The origin of this one’s tough to pin down …
I don’t know if it was Ken Climo or Barry Shultz. Years ago, my own two ears heard Avery Jenkins make mention of it during an in-the-bag interview with SpinTV. Who knows, though? The roots of this could run all the way back to the days of “Steady” Ed Headrick …
Regardless, it’s time to put to bed the most widespread of disc golf’s falsehoods:
Yes, Virginia, you CAN throw your putting putters.
I know, I know – revelatory stuff.
Let’s back up for a moment, though – to set the record straight, you first have to know what it says. For amateurs and professionals alike, according to decades of disc golf folklore, never throw your putting putters. It beats them in too quickly. They lose their consistent flight.
This is mega-flawed thinking for a couple of reasons:
Reason No. 1 – Most putts are from close range
First, in large part, putts take place somewhere within the circle. At the most, that’s 33-ish feet from the basket. From that distance, you could literally putt with a flip-flop and find a flight consistent enough to bang home putts on the reg. I don’t recommend it, but it’d work.
Inside the circle, stability simply doesn’t factor in much. There are plenty of putting styles, but your close-range work is largely a point-and-shoot exercise. If you’re really working the stability of a disc from that close, you’re either lobbing it crazy-high or putting with a FAF Firebird …
If that’s the case, stop it – don’t be a weirdo.
Reason No. 2 – For lengthier putts, you want less stability
Second, for longer, circle-two (and beyond) bids, what you’re actually wanting is a less-stable putter, either by design or from a few good throws off the tee. And this isn’t me just making this up – most touring professionals have an entirely different putter for putts from 45-plus feet:
- Nate Sexton – He uses an R-Pro Dart from distance. It’s less stable.
- Gregg Barsby – He uses a beat Classic Aviar from distance. It’s understable.
- Garrett Gurthie – He uses a Star Sonic from distance. It’s a freaking paper plate.
Other notable pros do this, as well: Ricky Wysocki, Calvin Heimburg, James Conrad, etc. With less stability, less energy is required to get a putter to the basket – the extra glide helps, too.
What matters most …
I do, however, want to clarify why you might not want to throw your putting putters:
- You genuinely prefer the feel of a new, smooth putter.
- It’s cold, and you don’t want a tree to shatter the thing.
- You’re a traditionalist, and old habits die hard – so suck it.
Newsflash: It doesn’t matter if you decide to huck your putter from the tee or not. What matters is that your putting putter feels comfortable in your hand – and that you’re confident with it.
Still, should the mood strike you, go on …
Break this unwritten rule of disc golf – it feels good to be naughty sometimes.
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