Switch discs or stick with your "normal"

[Putt for D'oh]

Curious question for those of you who might be a bit inconsistent throwers like me.
From a lot of the threads on the site it seems that throw to throw or round to round inconsistency is actually somewhat common.
So, with that in mind I was wondering, especially for something like your home course where you have some default discs for certain holes, when things seem off on a particular day do you switch up discs and maybe lines or do you just power through with your defaults and maybe have approach shots that are 30-50' longer than "normal"?

Examples from this weekend for me. I played a round on Friday, Saturday and 1/2 round on Sunday.
On Friday I played overall great, long side of average distance and great accuracy, for me. I had only three bad throws all round, and two weren't even that bad. On those two I threw a second drive, just to see (Lucid Emac Truth) where I normally throw a Teebird and parked the hole both times. I scored the bad drives for par, anyway. So Saturday I was a bit less accurate overall but bombing the distance, for me, including the longest throw I've probably ever made by a good 20' or more for a bird on a hole that was my only bogey the day before. The two holes I threw a 'what if i'd thrown this' drives Friday, my drive was the emac truth with good results.
Forward to Sunday and i'm thinking i've made a good breakthrough on form and have new default discs for a couple holes i've disced down to the EmacTruth from Teebird, but a couple holes in its obvious i'm throwing short. I'm consistently 20-50' shorter than I was Saturday with my mids and fairways. So now i'm back to the Teebirds and on the two holes i'm judging on I was actually about 15' shorter with the Teebirds than I threw the EmacTruth the day before.

So, when I go to a new course, I will switch up the disc for a shot depending on how i'm throwing for the day. When I post in the hole of the day threads its kinda with the assumption i would be having a good throwing day.
But on my home course part of me really wants to stick with my "normal" and power through problems, like i know if I throw it right this disc is an ace run, even if I know I'm not throwing it well that day and chances are im not going to be anywhere near the hole. Same goes for lines. There is a big uphill shot with high trees that has a great line to the basket with a Hyzer over the trees. I try it everytime, but when i'm throwing like I was Sunday ~upto 50' shorter than my max golf distances no way I make it, its just too much power needed, I try that line anyway.

Anyone else? stick with your "normal" on your home course when you probably shouldn't? Or throw a line/disc that you CAN throw but you need to be having a good day to make it work?

 

[atison]

I personally switch it up (I know, that doesn't help).

If I am "off" with my usual discs, I want to right the ship by getting my form down with my usual discs. This applies to shots where it isn't a matter of the disc can't do what I ask of it, but a matter of I am not making the disc do what I know it can do (and what I can make it do). In this scenario I think it is wise to stick with the usual disc and work on getting back your form for that shot.

The other scenario is where either you have introduced a new disc to your bag and/or your form has improved to where another disc might fit the shot better. For instance, a shot that you used to throw a fairway driver on forcing it over into a flex but now you can reach the same shot with a lazer mid throw. Or, you used to flex out an understable driver to get to a basket on an open hole but now you have something that is more HSS that you can reach the basket with which would be a higher percentage shot.

Just my meager thoughts.

 

[armiller]

I think a big part of disc golf is knowing how to adapt. Also, knowing which of your shots is more consistent for a given situation yields major dividends.

That said, my solution (especially on my home courses) is to throw multiple discs. My first shot is the one I play and count for my score, but that allows me to try many different shots on my 2nd (or 3rd/4th) attempt. As far as competitive rounds go, I think your recreational rounds should give you an idea which shots are higher percentage, or which ones require just the perfect touch/hyzer/turn/power. I've got some money shots that work even when the rest of my game is really pathetic. During recreational or practice rounds, one of the main goals is to improve my "less than money" shots so that they will also become equally dependable and successful.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

That's an interesting question - and one that I think we all struggle with, not just for form - but for wind and in my case, when I'm feeling loose vs sore and old.

Discing up and powering down vs discing down and powering up - and then adding stability into that equation is a big part of the game and why you'll sometimes see the guys who have a minimalist bag and add hyzer in the headwinds can kill it or sometimes they get worked over.

My suggestion: whatever you can put in your hand that instills the most confidence.

 

[NathanNoodleArm]

My suggestion: whatever you can put in your hand that instills the most confidence.

This, throw what's working for you...sometimes even if it's not the disc for the shot. I will ride a disc that's working for me and make it fit the shot I need.

 

[Shamis]

I usually only change based on wind, or if I see something is horribly wrong with my form that day which is preventing me from throwing far, then I'll disc down to prevent huge fade outs on shots that would normally carry straighter longer.

 

[slowplastic]

If the weather is not a factor at all (which will really make me change my disc selection), there are definitely days where I'm throwing poorly and missing some power, and other days where I'm getting really clean throws. If I'm throwing poorly I'll likely throw a more stable fairway driver when I can (like a beefier Teebird), to make sure I get the distance and it can fix slight release errors. If I'm throwing really cleanly then I'll tend to try to push my putters or mids as far as I can, and that can really help my confidence. If things really aren't going well I'll throw more overstable hyzers instead of putters even in the 250' range, just so I can try to feel a good fast release to hopefully get me back on track. I find at 350'+ my strategy doesn't change much depending on the day, but at ~300' I may throw a putter, mid, firebird, or spiking driver shot depending on if I feel confident or not (the better I feel the slower and straighter disc I throw).

 

[discdoc]

Switch disc or stick with your normaj

I was told that golf got its name because there were no other four letter words left. In this post
I see the same applies in our great sport of disc golf.

 

[StevenSeagal]

I'm at a point now where I don't like to deviate from my game plan without a really good reason. If I'm off I'm off and I feel it in my best interests to shake that feeling instead of trying to adjust and try something I'm not used to doing. I want to rely on my experience more than anything else.

 

[F.Luke]

I know you shouldn't speak in absolutes but:

Never have a certain disc for a certain hole. Always visualize shots. You can make lots of discs hit a shot.

 

[Dan Ensor]

I only have plans on tee shots in competitive rounds.

 

[zmannz1984]

I tend to use the same mold on most tee boxes at my local courses unless the weather or wind is off. Especially on holes I can easily birdy after a good drive. I have more power but less control early in the round unless I had a long warmup, so I tend to throw more overstable stuff on approaches and long putts until I get settled in. Then I will start throwing whatever will take the lowest effort and try to focus on control. I used to mess up a lot of approaches late in the round until I learned more about myself.

 

[lucasgg]

Same here, I throw the same mold (DX and Champ Valkyrie) on many holes. In day to day life, I tend to stick to the familiar and in this case It's by a mile the Valk mold. The Valkyrie just works for me in terms of grip, flight, and release and also confidence.

In response to the OP's question... I don't throw different discs if my form is off. I just suck it up and make sure i nail the shot.
Same for approaches and putts. I use what works, in this case, a Gator and Yeti Pro max weight.

 

[Lazerface]

I don't change much on the drive side, except for open courses with wind changes from day to day.

I switch between putter drives and mid range drives quite often. I LOVE driving with wizards on holes 300 and under. Sometimes my putter is coming out smooth and easy and if I'm playing a woodsy course with lots of sub 300s I throw my wizards a lot. Other days the putter feels forced and they're not coming out smooth, so I disc up to a mid. Either way I can score about the same. I honestly just enjoy throwing putters more because they are so "true"

 

[BrotherDave]

I usually stick with tried and true discs on my home course unless the round is going so poorly that I turn into a practice round and start experimenting.

In a competitive setting and the wheels are coming off I minimize in a big way and start throwing only stable, straight to fade type discs, usually just a mid (Nebula) and a fairway driver (Eagle); Breaker/Ion if the course has a lot of short wooded holes. I prefer to focus on duplicating a consistent swing and getting my rhythm back instead of trying a bunch of different lines. If the course has bad tees sometimes I'll just go FH to avoid footing miscues.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

It's possible to throw similar lines on the same hole with a few different discs throughout my local course. I tend to stick with "the usual" disc no matter how bad my round is unless wind forces me to use something else. Even then, I might just try to put a little more hyzer on a throw. Discing down on holes with low ceilings and discing up on narrow or short fairways can make easy birdies on your home course much more difficult

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Sometimes using a different disc/line/throw is good IMO when other stuff isnt working.

Different winds or long grass vs short for skip shots etc can impact a go-to shot. I always try to throw a few different lines on courses i play the most just to see what is the best shot.

I often play without my core discs too where I will use other molds and find a better line or disc. I also run into situations where I think damn i wish i had that seasoned xyz driver etc.

Get to know all your discs on a bad day but make sure to keep the best friends close by to bail you out

 

[DiscFifty]

My inner self caddie always tells me to throw putters when my timing in the round starts to go off. But my ego struggles with that and I end up making mistakes. When in doubt..throw the slower disc, take par and move on to the next hole. If I could listen to myself more often.... smdh...

 

[DanJon]

If I'm having a bad day during a casual round, I start throwing all putters or mids and just work on control.

If I'm having a bad day during a competitive round, I stick with my most trusted discs and just make it work.

 

[Putt for D'oh]

Great responses. Glad to see my problems don't seem unique.
I do have other goto discs or maybe lines that vary with weather. A beat in Saint on one hole if it is calm and I throw either a C-PD or Volt if windy. A few I throw a midrange I automatically go Teebird in the wind or PD if it is really blowing.

I should try discing down when i'm off. Its funny but I will often do an Envy only or 3 disc Envy/River/Wizard when i'm throwing well, maybe not great but happy with my good throws and the bad ones were just random shanks rather than a systemic issue for the day.
I should go to the Envy maybe when stuff is all wonky instead and (my bigger issue) really focus on clean and smooth and not try and crush it. I think when i'm losing distance that I usually have, i end up just defaulting to a Teebird and then trying to throw it 200 feet further than i'm able to and everything gets so much worse. Taking the Envy and throwing 260' on the right line every hole should get me easy pars.

Moral I guess is disc down when i'm throwing really well to get the slowest disc in my bag that achieves the shot...
AND
Disc down and focus on clean and smooth to correct problems rather than discing up in hopes of achieving a distance I shouldn't worry about.