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Choices, Choices, Choices…

You’re all set to get your first discs, but where do you start?

Just like in other sports, disc golfing has the curse of popularity – meaning, there are thousands of options for discs, sets, styles, quality, and colors to choose from when you want to buy a disc or two. Our aim at Kestrel is to help you make the best decision you can, so here are a few steps to consider when you start looking at buying a set of discs.

Consider where you’re buying from. Are you getting a less expensive set online that isn’t as well known, or are you buying straight from a known, high-quality, company which has been endorsed by the Professional Disc Golf Association, or are you getting a set from something in the middle? For anyone short of a league player, you probably don’t need the $25-50 individual discs, a set of three or so will do you just fine. Are you willing to sacrifice the quality of discs for quantity, and have a disc or two crack in games as you’re learning how to play, or do you want the risk of losing your only disc on a drive that splashes out into the middle of a pond? Those are your decisions to make, but let Kestrel help you out with a few more tips.

What sort of discs are you looking at buying? You know you own style, the weights you need, and what you enjoy playing with most. There are a myriad of options available to you, so don’t feel like you have to purchase the first set with only one disc you’ll use. Keep looking around, and find a set to check off the most criteria for your games. Find a set you’ll be able to make the most use of.

If you can, tag along with other players who are willing to let you use their discs. Try as many brands, styles, and weights as you can before making a decision on a full set. Alternatively, if you know there are leagues or charities around you looking for loaner sets or donations, buy a few sets of your own and pick and choose what you want before putting the rest of the discs to a better use.

Finally, make sure to read up on the reviews of sets you are considering. Amazon reviews are a wonderful place to start, but also look at reviews from well-known disc golfers and sites that don’t accept any compensation for their reviews. Sites such as discgolfreviewer.com and bestreviews.com offer reviews with as little bias as possible. If you find sets seeming too good to be true for their price, chances are they will be lower quality and more likely to warp, crack, or fly unevenly.

Let Kestrel help you improve your game with our highly rated disc golf sets, and help you enjoy your next birdie!

You want to play disc golf…but where?

Handy tips, apps, and searches for finding your new favorite course.

So, you’ve started playing disc golf and now you’re wanting to try a few new cours, but you don’t know where to start. Kestrel Outdoors has put together a list of helpful sites, apps, and ways you can find new courses to play.

WEBSITES

Disc Golf United - https://www.discgolfunited.com/disc-golf-courses/ - has a course locater on their website allowing you to look for courses In your city, your state, or by your zip code. After searching by one or more of those criteria, DGU will show you courses nearby with information and directions to make your next game a breeze.

The Professional Disc Golf Association - https://www.pdga.com/course-directory - hosts an official course directory for all sanctioned courses available for members and non-members alike to make use of. If the course name is known, that can be used to search, or the city/state/province/postal code can be used in the search. The PDGA site offers an interactive zoomable map to the user as well, giving a complete picture of the courses available worldwide.

Disc Golf Course Review - https://www.dgcoursereview.com/browse_map.php - offers a highly detailed directory, allowing a user to search by criteria such as the course length, if the course is mostly flat or hilly, what sort of terrain the course is, if it’s a seasonal course, and by the number of reviews the course itself has.

The Disc Golf Scene - https://www.discgolfscene.com/courses/USA - allows users to add courses to the website, and offers a wide variety of courses with pictures of holes and tees. They also offer information about nearby tournaments, leagues, and clubs a player can join which may or may not be affiliated with the PDGA.

MOBILE APPS

UDisc Disc Golf App (Android, Google Play store) – not only allows users to find courses, but track their scores, measure their ranged throws, and rate courses for other users. All of the features mentioned for this app are free to the user, but having unlimited scorecards, sharing scorecards, cloud backup, and participating in global ranking are available to UDisc Pro members only($4.99/month.)

Official PDGA Disc Golf App (Android and iOS, Google play store and Apple store) – the only app approved by the PDGA, this is “designed by disc golfers, for disc golfers.” Linked to the PDGA online course directory, the app includes scorecards for up to six players at a time, email scorecards, and numerous other helpful features.

Disc Gold GPS Course Directory (iOS, Apple store only) – this app touts being battery-efficient, and the reviews validate the claim. With a 4.6 star rating on the Apple Store, this app can be combined with an Apple Watch to help players keep track of their throws, the yardage of the hole, and offers disc recommendations as well.

Theses are just a handful of the sites and apps available to disc golfers. As with all sports – please use common sense when golfing in the woods, be prepared, and have fun!

Aiming, Throwing, and Making a Shot – Tips for Beginner Disc Golfers

Since you’re just starting out as a disc golfer, we’re sure you have a ton of questions about the game, and our goal is to get you some helpful answers and tips!

First things first, don’t expect perfection from yourself after your first game, or even your first week of playing a game every few days. Disc golf is a sport, and it will take consistent practice for your skills to develop. Give yourself some slack, and throw slowly – trying to chuck a disc down the course will only end up with hunting through the brush for a lost disc, and pulled muscles that aren’t used to the technique of throwing discs.

Second, find one or two discs you like and go do everything with them. Learn how your aim and arm work best, play with different types of throwing, and body mechanics. A midrange or putter disc will be best for this, and then you can work with a distance driver. Think of it like you would learn how to run a marathon – start small and focused, and then work up to long, smooth distance drives, looking for your first eagle.

Third, it’s perfectly fine to stay off the course. Head to a park with a few trees or make use of the old tetherball post in your own backyard. Pick a place to stand and nail your aim down from there. Then change it up, or switch hands. Set up a cheap speaker under a laundry basket and see what you can do with your eyes closed. (Or is just us? Oh well.)

Fourth, don’t overdo it on yourself. Pain isn’t always gain, and you’ll enjoy the game more if you take it easy and slow. My first few times out, my shoulder was so sore the next day from not building up the right shoulder muscles. Take it all in stride. 

Find a group you can walk courses with, try their discs out, and ask questions about why and how they play the game. Take notes on their styles, and then go out and try them for yourself. Learning from older, more experienced players can do more than watching a video or reading a how-to guide.

Fifth, if you’re so inclined, dive into the science of disc golf! Find out how a disc works, why they’re different shapes and weights, why some players do everything with one, or have two dozen they pick and choose from.

Finally, go out with a group of friends you can play with and just play the game. Enjoy a bit of a challenge against other people, get better at the game, and see how everything you’ve been learning pulls together for the perfectly smooth putt into the chains with your favorite disc.

Family, Friends, Uncommonly Fun....all outside.

Just sit back for a moment and think about how you ended up playing disc golf.

Was it playing with a group of work friends, your family, or throwing a disc in your backyard?

Just what is it that makes disc golfing so fun?

Here are five of our favorite reasons.

1) Once you have your discs, it’s practically free. Unless you play in tournaments frequently, there are no fees for most disc golf courses. You don’t have to replace tees, balls, shoes, or targets (unless you lose discs), and no professional training is required for you to have fun.

2) Disc golfing is easy! It isn’t limited to a few days a week, or only a few months of the year. You can go out and play a few holes on your lunch break, or spend a few hours on Saturday morning with your family playing a full course and get a good workout in to boot. You don’t need any safety gear, special shoes, helmets, or balls – just your discs, an extra in case the course makes one disappear, water and maybe a bag, and you’re set for the entire game.

3) It’s a few clicks away to find a course to play at, and then it’s as easy as fitting a few hours into your schedule to go and play – no tee times, field reservations, rentals, or league schedules to deal with. There are no required practice times (unless you join a league, in which case good on you!) to fit into your week, no out of town games, and a proper course isn’t even a requirement – a few trees, posts, or buckets to aim at are perfectly acceptable.

4) You can go disc golfing with your entire family without worrying about it being too difficult. A few hours of showing children how to throw, and then off to the courses you can go. If your entire family is out on the course, it becomes a bonding environment, a chance to spend time together, and good family fun. Family rules can be decided on and played with to make things more fun, and you could even start a “family league” with other people you know.

5) Once you understand how strokes work, it’s all you really need to know to start playing. All the other rules are optional for simple, good fun. No one will be watching your every move and calling you out for taking half a step once you pick your disc up (again, unless you play in a tournament or a ranked league), so your disc golfing game will be a perfect change from behind your desk during the weekdays.

Now that you’ve read why we enjoy disc golfing, it’s time for you to go out and make your own list. Find a course and have a good day playing!

If you’ve been thinking about joining the Professional Disc Golf Association but don’t know where to start, Kestrel Disc Golf has prepared an easy, step-by-step guide to help you through the process.

Go online to https://www.pdga.com/ to start this process, the click “join & renew” below the official logo. This will bring you to the first of your choices in creating a membership – are you joining with a membership for yourself, or are you buying for a friend? We’ll assume you’re buying for yourself, and continue in.

For their records, PDGA asks for your country of residence, then lays out the material benefits of a membership for you. Your membership will no only give you a membership card and number, but subscriptions to the official disc golf app and to Discgolfer magazine, the Official Rules of Disc Golf and Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events, and a miniature disc marker for your shots (among other things.)

You’ll also have the option to choose between three types of membership. A Professional Membership, $75 per year, if you plan on accepting cash winnings in PDGA events, an Amateur Membership, $50 per year, if you plan on accepting prizes for PDGA events (or anyone who wants to enjoy membership benefits!), or a Junior Membership, $30 per year, for golfers who will be turning 18 or younger during the next calendar year.

The PDGA also offers optional clubs for members to join, with tiered costs and rewards at each level. Discs, member disc bags, shirts, and a lifetime membership are just some of the offers available, should you want them. They are in addition to your membership costs, and are not required to become a member.

After choosing which (if any) of the optional clubs you desire, PDGA will ask for personal and billing information to continue with payment for your membership and confirm your membership. Congratulations, that’s all it takes for you to become a member, and you can enjoy the benefits!

Along with the app and magazine subscriptions, PDGA members can enjoy discounts at Office Depot, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car rental, La Quinta Inn & Suites, Red Roof Inn, Motel 6, GlassOnWeb (prescription eyewear), and discounted retail pricing for custom products ordered through Printastic.com, and professionally printed course signs and accessories from DiscGolfSigns.org and StoppaSigns & Engraving LLC. Each of these companies has partnered with PDGA to provide the best services possible to members of all levels.

It may take upwards of a month for you to receive your membership package in the mail, depending on your location, but the PDGA is designed for golfers of any and all levels to take part in and enjoy.

What are you waiting for?

Disc golf is a quickly growing sport in many countries, drawing players of all ages to pick up discs and go play a course. Everyone from grandpa to great-grandchild can go out and play on a neighborhood park course, click through the channels, hear an advertisement, or find a video online. Now, it’s time to take that information and go out and play!

If you dream of seeing your child compete internationally with disc golf, these tips will be a great place to pique your child’s interest. Remember, like football and basketball, disc golf is a game first. Before you click “buy” and have a dozen different packages at your doorstep and training sessions scheduled, consider how many extra expectations they need to have put on them right now.

What do you already have at home? A free promotional frisbee from a parade or festival and a laundry basket or a pole are all you really need to start. Play around your house (carefully!) or your yard to start with. Practice aiming and throwing without the pressure of doing it right on the course, and see how many other family members you can get involved.

When you start looking at discs to get for younger players, smaller and lighter is key. The shorter height and arms of younger players can make regular discs a struggle to work with. Look for discs with narrower edges, smaller diameters, and weights under 120 grams to fit them to your young players. Unless you’re determined to have them play in a league or a regulated club from day one, focus on what’s comfortable in their hands and won’t strain growing muscles.

Don’t make the rules the point of the game when you’re out on the course. Number of shots shouldn’t matter (unless you’re helping a very young player practice counting). You can let them throw from wherever your shot lands, alternate throws, or just pick a practice basket and play a few games of “horse.” Don’t expect or ask for perfection, and make the process of playing fun before anything else.

Many well-known disc golfers have YouTube channels with videos of tips, tricks, and the courses they enjoy playing – a little encouragement to a beginner can go a long way. Videos showing how some practice has helped them improve aim, distance, or accuracy can be a good kickstart for enthusiasm in a young player. If you hear comments like “I’m not as good as you/they are” or “I don’t think I can ever…,” these videos can also show how even the best players had to start and make plenty of bad shots themselves along the way.

Now, what are you waiting for? Find something to throw and go have fun!

Do you know what’s more fun that disc golfing on your own? Better than having a friend play with you? Getting your significant other to play!

For those of you wanting a few tips, here are seven ways to get your beau to play disc golf with you.

1 – Start with a normal frisbee, and just toss it around. Maybe your significant other was teased about not being a good thrower as a child, or maybe they’ve just never had the chance to explore the fun of flinging round objects at other people – either way, don’t let the pressure of having to aim well and get a low score ruin their first game. Make it a fun, laughter-filled experience.

2 – Take them out with you, but don’t expect them to play the first time. Just like with tossing a frisbee, your significant other may have no idea what disc golfing is. Invite them to come see how you play, offer chances to make easy shots for you, and don’t pressure them into it.

3 – Spend your time and effort in your relationship first, their performance second.  Find a time when you can commit to playing without any pressure on your playing. Don’t try to squeeze a game into your lunch hour, or “fit” it in before an important event. Block out more time than you expect to need, so your significant other can take as much time as they need. Ideally, find an easy course to play, choose a time when you won’t be playing around other groups or disc golf clubs, and don’t comment about how long it’s taking!

4 – Expect for things to go wrong. Discs will disappear into trees, brush, down that hill, and splash into the creek. Regardless of what happens, don’t laugh at your significant other. There is nothing that ruins a beginner’s mood faster than making a mistake and being laughed at for it. If you find yourself doing most of the laughing, take a minute and figure out why.

5 – Don’t make it a one-time offer. There are days when your game is off, so expect the same for your significant other. Make playing a no-stress time and try as many different times and days as you can. Maybe your significant other has morning classes and prefers to play after lunch. Or perhaps they loathe mornings, and early evening is the perfect time for them to be able to relax after their obligations.

6 – Invest in getting equipment. Playing with someone else’s discs is only fun the first few times, so get your partner their own! Then, if they ever have the urge to go out without you – what an odd thought, but it will happen, we promise – they can. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but a few discs and a bag will be all they need.

7 – Don’t keep it to yourself! Be open to your partner inviting their friends along as well. The more the merrier, and this could be the beginning of a new disc golf club you and your partner helped start. Don’t keep the fun to yourself – now get out there and see what you can do.