Disc golf: The most annoying part of a staggered-stance putt

Yes, the turbo, Bi-Moto and “dad putt” all exist.

And don’t forget about whatever the heck Jake Hebenheimer does …

* Note: That’s called a “cornhole putt,” by the way.

Pushing all of that aside for a second …

The two most common ways to putt in disc golf are obvious:

• The straddle putt
• The staggered putt

To straddle putt is to face the basket with both legs spread apart perpendicular to the pin. During a backswing, the disc comes down between the legs and (hopefully) pops towards the basket.

With a staggered stance, however, a disc golfer places one foot directly behind his mini marker with the other somewhat off to the side and behind it. Done right, it looks something like this:

Unless required by an obstructed lie, the latter is the more common of the two. It’s comfortable; it’s easy to replicate. And for most, it’s the more go-to, natural option. However, for as popular as it might be, there is one aspect of the staggered-stance putt that’s ultra-annoying …

It’s easy to box-in your backswing.

Allow me to explain …

As previously mentioned, during their backswing, to varying degrees, straddle-putters bring the disc down between their legs before pushing it towards the basket. Kevin Jones does a lot of this; Kristin Tattar does a little of this. It doesn’t matter much: They’re both world-class putters.

However, with a traditional, staggered-stance approach on the green, there’s only so far the putter can travel downward during a backswing before it runs into a disc golfer’s gut, hip or crotch. 

When looking to generate more power, this poses a problem. In a stiff headwind or outside of circle one, it leads to short-arming the disc. This results in missed putts and temper tantrums.

Bending the knees or rocking back-and-forth a tiny bit before putting will inject more energy into the disc, but introducing a new (and important) variable into your putting routine isn’t great.

I’m a staggered-stance guy.

As such, I adhere to the following rule at all times:

• If the putt’s inside circle one, I putt normally – and with enough power.
• If the putt’s even six inches outside of the circle, though, I jump putt.

This works for me.

Maybe it’ll work for you, too.

Give it a whirl.

Have anything to add? Take to X to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.

Editor’s Suggestions:

• Disc golf: That one disc that simply doesn’t work …
• Perk No. 12: Any out-of-town trip can be a disc golf trip
• One of the luckiest breaks in disc golf (it’s not what you’re thinking)

Real quick, if you happen to buy something through a link in this article, there’s a chance we’ll get a small share of the sale. It’s how we keep the lights on. To learn more, click here.