41 year newbie

[360guy]

Hello. I am Dale from southwest Ohio.

I started playing in 1981 but still consider myself a newbie. Back in those days we drove thirty miles to the closest course and played with Whammo Frisbee's. After over thirty years of not playing I started playing again with a couple of friends about five years ago. We played that summer and haven't played again since. Now that I am retired I have been playing by myself a couple of times a week. My problem is that I have never played with someone who is better than I am and as a result I have no idea what I am doing.

I have been reading these forums and find it to be a great source of information but I still do not understand a lot of things. For example, I understand what the rating numbers on the disks mean but I do not know how to apply them during in game situations. I bought several disks to experiment with that range in speed from 5 -13. I find that I can throw the innova beast (10 speed) the farthest. I throw about 130 - 160 feet which I know is not good enough and I guess it is a problem with my technique. I am throwing forehand because it is more comfortable.

I have a lot of questions and I am looking forward to learning from you guys. Here are my first questions:

1. What is a fairway driver?
2. What is the difference between a distance driver, fairway driver and midrange?
3. What distance is considered midrange and what distance is a putt?

Thanks in advance.

 

[jupiterboy]

Hey, I started playing in the early 80s, too, and came back in the last few year. So, I had the same questions you do. In regards to form, disc and distance—there's much to recommend working with putters, which can go 200 to 300 ft or more with decent form.

I think the thing to do is begin to learn the terminology and how to apply that to what you see in videos. That may take a while, but that's just learning.

A fairway driver is going to have a wedge shaped rim, but that rim is not going to be as wide as a driver. As the arm speed rating goes up, the rim gets wider. Fairway drivers are easier to control than drivers, and in many cases are very capable of covering the full distance of most holes.

A midrange is going to have a more blunt nose, probably with a but of a groove. It will have a max speed that is more than a putter but less than a fairway driver. I feel like most people pull out a midrange when they have an approach shot that is more than 150 to 200 feet.

I, too, used to play with only a forehand shot. But since coming back, I've added backhand form to the list of shots.

 

[The Shide]

Depending upon whom you ask, the range of Speeds of discs are:
Distance driver: 14 thru 10 (some say as much as 11, some as little as 9)
Fairway driver: 9 thru 6
Midrange: 5 thru 4
Putter 1 thru 3

I began playing in 1976 (on pole courses) and only took it seriously enough to have more than one disc in 2010.
So I had a long stretch of time where I only played one or two rounds a year (and on courses that no longer exist).
And didn't know about the Pro scene either.
Now I am completely immersed in DG. And I am a sidearmer as well.
Welcome to the club & my God have mercy on your soul.

 

[ray1970]

1. What is a fairway driver?
2. What is the difference between a distance driver, fairway driver and midrange?
3. What distance is considered midrange and what distance is a putt?

Don't get overly hung up on discs and disc numbers. Generally, the speed rating of the disc indicates its intended use and distance potential but there are no rules for which discs to use in any given situation.

My wife is newer to the game and lacks a little in the distance department but still plays well and has fun but her game and disc choices are totally different than mine. There are plenty of times that she will be throwing a fairway driver and I will be throwing a putter. It doesn't mean either of us is doing anything wrong and often we'll both end up with the same score on a hole.

I hate to say it but everyone's game is different and what works well for one person might not work for someone else. Finding discs that suit your game can kind of be trial and error.

Obviously you have some things to work on with your form and this site and YouTube might be your best resources if you can't find better people to play with to help you along on your journey.

I was blessed that when I started playing there were athletic guys half my age that I played with regularly. I either had to hone my game to try and keep up with them or admit defeat.

There are probably events you could enter where you can have the opportunity to play with better players and learn from them and have fun doing it. I don't know if I'd recommend tournaments for you just yet but casual competition like tags or leagues or doubles matches are a great way to see what others are doing that you aren't doing and probably get some good advice and pointers.

Most importantly, just make sure and have fun regardless of how you play or where your game ends up.

 

[itsRudy]

I throw about 130 - 160 feet which I know is not good enough and I guess it is a problem with my technique. I am throwing forehand because it is more comfortable.

I have a lot of questions and I am looking forward to learning from you guys. Here are my first questions:

1. What is a fairway driver?
2. What is the difference between a distance driver, fairway driver and midrange?
3. What distance is considered midrange and what distance is a putt?

Thanks in advance.

Hey Dale! Same age as you and one state over in PA!

I wasn't throwing your distances too long ago as a beginner for a long time. I would stick with a putter until you're hitting 200ft or more and a midrange untill about 250ft. The drivers are just gonna give you a lot of fade and let compensating bad habits creep in while not really giving you extra distance at this point.

There are a lot of putters and midranges to try though and if a midrange feels more comfortable, by all means use it regardless of distance. A lot of this can come down to hand size, finger length, and other such factors.

When I was throwing 180 feet, my self-imposed putter limit was 80 feet and I'd throw a midrange after that because I was throwing my putter quirky. My putter tended to overturn after 80 ft from bad form from all those bad habits of throwing a driver trying to get past 180'.

Now that I'm throwing 280', I throw my putter up to 225ft no problem, and my midrange or a slow fairway driveway up to my limit. The driver wins me maybe 10-15' at best. At our distances, the discs simply aren't the limiting factor, we are.

 

[360guy]

thanks for the advice guys. i wanted to get out in the last week or so but it has been way too windy. The season is about over here but I really plan to try and work on my form and distance starting next year. I talked to a guy last week who tole me he throws over 500' which I cannot even imagine.

 

[raceface59]

Once you get started you might find that you've bought a bunch of discs and a bag big enough to haul all that weight. Then you start leaning on a scant few discs and dreaming about the ultimate set of three discs carried in your hand lol. Oh the freedom. My girlfriend now plays entire courses with just a well beat up Prodigy M4 mid. She started with a full bag.

If I was starting out again from zero, I'd buy a putter that felt good in my hand, an Innova TL fairway driver (7 speed) because it's easy to throw straight, and the ever popular Innova Teebird (7 speed) or Teebird 3 (8 speed) driver because it covers left hand and right hand shots depending on if you throw it backhand or forehand. If someone told me that I had to play with one disc for the rest of my life, it would most probably be a Teebird 3.

 

[BillFleming]

Besides starting with only a putter and midrange for a while, the one piece of advice I wish I had learned was:

Don't buy discs for the disc. In other words, don't buy a Destroyer because it's a Destroyer and lots of people use it....or a Buzzzz for the same reason, or the Envy because James Conrad made the shot of his life with one. That applies to any disc. Instead, figure out what shot you don't have (and need); then find the disc that meets that need.

If I had learned that earlier, I probably wouldn't have 173 discs. With a lot of them, discs that I may have used once and will never again use (most likely).

 

[raceface59]

Good advice above. When I first started out I bought a Buzzz because that was THE mid according to everyone I talked to. But it didn't seem to throw properly. So I bought a Buzzz in a better plastic. Same thing. Someone suggested I buy a Buzzz SS. Still no luck. BUT, I stuck with the Buzzz because a billion people use them so how can they possibly NOT work? Eventually I came to the conclusion that this legendary disc was just not for me. I replaced it with a Discmania MD3 and lo and behold, it flew like I wanted it to. I do throw Discraft's Drone, Meteor and Sol mid discs in the same plastic as my Buzzz, so I doubt that the plastic had much to do with it.

 

[zontar]

don't get hung up on discs but buy yourself a TL and throw it a lot.

 

[sillybizz]

Find some 150g class discs, really helps people who don't have tons of distance.