When to change tees?

[Rastnav]

I'm assuming the answers to this question will be, like everything else in disc golf, highly variable.

I shot a 5 down from the rec tees at my home course, Leigh Farm Park, today. Afterwards I was making some improvements to the tee signs and happened to strike up a conversation with another player finishing his round and I mentioned that I was still a beginner, had only played 4 or 5 months. When we got to talking about how things went today and he heard my score he said I "wasn't a beginner anymore". He was mostly just making small talk, but it got me thinking.

When is the "best" time to switch tees? I'm not yet consistently scoring rounds that would be higher than 900 rated (the limit for Rec level in tournaments) at that course (as estimated by DGCR), but I have done it a couple of times. Do I wait until I can consistently do it?

Obviously, I can do whatever I want, but I could also be throwing 15 speed drivers if I wanted, and I'm pretty sure people would be happy to opine that I was doing my game development no favors.

So, just curious what are people's thoughts are on tee selection?

 

[DavidSauls]

I'm not sure how useful the guidance you may get is, because everyone's course experience is different---the short tees on one course may equate to the long tees on another, and many courses don't have short & long tees, at all.

My suggestion would be to try both sets out, and play whichever you enjoy more. Or mix it up (shorts on odd-numbered holes, longs on evens, and vice versa).

 

[R-Ogre]

When you find yourself mechanically making the same throws with the same discs on your normal set of tees, mix it up. It might help your game and it will definitely up your enjoyment, even if you have frustrating games on the harder tees.

And yeah as stated above, mix it up. Alternate tees or play all the "hardest" or all the "easiest" or switch on the back 9 or do all of it.

 

[Monocacy]

For me the most interesting tee or basket is the one that is a multiple of my throwing distance under the circumstances. Sometimes that will be the long tee, sometimes the short tee.

If the most likely outcome is drive, short pitch-up, drop in putt, that is probably a boring hole. Shorter (chance for birdie) or longer (requiring two good throws) will be more interesting.

I frequently mix and match tees and baskets for maximum enjoyment.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Completely agree with everything the last three posters said. Use the tees that help you keep it fresh, interesting, and most of all, YOUR definition of enjoyable. Switch things up as you see fit based on your mood that day.

I've played rounds where I started on the shorts, and switched to the longs because I was throwing well that day.
I've also done the opposite. .....

 

[Rastnav]

Man, those ideas are so antithetical to how I normally approach things. I like some sort of baseline for comparison, if that makes any sense. Tough if you are just making up your own course.

Disc golf is just ... different. Round peg, meet square hole.

 

[glassila]

Continuing to play the course rec tees (188 feet average) will absolutely stifle your development.
It looks like the course has a lot of tee and basket options. Time to move on.

 

[discerdoo]

Play a round on longs without worrying about score or even necessarily progress. Analyze the holes and just try to make some shots. Keep score next time you play it.

 

[rocthecourse]

My first rounds of disc golf were played from the long tees. The longer the holes the more times you get to throw your discs.

 

[Armus Patheticus]

I can't imagine playing a course more than once and not trying multiple tee positions. From the time I started playing I always played the longest tees first, then shorter if/when I got the opportunity. Sometimes it's fun to play multiple rounds concurrently.

 

[etdefender19]

Seconded (or thirded or fourthed) about mixing it up.
A local course a buddy and I play has dual tees (dual baskets technically - same tee pads). We play 54 holes. All shorts for the first 18 (warm-up). Second 18 longs on odd-numbered holes, shorts on even. Last 18 the opposite

 

[Dingus]

So, just curious what are people's thoughts are on tee selection?

The only acceptable time to use the short tees are to add additional holes to a course for variety's sake, or if you are physically handicapped, or possibly if you have limited time. All able bodied adults should throw from the long tees under normal circumstances. I am prepared for this opinion to be widely derided.

 

[dreadlock86]

I can't imagine playing a course more than once and not trying multiple tee positions. From the time I started playing I always played the longest tees first, then shorter if/when I got the opportunity. Sometimes it's fun to play multiple rounds concurrently.

i agree with all of this. i'm always curious to see the various layouts whenever a course has them. i like to play from both tees concurrently sometimes when i'm course bagging, if i have the time. if a 9 holer has multiple tees then i'll almost always do it.


as far as selecting the best tees for one's skill level, it helps to play, or at least walk, the longer tee options to evaluate how you'd need to attack them. if you think you might be able to score on some of them then it's probably worth a try. at the very least, you will be able to see where your skills far short and what you need to practice.

 

[autocrosscrx]

The 9 hole course that I play the most frequently averages a little under 300' per hole on the shorts and a little under 400' on the longs. On the shorts, I've birdied every hole at some point, and 3 or 4 down is a solid day. On the longs, I can't reach a single hole, so I'm throwing 75-150' approach shots to get up and down for par. It isn't very fun, I lose focus, and my form starts to break down. Until I find another 75' or so of distance, I'd play a different course before I'd play those longs.

 

[Rastnav]

Holy crud, there are jerks on the internet. What is this world coming to.

 

[autocrosscrx]

I forgot to add my 2nd part.

There is another course that I play where the shorts are all out of my range and I'm throwing 100' upshots all day, but the some of the 400' par 3's turn into 500' par 4's on the medium tees. On that course, the mediums offer a variety of 2nd shots and some birdie chances, so I'm more inclined to play them.

One thing you can do is incorporate the long tee on just a few holes. Like if the short is a gimme birdie on a particular hole, play the long tee there. And once you get to where you are having fun on at least half of the longs, just start playing the full longs.

 

[ru4por]

The only acceptable time to use the short tees are to add additional holes to a course for variety's sake, or if you are physically handicapped, or possibly if you have limited time. All able bodied adults should throw from the long tees under normal circumstances. I am prepared for this opinion to be widely derided.

My Google Gibberish to English translation app comes in handy for posts like this.

"I am a troll, please go ahead and give me attention"

Holy crud, there are jerks on the internet. What is this world coming to.

In this case, this trolling smells much like a banned member of our community. SD?

 

[ru4por]

On many courses the alternate set of tees do not add significant challenge. They may add some distance, but offer only a new variety. I also agree that you should start playing both, if for nothing else, more variety.

 

[Rastnav]

On many courses the alternate set of tees do not add significant challenge. They may add some distance, but offer only a new variety. I also agree that you should start playing both, if for nothing else, more variety.

Definitely not the case on this course, but I take your meaning.

 

[DavidSauls]

Man, those ideas are so antithetical to how I normally approach things. I like some sort of baseline for comparison, if that makes any sense. Tough if you are just making up your own course.

Disc golf is just ... different. Round peg, meet square hole.

When I was young and had knees, I played pickup basketball in all sorts of venues around my city. Some had really tough competition, some didn't.

There was no sticking exclusively with one level, then graduating to another level and sticking exclusively there. I only left the lighter competition when it no longer became fun.

Now I play disc golf, on courses with an enormous range of challenge. Far more than the difference between short and long tees on a particular course.

If you approach things as stair-steps, there's nothing wrong with that. But if you're soliciting advice, you won't be happy with the advice from people who don't approach it that way.

But I'll pass along this personal note: you're probably better than I am, and I frequently enjoy playing big courses, from long tees. More throws.