Women's Max Distance with a Putter (+ Short Intro)

[IchLebeErneut]

Hello there!

I thought I'd stop lingering in the corner and introduce myself on here haha

When I first played disc golf, I thought it might be just a phase and I'd quickly move onto other hobbies. It's almost three months later, and here I am, keeping tabs on all the big tournaments and getting out to the course multiple times a week. I'm even seriously considering competing later this year, I just enjoy the sport so much.

I'm currently playing with putters only, a 169g DX Aviar and two DX Colts in the 170-175 range. I can throw my beat up Colt almost 120ft fairly straight RHBH (though not consistently yet), which I'm pretty happy about since I couldn't even throw backhand when I first started.

I do have a question about max distance. As a woman, how far should I reasonably expect to throw a putter? I think I read something like 200ft before discing up, but that was probably for men and I'm having trouble finding much about women's averages.

Once I begin to max out accurately and consistently, I'll let myself move up to my two mid-ranges (DX VRoc and DX Spider, both 170-175g) that I've locked up in a closet. I have a Valkyrie in there too, but I've read enough to know that I should be sticking to stable and understable discs as a newbie.

Thank ya, and I look forward to the next three months of golf!

 

[Broken Shoulder]

First, welcome.

Second, there really isn't a set distance you should be aiming for, and it's certainly not male/female specific. Everyone is made up differently and trying to assign a number is pointless.

There's no reason you can't use the mids and the Valk now, as a tool to gauge progress. When the mids start going a little further than your putters, and the Valk further than your mids, you'll know you're moving in the right direction. Additionally, using a faster disc for lower ceiling shots, or skips, or flick rollers, or whatever is very useful, and I personally see no reason not to bag the additional discs for those situations. That is, of course, your call.

As you continue to play and improve, and continue wearing in your discs, you'll notice changes in their flights. You'll learn to throw on different angles to manipulate their flights. And likely, notice distance improvements. It's all sort of a slow, organic process.

Anyway, TL;DR - carry your mids and Valk now. Mids go a little further than putters. Drivers go a bit/a lot further than mids. No set distances.

 

[Olorin]

First of all, welcome to disc golf and especially to DGCR! I hope that you find this a warm and inviting place that answers all questions and helps you to improve your game. In my totally unbiased opinion disc golf is the greatest game in the world. I know I've enjoyed it for the last 39 years.

Secondly, you are very wise to start by learning one lower speed disc well. Although it would also be fine now to move up to a midrange. I usually recommend a light weight DX Shark, but a DX Roc is a good choice too. I think you would be encouraged by getting a little more distance with it. Many factors like your height and athletic background, esp your frisbee experience, will determine how far you can expect to throw. These will also influence the weight of discs you should use. I'm not a coaching expert by any means, but my impression is that most women see more success throwing lighter discs. Innova's StarLite plastic discs are good in this regard. You might want to consider using discs from 160-165 or even in the 150s.

One of the great things about disc golf is that there are endless opportunities to learn. Just yesterday I was watching a top pro's instructional youtube video about driving and he suggested that new players start with understable discs. I never really thought of that before. The main reason to do this is to avoid developing bad throwing habits that lower power players use to get overstable discs to fly straight.

Now, to answer your question... I don't know how far women can throw a putter, but someone on here probably does. But it doesn't really matter. If you are having fun, seeing improvement, throwing flat and straight, then that's really all that matters.

Here's one more tip for you... this took me over 30 years to sink in enough so that I would consistently apply it... focus on keeping your disc in the fairway even though that means throwing shorter than many people and even shorter than you are able to. As a guy I always wanted to crush it long distance to impress people. But if you want to score well I finally realized that if I just stayed in the fairway for 18 holes then I would score pretty well and even beat some of the long throwers. Of course, putting is the most important skill to lowering your score.

By the way, where is your home course? I see from your DGCR profile that you are from NC, as am I. There are many areas that have many active women players. There are several former World Champions, and in the Durham area one of the greatest woman players of all time-- Elaine King. (If asked to vote I would vote for Elaine King as THE Greatest Woman Disc Golfer of all time. Her game is still fantastic!)

Once again, if you've read this far, welcome! Please continue to let us know how we can help you.

 

[armiller]

Great advice already, so I'll just throw in some personal experience from trying to "help" my wife find the right discs. First of all, light weights (nothing crazy, but 160 or lower seems helpful). Second, my wife's favorite discs by far are a DX Leopard that's fairly well used and an X Stratus. Both are certainly faster than putters, but they have good glide and aren't overly fast for her. The Stratus has been the best for her.

Simply put, I'm not one of the folks that say "throw your putters 250' (or 150', for that matter) before trying midranges and fairways!" I think a disc like a Stratus or Leopard is probably better for new players than a putter. They feel a bit more like typical golf discs and aren't so fast or overstable that they encourage bad habits. I'm not sure about the Spider and VRoc, but I imagine they're fine. Once again, though, I do think light weights are helpful for many folks, especially those with smaller builds.

Here's a link to a YouTube video from the Glass Blown Open recently, showcasing Hannah Leatherman's impressive form the resulting distance potential even with a very small frame. Be careful, cuz watching YouTube videos of disc golf can be almost as addictive as playing!

 

[DiscFifty]

Regardless male/female or how far you end up throwing, I think it's VITAL to set short term goals so you can gauge your progress. Sticking with a putter for field work is a great idea. Start small and work you way up, concentrating on accurate straight, level throws, while feeling relaxed. Short term goals in 25ft increments. 50ft, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200.

Male / female I certainly think a 200ft goal is doable for anyone without any health issues. It's all about form. Now in my mid 50's I'm throwing putters out to 275ft+ now which has done wonders for my game.

 

[AshleyH]

I feel comfortable throwing my putters in the 150-200 range. I certainly think you would be fine adding a nice mid at least to your game at this point. Personally, I've never loved throwing a roc. I think you would be just fine throwing the spider at this point. I think a leopard or a diamond would be a good driver.

 

[zontar]

I too recommend a Latitude 64 Diamond. I found one a couple years ago and threw it farther than I'd ever thrown a disc on my first throw. might be perfect for you....

 

[IchLebeErneut]

Oh wow, I was not expecting such a kind welcome. Thank you!

There's no reason you can't use the mids and the Valk now, as a tool to gauge progress. When the mids start going a little further than your putters, and the Valk further than your mids, you'll know you're moving in the right direction.

That's a good point. I'll definitely keep it in mind going forward. It also reminds that I tried out my mids a couple weeks ago, and they still weren't flying more than five feet longer than my putters. I have improved my floppy wrist since then, so maybe it's time to give them another try.

I'm not a coaching expert by any means, but my impression is that most women see more success throwing lighter discs. Innova's StarLite plastic discs are good in this regard. You might want to consider using discs from 160-165 or even in the 150s.

First of all, light weights (nothing crazy, but 160 or lower seems helpful).

It's nice to hear other women have success with lighter weights. I considered it when I noticed that I have an easier time with my lighter discs, especially when putting, but I thought I might've just been a wimp about it haha. I think I'll look for less heavy discs from now on.

Now, to answer your question... I don't know how far women can throw a putter, but someone on here probably does. But it doesn't really matter. If you are having fun, seeing improvement, throwing flat and straight, then that's really all that matters.

Here's one more tip for you... this took me over 30 years to sink in enough so that I would consistently apply it... focus on keeping your disc in the fairway even though that means throwing shorter than many people and even shorter than you are able to. As a guy I always wanted to crush it long distance to impress people. But if you want to score well I finally realized that if I just stayed in the fairway for 18 holes then I would score pretty well and even beat some of the long throwers. Of course, putting is the most important skill to lowering your score.

By the way, where is your home course? I see from your DGCR profile that you are from NC, as am I. There are many areas that have many active women players. There are several former World Champions, and in the Durham area one of the greatest woman players of all time-- Elaine King. (If asked to vote I would vote for Elaine King as THE Greatest Woman Disc Golfer of all time. Her game is still fantastic!)

I'm not too, too focused on throwing far. I suppose I just see it as a way to gauge my form improvement along with accuracy and consistency. I'm thankfully having a blast, and it's a good reminder to keep it light-hearted. Disc golf is my break from the pressures of college; I want to keep it that way.

A couple weeks ago, I saw a guy land a disc pin-high from the tee but 20ft deep in the woods. I decided right then I'd rather stay in the fairway and have an open approach shot, especially since my putts greater than 15ft need a good deal of work right now. Nice to know I'm on the right track with that mindset.

At this moment, I consider Apex Nature Park my home course, but since I'm a full-time RVer, my "home" changes pretty often. Soon, it'll probably be Cedarock/Wellspring. Though I travel a lot, North Carolina is where I spend much of my time in the year, so that's why I have it as my home state.

Woah, I didn't know a World Champ's so close by! I feel like I've heard or seen Elaine's name once before, but I can't remember where.

Here's a link to a YouTube video from the Glass Blown Open recently, showcasing Hannah Leatherman's impressive form the resulting distance potential even with a very small frame. Be careful, cuz watching YouTube videos of disc golf can be almost as addictive as playing!

Thanks for the warning, but I'm afraid it's two months too late. I'm already securely hooked. Hannah Leatherman is actually one of my favorite female players along with Paige Peirce and Valerie Jenkins.

Regardless male/female or how far you end up throwing, I think it's VITAL to set short term goals so you can gauge your progress. Sticking with a putter for field work is a great idea. Start small and work you way up, concentrating on accurate straight, level throws, while feeling relaxed. Short term goals in 25ft increments. 50ft, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200.

I've been religiously keeping track of my scores to gauge my progress (and I just enjoy statistics in general), but I hadn't thought of breaking things down any further than "finish even from the white tees." I'm thinking after I post this, I'll go write down some small goals just to help me sort out what to focus on.

I feel comfortable throwing my putters in the 150-200 range. I certainly think you would be fine adding a nice mid at least to your game at this point. Personally, I've never loved throwing a roc. I think you would be just fine throwing the spider at this point. I think a leopard or a diamond would be a good driver.

Nice to hear a fellow female's perspective! I'm surprise you don't like the Roc; I've heard a lot of good things about it. I guess I'll see how I like it once I pick it up again. The Leopard's name keeps popping up, so I'll definitely take a look at it when I'm ready to start throwing drivers again along with the Diamond.


Thank you all for the advice!

 

[ejvogie]

If your goal is to be at the top of the game, learn your putters and mids before you break out the drivers. Know all your discs and what kind of lines you can make them fly. Football fields are great for measuring distances.

If your goal is to have fun on the course, bag everything you have and go nuts

 

[IchLebeErneut]

If your goal is to be at the top of the game, learn your putters and mids before you break out the drivers. Know all your discs and what kind of lines you can make them fly. Football fields are great for measuring distances.

If your goal is to have fun on the course, bag everything you have and go nuts

Haha! This is the best summary of advice I've yet read. Thanks for the tip about football fields. I'll be looking about for a usable one nearby.

 

[zontar]

actually, this is pretty fun. I change out about 2/3 or my bag every month to revisit discs (I carry about 10). sometimes when I haven't thrown something for awhile I really like it.

 

[Olorin]

Here's my one piece of advice to the OP: learn how to throw a midrange (like a DX Shark in 135-155g) flat and straight. Seek to throw it no more than 10 ft high and as straight as possible. Don't worry if your initial distance is 50 ft. Stay smooth. Do this repeatedly and gradually add power and it will start going farther. Focus on the flight path not the distance.

And to make this more fun, find a more experienced woman player, and ask her to play "catch" with you where you throw it back and forth.

 

[Olorin]

ILE, have you played Bethesda in Durham? I think that you would find it a great deal of fun yet also challenging.

I see that you played Kentwood? How was your experience there and what did you think of the course?

 

[Olorin]

To the OP: for reference, I am low-power, noodle arm, 58 year old male (but I've been playing disc golf for 39 years). At full power, on a flat open field I can throw my Wizard putter about 200 ft. with an occasional 210 ft burst. I'm not sure how this can help you, but maybe it will give you a point of reference. (Oh, and there are very few real holes where I would throw a putter full power like this.)

My best drive might go about 800 ft... if I was on top of one of the Rocky Mountains throwing over a steep cliff. I guess I could throw even farther off of the Grand Canyon when you add the vertical drop!
But on a flat windless football field my drives average 270-280 with an occasional good rip of 290 ft. Nothing impressive, but I only tell you this so that you can compare it to my full power putter distance.

 

[Discette]

.....I do have a question about max distance. As a woman, how far should I reasonably expect to throw a putter? I think I read something like 200ft before discing up, but that was probably for men and I'm having trouble finding much about women's averages......

I am a woman over 50 and have been playing for 20 years. To answer the original questions, I can throw my (175 gram) putters around 200 feet.

When I started, I never ever heard any advice about throwing only putters...Thank God! I learned how to throw shots without flutter, by learning to throw 150 gram drivers. If you can control a 150 gram driver, you can control anything. Once I got that 150 gram Leopard to fly like I wanted I could use that skill on other discs. It could go straight, turn or hyzer.

You should learn to throw mid ranges and drivers just like you are learning to throw putters, you don't have to wait.

Learn to throw putters, midrange and drivers all at the same time. Throw all three discs on every hole or during practice. Learn how each are different from each other and how each works best for you. Don't limit yourself.

All my drivers are 150 grams or less to get maximum distance with minimum effort. All of my putters and mids are 175 grams. I like the control of the slower, heavier putters.


The best advice I can give is to have fun!

 

[IchLebeErneut]

Here's my one piece of advice to the OP: learn how to throw a midrange (like a DX Shark in 135-155g) flat and straight. Seek to throw it no more than 10 ft high and as straight as possible. Don't worry if your initial distance is 50 ft. Stay smooth. Do this repeatedly and gradually add power and it will start going farther. Focus on the flight path not the distance. ...

This came at the perfect time. I've been needing to practice throwing level and getting the disc's nose down. They're two of my sticky points at the moment.

ILE, have you played Bethesda in Durham? I think that you would find it a great deal of fun yet also challenging.

I see that you played Kentwood? How was your experience there and what did you think of the course?

No, I haven't been to Bethesda. I've been meaning to check it out though. Thanks for mentioning it!

Ah, Kentwood. I went there out of curiosity knowing I would probably dislike it, and I was more right than I expected. It's not the worst course ever, but all the rocks made footing difficult while throwing and walking, and the lack of scenery bugged me. A big part of the reason I like DG is that I get to be out in nature and breathe fresh air, which a tiny park surrounded by a neighborhood doesn't have much of. I see that Bethesda is of similar length but in a less crowded area. I'll probably like it pretty well. :thmbup:

To the OP: for reference, I am low-power, noodle arm, 58 year old male (but I've been playing disc golf for 39 years). At full power, on a flat open field I can throw my Wizard putter about 200 ft. with an occasional 210 ft burst. ...

... But on a flat windless football field my drives average 270-280 with an occasional good rip of 290 ft. Nothing impressive, but I only tell you this so that you can compare it to my full power putter distance.

Thank you! Thinking about the ratio of putter to driver distance gives me a better perspective on how much faster discs help. It's actually less than I expected. When I also calculate the ratio of some top pro putter max distances I've heard, it comes out about the same: about 7 to 10, putter to driver (very rough estimate).

 

[IchLebeErneut]

... When I started, I never ever heard any advice about throwing only putters...Thank God! I learned how to throw shots without flutter, by learning to throw 150 gram drivers. If you can control a 150 gram driver, you can control anything. Once I got that 150 gram Leopard to fly like I wanted I could use that skill on other discs. It could go straight, turn or hyzer. ...

I've never heard anything like this before. I like it! My Valk is only 152g, so I wouldn't have to go buying another disc haha. I actually decided to bag it this evening, and the mids too, for a little field work. I was really encouraged using the Valk. I could throw it mostly straight and got about 60 more feet of distance than with the putters (the mids are still landing right by the putters). In fact, my last throw of the evening was a little hyzer flip that flew pin straight for nearly 200ft. I'm still pretty hyped about it. Definitely going to let myself pull it out more often now.

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Olorin]

ILE, I think a Valkyrie should be a good driver for you. A Cheetah might also work well. I've loved the Leopard since they first came out and always have one in my bag. As Discette said a 150g Leopard would be a great fairway driver.

You've already learned a ton in a short time and are on a great path. I realize they can be hard to find, but keep on the lookout for some experienced women players who can watch you throw and give you pointers. Don't be afraid to ask. There are several active clubs in Raleigh, Cary, and Durham who have low key weekly events where women players might be. In the Triangle Lindsey Ivey from Durham is an active player. Of course, the GOLD standard would be to meet Elaine King. She is super nice and approachable. Debbie Scott from Charlotte is really friendly and an active tournament player. Which makes me think, if you want to be inspired, go to a tournament in the Triangle and just follow the Pro women for a round as a gallery. You shouldn't talk to them while they play, but that would be the best way to gauge how far women can throw, and they would most likely be happy to meet you after their round. Look on pdga.com for several tournaments in the Triangle.

You may also know that the type of plastic affects stability. For Innova the stability of the plastic (from less to more) is: Blizzard, StarLite (in light weights), DX, Pro, Star, Champion. These days I prefer Innova StarLite, and I never have been able to throw Champion because it is too stable for me. Blizzard is also good for really light discs. I just found out that Discraft now makes ZLite and I want to check that out. Throw really understable discs until you can turn them over (fly to the right) then gradually move up your stability. You can get more stability in the same mold with 1) heavier weight, 2) denser plastic.

 

[Olorin]

...A big part of the reason I like DG is that I get to be out in nature and breathe fresh air, which a tiny park surrounded by a neighborhood doesn't have much of. I see that Bethesda is of similar length but in a less crowded area. I'll probably like it pretty well.

Valley Springs in Durham is my personal favorite course in the Triangle. I think you would like (original 1-18) from the Red tees. It's in a secluded area and very peaceful. I see that you've played Cedarock. Wellspring from the short tees is a tight and technical woods course, but not too long, and I think you would like the scenic walk in the woods.

 

[Olorin]

I've never heard anything like this before. I like it! ...Thanks for all the advice!

Discette is a very experienced player with a wealth of knowledge, so take heed of everything she has to say!