Brand new to the disc golf scene is an excellent tool with multiple functions!
I'm a huge fan of gear that serves multiple functions, so when I first learned of this towel I thought it was an excellent idea!
So how does it work and why is it so cool?
Basically, this towel is manufactured to be the exact size of the lie area as defined by the official PDGA rules, which is 20cm wide by 30cm deep.
The lie is the area from where you must play your disc from besides the tee box, which is "centered on the line of play behind the rear edge of the marker disc" as per the official rule book. (Rule 802.05 D).
So while the product is still a towel, meaning it is great for drying your hands and discs, or cleaning your hands/discs,
it is also an EXCELLENT representation of how big the lie is so you can learn how much room you have to work with when learning to play disc golf.
Who doesn't like gear that is functional in multiple way?!
The DG "Lie" Towel is a great learning tool for new and old disc golfers alike,
click on the picture to check it out!
While this towel, or any towel for that matter may not be appealing to all players, new players, especially ones who are trying to play the game within the rules, will appreciate having a visual representation of the lie area so that they get into the habit of not accidentally foot faulting.
If you're serious about playing in tournaments or sanctioned leagues, you'll definitely not want to break any rules unintentionally, and foot faults due to playing outside the lie is a common mistake I see new players make when starting out.
We know, or are at least often taught, that the area we can play a lie from is approximately the size of a standard piece or paper, but nobody carries around a piece of paper with them to mark this area because it just isn't practical.
Carrying around a towel however that you are using to dry your hands/discs anyways, IS practical and what makes this product so neat.
What is the lie area?
You can read the full lie rule on the PDGA website by CLICKING HERE, but part D of the rule reads as follows:
"In all other cases, the lie is a rectangle that is 20cm wide and 30cm deep, centered on the line of play behind the rear edge of the marker disc. The line of play is the imaginary line on the playing surface extending from the center of the target through and beyond the center of the marker disc. The marker disc, or marker, is the disc used to mark the lie according to 802.06."
While the rule clearly defines the size of the lie, one thing you don't realize by simply reading the rule is how small this area truly is.
You may have an idea in your head, but seeing the actual size in person puts it into perspective very quickly, which is very helpful in creating muscle memory to stay within the rules during all of your approach shots from the field.
Prior to this product, there really wasn't a great way to definitively mark out the lie area quickly in the field, as it ultimately is a judgement call from those on your card.
Paper isn't great because it becomes crinkled, wrinkled, is fragile when wet, and is not exactly tear resistant.
A towel on the other hand, is not subject to any of those things, so it becomes a great medium to be used to mark the lie area.
Even if it becomes too dirty to use for cleaning/drying discs, you can always wash it and have it ready for your next time out.
So what are the PROs/Cons?
The pros of the "Lie" towel have already been laid out fairly clearly thus far, but are simply as follows:
1. It marks the area of the lie
2. It's very durable
3. Extremely versatile as it's a useful towel and an educational item
4. Very affordable at just $9.49
As an added bonus, the towel even comes with a carabiner to make bag attachment a breeze!
But there are definitely some cons to consider.
For one, a towel is not a firm object without any stretch, so it may "shrink" a little over time and lose it's true 20x30cm size (likely not before you've already learned what you need to learn from it).
Second, for towel standards, it is fairly small.
In fact, the towel I previously carried with me is about double the size of the DG Lie Towel, so it definitely gets wet/dirty quicker than other towels that are larger in size.
Perhaps a third con is that if you only have one, you have to constantly clip and unclip it from your bag to use it as a lie marker, which could be seen as an inconvenience by some. (Another reason to get 2!)
Shop the DG Lie towel today at Infinite Discs by
clicking on the picture above!
Besides these three things, there isn't much bad to say about the towel at all.
I would even go as far to say that a player should grab two, one that you could actually "plant" on at first when getting used to the lie area and one to be used exclusively for cleaning/drying your discs.
At just $9.49 for one, that's a pretty small investment to further understand the rules of the game if you ask me.
Who's It For?
While all types of players would benefit from further learning the rules, the DG Lie Towel is especially beneficial for players who are either fairly new to the sport in general or at least fairly new to learning the official rules in detail.
Learning the lie area is CRUCIAL when preventing accidental foot faults, something we were probably all guilty of at some point in our disc golf journey.
It's not to say that a more experienced player won't like this towel, they just may be better suited using the towel they already likely have because they may have a good understanding of the lie area anyways.
If you already have a towel that you use, I wouldn't say you have to run out and grab this one unless you really are struggling with visualization of the lie area.
If you are a visual learner however, and can't seem to "see" the lie area in your head, this towel is definitely a must.
Summary
In summary, the Cascadian DG Lie Towel is a very useful and versatile piece of gear that serves a clear purpose of keeping your discs clean and dry, while also being very educational by reinforcing an important rule.
As an added bonus, it is very cheap at just $9.49, cheap enough to grab 2 for about the cost of a single premium plastic disc!
I think it's cheap enough to give it a try, and even if you don't use it to mark the lie area, at least you still have a cool little towel to add to your bag to use for anything you would normally use a towel for.
So if you're interested in becoming a better disc golfer who plays within the official rules, be sure to check out the Cascadian DG Lie Towel as soon as possible and order one (or two) to try during your next round of disc golf!
Happy Disc Golfing!
Click on the banner below to shop the Cascadian DG Lie Towel at Infinite Discs today!
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