Advice for Beginners

[brian]

Hi,

I've only played disc golf 7-8 times and can't help but feel frustrated.  Sometimes my discs go far right (already lost one in a tree on #3), others go 5 feet.  My putts are pathetic.  So... what should I do to improve?  Any quick & easy steps/methods?

I've turned 4 friends onto the sport, but we're looking to improve our game.  Any suggestions?  Can you recommend any books, websites?

Thanks!

[pepe]

Brian: My advice is to simply stick with it. You've played less than ten times total in your entire life, so of course disc golf is going to be difficult for you. Playing a technical course like golden gate park is a major challenge for a novice as well. To improve, don't worry about your score so much but work on your technique and accuracy. The best way to do that is to go into Marx meadow, or some other open field, and begin throwing your drivers and midranges so that you can figure out what each disc does. Some are meant to turn to the right, others are meant to go to the left. Just like in golf, there are specific clubs designed to get you out of the sand trap and tee off from 400+ yeards.

Challenging yourself on the golden gate park disc golf course is a good idea, because you'll never get better unless you do so. But a better idea might be to hit up one of the easier courses around, like san leandro, to hone your game on a real course.

If you buy a basket and stick it in your backyard, along with a bunch of putters, and practice practice practice, you'll see the results.

Buying a video or book can only help.

Best of luck!

[kylecrispin]

+1 for practicing in an open space.  This takes the pressure of playing a hole with people waiting etc off and allows you to take many throws at the same time.  Just go out and throw a pile of discs over and over or get one of your buddies you turned on to the sport to go with you and just throw a pile of discs back and forth (not playing catch unless your throwing putters.).

[Rasta Style]

Hi,

I understand your frustation.  Please visit discgolftv.com and youtube for loads of free tutorials on everything from putting to driving and more...

here are somewinning ways to improve your game:

1. roll a hand towel into a tigers tail and snap it over and over to develop your grip and snap.
2. visit a soccer field with a buddy and throw ALL your discs from goal to goal for an hour every other day seeing how close you can get.
3. practice putting 1 hour everyday even if you don't play a round of golf
4.  remember disc golf is a fun sport and PLAY with passion and seek maximum enjoyment every time.
5.  stick with it, stick with it, stick with it...

would you be open to the idea of taking part in a disc golf clinic?  You could learn from better players or maybe even a few visiting pros if you're lucky

it's my sincere hope that these humble suggestions provide you with good direction and a rapidly improving game.

warmest regards,

george (geo) quinnn