The 5 biggest mental health benefits of disc golf

You’re a disc golfer, but you’re also a human being. Playing a tough, wooded course with lots of OB lines can feel just as frustrating (and overwhelming) as one of life’s many gut punches. 

But I’m here to tell you that the time you invest in disc golf can also provide significant mental health benefits. As a sports and performance psychologist, I help folks unlock their potential.

The following are five ways disc golf helps YOU do just that …

1. Intentional body movement

Yoga is well-known as a method for connecting your body with your internal, emotional world. In fact, yoga literally means “to yoke” or “to unite.” The idea is that yoga helps simultaneously bring together the mind, body and spirit, transporting participants into an ongoing moment known as a “flow state.” In flow, there’s no sadness or fear – just universal consciousness.

Sounds nice, huh?

Disc golf can offer a similar experience.

Akin to what you see in other sports, disc golfers engage in the focused, intentional movement of the body. Every throw is an opportunity to enter into the union of mind, body and spirit. If you’re at all intrigued, the next time you play a round, do THIS three times before each throw:

• Step No. 1 – Slowly inhale for four seconds.
• Step No. 2 – Then, slowly exhale for seven seconds.
• Step No. 3 – Eliminate all external thoughts from the mind.
• Step No. 4 – Focus exclusively on the motion of your body.
• Step No. 5 – Take a few practice swings – commit and throw.

Assess how you feel, irrespective of the result of the throw. If you feel even slightly more centered, calm or serene, consider extending the practice to more throws in future rounds.

2. Connection to nature

When I’m having a particularly rough round, I get frustrated. If you’re at all like me, when this happens, you find yourself feeding the kinds of thoughts that lead to totally crappy feelings:

“You’re not getting any better, [Your Name] – just accept it.”

Here’s the thing, though …

If you can think yourself into feeling like crap, you can think yourself into the opposite, too. 

When I recognize my mind is going down a negative path, I remind myself of the natural beauty around me – it’s everywhere; there’s no escaping it. Almost instantly, doing this snaps my mood back to where it needs to be. For me, it’s both a joy and blessing to spend an afternoon amongst the trees, ponds and creeks where I play most of my disc golf – Ralph Waldo Emerson got it:

“In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.”

Never forget that, even during your very worst rounds of disc golf, you’re smack-dab in the middle of the awe-inspiring glory of the natural world – that’s a wonderful place to be.

3. Social support

One of the best aspects of disc golf is the community.

I love that players everywhere know how to properly start a round – with fist-bumps and words of encouragement. You see it at the very top of the sport, too. This kind of etiquette began way before the majority of us started playing and looks to continue far past all of us, as well.

Some may think it’s hokey or insincere, but don’t ever take for granted a heightened level of camaraderie in a competitive sport. It infuses disc golf with genuine social support. Humans are social beings; we need connection to thrive. Keep the tradition alive – it’s good for your brain.

4. Engaging the rational mind

Sadness and fear are not focused on the present. Sadness is the past – what’s lost. And fear is the future – think what-if questions. Disc golf offers an opportunity to engage the rational mind …

In the HERE and NOW.

Each throw can be thought of as a mini-puzzle of sorts: You’re to identify the problem, formulate a plan and carry out the solution. For example, when you address an upcoming approach, you consider all elements of the puzzle – the line, disc, wind, hazards, distance, groundplay, etc.

Be fascinated by puzzles; be intrigued by them.

By so doing, you engage the rational mind. On the course, the puzzle before you wasn’t previously solved, and it won’t need solving in the future – it demands your attention now.

There’s comfort in that.

5. Creation

Most people don’t understand how important it is for them to create something new. And because of it, those same people don’t think of themselves as creative. However, creativity is a quintessential trait of humanity – it also just so happens to be one that’s great for mental health.

In disc golf, creativity is happening non-stop. Some shots are more obvious than others, but the potential for creative impulses to be engaged exists. First, a line is envisioned. And second, you attempt to bring it into existence – it’s the same process with a song, painting or sculpture.

Next time you’re playing a round, remind yourself that you’re an artist of sorts – that you’re capable of designing and attempting a “Simon line” of your own. It might work out; it might not. But even if it doesn’t, you’re exercising a part of your brain that’s pleased to see some action.

In conclusion …

Is disc golf enough to make your mind right for the long haul?

No, but it certainly won’t hurt your cause.

Happy (literally) throwing.

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

Editor’s Suggestions:

• Disc golf: Get involved in more tag rounds
• Disc golf: Resist the urge to overhaul your bag every off-season
• Gripe No. 15: Lost discs during tournaments (and what they mean)

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.