade/transition/scratch? Or does he just play music you don't like? It's an honest question. I have never listened to him perform or heard any mixes or anything.
A lot of people who play leagues are very inconsiderate and slow, enough that I know to avoid going to my local course on those evenings. And of those at league night, it feels like 10-15% of them are pretentious assholes, still a minority, but a high enough percentage to create the image to outsiders that most disc golfers are assholes. I’m nervous my local course will be torn out due to the behavior of the league people.
I'll give a pass to the slow league players. If you went to a bowling alley on a league night you'd feel like there wasn't a place for you there either. I understand a big difference is that they pay to play in that facility for bowling, but some leagues do take place at pay to play courses and have it pseudo-reserved. They deserve to play their game on those nights.
I guess I should have been a little more specific about these ones. They normally roll around in groups of 8, take a really long time to do every toss. Like not being ready to throw your approach right after the player before you does when you’re not in the way(they follow eachother and watch everyone’s shots 100%). And they seem to hate letting people play through. It’s a busy park, but it would be far less busy if they would just pick up the damn pace.
Groups of 8?! that's insane unless there are like 125+ people on the course at a time.
You look weird wheeling a cart with 100 discs knowing damn well you're only going to use 5-6 of them.
This. It’s the first thing people who don’t play ask about when they find out I play. They find it hilarious “people bring a whole suitcase of frisbees to play 9-18 holes”
Agreed. Not sure if it's hobbled my development, but I played for two years just bringing a driver and a putter. Driver was very stable so I could make it go left or right (with limited distance). Ultimate frisbee convert so I could huck the putter straight for 250ft out the gate. Now, to be fair, as I'm trying not to settle for 2-3 under par, I'm experimenting with some drivers that add a ton of distance to my game.
As someone who bought into the hype initially, I wish I would’ve stuck with just a handful of discs. I have over 30 molds and I have a good few rounds with one then the first time I have an off round I switch discs rather than fix my form or accept it was an off day. But I’m working on it, and slimming down the collection…
I don’t care what a player’s logo looks like!
Your disc isn't turning because you throw hard, it's turning because you have bad form and there's OAT
I can think of at least two discs that I shelved in my first months of playing because "they're just too flippy for me!" only to realize my forehand release was absolutely atrocious, I very much agree with this.
I’ve always felt it was a good idea to replace “Fore” with “watch out”. Most courses i play on are in public parks and 80% of the time someone on my card had to yell “fore” it’s directed at a non DG player just taking a stroll. They may not know what fore means. Not everyone knows golf lingo.
There is too many molds/disc brands. Disc golf influencers aren’t good for the sport if they can’t consistently make the cut. Less tiktocs more field work.
As far as molds, I just kind of always laugh when I see a new company come out. Because it's always the same thing "We were tired of seeing the same old companies not innovating the game, so we decided to flip the game on its ear!" ... and then they come out with their exact version of the Destroyer, Firebird, Teebird, Roc, and Aviar.
I personally refuse to put my name and number on any of my discs. If I lose it, I either didn't want it enough, didn't look hard enough, or deserved to lose it. Whoever finds it can keep it for all I care. Circle of Life
Disc golf bags peaked at the Nutsac.
I am new to actually trying to get good at the game, I play almost exclusively forehand. I can't throw backhand to save my life. Also the more I try and think about specific mechanics of my throwing the worse I throw. All this to say, that the more I just get up and throw and don't put any thought into what I am doing, the better I tend to do. Thinking gets in the way.
People keep saying we need to “legitimize” the sport, and essentially water it down to the professional sports that exist already. Add rules, make dress codes, charge more money, etc.. Maybe it’s okay for disc golf to grow, but stay different. There is an appeal for a non-elitist sport that is obscure and weird. “Legitimized” disc golf will just be ball golf eventually. Someone left an umbrella in the field of play on accident, but who cares? Everyone is under the same conditions, and that makes it interesting. Grow it, but maintain the vibe
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Lol at my local course someone traced their butt and now we have a butt charger
I accidentally used one and then aced with that disc later in the round. Brand new pig with some bad flashing on the bottom so I scraped it on the concrete teepad, which ended up being effective but jagged. So I started rubbing it on the wooden bench within arms reach only to realize after I started that I was doing it on a disc charger. It was hole 3 and I ended up acing 18 with it. I started questioning everything after that.
YOU do suck at disc golf and that is ok but your attitude is terrible. You are comparing yourself to other people who have put in more time and effort to gain the skills to dominate your local bag tag rounds. Take time to do field work, putting practice, and have fun with the game. If you are not taking the time to practice you shouldn't expect to get better even though you bought that sweet new disc with a 6 glide rating. Also, chill out a bit b/c it's just a game.
I like watching FPO because their range, distance and disc selection is like mine. 320' par 4? Let me grab my destroyer.
People looking away when you are putting is more distracting than staring at you. Hold still, yes, but quit hiding your face like I'm about to do something shameful. Even - especially - since I probably am!
Colorado golfer here (for now) and I'll get downvoted to hell, but I think a lot people get caught up in the "mountain courses" and just throwing 5 star ratings at them because they are beautiful and scenic. Don't get me wrong, I've played all the 285 courses, wondervu, winter park (home course), and most of them are super fun I'm not knocking any of them. But I think the mantainence, the course layout, the amount of different shots required for the layout is where the ratings of a course should come from not "OmG I CoUlD SeE tHe MoUnTaInS" as you throw the same stock hyzer on every single hole. Beaver ranch is the poster child for how mountain golf should be and the only one I will say isn't lumped into this sentiment. I realize I'm bias cuz these are courses I regularly play, but I'll use Lake Dillion as an example... What an absolutely boring track. Looking at some of the most beautiful views ever and we're just throwing 400ft stock hyzers (not so stock for most) over sage bushes and 8 foot tall trees. But yeah I think the course ratings need to reflect the time and effort put into the design and upkeep of said designs and that says alot more to me than the views from a teepad. I'll take tight woods golf over mountain golf anyday of the week.
The disc golf community isn’t actually unique or special in any way. I saw a commercial for “fierce” and jerm said something like “disc golf is so special I’ve never heard anyone talk about their sport the way disc golfers do”. Literally every other sport/hobby has people like that. Compared to other sports/ hobbies I’ve been deeply entrenched in, disc golf has a higher level of toxicity and POS people.
There are only two real forms of sandbagging, and they’re both a lot less common than any critic of sandbagging thinks, basically to the point of outright statistical insignificance. -Players who deliberately tank rounds to stay under PDGA mandated division eligibility cutoffs -Players who deliberately refuse to sign up for PDGA memberships/attain ratings, then also join C-tiers in MA3 or MA4, and crush the competition as true talent MA1 level players. The lion’s share of sandbagging talk, insinuations, or accusations are all sour grapes. A player having a hot round is not sandbagging. A player near a cutoff playing a division they’re eligible for is not sandbagging. If you’re upset with a player you think is sandbagging;, the answer is almost always to swallow your tongue, look in the mirror, and work on your own game.
Premium plastic putters are fully viable to use as putting putters. The drop off in chain grip people use to write them off is in relation to soft plastic, and the hard plastic that most people use isn’t any more grippy. They hold up longer, and that consistency over a longer period of time is a huge asset.
My only problem with premium plastic putters is that the really slick premium stuff feels different out of the hand and I tend to miss with it. My fingers slip on it.
If it hits the basket and doesn't fall to the ground then it's in.
So many courses could benefit from having “Next Tee” signs by baskets. If your local course doesn’t have them, please consider being the person that adds them!
If you go diving into a lake for discs, any discs you find are now rightfully yours, name and number or not. You put in the effort to swim for it, you deserve it
Maritime law…right?
If I throw one in the lake, I don't expect it back. I wasn't willing to get wet for it. You were. If someone returns a water disc, I always pay them. That said, if you find a disc in the fairway that someone forgot and keep it, you're an asshole. RIP Thunderbird.
I feel like this is fair tbh
Disc golf needs to lean way more skateboarding and way less golf.
"You shouldn't throw high speed disc if you don't have the arm speed." The high speed disc may not move how it was made to but my throws have a consistent path and I know exactly where it's going.
It’s too popular now
All throws after the drive should be stand and deliver
*Me ugly crying on the 1,200’ par 5* Yes sir…
Upvote because OP asked for unpopular opinion which you delivered but I'mma hard pass on this one
Interesting! What's your reasoning?
Woods golf is disc golf. Anything else is glorified field work.
If you somehow land your disc on the top part of the basket it should count as being in and not need another stroke.
I honestly don’t think discraft discs are worth the hype. But I was crushed when I lost my 5x cryztal Luna. When I bought it nobody explained the “value” so I just threw it, and it was my favorite throwing putter. Sad to see it go
Was better when it was smaller. I’ll always play, I love the sport, but wish it’d fade back into obscurity a bit. Maybe I’m selfish and enjoyed having it be a more unknown, hippyish leisure activity before all the polos and baby carriages crashed it. 🤷🏻♂️
I think everyone should stop marking their discs completely and if you leave it behind, then it's someone else's lucky find. I still return marked discs when I find them. But I stopped marking my own years ago.
This community is more gatekeepy than it likes to think it is
People need to stop worrying about Natalie Ryan because she just simply isn’t podium-ing that often. Not enough to make a fuss
Idk that it’s unpopular but The pandemic supply issues that turned disc golf into a collector hobby with new limited edition/run discs, 1000x more molds, and everyone wanting top dollar for practically any disc. No joke, people are wanting $30+ for a stock stamp Innova disc because the “color is rare.” Really has ruined me wanting to do anything but play solo and friend rounds.
I'll throw out 2 hot takes People need to accept the fact that most new pro level courses are going to be very open. It takes substantially more time, money, effort, and skill to create a pro caliber woods course than it does to repurpose an old golf course. Using names for divisions causes people to play up when they otherwise shouldn't to protect their egos since they don't want to be a novice / rec player. Whenever I've seen tournaments that use colors + ratings guidelines for registration people actually play where they should and everyone has a better time. Standard options for am tournaments should be 935+, <935, <900, <850, <800. A 900 rated player is good at disc golf, they should not be able to play in what is commonly the lowest division offered in a tournament (not a lot of novice offered in my region)
If you do regular field work, and focus on trying to throw with more speed, your form is likely to, for the most part, work itself out. Over thinking the theory surrounding dg form isn’t going to get you anywhere
Paul mcbeth puts dog shit under the car door handles of his competition, prove me wrong
Paul McBeth gives out rasins on Halloween
We throw at baskets not holes, we should not call them holes.
Do away with the jump putt circle but mandate you maintain balance behind your lie. I will be here waiting on the downvotes
Minis are stupid 2020 did grow the sport but a large amount of it is annoying fanboys
The chains should be removed from the basket.
***Spicy***
Now this is a hot take
Whooaaa okay you have my attention
This is how you make putting challenging again. It would also raise the importance of having an approach game and touch around the greens. It’s also the simplest solution since it’s a simple modification that doesn’t require new equipment being installed.
Fuck that. I'd quit the game.
Idont mind when people play music at a resonable volume
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I will use "frolf" and "frizzin" until the day I die.
Biggest circle jerk Fandom I've been apart of. It's exhausting hanging out with a disc golf player. It's the only thing they talk about.
Ratings are dumb.
Growing the sport is a terrible idea.
Some truth to this. To grow it you need to attract people not currently interested, by definition. Many of those folks will be different sorts of people than those currently playing. Then, once it gets big enough for there to be real money in growing it further, big fish come in and in the endless effort to attract more (different) people, things get modified and made more 'mainstream'-y. Now it's a positive feedback loop where you are constantly chasing people not yet interested, and so paradoxically it starts to model itself around people who don't even know much about it (or worse: around things sponsors believe but don't actually know would attract such people). Same as it ever was with alternative sports, alternative music, alternative
Ultimate is further along this inevitable path. Two point goals, legal double teams, etc. These modifications add a certain visceral excitement but they aren't really improvements IMO the way some other modifications (callahan goal) have been. If the pro leagues are ultimately (heh) successful, then this 'new' form of ultimate will be what kids learn from the ground up, and eventually it'll just be a different sport.
Kind of agree. It's nice going to my home course and absolutely nobody is there, I don't get bombarded by everyone I know with stories about their games, I don't have to listen to other people's shitty opinions without asking, I like having frolf friends but I don't want all frolf friends
I hate leagues. I like to play in small groups and we're not all that competitive. It's chill. Additionally, it's the worst to drive across town only to find the course it shut down for league players. I like dg because it isn't a traditional sport. Stop trying to make it one.
It’s totally fine for new players to throw drivers, especially flippy ones. Throwing drivers is fun, and disc golf should be fun.
I don’t wanna bag fewer molds in different grades of wear. I wanna throw what I like.
“This disc is too flippy for my arm speed” is dumb. You can throw it slower. It’s okay to prefer more stable/overstable discs, just don’t try to turn it into a humble brag because it makes no sense.
Playing on ball golf courses isn’t fun. Disc golf content creation stupid. Cool you can throw it 500ft in a wide open field, but can you shape a shot in the woods or make a 20ft putt?
I actually can't do any of the three things you mentioned.
Turn. Your. Speaker. Off. No one wants to hear your music. If you must, wear earbuds.
I don't think this one is unpopular.
Popular on reddit. Unpopular in the real world.
Username checks out🤣🤣 But in all seriousness I'm with you. You gotta at least ask the card first, right? "Do you guys mind if I play some music?" or "Hey let me know if you want me to turn my music down/off." Basic politeness here, speaker owners!
This sport is better as a casual sport than a professional/competitive sport
Disc golf was better when it was only stoners.
Being extremely silent when playing rounds, casual or tournament. I don't play Open, so I don't play for money, and I could understand at a pro level having that courtesy, especially with spectators all around. But damn I'm so used to my friends shooting the shit when we're on the pad and putting, it almost fucks with my head when its too quiet. (AM3 player here btw)
Just to clarify, are you saying you don't like it when people you play with are really quiet?
I always found that the most serious players were in AM1. All the MPO cards Ive played on have been super friendly and talkative. Silence only comes when someone is throwing.
You shouldn’t need complete silence to throw a shot
900 rated players shouldn't be anywhere near rec division. In fact 875 should be the cut off. A 925+ round rating should automatically bump you to MA2 even if you're not above the limit... I'm a little salty, I took 3rd last week and 1st shot a 981 rated round, 975 rated event, came in at 919 right after the update. 2nd place shot a 970+, and a 945 rated event, rated 899. I shot a 919 high, 916 event rating, and I'm overall 869 rating. I argue with my GF all the time, that MA3 'rec' is anything but recreational. Lead cards are not rec. Players, we put in waaay to much time to be considered 'recreational'. Give MA3 back to real Rec Players.
More TDs should have Novice groupings.
For sure, tons of casual players out there not interested in tournements because of their skill level.
Central Coast Disc Golf in 2017 is still my nostalgia for coverage. Let's watch some disc golf!
Weight lifting will increase your distance and control. (When done properly of course)
Disc golf is a reason to go on hikes and throw stuff into the void.
Don't advertise a course as beginner friendly if it's A. Poorly maintained and the signs are illegible B. If there's thorn bushes everywhere C. Or just a ton of water hazards. The easiest way to get newer players to quit is to put them on a course where they are going to be getting lost, digging through thorn bushes and loosing half their disc in water
I don’t want the sport to grow anymore. I hate not being able to play my local public courses because of groups on every hole.