The most awkward shot in disc golf

This is most definitely a product of my hyper-inflated ego, but I’m confident I’ve discovered the single-most awkward shot in all of disc golf. From here on out, given my apparent trail-blazing ways, I’ll answer exclusively to “Magellan.” Tell your friends and family, cause it’s official.

All joking aside, let’s get hypothetical with a hole:

• It’s a long par-three.
• She’s an open, 575-foot hole.
• Off the tee, you bite off a solid 350 feet.
• You’ve got 225 feet left with a right-to-left shape.

Simple enough, right?

Take the painless par. Move onto the next hole.

Besides, there’s scoring to be had on the back-nine.

If you’re me, however, you step up to your lie, mark it and quickly realize something …

You’re in a pickle.

These numbers will differ from golfer to golfer, but for me, here’s the conundrum: With a backhand standstill, I’m confident up to 175 feet – it’s controlled; it’s accurate. And should my inner Corey Ellis come out, on a good day, I can maybe stretch that out to around 200 feet.

With a walk-up, like most, I’m comfortable smashing the disc as far as humanly possible. Which, given the open layout of this fictitious hole, and what I’ve just achieved, is about 350-ish feet.

But you know what’s brutal?

What’s awkward?

The shot I’m NOW faced with.

Having to split the difference between the two aforementioned tugs for a 225-foot, backhand approach. It’s not that creative for a self-proclaimed “writer,” but I call it “no-man’s land.” Or, in other words, the need to throw a touchy backhand accurately from 200 to 235 some-odd feet.

My options are to 1) force a standstill longer than I’m naturally able, or to 2) dial-back a full throw to get the disc where it needs to be – and with a power grip, fan grip or death grip.

Speaking of discs …

What’s even the best tool for the job?

I can go with a flat-footed midrange, but should I overcompensate on the energy output, that thing’ll glide well past the basket. Conversely, I can opt for a putter with a minimized walk-up and reachback, but this often feels like a hand-delivered invitation for the disc to get squirrely. 

And don’t get me started on the above, but with a low ceiling …

Welcome to the table, Mr. Fairway Driver.

Do you see (and feel) the discomfort here?

It’s my belief the simplest solution is to frequently throw a flick approach – no wonder they’ve become so popular in recent years. They’re easier to power-up or power-down. With no need for an X-step, the walk-up’s not a problem. Also, you can keep your eyes on the target throughout the entire throw. Still, it’s the right-to-left shape that’ll bite you squarely in the buttocks …

Gotta account for it.

Of course, the harder solution – whether from a standstill or with a baby walk-up – is to actually practice a muted backhand approach from a middle-of-the-road distance. Head to a vacant soccer field. Empty your bag. Place it 200 feet from your pile of plastic. Then, try and hit that sucker.

If you put in the work, there are no awkward shots.

Revelatory stuff.

I remind myself of this at least once a round.

Usually, THIS is the shot that sends the memo.

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: Why max-weight discs are so popular
• Infinite Discs: The most ridiculous product in disc golf history
• Dave Feldberg’s weird tip for dominating rainy rounds of disc golf

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.