Cheap Practice Tools

[thelonepup]

Anyone got advice and tips for cheap stuff to use for field work? I'm presently without a practice basket and I'm a ways away from the closest courses so I often practice in nearby fields which are plentiful.

Right now my friends and I don't have a cheap solution for an actual target. We have a usable but not optimal tone pole made from an old drumset cymbal stand and a steel pipe and for more targeted accuracy we have a thick drumset bell (A zil-bel), but again this isn't a very cheap solution.

We use a kiddie pool for an approach game, they are cheap and take up no space, as well as have defined borders. You could really use a lot of thigns for this but this is what we ended up going with and like it just fine for something we could leave in the car.

Lastly and probably most sufficient is making PVC stakes to make "mandos" for your field work. Really helps with practicing shaping shots. We took a 10' PVC pipe, sawed it in half at a sharp angle so it will go in the ground easily, and got two end fittings and spray painted one red and one blue. Red is right and blue is left.

Feel free to mock my ingenuity (lack of money) and please suggest your own ideas.

 

[brutalbrutus]

I played a course earlier this year with several home made baskets, and it gave me some ideas. 35 gallon plastic garbage can, bicycle rim and some cheap plastic chain can be turned into a basket fairly quickly.

 

[scarpfish]

No complaints from me. This game was born out of improvisation.

Lacking a basket? Worse comes to worse, throw putts at a pouch chair.

Your mando PVC thing can also double as an approach target.

Soccer cones or marking flags can be great for marking distances.

 

[Jenga54]

No complaints from me. This game was born out of improvisation.

Lacking a basket? Worse comes to worse, throw putts at a pouch chair.

Your mando PVC thing can also double as an approach target.

Soccer cones or marking flags can be great for marking distances.

working on your 100-250' approaches? find a soccer field and try putting it softly in the goal from all over the field.

other than putting, all field work from approaches, controlled fairways to max distance rips all just need a wide open space. a soccer goal or field goal posts make for great mandos on anny flexes and hyzer spikes

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

I bought some tall driveway reflector rods for a couple of bucks apiece and use them as object poles for camping/safari situations. Two solo cups duct-taped together and placed on top will get thrown from the pole when your Disc makes contact (objectifying holing-out) but are heavy enough to stay on top from wind gusts.

 

[SpikeHyzer]

Unfortunately I don't have time for field work anymore. But when it comes to field work, I think one of the main things people over look is footwork. Being light on your feet can be very beneficial to your dg game. That's why when I hit the practice field for throwing, I also bring along my agility ladder and work on my footwork. I picked mine up for $10 at Walmart in the soccer section about 4 or 5 years ago. Along the lines of your kiddy pool, I used a 32 gallon garbage can from Lowes to work on my 200 ft and in approaches. I also use orange marking flags and setup USDGC style OB to make it more difficult. I think all said and done, at the time I spent around $40 for everything. My rating jumped from 930 to 975 in a matter of a couple of months when I dedicated some time to practicing.

 

[mark996]

Got a bag? You're set. Empty discs, go to other end of field, place bag, walk back to discs, throw at bag.

I used football goalposts, soccer goals, trash cans, soccer cones we've had in the attic for years, those folding camp chairs. I think the mando thing is cool, if we didn't have trees near our fields I'd definitely be doing something like that around here. Luckily we have plenty of fields with trees and plenty of open areas.

 

[ODRB]

I take a stack of throwers in an orange Home Depot 5 gallon bucket. Put the bucket down. Take out a bunch of discs. Walk away from the bucket. Throw back at the bright orange bucket.

 

[Quinum]

When I really get desperate I just toss some putts into the couch from across the family room. Wife gets slightly annoyed, but it works!

 

[DougCrawford]

Ive seen some plans for a practice basket that you could probably make for about 35$

Old Car wheel base, for scrap metal prices at a scrapyard

PVC pole probably 2" or bigger, Bolt through it to support the base of the basket, round piece of plywood for the basket base- Lowes sells warped wood really cheap, just ask to speak to the department manager and he will give you a good price

old tire you can probably get for free at a junkyard, use a drywall punch saw or some heavy tin snips to cut off one side of the tire, set it on the wood and you have a basket

Pack of plastic chain you can get on amazon for 25$

Go to a bicycle shop and you can find warped wheels from repair jobs- they usually collect a pile then sell them as scrap metal- I found a guy who would give them for free if he happened to have them around. Top the basket with the wheel and hang the chains from it.


Almost built one of these, but ended up getting a Mach Lite for my birthday from my wife.

 

[DavidSauls]

Got a bag? You're set. Empty discs, go to other end of field, place bag, walk back to discs, throw at bag.

Or, set bag down, pull out discs one by one and throw them for distance (everything, including midranges & putters). Walk to discs, throw them back to the bag for distance and accuracy.

Really, except for putting, all you need is a target you can see and room to throw. You don't need mandos to work on lines---just try to get as close to the target as possible with widely different flight paths. Rollers, too.

 

[sumo21]

Go to Walmart or even the Dollar Store down the street. Grab a circular laundry basket and mount it on a PVC pole. Then onto the chain assembly. Maybe some nylon rope for the chains? I'm just a former Engineering major that got his degree in Geology.

 

[Dan Ensor]

I don't know your buddies, but they might be cheap. They also might throw discs back to you.

 

[rat106]

I bought 210' of 1/2" pvc at Lowes. Put them all together into one big circle, and I use it as an island green for accuracy practice. And it is conveniently 20 metre's across, so if you put your target in the center, it gives you a 10 metre putting circle.

 

[ranger]

I've thrown practice drives into the basement wall a few times

 

[DougCrawford]

I don't know your buddies, but they might be cheap. They also might throw discs back to you.

As long as they yell "CHING!" when you hit them.