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Hit by a disc
- Thread starter dibromin
- Start date
kenjiac
Double Eagle Member
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,080
Yes it can cause injury. Tell your friend he should not be in front of the player who is furthest out on the hole and throwing. DG etiquette 101: Move up the fairway as a group allowing each player to take their shot prior to moving in front of that player to get to your own lie. Don't throw on any pedestrians or other players who are in a group ahead of you.
What was the circumstance? It shouldn't happen a lot, but does happen. When other disc golfers get hit, it's often avoidable. As others mentioned, make sure you're aware of the course and where other players are but also where they might be and might be throwing. Stay aware.
Depending on how busy a course is (both DG and non-DG traffic), this can be an extremely important issue and can cause a course to be shut down. Safety may be the most important thing to me when I review courses.
Depending on how busy a course is (both DG and non-DG traffic), this can be an extremely important issue and can cause a course to be shut down. Safety may be the most important thing to me when I review courses.
NC Trailrunner
Newbie
Question... Was beer involved? : )
Casey 1988
Shun the frumious Bandersnatch!
Not with mine as those others looking at the sign in sheets were only 18 or 19 and did not appear drunk, just like they expected the tournament to be the way they played as an average chucker.
In my limited experience, I've noticed that most people hits occur with larger groups and often with catch discs (frisbees, ultimate discs like ultrastars, etc), and they occur from (mostly) harmless ignorance. Like, "hey let's try this game (disc golf) out after an ultimate session, that happens to coincide with a DG league night.
In other words, rare.
It happens, just like getting hit with a golf ball. Most folks try to at least look before they throw and yell something (like "fore") if they see their disc headed towards people.
In other words, rare.
It happens, just like getting hit with a golf ball. Most folks try to at least look before they throw and yell something (like "fore") if they see their disc headed towards people.
R-Ogre
Double Eagle Member
I've only seen it happen once. I suppose it could injure someone but I think that's even rarer than getting hit in the first place.
I got hit while spotting on a blind hole once. The guy's roller came at me much more quickly than I expected and I wasn't able to avoid it. It was a driver to the ankle and it hurt a little when it hit but that's it. I was fortunate. Had it bounced on a root or something there were other places that would have hurt worse.
Spotting seems to put you in harms way sometimes, but thus far it's been worth it. Otherwise, I've been fortunate with very few discs concerning me at all in this regard.
Spotting seems to put you in harms way sometimes, but thus far it's been worth it. Otherwise, I've been fortunate with very few discs concerning me at all in this regard.
I've seen a bunch of people get hit at Elver. Folks commonly throw to the practice pin by hole 1's tee from across the field and hit people waiting or practice putting. I've been hit at least 3 times there over the years.
Once I saw a lady that I just assume was hit - she was a jogger/walker on the hill, and came walking down the hill holding her head that was bleeding profusely. I couldn't think of anything else that would have caused that.
I also saw someone get hit in the back of the head and react like they got stung by a bee or something - they didn't seem to ever figure out it was a disc. People were screaming fore, but they had earbuds in, so they couldn't hear it.
My friend almost drilled someone in the face the other day. They were just hanging out stretching in the fairway, so we yelled head's up, and they looked and waved us on. But then like 2 seconds after waving us on, as my friend threw, they turned and just completely stopped watching. So we were screaming fore, and dude heard it at the last second and got out of the way.
Once I saw a lady that I just assume was hit - she was a jogger/walker on the hill, and came walking down the hill holding her head that was bleeding profusely. I couldn't think of anything else that would have caused that.
I also saw someone get hit in the back of the head and react like they got stung by a bee or something - they didn't seem to ever figure out it was a disc. People were screaming fore, but they had earbuds in, so they couldn't hear it.
My friend almost drilled someone in the face the other day. They were just hanging out stretching in the fairway, so we yelled head's up, and they looked and waved us on. But then like 2 seconds after waving us on, as my friend threw, they turned and just completely stopped watching. So we were screaming fore, and dude heard it at the last second and got out of the way.
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I've been hit twice. Neither time it was a blind shot. They could see our group on the fairway and teed anyway. First time they didn't even yell fore, I just got drilled in the lower back by high-speed driver. Had a nasty bruise for weeks. 2nd time a guy yelled and I dodged last second and took it off the shoulder instead of the head. Neither guy apologized, in-fact both times they refused to walk up the fairway to retrieve their disc, they just sat and looked at us until we cleared the hole. Both times it was teenage chuckers.
Now I mainly throw pay-to-play courses and rarely run into this type of crap anymore. Honestly it does keep some of the riff-raff away.
Now I mainly throw pay-to-play courses and rarely run into this type of crap anymore. Honestly it does keep some of the riff-raff away.
BenHaavisto
Par Member
Last time I almost got hit was either 5 or 6 years ago.. Was playing with some beginners (myself included) and was looking for my disc and buddy threw over the top, missed be my less than a foot over my head. Only other time was a pond to the right of a hole and someone was fishing, one of the guys turned over their drive and hit the fisherman after the whole group was yelling heads up, fore and what not. I find it very uncommon as long as people keep aware of their surroundings.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2009
- Messages
- 15,711
I only recall being hit about 3 times. That's about 15 years of averaging about 180 rounds/ yr. One was kind of skipping when it hit my leg, twice on the fly... one of which was during a glow round.
Statistically speaking, that's a pretty low rate of occurrence.
Obviously, it happens. Most of the time, it just stings for a while, but they can do some damage if "the stars are properly aligned."
Like any other accidental occurrence, liklihood can vary greatly depending on a number of factors:
- Courses you play
- attitudes of players that frequent those courses
- your situational awareness
Courses that shoehorn a bunch of holes into a relatively small area will increase the odds of being hit, especially if there isn't much foliage between basket and next tee, and the holes are of reachable distances. A lot of beginner friendly, park style courses fit this description. Probably doesn't help that they attract a lot of inexperienced players.
Most of the better courses are laid out well enough that it's actually pretty unlikely players can hit other players, unless someone's being stupid. Be aware of your surroundings, and if there's a group behind you that wants to move faster, just let them play through.
Statistically speaking, that's a pretty low rate of occurrence.
Obviously, it happens. Most of the time, it just stings for a while, but they can do some damage if "the stars are properly aligned."
Like any other accidental occurrence, liklihood can vary greatly depending on a number of factors:
- Courses you play
- attitudes of players that frequent those courses
- your situational awareness
Courses that shoehorn a bunch of holes into a relatively small area will increase the odds of being hit, especially if there isn't much foliage between basket and next tee, and the holes are of reachable distances. A lot of beginner friendly, park style courses fit this description. Probably doesn't help that they attract a lot of inexperienced players.
Most of the better courses are laid out well enough that it's actually pretty unlikely players can hit other players, unless someone's being stupid. Be aware of your surroundings, and if there's a group behind you that wants to move faster, just let them play through.
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captain jack
* Ace Member *
I find most new players don't understand a lot of the disc golf etiquette that more seasoned players take for granted, like, always let faster players or groups play through. If you were constantly slowing up players behind you, say, looking for your discs in the rough, then sometimes less tolerant groups will throw on you.
If you were not slowing down anybody behind you, then listen carefully, most people will yell "FORE!" when they throw an errant disc. If you hear this, duck, and cover your head.
If you were not slowing down anybody behind you, then listen carefully, most people will yell "FORE!" when they throw an errant disc. If you hear this, duck, and cover your head.
Putt for D'oh
Double Eagle Member
This especially. DO NOT LOOK UP TO SEE IF YOU SEE THE DISC... some people yell Fore! way too late and give you just enough time if you look to see it might catch you in the nose. Just duck and cover and if it was never a danger of hitting you laugh it off, a little embarrassment is less painful than a head shot.
To the OP it is very course dependent. Some areas seem to have more issues than others. Some places that the courses can be more at risk the more experienced players understand and will wait to throw once there is no danger. By far the most dangerous throwers are newer players who happen to throw decently far but not sure where the disc is headed. I was one of those players for a while and came very close a few times to hitting people, people that should not have been in danger from a reasonable throw from the teepad I was on. Some of those throws 1/2 way through the flight I was still thinking ' no way that is going all the way to where they are..' and then panicked yell FORE waaaaay too late.
Twmccoy
* Ace Member *
I got hit by a Valkyrie once. Guy who threw it couldn't see it, and I never saw it coming. He threw a blind tee shot over a hill. It hit me in the arm and didn't seriously hurt or cause any problems. It was a hard throw and could have done damage had it hit any other area.
You always have to be on your toes while playing DG. Random bad shots seem to happen frequently.
You always have to be on your toes while playing DG. Random bad shots seem to happen frequently.
Chains Bailey
Birdie Member
PLEASE READ AND KEEP THIS IN MIND EVERYTIME YOU GO ON A COURSE.
To all players new and old - take safety seriously! Just read the bold if nothing else.
As a warning, you can just ask me - I was hit in my left eye with a high-speed driver over 20 years ago and my eye will never heal.
The disc was grip-locked (A Discraft Tracer) and hit me standing about 30FT away. The throw was almost 90 degrees to the throwers right. I was slightly ahead of the thrower, about 10 FT.
30FT to the right and 10FT ahead - You would think this is almost impossible, unfortunately it is not.
The disc did not catch my brow or cheek, dead solid force directly with the eyeball. I dropped like a sack of potatoes and luckily was with some friends that could take me to the ER. My eye immediately filled with blood like a vase but INSIDE of my eyeball. Friends told me I was also bleeding from my face where the disc cut into it as it pushed my eye into my head.
Went to the ER and all the doctor could do is put a patch on my eye and tell me to go home and not use my eye as much as possible. So, basically nothing. What they meant by not using my eye was to not read or watch TV as my damaged eye will move and try to adjust as if it were not behind a patch.
All of my eye healed excluding one part - The iris sphincter muscle, which is similar to a circular rubber-band that opens and closes to let light in and out of your pupil. Basically, the black (Pupil) area of your eye has a muscle around it that opens and closes to allow more or less light to enter. Well, mine is permanently broken in three places so my eye never uses it at all. Since it is permanently open, I have to use drops to shrink it so it does not get too painful. These drops only last about half of a day. This is everyday of my life - I will never be able to focus from my left eye again, ever.
Add to that, I am a graphic designer and love to draw and paint - just salt on the wound. What would losing the function of focusing your left eye for life take away from you? Not trying to scare anyone away from a sport I love and still play, just be careful out there and realize that just being aware of the dangers may save you from a fate similar to mine.
Couple STEPS ahead was all it took for this to happen - please learn from my mistake. Please share this story with friends so they may take getting hit seriously. Please realize that a disc is quite a dangerous object.
No sympathy asked - just please be safe. Everyday - I wish I had those 2 steps back.
To all players new and old - take safety seriously! Just read the bold if nothing else.
As a warning, you can just ask me - I was hit in my left eye with a high-speed driver over 20 years ago and my eye will never heal.
The disc was grip-locked (A Discraft Tracer) and hit me standing about 30FT away. The throw was almost 90 degrees to the throwers right. I was slightly ahead of the thrower, about 10 FT.
30FT to the right and 10FT ahead - You would think this is almost impossible, unfortunately it is not.
The disc did not catch my brow or cheek, dead solid force directly with the eyeball. I dropped like a sack of potatoes and luckily was with some friends that could take me to the ER. My eye immediately filled with blood like a vase but INSIDE of my eyeball. Friends told me I was also bleeding from my face where the disc cut into it as it pushed my eye into my head.
Went to the ER and all the doctor could do is put a patch on my eye and tell me to go home and not use my eye as much as possible. So, basically nothing. What they meant by not using my eye was to not read or watch TV as my damaged eye will move and try to adjust as if it were not behind a patch.
All of my eye healed excluding one part - The iris sphincter muscle, which is similar to a circular rubber-band that opens and closes to let light in and out of your pupil. Basically, the black (Pupil) area of your eye has a muscle around it that opens and closes to allow more or less light to enter. Well, mine is permanently broken in three places so my eye never uses it at all. Since it is permanently open, I have to use drops to shrink it so it does not get too painful. These drops only last about half of a day. This is everyday of my life - I will never be able to focus from my left eye again, ever.
Add to that, I am a graphic designer and love to draw and paint - just salt on the wound. What would losing the function of focusing your left eye for life take away from you? Not trying to scare anyone away from a sport I love and still play, just be careful out there and realize that just being aware of the dangers may save you from a fate similar to mine.
Couple STEPS ahead was all it took for this to happen - please learn from my mistake. Please share this story with friends so they may take getting hit seriously. Please realize that a disc is quite a dangerous object.
No sympathy asked - just please be safe. Everyday - I wish I had those 2 steps back.
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I got smashed flat across the forehead by a slightly downhill, fast-moving star wraith. Blind dogleg, I was the spotter on the corner. First guy threw, went slightly past the green into the woods, so I ran down to mark it. Was jogging back to the spotting corner, but the next guy on the tee pad couldn't wait I guess. I never saw it coming. I screamed and fell flat on my face. Guys on the tee pad thought I was joking around. Other people from nearby holes heard otherwise and came running over. First thing I noticed was I was no longer wearing my glasses, and I was bleeding from somewhere on my face. I was definitely worried for my eyes.
I didn't even get concussed, very lucky. This was half way through a league night. They say I shot better the rest of the round ;-)
I think of what an inch or three could've meant. Eye socket for sure. Nose. Teeth.
I got home and looked in the mirror--flat horizontal line across the middle of my forehead. Also, mysteriously, several small, half-inch vertical scratches at the hairline. I went and got a disc and figured out that the disc skipped off my forehead, and in doing so, the underside, back of the rim scraped my hairline.
It still landed close to the basket--could've been an ace if not for me getting in the way...
I've got a lot of mileage out of that story. Whenever I get to that hole and there is someone in the group that hasn't heard it, they get the full story.
I'm still friends with the guy who hit me. But he was in idiot that day who could've killed me.
I didn't even get concussed, very lucky. This was half way through a league night. They say I shot better the rest of the round ;-)
I think of what an inch or three could've meant. Eye socket for sure. Nose. Teeth.
I got home and looked in the mirror--flat horizontal line across the middle of my forehead. Also, mysteriously, several small, half-inch vertical scratches at the hairline. I went and got a disc and figured out that the disc skipped off my forehead, and in doing so, the underside, back of the rim scraped my hairline.
It still landed close to the basket--could've been an ace if not for me getting in the way...
I've got a lot of mileage out of that story. Whenever I get to that hole and there is someone in the group that hasn't heard it, they get the full story.
I'm still friends with the guy who hit me. But he was in idiot that day who could've killed me.
I was hit in the neck by a high speed driver 2 years ago. A few inches up and it's solid on temple. I was very lucky. The only problem with this sport getting more popular from a spectator point of view, is the inevitable spectator getting hit in the head causing a major injury. Law suits, course closures, possible tour closures, etc, it's not a question of if, it's more like when and if everyone involved is financially prepared to handle it.
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