Tour Storylines – Champions Cup

April 30, 2024 The Players Meeting Leave a comment

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RESULTS – 🏆ANDREW PRESNELL & EVELIINA SALONEN

Months ago, the PDGA made Northwood Park the one-time host of its springtime Major. This last-minute switch made for historic conditions, golf, and winners.

In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – Wacky delays forced overtime for players and crew.

Spring in the Midwest = wind and thunderstorms. It was the perfect combo for delays, upset pros, and overtime for those on the ground.

On Friday morning, lightning forced a 5-hour delay that pushed both divisions to their limits. Before sunset, the MPO lead card was allowed 19 minutes of play and then had to finish, reshuffle, and play another round on Saturday.

This turned an already grueling weekend into a real grind. The JomezPro player commentators had it especially rough.

Sunday, April 28

Mother Nature aside, the DGPT crew deserves kudos for continuing coverage and even improving it. In the past, certain Northwood holes couldn’t be covered live, but with investments into a cell tower, wooded courses can stay on Tour.

Citizens Broadband Radio Service (@AWallen90)

2 – Northwood demanded excellence.

Friday, April 26

@paul.krans

On top of widowmaker scares and streams turned rivers, Northwood forced actual golf to be played. Course management and placement mattered so much that only great shots earned birdies.

It was refreshing and made fans want more of this style. Par was good, winning scores weren’t high, and the finish was unpredictable.

While Northwood won’t be featured in another Major soon, it proved that a wooded Major is necessary. Savor it though, cause the Tour moves to Emporia, KS this weekend.

3 – An anti-climatic round turned into an exciting Finnish.

Going into Sunday, most expected a clawback by Tattar to challenge Salonen. But instead, it fell flat and turned into a maintenance round.

It wasn’t until the final hole that one off-throw or missed putt would cause a 3-way playoff. But Salonen’s work paid off and she’s back in the winner’s circle.

With her 2nd win of the season, it’s clear now that Salonen’s hitting her stride on both tee and green. When you can pair made comeback putts with accurate whole-body drives, then you get a winner.

Salonen’s already home in Finland taking a well-deserved break until mid-June.

4 – Your favorite player’s favorite player.

After watching Casey White lead for 2 days and fall off, it was Presnell’s turn to take the reins. And while he had never finished top 10 at a Major, he locked into his other experiences.

For years, he’s gone out of his way to grind B & C-Tiers between Tour stops. He loves the competition and the extra cash from local pros.

So with his big bro on the bag, Presnell threw mids, stuck to his game plan, and “didn’t try to make one ‘hero’ shot all tournament.” The 32-year-old golfed his way to his 1st Major victory.

The once college soccer player, teacher, and HS coach has come a long way to vindicating his hard work. As a reward, he’s been immediately bumped back up to the Discraft Elite Team and will be getting the brand new Swarm mold as his Tour Series.

5 – 6 out of the 11 players who made it into the top 10 were European.

Kristin Tattar is a coin flip away from hitting the 1000-rating mark. Coming into the event, the PDGA said she needed to average 990 to do it.

After Sunday’s uncharacteristic 947, she finished with a 988 event rating. Some crunched the numbers and still think she’ll be 1000 in 2 weeks.

Silva Saarinen is all business. After switching to MVP this off-season, she’s played in 5 US events and progressively improved in each.

Now she’s heading back to Europe for 10 events until Worlds in August. I would be shocked if she doesn’t come back with at least 1 win.

Rachel Turton works full-time as the University of St Andrews’ Sports Development Officer. Since transitioning from ultimate in 2020, she’s already won 5 Euro tours and will be right there battling Saarinen this season.

6 – MPO young guns dominated the storylines.

Niklas Anttila is now a 3x runner-up at Majors. He has finished 2nd at 50% of the Majors starting with 2022 USDGC.

Ezra Robinson is on a mission to get out of Isaac’s shadow, and even Isaac admits that Ezra is the better brother. He claims Ezra would win 6 out of 10 times between them.

Gannon Buhr and AB both hold the longest active MPO top-10 streak at 8 now. They finished tied at 10th alongside McBeth & Burridge.

Eagle McMahon missed the cut and finished 90th out of 95. He claims he feels good physically, but mentally, it’s not there yet. The West Coast Swing will be the real judge as it has his favorite events and performances.

“This is the worst event I’ve ever played. I have actually never missed a cut in my career.” – McMahon (EagleUNLIMITED)

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Players Meeting

How to Putt: Disc Golf Putting Techniques

April 29, 2024 Ted Hegemann Leave a comment

Unless you get an ace or a throw-in from the fairway, you’re going to putt on nearly every hole. Sometimes those putts are drop ins from a few feet away. Other times you have to work for them by letting the disc fly from great distances. How you choose to putt is up to you, but in this blog we will discuss different disc golf putting techniques and styles that disc golfer use to get the disc to the basket.

Although we will list a lot of techniques that are used in the disc golf world, we are going to focus on two different stances, and two different putting styles. These represent a bulk of the putts that you will see on any given day, and are tried and true techniques. Let’s start with some putting techniques that are a tad more unorthodox. Some of these unusual styles are used out of desperation or because you are in a situation with few choices, rather than using them on a regular basis.

Disc Golf Putting Techniques

TURBO PUTT

The turbo putt is commonly called a pizza putt. It is accomplished by holding the disc flat with your thumb under the putter and your fingers around the outer rim. The motion is made by pushing the disc forward, then adding a ton of spin by snapping your wrist. That motion, when mastered, can give the disc enough spin to hit long putts.

Although the turbo can create a lot of spin, it is usually used for shorter putts on an elevated basket, or putting over a obstacles such as low bushes. It is fun to watch a good Turbo putter, but the technique is usually reserved for close putts or out of necessity.

BASKETBALL PUTT

This novelty putt sort of mimics a shot with a basketball. It is accomplished by holding the disc upside-down at an angle, then flicking your wrist like shooting a basketball. That motion gives the discs some spin and it flies in an arc to the basket. Although I have never seen this putt used, there is video of a few pros (like Ricky Wysocki) use that technique.

Another variation of this shot is to flip the disc so it doesn’t spin, but rather rotates slowly, then hits the chains on the full flight plate or bottom. Jennifer Allen has used this technique for short putts, usually on elevated baskets.

SCOOBER

Seen in tournament videos of Brodie Smith, the scoober is a method of throwing Ultimate discs in order to avoid defenders and progress downfield. It is thrown with the disc upside down and at an angle, so the disc will float toward the basket. It is just a short motion with the elbow and a flick of the wrist in a sort of reverse-forehand action. One of the great things about this putt is that the disc drops out of the sky, so if you miss, you won’t have a long comeback putt. Brody posted an instructional video on YouTube HERE

Although the scoober could be used in a situation where you have an obstruction that you need to get around or over, most people lack the skill to pull it off. Unless you practice that putt, or have a lot of Ultimate experience, you will likely be more successful with another type of putt. If you have the skill to pull it off, you might save yourself a few strokes. And you will definitely impress your card mates!

KNEELING

A kneeling putt is another technique that is typically reserved for specific situations. If you are attempting a wide straddle putt, try dropping to one knee instead. You can usually kneel a little wider than just straddling. Plus, you might be more stable balancing on one knee (carry a foam mini to use as a cushion!).

There are a couple situations where a kneeling putt might be the best option: If you are behind an object and need to maximize your stretch to give yourself the most lateral distance possible. Or, if you have a very low ceiling that you need to get under, and don’t want to be bending down to attempt to putt. I recommend practicing these two scenarios so you can see how you need release to disc to get the direction and distance you need from those stances.

STEP

Although the step putt is fairly common in disc golf, the exact execution of the technique can vary from person to person, and depends on the situation. It is used to get a little more distance/power from a putt. The step putt can only be used outside of 10 meters from the basket, otherwise a foot fault could be called.

To execute a step putt, begin stepping toward the basket and make sure to release the disc before your foot hits the ground. Timing is important to maximize the power and ensure you don’t hit the ground before you release and get a foot fault. Although step putt can give you more power, it introduces more movement into your putts and requires more skill to properly execute.

JUMP

The big brother to a step putt is the jump putt. Instead of stepping forward, you jump toward the basket with both feet. As you are leaving the ground you release the disc, to optimize the power you transfer into it. It takes accurate timing, but can add a significant amount of distance to your putts.

Putting Stances

Now let’s look at the most popular putting stances, and talk about how to use them.

STRADDLE

While some of us use the straddle when needed, others make it their go-to stance. Think Nate Sexton or Kevin Jones. By using it as your regular stance, you’ll be much more comfortable if you are forced to straddle around an obstacle.

The straddle is typically used with a push put, although a spin putt works as well. Facing the basket with your feet parallel to each other, you can get extra power by implementing a jump putt out of your straddle stance. Or just stay planted on the ground and get your power from your legs and arms.

STAGGER

The stance that you see most people putt from is the stagger stance. Although there are a lot of moving parts to a stagger stance, it can generate a lot of power. It is an athletic stance that allows you to get power from your legs, hips, shoulders, arms and wrists. You can use your back leg to push off and counterbalance your body.

The stagger stance is executed by placing one foot in front of the other, with the lead foot the same as your dominant hand (right foot for right-handed players). Most of your weight is on your back foot to start, then the weight is transferred to your front as you release. Your back leg then rises into the air to counterbalance your body, giving you more distance. If you want to see a gymnast try this technique and get the highest back-leg kick of anyone, check out a video with Jennifer Allen!

SPIN

Although both the spin and push putts each include some spinning and some pushing, the difference is the emphasis. In the case of the spin putt, the emphasis is to create a lot of spin on your disc. This is accomplished by bringing the disc near your body and snapping it toward the basket. That motion creates a lot of spin and is useful for many different disc golf scenarios.

When you use your elbow and wrist to create a lot of spin on your disc, it allows you to get longer distances from your putts. It also allows you to have a higher success rate in a windy situation by cutting through the wind. However, this putting technique also has some disadvantages.

Whenever you introduce additional moving parts into an equation, you have to rely on consistency among all of those parts. Any variations and your chances of a successful putt diminishes. That is the down side to spin putts. On the plus side, it can be used in either a straddle or stagger stance.

PUSH

The push putt has its emphasis on lofting the disc into the air with minimal spin. The disc floats to the basket with much less power. This softer approach means that missed putts won’t have as long of comeback putts. The arc of the putt can be useful in getting over obstacles. Plus, they are also less likely to spit out or bounce out since they don’t have as much speed.

That lack of speed can also be a downside, since you can’t get as much distance. Another disadvantage is that in windy conditions, the push putt can be difficult to properly execute, since your disc will be affected by the wind.

Summary

No matter your desired putting technique, the bottom line is to practice it enough to be effective. If you aren’t confident with your technique, it doesn’t really matter how you stand nor how you putt. Whichever style fits your game, get good at it through repetition. I also recommend spending a few minutes each putting session trying out other techniques, in case you have to use one of them out of necessity.

Get out hucking and throw what you love!

General

Tour Storylines – Music City Open

April 23, 2024 The Players Meeting Leave a comment

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RESULTS – 🏆SIMON LIZOTTE & KRISTIN TATTAR

With the close of MCO, the season completes its 7th event out of 28, and Nashville brought the heat. In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – MCO almost checked all the boxes: ✅ Trophy, ✅ Commentators, ❌ Course.

The TN disc golf scene is steeped in history with dedicated clubs and wooded courses. But when the Tour comes to town, a Mini-Jonesboro gets put up with elevation and air space.

The Mill Ridge course is notoriously one of the least liked on Tour, and that hasn’t changed. Complaints included impossible birdies even by FPO power players, older baskets that couldn’t catch, and specifically hole 11 hatred.

But looking past the fact that only 2 FPO finished under par, there was a lot to love this weekend. The best trophy on Tour was in the form of a Les Paul, and the commentary teams won fans over.

Many social posts wanted Charlie Eisenhood, Juliana Korver, Brian Earhart, and the one and only Zach Melton to be weekly mainstays. That won’t happen, but it’s safe to say Melton stole the show and has a future in this.

2 – A first and hopefully last for the DGPT.

“Today someone called in a threat of violence against myself and potentially the other players, staff, and spectators. Play was suspended today because of this person.” – Natalie Ryan (IG on Saturday)

As of now, the specific threat has not been made public. But here’s what transpired from Charlie Eisenhood’s perspective:

Ryan received a threat to herself or others if she played
It was brought to the DGPT which immediately tried to get more police presence
That didn’t happen quickly enough, so play was suspended before Ryan teed off
Police arrived, evaluated the situation, and play was resumed 90 minutes later with an officer following Ryan’s card

Also on the ground, the boys from The Disc Golf World shared that bags were being checked as part of the new protocols. There’s not much more to say about this hopefully one-off incident.

3 – Early season Did Not Start’s and Did Not Finish’s.

For some reason, numerous DNFs happen around MCO timing. This year there was more than a handful dropping out due to injury, scheduling, and unforeseen circumstances.

Eagle McMahon didn’t play due to tweaking his back. His return was always planned for Champions Cup, so he didn’t “want to come back and it be a flop.”
Both Valerie Mandujano & Mason Ford dropped due to trigger finger and a hamstring injury respectively
To recover before the Major, Corey Ellis dropped due to a newly discovered anterior shoulder impingement that’s causing pinching pain
Cynthia Ricciotti DNF’d after the 2nd round and Kyle Klein after one round. It’s been speculated that the couple decided to skip out early after she posted this:

4 – “It was fun while we had it.” – Juliana Korver

MCO has run for 10 years, and up until now, there have always been unique FPO winners. The unflappable Tattar is back to her winning ways after a slow March.

She became the back-to-back MCO Champ, got her 3rd win in 3 weekends, and officially started a guitar collection. And while the final scorecard showed Tattar’s dominance, it was more entertaining than met the eye.

There was legitimate hope that the two-horse race between her & Handley was going to be close. But after too many missed putts and opportunities, Handley must wait longer for her 1st Elite win (even if it comes when Tattar goes back to Estonia).

5 – Simon “Belly Ache” Lizotte.

Hours after Tattar raised her 2nd guitar, Lizotte completed his wire-to-wire weekend and the 1st double-title defense since Pierce & McBeth did it at the 2020 MVP Open.

While fighting all his ailments, he put up his best event rating ever thanks to his smart plays and effortless putts. His encore performance might prove that 1 child gives you dad strength and a 2nd makes you dad smart.

Lizotte now gets a well-deserved and uncommon spring at home as his family grows in 2 days. He plans to return at the end of May for the Portland Open.

@simon_lizotte

6 – “It’s not a course for old people.” – Zach Melton

The veteran-filled leaderboard proved him wrong. With bad shoulders, bad hips, and beautiful dad bods, the leaders of years passed stayed relevant.

u/OrangeSodaFantaSeas

It was the 1st time since 2017 that Lizotte, McBack, & Wysocki all shared the podium. And for the big man himself, it was Jeremy Koling’s 1st Top-5 finish since 2019 USDGC.

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Players Meeting

Go Green: Recycled and Eco Friendly Disc Golf Discs

April 22, 2024 Ted Hegemann One comment

Today’s disc golf discs come in a variety of colors, shapes and materials, and most are made with some kind of plastic. Synthetic plastic has been around for over a century and has shaped the way we live. However, this amazing invention does come with some baggage. First, most plastic is made from crude oil or other non-renewable resources. And second, it does not easily break down, meaning it will be around for a long, long time.

In this blog we will look at the environmental aspects of disc golf discs and discuss ways to minimize the impact. We’ll look at what some manufacturers are doing to reuse and recycle plastic discs. Plus we will talk about other ways that we can be environmentally conscious as we participate in the sport of disc golf.

Long Live Plastic

If you grabbed your go-to driver and buried it in your backyard, your great-great-great grandchild would be able to dig it up and it would still be mostly intact. It might be more pitted and have a rougher feel, but it won’t have broken down much in that time span. That is just the nature of plastic. If you throw away an old disc, you essentially are burying it, and it will be around for hundreds of years. What other option do you have?

Plastic Blends

Most discs are made with a blend of plastic types. While this makes them feel awesome in our hand, it becomes problematic if we want to recycle the disc. Products made from a single plastic type come with a recycle logo and include a number that tells you which type of plastic types that product is made from. They can easily be recycled. Multi-type plastics don’t have that luxury. But there are still options for recycling.

Manufacturer Response

Manufacturers saw a couple possible solution to recycling their blemished plastic. First, they sold discs as factory seconds at a discount from their regularly priced discs. Some discs only have minor blemishes but still have the flight characteristics of a new discs. Those discs could be sold for less that retail, keeping the plastic on the market without adding any additional processing.

If discs were in worse shape than factory seconds and not resalable to the public, manufacturers still have an option to use them instead of tossing them in a landfill. They could shred the plastic and use it to make new discs. Since they formulated the plastic, they would know its properties and know what other plastics it would be compatible with. Many different brands offer discs with pre-consumer recycled plastic.

Brands With Eco Friendly Plastics

Innova has its Echo Star line which is made of at least 50% recycled materials.

Dynamic Discs offers discs in recycled plastics such as BioFuzion, BioGold, and Revive.

Latitude 64 reuses their discs in their BioGold and Recycled plastics.

Westside has Revive plastic, and MVP has R2, both of which use blemished plastic to create new discs.

Doomsday Discs has it’s Biohazard plastic which is partially made from recycled material. They also have Landfill plastic. Landfill is made from recycled / regrind plastic that would normally go to the, you guessed it, landfill.

Discraft has been saving discs that didn’t pass their quality control measures, and now they are using the plastic from those discs to make new molds. Check out their Recycled ESP and imagine what discs those molds were made from.

Yikun now offers the Eco-Friendly Inner Colour Ultimate Frisbee. It is an Ultimate disc made from recycled plastics, for the environmentally conscious players.

The above plastic types are good examples of using existing plastic to make a new disc. Other brands use more eco-friendly plastics to begin with to produce a disc that doesn’t use as much non-renewable resources.

Discs Made from “Environmentally Friendly” Materials

Euro Disc is a German brand that makes ultimate and discs golf discs. They are demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. Embracing eco-friendly practices, Eurodisc produces its range of frisbee discs, including Ultimate, Kids, and Mini models, from 100% bio-based organic plastic, derived from renewable resources. This approach ensures that the discs are sustainable and can be recycled through normal household waste systems.

AGL has its hemp blend, which used the amazing renewable resource of hemp to produce some of their discs.

Gateway has its Organic plastic, which uses recycled rubber and a corn-based bio-polymer to produce an amazing feeling plastic. They also off Hemp blend, which combines recycled rubber and hemp. Hemp is a renewable, natural, versatile plant that can be made into many different products.

Aerobees is Frances first disc manufacturer and their focus is biosourced materials, which are materials made from organic biological origins.

Not Recyclable

Although the aforementioned efforts by manufactures help reduce the amount of natural resources used when making the discs we love, most of today’s discs have one issue in common: Their multi-plastic ingredients make them mostly non-recyclable. That is the environmental cost of making disc golf discs with the current plastic choices. However, one company is trying to change that cost.

Trash Panda Disc Golf

I was able to visit with and interview Jesse from Trash Panda Disc Golf several years ago in Colorado. At the time, Jesse had an ambitious goal to make disc golf sustainable. He wanted to make discs out of recycled plastic, and make them recyclable, too. How has he done since then? I reached out to Jesse for an update! Here is what he said:

“Since we chatted last in my garage, we’ve released two molds made from 100% recycled plastic – the Inner Core and the Dune. With the success of those two molds, we’ve diverted 15,000 lbs of plastic from landfills and continue to exceed even our own expectations of what is possible.

“In 2023 we proudly became the first disc golf company to ever achieve B Corp certification – which is a month-long assessment that ensures companies meet the highest ethical and environmental standards.”

In addition to achieving his goal of producing a recyclable disc out of recycled plastic, Jesse and the crew at Trash Panda have set up a great program for recycling discs. Disc golfers can send in their unwanted/damaged/broken discs in exchange for a discount at Trash Panda. Those discs will then be either ground up am made into discs or other plastic products, or they will be donated to youth programs to grow the sport. Either way, the life of the plastic will be extended and will be kept out of the landfill. As of this writing, they have received over 11,500 discs and turned them into discs, minis, and Disc Dots.

What Can You Do?

What you can do to be environmentally conscious?

Buy environmentally friendly plastics – Make an effort to look see what recycled options are available. Many of the recycled plastics have an amazing feel and are still durable. By voting with our wallets, maybe was can get more options in ‘green’ plastics.

Buy used – Premium discs have a long life and we can usually get a used disc much cheaper than new. As an added benefit, used discs are sometimes already broken in. That will give us a seasoned disc immediately, instead of having to play with it for a long time.

Donate your discs – If you can trade discs with other disc golfers, or sell them to a retailer, we can end up with discs that we like or want to throw without the cost of buying new. If those options aren’t available, check out Trash Panda’s recycle program and give your old discs a new home.

There may be many aspects of our life where it is difficult or impossible to make a difference for the planet. Disc golf is not one of those things. Our sport comes with an environmental cost, but the steps we’ve outlined will help make disc golf more sustainable into the future. It always feels good to help with the environment, and if we can be helping while playing disc golf, that is a win-win for everyone.

Focus Friday – Starter Sets on Sale

April 19, 2024 Tara Martin Leave a comment

Focus Friday – Starter Sets on Sale

Welcome back to another Focus Friday, where we look at a certain mold or brand, and give you a discount so you can try it out for yourself. This weekend, you can shop our starter set collection, full of amazing deals from all the top manufacturers!

Disc golf starter sets are the perfect way to introduce yourself to the sport of disc golf. These sets typically include three discs. Some include everything you need to get started including discs, a bag, and sometimes even a mini marker disc. Discs in starter kits are designed with beginners in mind and are often more affordable than buying individual discs and accessories separately. Additionally, disc golf starter sets are generally lighter weight and easier to throw than other discs. Starter sets are an excellent to way to try out different types of discs to see which ones work best for you. Whether you’re looking to improve your skills or just have fun with friends, a disc golf starter set is the first step to becoming a disc golf pro.

Evaluate the best disc golf sets from top brands like Innova, Infinite Discs, Dynamic Discs, Latitude 64, Discraft, MVP, and Axiom. Choose from 2 Disc, 3 Disc, and 5 Disc starter sets as well as beginner sets with bags.

DISCOUNT -> This weekend, check out our BIG Starter Set Sale! Click HERE to shop.

This sale will end Monday night, so get on this deal while you can!

Check out this page to see all the items that are on sale this week.

*MVP / Axiom / Streamline products are MAP protected and will not be included in this sale.

2024 Ledgestone Season 2 Release

April 19, 2024 Tara Martin Leave a comment

Ledgestone Wave 3, Season 2 Release for 2024

The 2024 season has arrived! Ledgestone presented by Discraft is starting off their first season of discs with a bang. Get your hands on the following Ledgestone edition Discraft models.

The following twelve molds will be released on April 19th after 7 p.m. EST

All Ledgestone Discs can be found here.

2024 Ledgestone Discs – Preseason

The 2024 Ledgestone Preseason introduced us to an exciting range of discs, which included the Z Swirl Athena, Full Foil Buzzz, Z Sparkle Luna, CryZtal Glo Flx Nuke OS, Colorshift Z Raptor, and the X Swirl Zone.

This first season of discs includes the following twelve discs: ESP Challenger, X Swirl Buzzz, ESP Swirl Zombee, Litweight ESP Vulture, ESP Swirl Pulse, Z Glo Zone, UV Glo Heat, Z Swirl Zeus, CryZtal Scorch, Crytal FLX Malta, CryZtal Rattler, & Jawbreaker Swirl Nuke.

The second season of discs includes the following eleven discs: Z Swirl Anax, Z Swirl Buzzz, UV Glo Sparkle Buzzz GT, Z Swirl Cidada, TI Swirl Fierce, Jawbreaker Heat, UV Glo Meteor, Cryztal Roach, Z Swirl Stratus, TI Sparkle Thrasher, & Lightweight ESP Venom.

These releases are part of the 2024 Ledgestone Limited Edition disc program, which will see its releases spread over four different waves in the year, with the approximate release times being December 2023, February 2024, April 2024, and June 2024. Each release showcases a variety of innovative molds, showcasing unique plastic and design varieties of Discraft’s ultra popular disc molds.

These discs are not just about providing players with new gear; they also play a crucial role as fundraisers for the Discraft Ledgestone Open. This tournament is renowned as the biggest event in disc golf, attracting a wide range of players and fans alike. The Ledgestone team, led by Tournament Director Nate Heinold, has focused on creating unique and desirable discs that appeal to both collectors and players. By purchasing these discs, enthusiasts contribute directly to the success and growth of this major tournament.

In addition to the high-quality discs, the Ledgestone program also brings back less common or out-of-production molds, catering to both long-time fans and new players who are love trying different Discrafts golf discs.

Overall, the 2024 Ledgestone Limited Edition disc program unveiles a captivating array of discs, showcasing innovation in plastic types and design variations of Discraft’s renowned molds. These releases, divided into four waves throughout the year, not only provide players with exciting new gear but also serve as vital fundraisers for the prestigious Discraft Ledgestone Open.

We are happily looking forward to the rest of the 2024 season, and hope you are too!

Love what you throw, throw what you love!

General

Disc Flight Numbers Explained

April 16, 2024 Ted Hegemann 3 comments

When disc golfers are eyeing a new disc, their number one question often revolves around its flight behavior: “How does it fly?”

Understanding a disc’s flight characteristics is crucial in deciding whether it’s a worthy addition to one’s bag. While various factors like wind conditions, elevation, and the thrower’s skill influence flight, what matters most is how the disc will perform for them. This curiosity is often satisfied by examining the disc golf flight numbers.

Flight Numbers Decoded

To address inquiries about a disc’s flight, I typically delve into the widely used flight rating system and gauge the customer’s skill level to tailor my recommendations. Let’s unpack those flight rating numbers and explore some key variables I discuss with customers, including the more precise Infinite Discs flight rating system. For this discussion, let’s consider a right-hand, backhand (RHBH) throw.

Understanding the Four-Digit System

The four-digit flight rating system, pioneered by Innova, serves as a standardized way to characterize a disc’s flight. While other brands have experimented with their own methods, this system remains predominant. Here’s a breakdown of the four characteristics:

Speed
Glide
Turn
Fade

Speed

The first number signifies the speed at which the disc must be thrown for the subsequent numbers to hold true. It’s a crucial factor often misunderstood by beginners. A higher speed rating doesn’t guarantee the disc will fly faster; rather, it requires a greater throwing velocity for optimal flight. Beginners often struggle with high-speed discs, finding lower speed ones more manageable.

Glide

The second number indicates the disc’s ability to stay aloft. While maximum glide is desirable for long drives, experienced players may opt for lower glide discs for better control over landing zones. If you are a beginner, get a disc with as much glide as possible.

Turn

Also known as ‘high-speed stability,’ this number predicts the disc’s behavior during the initial phase of flight, when it is traveling its fastest. Negative values imply a tendency to turn right (for RHBH throws), while positive or zero values resist turning, and are suitable for headwinds. ‘Understable’ discs exhibit more negative turn values, while positive values indicate ‘overstable’ discs.

Fade

The fourth number is the discs fade, or ‘slow-speed stability,’ and it indicates how the disc behaves as it slows down. Higher values result in quicker descent and leftward movement, while lower values maintain a straighter, level trajectory.

Infinite Discs Flight Ratings

While flight numbers offer a general idea of a disc’s flight, Infinite Discs introduced a more inclusive method which is based on user reviews. By aggregating reviewer feedback, this system provides a broader perspective on a disc’s flight characteristics. Users can filter reviews by skill level to find insights relevant to their game.

Let’s check out an Infinite Discs mold for an example. Looking at the page for the Sphinx we see two flight ratings: The manufacturers rating, and an Infinite flight rating. You can see that there is a slight difference between the manufacturer and reviewers numbers. In this case, there are 169 reviews (as of this writing).

Additional Benefits

Scrolling down the Sphinx’s page a bit we see some Sphinx data that might be useful for potential buyers. Below that are the reviews that Infinite flight rating for the Sphinx is based on. You will also see the option to sort the reviews based on certain criteria, such as reviewer’s skill level or driving distance. These options allow you to see the opinions of people with similar skills.

Looking Ahead

While the four-digit flight number system remains popular among players and manufacturers, future innovations may introduce even better methods. For now, the Infinite Discs Flight Rating system, supplemented by user reviews, serves as a better option. It is a valuable tool in choosing the perfect discs for your game.

disc golf

Tour Storylines – Jonesboro Open

April 16, 2024 The Players Meeting Leave a comment

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RESULTS – 🏆ANTHONY BARELA & KRISTIN TATTAR

The best sporting event of the year happened over the weekend, and it wasn’t the Masters… Joking aside, Jonesboro is always a treat.

In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – This course is more than meets the eye.

As one of the long-standing Tour stops, Disc Side of Heaven has earned its spot as an iconic venue. To the uninitiated, many of the holes appear to be “open”, but in reality, it has intrigue built in.

And when there’s inconsistent wind adding to the undulating fairways and greens, it becomes must-watch TV.

As for the reorganized layout, it was neither better nor worse. FPO’s had some rough edges needing fixing (hole 2 had 0 birdies), and the par 3 finishing hole was thankfully made better by the moment.

Regardless, this course truly has its own identity. And with a 2nd wooded course being built nearby, Jonesboro is 2 years away from being a 4-day event or maybe even a Major.

2 – A one in 221.8k chance.

Before the action even began, the memes were flowing. Thanks to the TD, we were treated to some non-standard feature cards: The Pauls & the Lefties.

It was confirmed that these cards were partly by chance and then influenced by choice to keep things fun. As for which Paul or Lefty came out on top…

Ulibarri edged it out over McBeth thanks to his 1050-rated Sunday
Clemons beat Queen by 2 to become King Lefty

3 – 2024’s 1st repeat win was no contest.

Away from the recent normal, FPO turned out to be less of a nail-biter. But it was still a pleasure to watch as Tattar went from a scorched-earth 1044 round to a solid 1009 and finally a walk-in 994.

Overcoming her worst 2023 finish here (6th), Tattar was firing on all cylinders. And despite the commentators’ storylines, her earned lead was never in any real danger.

Bonus stat: This was Tattar’s 6th 8+ stroke victory at Elite/Major events. In the last 3 years, there have been only 6 other instances where that’s happened.

4 – The snakes were out in early spring.

Thanks to the scoreable but dangerous holes, 7 guys were pushing for the win. Through the better part of the broadcast, most eyes were on the chasers.

But now knowing how to win, AB waited for his moment to strike. He was even par through 12, then started his fire sale with a 59’ stepper eagle.

Now that he’s won 3 of the 5 events already, AB’s officially joined an elite club. He’s slowly shifting the scales from the Year of AB to the full-blown Era of AB.

“Ever since chess.com, it’s just been a new me, and I’m so excited for the future. And this is just the beginning.” – Barela (JomezPro)

And as the stand-up guy that he is, AB’s bringing his good friend Jacob “Cupcake” Courtis along for the ride. Who cares about finishing out of the cash when you can caddie for the future Player of the Year?

Friday, April 12 (@anthonybarela11)

5 – What about the what-ifs?

Both Ben Callaway & Ezra Aderhold fought their way to their best finishes since early last year. And down the stretch, both had their fair share of mistakes and bad luck. But now with the added experience, the pair are trending up.

All while handicapped with no FH, Calvin Heimburg was 2 rollaways away from maybe going back-to-back-to-back at this event. But unfortunately, it’s still the same no-win story we keep seeing.

Even with a noteworthy finish, Holyn Handley continues her trend of playing below average during final rounds. So far this season, she’s only shot above her rating in a final round once.

Eliezra Midtlyng gets her best finish yet (5th). Skipping the West Coast and Europe swing, the 16-year-old still has a full schedule planned for her 1st touring season.

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