Disc Golf - Selecting the right disc for your game

Selecting the right disc in Disc Golf is a lot like choosing the right club in ball Golf. The wrong disc will go to far or short, won't fade the right way, or will be carried by the wind and ruin the shot. For that reason, it is important to understand the differences between the disc and how they are used.

There are 3 main types of discs. There is the Driver, (also called distance Driver or fairway Driver) there is a midrange disc, and there is a putter. All of the discs are similiar in weight only. Everything else about them is different.

First the Driver series. These are the most used and usually the one people carry the most of. Drivers are known as stable, under stable or over stable. All this means is that when you throw a disc it spins and moves in one direction or the other depending on the the spin. For a standard right handed back hand throw, the disc is spinning clock wise, and therefore naturally moves to the left during flight. This natural movement is known as 'hyzer'. A stable disc will fly straight for a distance, then hyzer to the left toward the end of its flight. An under stable disc will fly straight for a shorter distance before begginning to hyzer to the left. An over stable disc will actually start to move to the right at the begginning of its flight, then straighten out and hyzer back to the left. Because of this S curve, when thrown correctly, the over stable disc can achieve the most distance. Drivers are the most aerodynamic and have a sharp or pointed edge.

The midrange disc is used for approach shots, or 'up' shots. This disc has a rounded edge and they are usually not as heavy as the drivers. (We are talking about a difference in only a few grams though). The throw for a midrange can also be a little different, and they are usally stable or over stable. This disc is used usually in the 50-100 foot range.

The last disc is the putter, and it is used for exactly that. Once you are inside a certain distance you want a disc that flies straight without a lot of hyzer. It has and even more rounded and beveled edge than the midrange disc, and it usually is more ridged than the midrange as well. This disc is made to fly short distances straight, thats all.

Once you start to learn to throw you will find that you use a variety of disc depending on the shot, the wind, the obstacles and the distance.