Here’s what disc golf looks like for me …
It’s been this way for a good bit:
- I play casual rounds like a madman.
- When the putt’s off, I bust out the practice basket.
- Should my schedule allow for it, I’m down for tournaments.
Sprinkle in a few random field sessions when I’ve tricked myself into thinking I’m one tiny form tweak away from hitting 400-plus feet, and you’ve all but got it. And while I don’t know you, my best guess is a good chunk of Green Splatter readers have a similar disc golf routine.
There’s nothing wrong with the above …
Disc golf isn’t my job.
Here’s what I’m STILL capable of, though:
- I can own league night.
- I can nab the occasional C-tier.
- I can take more of my buddies’ money.
Plain and simple, as pedestrian as the above goals might be, strictly casual play won’t be enough to make ‘em happen – there’s got to be some semblance of a practice routine. Reps with the backyard basket are key. And distance stuff is fine, but it’s not the best use of time, either.
Which (finally) brings me to the point of all this …
Upshots.
They matter – and big time.
Putting is hard. With putting form not being all that important, the best way to get good at it is to pop a podcast and go at a basket for a good 45 minutes a day – that’s it. The second best way to get good at it, however, is to simply not have to do it – a quality upshot eliminates the need.
Even during casual play, I get in a respectable amount of putting and off-the-tee work. But with most of the park courses in my area offering holes in the 275- to 375-foot range, if I’m not reaching the green off the tee, an entry-level, jump-putt approach gets me to tap-in range.
The TRUE 175- to 250-foot approach is a rarity …
Improvement requires conscious effort.
To make it happen, like every other “serious” disc golfer on earth, I take to a vacant soccer field. Only, instead of gripping and ripping from an end line, I empty my bag and place it at the center of the pitch. From there, it’s forehand and backhand approaches of the “tweener” variety.
Too short for full power, but too long for a standstill – you know the type. The upshot calls for a shortened, more controlled walk-up, X-step, reachback and pull-through. And if you’ve not yet given it some work, it’ll feel as janky as ever come tournament time – I’ve been there …
It’s awful.
Next to nobody practices upshots with any kind of frequency – I’m including myself in this. With the new year upon us, there’s never been a better time to make the change, whatever your disc golf goals look like. More than ever before, I’m committed to giving approaches their due.
Besides …
Chicks dig the upshot.
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Editor’s Suggestions:
- Review: The Innova Gator
- ‘If you’ve ever __________, you might be a disc golfer’
- Paul McBeth’s 2023 tour of Europe is a blow to the DGPT
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