There’s this guy at Milo McIver \u2014 I’ve seen him probably six or seven times over the years \u2014 and every time I see him he’s doing something that makes me want to scream. Last time he was playing music out loud from his phone speaker. Not headphones, not a quiet bluetooth speaker, just his […]
Disc Golf Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules Nobody Tells You Read More »
I check my PDGA rating probably once a week. Sometimes more. I’m not proud of this. It’s not a healthy habit. Brendan has caught me doing it on my phone and made fun of me about it multiple times. “Your number go up?” he’ll ask, which is annoyingly accurate as a summary of what I’m
How Disc Golf Ratings Work (And Why I Wish I Didn’t Know) Read More »
Every beginner does the same thing. They walk into a disc golf shop \u2014 or worse, start browsing online \u2014 see 47 different discs with flight numbers that don’t mean anything yet, panic, and either buy way too much or ask some guy at the counter who sells them a 15-disc starter set they absolutely
The Only 3 Discs You Need to Start (I’m Serious, Just 3) Read More »
The first time someone tried to explain disc golf to me I think they made it sound way more complicated than it needed to be. This was my physical therapist, guy named Rob, who I was seeing three times a week for a shoulder thing after I blew it out playing ultimate. He kept talking
What Is Disc Golf? A No-Jargon Introduction Read More »
My first real round of disc golf was at Pier Park in Portland and I almost didn’t go through with it. I sat in my car for probably fifteen minutes beforehand just kind of psyching myself out. What if I throw it into someone? What if I can’t find hole 1? What if everyone stares
Your First Round: What to Actually Expect Read More »
I played ultimate frisbee in college. Four years at Oregon State, starting handler by junior year, before I blew out my shoulder and had to quit. So when I picked up disc golf during physical therapy, I figured the throwing part would transfer over. Same basic motion, right? Just smaller discs at metal baskets instead
Backhand Basics: The Reach-Back Isn’t What You Think Read More »
I should do more fieldwork. I don’t. Do as I say, not as I do. But when I do get out to a field and actually practice with intention, it makes a noticeable difference. The problem is that most people’s “fieldwork” is just throwing discs randomly for an hour without any structure. That’s fun, but
Fieldwork Drills That Actually Improve Your Game Read More »
I remember staring at my first disc \u2014 an Innova something, I forget what \u2014 trying to make sense of the numbers printed on it. 9/5/-1/2. What did that mean? The guy at the shop explained it but I retained maybe 20% of what he said. Something about speed and fade and turn and I
Flight Numbers Explained: What Those Four Numbers Actually Mean Read More »
I need to be upfront about something: my forehand is not great. It’s functional. It exists. I can throw one when I need to and it usually goes in the general direction I intended. But it’s probably the weakest part of my game and I’ve accepted that I might never be a forehand-dominant player. This
Forehand 101: A Guide From Someone Whose Forehand Is Mediocre Read More »
The x-step is the footwork pattern that builds momentum before a backhand throw. It’s how you turn a standstill drive into a full-power drive. It’s also one of those things that looks complicated when you watch it, feels awkward when you first try it, and then eventually becomes automatic. Getting there takes practice, but the
The X-Step Explained Without Making It Weird Read More »
