Flipping discs

[Bleeder973]

I was playing a round yesterday with the local group and it was explained to me that, procedure is, you flip the disc forward at it's lie before putting.

I'm really just curious about this...or is someone sending me back to the toolshed for a "left handed crescent wrench"?

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Thats illegal in tourny play. Either throw where it lands or mark in front with mini.

Thats a lazy/casual marking some people do but really a mini should be used never flip a disc and putt if u want to play tourny style.. Otberwisd who cares mark it with your bag or pick it up even. They just told you what they like doing and it gives them the same margin like marking with a mini but dumb imo when its a matter of inches and ur doing it illegal already.

 

[Fraser]

It's done in casual play to mark your lie (front edge of the disc on the line of play) in lieu of using a marker disc. If you are playing by PDGA standards, you can only mark the disc with a mini or leave the disc as is and play from behind the at-rest disc on the line of play.

In any tournament situation, you should never flip the disc once it has come to rest but you can place a marker disc to mark your lie and then remove the previous thrown disc off the playing surface. Flipping the disc over would be considered a violation of marking your lie.

As for casual play, as long as it is agreed upon by your playing group, you can make up whatever rules you would like to play by.

 

[iacas]

It's just a quick way to play. It's not legal, per the rules, but most leagues and stuff are pretty casual when it comes to certain rules.

The "procedure" is wrong and I don't do it. I play by the rules even in casual play (though sometimes someone will hand me a disc that's sitting under the basket as a "gimme" - I just go with the flow on those occasions).

 

[DavidSauls]

Well.....yeah.....

It's not legal, don't try it in tournaments.

In casual play, it's the same effective result as using a mini. I've been playing tournaments for almost 20 years, and I still flip in casual rounds when I don't want to bother with a mini.

If you play leagues or local doubles, it's a gray area. But unless you know that flipping is customary, stick with the correct method---a mini, or just playing behind your disc.

 

[ZAMson]

Used to be legal, now it ain't

 

[JC17393]

Used to be legal, now it ain't

When was it ever legal?

 

[bobmcnelly]

Good to know, I do this all the time in casual play. But I always use a mini in tournys, but never realized it was illegal.

 

[Sean_WV]

I've heard that in tourney play, the decision to place a mini, or instead throw behind your disc, can be a strategic one. Can anyone elaborate on this?

 

[JC17393]

I've heard that in tourney play, the decision to place a mini, or instead throw behind your disc, can be a strategic one. Can anyone elaborate on this?

It's pretty simple, really. When you have a choice of marking or leaving the disc, that gives you roughly 6 inches to play with. Those six inches could be the difference between having a reasonable angle around an obstacle or being forced to throw an awkward angle or from a more awkward stance. Say you have a tree right in front of your disc. Leaving the disc could give you a better angle to throw around the tree or it could give you enough clearance to throw your shot without concern with hitting the tree with your hand on the follow-through.

The choice of mini versus the thrown disc can also be the difference between having a flat place to plant your foot versus having to plant on a root or an imbedded rock. That sort of thing can make a big difference whether you are throwing a long second shot or trying to make a putt.

 

[Sean_WV]

It's pretty simple, really. When you have a choice of marking or leaving the disc, that gives you roughly 6 inches to play with. Those six inches could be the difference between having a reasonable angle around an obstacle or being forced to throw an awkward angle or from a more awkward stance. Say you have a tree right in front of your disc. Leaving the disc could give you a better angle to throw around the tree or it could give you enough clearance to throw your shot without concern with hitting the tree with your hand on the follow-through.

The choice of mini versus the thrown disc can also be the difference between having a flat place to plant your foot versus having to plant on a root or an imbedded rock. That sort of thing can make a big difference whether you are throwing a long second shot or trying to make a putt.

Great explanation, I along with future noobs thank you!

 

[timj5304]

Actually its legal to jump putt also I believe, if your front of the disc lands in the circle but the back is still outside of it, if the circle is marked as some do mark a line. As long as you dont mark the disc and leave the disc as it lays it could play as an advantage for a good jumper

 

[mattc]

i think as a beginner its best to try not to create bad/illegal habits
make an effort to follow the rules and etiquette, so it will be second nature, and wont get you in trouble at a tourney or if you play with someone that is a stickler for that stuff

 

[ZAMson]

When was it ever legal?

Hell, it may have been a regional thing, where everyone supported a pseudo-casual implementation of the rule. It seems like this was accepted practice in my area until 2008-09 or so, and flip-marks as well as towel-knee-marks were put to bed.

 

[headrite]

i think as a beginner its best to try not to create bad/illegal habits
make an effort to follow the rules and etiquette, so it will be second nature, and wont get you in trouble at a tourney or if you play with someone that is a stickler for that stuff

^^Absolutely. I've brought it up a few times when I've seen the rule broken and have caught some flak for it, like I'm trying to cheat them out of the extra few inches of distance. Same with standing to the side of the disc and not having one foot legally behind the marker. One guy says, "would you say I'm getting an advantage from doing it?"...

I know not everyone is into tourney style play, but to me, following the rules makes the game more interesting and challenging.

 

[mattc]

The rules are the rules are the rules.
What's next?
Just getting it close to the basket is good enough?

 

[DavidSauls]

Hell, it may have been a regional thing, where everyone supported a pseudo-casual implementation of the rule. It seems like this was accepted practice in my area until 2008-09 or so, and flip-marks as well as towel-knee-marks were put to bed.

I've been playing tournaments since 1996, and I can't remember it ever being legal. If you were doing it in tournaments, it had to be a local or regional custom.

For many years around here, it was very common in local league play....but I don't see much of it anymore. The bulk of local leaguers are also tournament players, so they tend to follow the tournament rules, out of habit if nothing else.

 

[teemkey]

Does anyone know how the mini came to be used? On the surface it would seem throwing from the back of your disc would be used everywhere all the time.

 

[DavidSauls]

Does anyone know how the mini came to be used? On the surface it would seem throwing from the back of your disc would be used everywhere all the time.

No idea, but I think the principle is that you throw from where your disc landed---that you put your foot where the disc had been. This, of course, requires good faith....or a marker of some kind.

I suspect the mini came in very early. It would be hard to imagine instituting it once the sport had progressed very far; I think it would be taken as silly and unnecessary.

 

[jongoff09]

IIRC, Chuck has said that flipping a disc was legal very early in disc golf, but people could take advantage of it by "accidentally" flipping it multiple times, especially after rollers (which were more common then) would make the disc land on its top.

Does anyone know how the mini came to be used? On the surface it would seem throwing from the back of your disc would be used everywhere all the time.

No idea, but I think the principle is that you throw from where your disc landed---that you put your foot where the disc had been. This, of course, requires good faith....or a marker of some kind.

I suspect the mini came in very early. It would be hard to imagine instituting it once the sport had progressed very far; I think it would be taken as silly and unnecessary.

If you had to throw from behind your disc, that would mean never being able to use the same disc on consecutive throws.