You've been seeing disc golf all over the place, courses seem to be popping up everywhere, friends you know are talking about it more and more, and you're even seeing crazy highlights on major sports networks.
You have been somewhat on the fence before, not sure if you would like it or wondering if it was worth checking out and investing your time in.
Or, you may have just recently learned about disc golf and are here because you are trying to learn what it is.
Regardless of how you found yourself here, your interest has finally peaked and you tell yourself,
"I need to give this sport a try!"
Now that you know you want to play disc golf and see what it is all about, you may be asking yourself,
"I want to play, but what do I need to play disc golf?"
The great news is, not much at all!
In fact, you may be surprised to learn that it's even possible to play a round of disc golf with just a single disc!
When you boil it all down to the basics, there is truly only one thing that'll you'll NEED in order to play disc golf,
and that one thing is a,
Disc (or 2).
That's right, a disc or 2 or 3 is all you really need to get started playing disc golf TODAY.
You could have found out about disc golf an hour ago, walk into a sporting goods store who sells disc golf discs, and walk out of the store ready to go play your first round or do your first session of field work.
This low equipment, low cost investment is one of the reasons why disc golf is better than ball golf in my opinion, but is also what makes disc the perfect outdoor activity to try out.
So, now you're wondering,
What disc golf discs should I buy?
Ideally, the easiest thing to do would be to walk into a sporting goods store and simply purchase a disc golf starter pack. Such starter packs are perfect because in them you will get a beginner friendly putter, mid-range, and control driver.
If you don't have a local store to shop at that sells disc golf discs, here are our top 3 starter packs to try, simply click on any of the pictures or links to check them out!
Shop HERE on Amazon
Shop HERE on Infinite Discs
Shop HERE on Amazon
Shop HERE on Infinite Discs
Shop HERE on Amazon
Shop HERE on Infinite Discs
If you'd like to learn more about any of these starter packs, or for more options, we dedicated an entire article to this that you can CHECK OUT HERE!
Buying a starter pack is ideal because while you'll typically only be getting basic plastic (premium is available), you'll often get 3 discs for the price of just 1 premium or 2 base plastic, and they're discs that proven to be beginner friendly.
If buying a starter pack seems like too big of a commitment or you want discs as soon as possible and your local store doesn't have starter packs, then it is perfectly fine to buy just one or two discs to get started!
In this situation, we suggest staying away from both control drivers and distance drivers altogether.
Being that you're probably newer to the sport, putters and mid-ranges will allow for plenty of distance as you learn the proper form and even as you get better.
For example, I can now throw my mid-ranges in the ball park of 280-300 feet, a distance that I couldn't even dream of before even with a control driver.
So putters and mid-ranges will do!
The brand of discs available to you is going to vary from store to store, but ultimately, it won't make a significant difference which brand you go with.
What you do want to pay attention to is the flight characteristics, or flight ratings, that you can learn about HERE.
The first two flight ratings on the disc relate to speed and glide, both of which you can handle with a putter or mid-range.
The second two numbers however are much more important when choosing a disc as a beginner.
When starting out, you'll want to gravitate towards a disc that when adding these 2 numbers together, have a net sum of 1 or less, negative numbers are good as well.
For example, a putter's flight ratings may be 2, 3, 0, 0.
The first 2 numbers you can disregard here, but 0 + 0 = 0, so it would be a great disc for you.
Another example could be a mid-range rated as 5, 5, -1, 1.
-1 + 1 = 0 so again, this disc would be great.
A disc that you may not like as much could have ratings of 4, 4, 0, 3. The sum here would be 3 and would not be a very straight flyer for a beginner just learning to throw.
Straight flying discs are easier for beginners to throw because they will tend to fly true to how they are released, even with less powerful throws.
As you get better, you'll be able to control wrist and release angle easier and will still be able to get these discs to do various things depending on the angle you release them on.
Some popular discs for you to try include:
Putters: Innova Aviar, Dynamic Discs Judge, Discraft Roach, Axiom Envy, or the Dynamic Discs Deputy.
Popular Mid-Range Options include the: Discraft Buzzz, Innova Mako3, Dynamic Discs Truth, and the Latitude 64 Core
If you can't find any of these discs, don't hesitate to ask someone in the store for help, or to follow our advice above for finding a stable disc!
Do I need any other gear for disc golf?
Do I need a disc golf bag? (Click to find out)
These are the common questions that you may also be asking yourself, and the honest answer is, you do not NEED anything else at all to play disc golf besides the discs themselves.
Technically, you don't even need a course to play as you could go out and just practice throwing the discs in an open area, or you could go play object golf.
Eventually, you may pick up and add more discs to your collection, and find that you need a bag to carry them, but for just 3 discs, a simple draw string backpack to carry your belongings and some water to stay hydrated will work great.
Portable baskets are fun to have and own, but again are not necessary to get your feet wet in the sport of disc golf.
As you learn and play the sport, you'll naturally figure out what other gear and discs will help you get better.
You'll start to notice that your discs aren't able to do things that what you want them to do, and by reading our blog and learning from other players will figure out what different discs do and when you want to use them.
Before you know it, your 3 disc starter pack will grow into a 30 or 40 disc selection and you're bagging 20-25 of them in your fancy back pack while playing in leagues or tournaments.
Or, you'll find that those 3 discs provide you with plenty of fun entertainment and you are content with staying at that level.
The best part is you're the one who can decide how far you take the sport, but to get started, you need some discs, so go grab yourself some and get playing!
When you having any questions, be sure to check out our blog or send us a question, we're happy to help you!
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