How often do you hit trees? What about throwing your disc on a line that wasn’t intentional? Hitting your lines are key to throwing like the Disc Golf pros. It becomes easier to consistently shave off strokes when you gain more accuracy. What if I told you there are 3 simple steps that can help you shape that perfect shot and have the disc land right where you want it to? Well….good news there is!
1st step: choosing the right disc
Before you even step onto the tee pad, you should make sure that you have selected the right disc for your shot. Analyze different routes that are available and pick a route that makes the most sense for you. Once you know the route you’re going to take, select a disc that will fly the best on that specific route. For beginners that do not know which discs to throw on different flight patterns, here are a couple of tips listed below: If the basket is to the right, throw an understable putter or understable midrange with a slight anhyzer release. Neutral discs would work for this too. When the disc is released on an angle where the top of the disc is facing inward, it is known as “anhyzer.” When the disc is released on an angle when the top of the disc is facing downward, it is known as “hyzer.” Since you’re just starting out, even understable plastic will be somewhat stable for you. “Stable” is when you release the disc on a flat line and it finishes left. By releasing the disc on a slight anhyzer line, it will resist the disc from fighting back to the left. If the basket is to the left, as a beginner, you will want to avoid overstable drivers and high-speed drivers since these discs have too much spin and speed. Instead, throw putters and understable midranges on a flat line and they will naturally go left. If the basket is straight: Release your putter or midrange on a flat line when following through. They have far less fade at the end compared to drivers, which allows you to avoid the danger of skipping. If you find your disc is ending too far left when trying to throw straight, just release your disc on an anhyzer line. This will help make the disc go straighter. Disc selection should not be overlooked. It is this crucial step that will either set you up for success or failure from the very start.
2nd step: Visualize your lines
Visualizing the flight path you’re going to take helps tremendously in achieving accuracy. Before you throw, analyze the height your disc needs to have, the angle of release, and the spot in which your release point will be. You should never throw directly at the basket. When you do this, you don’t allow the disc to have enough space to fade or turn at the end of its flight. This causes the disc to be either way left, way right, or too far past the basket. Understanding different release angles and where your release point should be is the ultimate game changer.
3rd step: Proper foot alignment
Where you position your feet on the tee box is a make or break for how well your shot will turn out. This is also known as “tee box geometry.” Here are 3 different ways to position your feet on the tee box if you’re a right-handed backhand player.
1.) Hyzer shots- For proper footing off the tee box, you’ll want to stand at the back left corner of the tee box and finish at the front right corner of the tee pad. By starting on the back left and finishing on the right corner, you allow more space for the disc to hyzer without going too far left. This, of course, also depends on disc selection. The more overstable a disc is, the more space you’ll need on the right side for it to fade to the basket.
2.) Anhyzer shots- To throw a right-hand backhand anhyzer, you’ll want to start at the back right of the tee box and finish on the front left corner of the tee box. Following this path allows more of an opening for the disc to turn on that intended flight path. For anhyzer shots, your release point should be to the left of the basket to give your disc enough space to turn towards the basket. Pick a spot to aim at and release at that visual representation. If your release point is directly at the basket, there’s a high chance the disc will veer off to the right too early. If you were to start and finish your footwork down the middle of the tee pad on an anhyzer line with an understable disc, chances are your disc would cut too early. Using the tee box from the back right and ending front left allows your anhyzer a wider gap to hit your line.
3.) Straight shots- To hit a straight line, your feet should be positioned in the middle of the tee box. Sounds pretty straightforward, yeah? Lol. This placement is the best option for straight shots since it allows for your hips to be straight on with the basket. However, you may have to position your feet more left on the tee pad if you tend to round during your follow through when trying to throw straight shots. This will allow the disc more space to finish on a straighter line than going too far right. There’s nothing more satisfying than watching your disc fly exactly how you want it to. With that being said, if you want to consistently hit your lines, try implementing these 3 valuable steps into your game! Have any questions? Leave them down below!