Disc Golf - Choosing Your first Discs

Steve Pease

There are well over 200 discs on the market to choose from. How do you choose which ones to start with when you are just starting to play disc golf?

Choosing the wrong discs will frustrate you, and could even make you decide to not pursue playing the sport. The newest, fastest, and latest discs to hit the market are likely not the best discs for you to start with.

You really need 3 main discs to start with the basics of how to play the game.
1. You need a Driver. The disc to get you from the tee box down the fairway. For a new player, any shots over about 200 feet would call for a driver.
2. You need an approach disc, to get you from the end of your drive, to close enough to putt the disc in the basket.
3. You need a putter, to putt the disc in the basket from 30 feet or less.

Driver. Your first driver should be easy to throw, easy to control, and not be subject to throwing the disc with a lot of snap to make it fly correctly. I recommend the Lightning #1 Slice as your first driver. It’s easy to throw, easy to control, and under 170g, and it floats. Get the disc in the 165g range for the best starting weight.

Approach disk. This disc is very important to get you scoring better. You must get the approach close enough to putt for par. The best disc in my opinion for a beginner is the Innova shark, in DX plastic. It can be thrown flat, or turn it for control to the basket. It just goes where you want it to go.

Putter. This is the disc to get you from your approach shot into the basket. My recommendation for the putter is a Discraft APX soft. This disc is not too hard, not too soft. It will fly flat and will grab the chains well.

As you play and get better and stronger and have more control, you will want to try more discs, faster and more over stable. If you get hooked you will want to try them all, but wait until you are ready for them.

I have been throwing discs since the late 1970’s and have thrown many discs. I learned what was best for me by trial and error as most players do. I feel that these discs will work well for all beginners. I still carry all 3 of these discs in my bag to this day, and use them for a variety of shots I do also have 16 other discs I carry in my bag. They all have their place.

Another reason these are my picks are that they are all under $10 each. A very inexpensive way to start playing one of the best sports you will ever play.