Disc golfers are obsessed with distance.
Whether just now getting into the game or a 1,000-rated touring professional, you want more of it. And it makes sense – distance is sexy. If you’re like many disc golfers, watching a distance driver reach full flight might be the thing that got you hooked on the sport in the first place …
- Liftoff: Hyzer-flip to board-flat.
- Mid-Flight: Flat to slight turn.
- Touchdown: Turn to fade.
You’ll never tire of seeing a distance driver achieve the above.
Here’s the thing about distance, though …
It’s important, but it’s not that important.
This is especially true if you’re an amateur. The Las Vegas Challenge features spacious, 750-foot holes, but your local B- and C-tier events probably won’t. The courses you see on JomezPro are part of the Disc Golf Pro Tour – they’re designed to challenge the best arms on the planet.
Heck, even if you’ve got your sights set on a disc golf career beyond what your local tournament scene offers, insane, Lizotte-esque levels of distance aren’t necessary – far from it, in fact…
Take Michael Johansen, for example.
M.J. is the antithesis of the modern-day disc golfer. Armed with little more than a skullet, a bag jam-packed with understandable plastic and a fan grip that’ll bring tears to your eyes, the dude’s built his game – and a tournament schedule, to go along with it – around what he’s good at …
Hitting tight, wooded lines up and down the East Coast.
The dude’s old and can’t throw far and will still beat the pants off of just about anybody.
Andrew Fish, another member of Team Discraft, is the exact same way:
Max distance videos are the gas station boner pill of the disc golf world. https://t.co/zPXU6EmLis
— 🥏Kevin Myers🥏 (@Rattlinchains) January 20, 2022
Don’t get me wrong – major distance is super helpful. Work towards it. Get it. Use it. But on most courses, it’s only “super helpful” once or twice a round. Also, disc golf’s complex. There’s more to build your game around than simply trying to bomb the snot out of a Star Destroyer.
Learn to confidently putt and approach before you go after 500 feet of raw power. Easy, tap-in par saves will improve your PDGA rating way quicker than a 450-foot smash ever will.
Physically, if distance is in you, go for it.
If it’s not, work to improve it, but know this much: a consistent (and accurate) 300- to 350-foot drive is more than enough distance to win you a crap-ton of big-time disc golf tournaments.
Plenty of smart disc golfers are doing it.
Focus on what actually matters, and you can do it, too.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
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