Things I've learned my first full year playing

[MNThrower]

I didn't see a thread like this out there yet and thought it might be good to collaborate with everyone to summarize lessons learned the hard way for new players. Some of it can be fun but lets try to keep it on track for the most part.

1. Know what you are buying for your first discs. General consensus is skip drivers and start with putters and mids. Discraft Comet or Buzzz are two popular picks to help get form and arm strength up enough to throw faster discs. When buying other discs know what their flight characteristics are - don't buy blind.

2. Know your group. Some consider it to be just like ball golf - some do not. Serious vs casual etiquette seem to be different but there are some general rules across the board that must be followed. Ex. Don't drive while someone is still putting on the hole.

3. Overstable vs understable. Look it up here and read about it.


4. When learning form forget the x step - just work on shifting body weight and releasing the disc correctly. Nose down!!!!

Any others? I'll add more later tonight when I get home.

 

[Horsman]

Not sure I agree with #4. Ive had more success teaching people from the beginning with them learning the x step right away, as apposed to teaching someone the x step after they already have their own form. But if this worked for you then more power to you

 

[taylortreece7]

1. Defiantly don't do what I did and buy a ape and boss for first disc.

2. Putt Putt Putt...

3. Play with better players and learn from them.

4. Join a league!

 

[Curtis_Valk]

You already touched on disc selection but I'll add my experience. I selected good mids and putters when I first started but also had good luck with my MJLS as long as I threw it into a headwind. A few weeks in I added a Polaris LS and it was very friendly to my beginner arm (I think a River might be too).

On the "not so good" front, I bought some discs on a whim at different times later on. Some of them were too fast for me (Prodigy D4 Proto for example) and some were too overstable (Tsunami comes to mind) but I learned from my mistakes. Ten months in and now the fastest thing in my bag is a QJLS. I field a slew of Teebirds for most of my driving.

Curtis

 

[eegor]

Rule #1: Have fun

Rule #2: If you're not having fun, try something different.

Rule #3: Play with people that have fun.

Rule #4: Respect yourself and others... while having fun.

 

[grodney]

arm strength up enough to throw faster discs.

I would hope, after a year of playing, most would realize that arm strength has very very little to do with throwing a disc.

I suppose I should add "in my opinion".

 

[A rod]

I would hope, after a year of playing, most would realize that arm strength has very very little to do with throwing a disc.

I suppose I should add "in my opinion".

Its not opinion if its a fact

Learn to throw a neutral disc on all lines before using shot specific discs, this obviously excludes rollers/thumbers etc.

Be competent with hyzer flips and flex shots.

Throw dynamic discs! Haha

 

[MNThrower]

I would hope, after a year of playing, most would realize that arm strength has very very little to do with throwing a disc.

I suppose I should add "in my opinion".

Perhaps I worded that incorrectly. Please elaborate for me and the thread. I feel that it has been well documented here that new players do not have the strength to throw high speed discs. There are even certain exercises etc that are used to increase arm strength in order to throw faster discs in the form section.

I understand that form has a lot to do with throwing a disc as well but without the proper strength someone isn't going to throw a Katana or a Boss BH the intended way.

I could totally be wrong or I could have worded that funny to start. Discuss

 

[MNThrower]

Something else that has helped me is to look at all my shot options. I saw a tip video on YouTube talk about seeing three different lines to the basket and choosing the best option. This makes me play very intentional where as when I was learning sometimes I just threw a Buzzz striaght at the basket and hoped haha.

Oh. And it helped me a lot when I simplified my bag. I had been carrying 12 different discs and wanting to use them all on each round. Now I carry very few different molds. 2 different Buzzzes, 2 Pro D Bangers, 3 different Wraiths, and a Teebird for most of my rounds. I'm familiar with them all and for my game they cover most of the shots I need. I also throw in my Meteor and Beast occasionally depending on where I'm playing.

Mark your disc! If you lost it in the woods make sure to note which tree was the last one you saw it fly by. Help others in your group search for their discs. Chances of finding it are much better and it's rude to stand there while everyone else is searching.

It's also been discussed a million times on here but when finding marked discs it is bad etiquette to keep it without trying to return it to the owner. A phone call/text or two giving them the opportunity to get it back is likely sufficient.

 

[Grungedude42]

Perhaps I worded that incorrectly. Please elaborate for me and the thread. I feel that it has been well documented here that new players do not have the strength to throw high speed discs. There are even certain exercises etc that are used to increase arm strength in order to throw faster discs in the form section.

I understand that form has a lot to do with throwing a disc as well but without the proper strength someone isn't going to throw a Katana or a Boss BH the intended way.

I could totally be wrong or I could have worded that funny to start. Discuss

I could dead lift two Paige Pierces (maybe three), but she would still outhrow me by an easy 250'. Strength isn't the only lever in a properly thrown backhand. Timing and form are vastly more important.

 

[The Last DJ]

Rule #1: Have fun

Rule #2: If you're not having fun, try something different.

Rule #3: Play with people that have fun.

Rule #4: Respect yourself and others... while having fun.

^ I like these ideas...So did the guy who started it all (see signature below)!

 

[DG_Before_Breakfast]

1. Yes. I definitely went to speed 13 drivers way too fast. Spent a couple months just using Putters and Mids to relearn some form. But unlearning stuff while learning the right stuff is harder than just learning it right the first time. But I enjoyed it all

2. I've been lucky there, play with great folks. Will start with organized play once my daughter is older and I have more free time.

3. Watch this. Goofy, but the best explanation I've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GwdghSH4rk

4. If your runup isn't adding distance, go back to standstill, one and two steps and add the runup back in slowly. The best way to practice driving form is standstill IMO. But it isn't always fun to do that, so I only do it when I'm on a self-improvement kick When I do, it always helps. Since I'm better at standstill/one step type shots having practiced it more. I use that a lot more in the fairway now for approach shots and such - which adds more practice as well.

 

[BirdieMachine]

Things I learned.

1. When defecating on a course with out toilets sneak a buddies towel to wipe

2. Dont throw 175 gram Champ Bosses at people from close range

3. Dont take shrooms before playing in tourneys

4. Its not OK to punch old people in the face

 

[Allurex]

Not sure I agree with #4. Ive had more success teaching people from the beginning with them learning the x step right away, as apposed to teaching someone the x step after they already have their own form. But if this worked for you then more power to you

I played for more than 2 years with no x-step, and I thought I could drive pretty well.

Last year, I went through the agonizing process of learning an x-step, and now I can drive much much further and more accurately.

 

[teemkey]

The importance of putters for more than putting. Now I carry more putters than distance drivers.

 

[Hampstead]

1. The 3 C's
-Confidence
-Control
-Consistency

2. Practice putting but change up the spots where you practice from so that you don't get comfortable making putts from only a single spot

3. Stay loose, breathe deep and have fun

 

[jgrlars]

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, fast is far :thmbup:

 

[turbine712]

Sinnking a putt no matter how short is as good as a 450' drive.
Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes improvement.
Read all you can on DGCR cuz some of these people make sence.
Don't start off with the same weight discs the top pro's use.

 

[MNThrower]

I could dead lift two Paige Pierces (maybe three), but she would still outhrow me by an easy 250'. Strength isn't the only lever in a properly thrown backhand. Timing and form are vastly more important.

That's a fair statement but I think you underestimate her strength. I bet she's got a lot more in that arm than some of us! I also think you are confusing what I am saying regarding arm strength.

Just because you have arm strength doesn't mean you can throw far.

But a new player likely hasn't worked certain muscles hard enough yet in order to throw the faster discs.

 

[ejvogie]

That's a fair statement but I think you underestimate her strength. I bet she's got a lot more in that arm than some of us! I also think you are confusing what I am saying regarding arm strength.

Just because you have arm strength doesn't mean you can throw far.

But a new player likely hasn't worked certain muscles hard enough yet in order to throw the faster discs.

It's not strength. It's form and timing and snap. I think you're getting arm speed confused with arm strength.

If I throw a mamba with only my arm instead of using my whole body, it will turn right (RHBH) shortly after it leaves my hand. If I use good form, it will go straight for a while and turn later in flight because of the higher amount of spin imparted on the disc.