Is putting too easy? too hard? Just right?

[Aim For The Chains]

Wouldn't smaller baskets be cheaper to install? Putting is fairly easy inside of the circle and even up to it.

 

[Dan Ensor]

I really like the idea of smaller targets set in the ground. Your misses aren't automatically 15'+ away; you can lay up a putt by water, but still have the chance to make an excellent lay-up that goes in; it opens up the number of shot types that are likely to go in regularly (you could easily be a roller putter). It would make putting more fair, and give opportunities in more skill sets to gain or lose strokes.

 

[Peter S]

I have the Westside Black basket. You can assemble it with out without outer chains. Withouf the outer chains it is like a bullseye basket.

For the final 9 or a last round it would be fun to remove the outer chains.

However, I voted that baskets are just right for casual play and B tiers.

 

[Hampstead]

What's Cubby gonna do if we switch to smaller baskets?

 

[Dan Ensor]

What's Cubby gonna do if we switch to smaller baskets?

Neglect to mention the change to players new to the game.

 

[Steve West]

Statistically speaking, driving is more important than putting on the PGA tour. ..

... If you at PGA stats though, the best players on tour all average out to have VERY similar putting ability, the variance isn't there. ...

...I think in disc golf putting is exponentially more important at the high levels. 2 putts on holes you drove less than 35 feet from on the pro tour are death.

The reason putting in ball golf is not more important is because the hole is too small. Nobody can one-putt frequently enough to make a difference. It is far easier to two-putt, so most top players can do it.

So, we don't want to go all the way to ball golf difficulty; that would take putting skill out of the game. Everybody would need to lay up, basically.

What I would like to see is to bring the third dimension back into putting. With just height and width, putting is a two-dimensional game. If we add speed, it's three-dimensional. Baskets that only catch putts below a certain speed measure a different skill, which makes the game more interesting to learn and play.

 

[sumo21]

McBeast is a pro so HE wants more of a challenge. For me, putting is just right. The baskets are made with the allowable specs set out by the PDGA, so baskets will vary, but not on a grand scale.

 

[scarpfish]

This is one of those topics I wish we could field test just to see how a tougher target affects playing strategy, (not just putting). X-tier event anyone?

 

[Cgkdisc]

Let's see, what big event experiments with new challenges for players?

 

[PDXtoSAV]

If P Mac paid to replace all the baskets on every course, I guess I would give it a shot.

 

[scarpfish]

What's Cubby gonna do if we switch to smaller baskets?

Throw 200 shots instead of 20.

 

[jeffboi]

Interestingly (maybe) - a good drive in ball golf is 2x as far as disc golf, the range a good ball golfer expects to make most putts -3x to DG (10ft vs 30ft) and approach shots look to be about 1 to 1 to follow with a one putt (a good ball golfer can get up and down from 300 to 360 feet in the fairway - seems DG is same.

 

[dukesilver]

I think the mach 2 or 3 have the right amount of difficulty. Newer baskets feel easier to putt into.

 

[namar]

Paul and the touring pros can have smaller targets, which is what he was advocating in his AMA. The other 99.98% of us are probably just fine with the current basket size.

 

[SonicGuy]

This is ridiculous. a short time ago people were complaining that their putts were not going in enough and we needed drastically redesigned baskets to alleviate the problem. Now it is that too many putts go in so we should make it harder. Here is what it really comes down to...

McBeast and other top pros putt too fast with very good accuracy. That means they can consistently hit a point but with poor speed control. If you build narrow baskets that are more chain dense you cater to this fast accurate style.

I personally say we go back to cone holes. Cones reward maximum accuracy and speed control. Of course no top pros would support this change because their style would never work well on them.

 

[roggenb3]

The best disc golfer in the world thinks putting is too easy. I tend to disagree, but that's just me.

This. Just because the best out there make it seem too easy doesn't mean it should be made harder for everyone. Making the standard basket smaller would be like the NBA making free throws longer because they are too easy for Ray Allen.

I'd support small baskets at NT events....because I wouldn't have to use them.

 

[Tpro]

Let's see, what big event experiments with new challenges for players?

Ha USDGC. Lots of OB and harder putting.. Talk about a Whine Fest!

I do think the Baskets should be smaller. I practice on a Bulls Eye and before that I pulled the chains in on a Innova Sport. If you hit center they stay in. Im not saying putting is to easy but making a 25-30 footer a TRUE tester that would be fun to watch. Maybe not for Ams but for True Open players (1000++) yeah that would be awesome. Those kats don't miss from 40 in normally. Make em work for it... To quote one Famous touring guy "Anyone can hack to the basket, you gotta be good to putt"

 

[knettles]

I think basket sizes are good. Now personally I would like to stop the obession with making baskets that catch better and better. If we are going to continue down that road I would like to see smaller baskets.

I wouldnt say im obsessed, but i do think catching ability should be addressed before size.

As far as size goes, im ok with the way things are. I think the ease of putting is offset by having technical wooded fairways (in my area at least).

 

[Cgkdisc]

Build a big solar powered fan into the base of the basket aiming upward and have a cone top so the wind comes out uniformly toward the putter in every direction. Fan is only turned on for pros putting.

 

[Dan Ensor]

This is ridiculous. a short time ago people were complaining that their putts were not going in enough and we needed drastically redesigned baskets to alleviate the problem. Now it is that too many putts go in so we should make it harder. Here is what it really comes down to...

Two completely different things. Illegitimate misses are the problem you're talking about, and that always needs to be decreased if possible.