November 19, 2025 • 23 mins
Disc golf discs are specially designed flying objects with different flight characteristics. Their aerodynamics depend on:
1. Lift based on Bernoulli's Principle.
The disc's shape (aerofoil) causes air to move faster over the top and slower under the bottom.
This pressure difference creates lift, helping the disc stay in the air longer.....
Thank your for listening - JT Norton
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:16):
Hey done, folks.
Uh this one here is more of aneducational stuff for people new
to the game and uh may notunderstand the aerodynamics and
some of the basic terminology.
Again, I'm keeping this reallysimple just so that it um kind
of gives the new peoplesomewhere to start.
I'm not saying it's 100%accurate, um, but based on
(00:38):
everything I've read so far,it's pretty close.
Um the aerodynamics of disc offand a little bit of the science
to it.
Hope y'all enjoy.
Have a good one.
Discoff aerodynamics, thescience behind flight.
Some of it, anyways.
Disc off discs are specificallydesigned flying objects with
(00:59):
different flightcharacteristics.
Their aerodynamics depend on,one, lift based on Bernoulli's
principle.
The disc shape airfoil causesair to move faster over the top
and slower under the bottom.
This pressure difference createslift, helping the disc stay in
the air longer.
(01:20):
Gyroscopic stability is numbertwo, the spin of the disc.
A disc must spin to stay stableduring flight.
The faster the spin, the moregyroscopic stability it has.
It resists wobble and holds itsintended line.
Number three, it's drag.
Discs slow down due to airresistance, also called drag.
(01:42):
Discs with sharper rims likedrivers reduce drag for longer
flights.
Wind affects drag.
Headwinds make the disc act moreunderstable, tailwinds make them
more overstable.
Side winds drive you crazy.
Now, this throws off a lot ofpeople.
(02:02):
The pun's intended, by the way.
Understable, overstable.
Understable discs are generallybetter for beginners when thrown
with a flat release, will goright with a right-handed
backhand throw.
Over stable discs, which aresometimes referred to as beefy,
(02:23):
and are typically used by moreexperienced players, and those
facing headwinds will fade leftwith a right-handed backhand
throw.
Stable disc putters, somemid-ranges, things like that,
will have a consistent neutralflight and tend to stay straight
when thrown flat.
(02:45):
Most disc, once they lose theirflight power, this is an
additional note from Jack fromJT, will drop left.
So once that power is gone, itwill drop left.
Some will drop very slightly.
Some will take off left likeit's got a mind of its own.
(03:08):
Some, depending on the design,will actually skip once it hits
the ground on more compactsurfaces, rock, clay, things of
that nature.
So you really need to payattention to what your disc is
capable of and how it willperform, not only in
environmental conditions in theair, but what it's going to do
(03:29):
when it strikes the ground.
So some of them will hit theground and take off, some of
them will hit the ground andstay put.
So in the various environments,take five or ten minutes and
practice.
Okay, what happens if thishappens to me?
Angle of attack.
The angle at which the disc cutsthrough the air affects its lift
and drag, as mentioned before.
(03:50):
The nose-up angle causes astall, resulting in shorter
flight.
Nose down or flat angle promotesglide and distance.
Number five, distability.
Overstable discs tend to curveleft for a right-handed backhand
throw.
Understable discs tend to curveright and are easier to turn
(04:15):
over.
And turnover is when you youpull it one way, it comes back
the other.
Now, how to throw a disc.
Number one grip.
The two most these are the twomost common.
But there are other ways ofholding, uh holding a disc, but
these are tried and true, prettymuch.
(04:36):
Um power grip for distance, tuckyour fingers under the rim,
place your thumb on top of it,and you're literally just you're
you're you're gripping it fairlyfairly hard.
Tuck your fingers under the rim,place your thumb on top of it,
grip it, and rip it.
A fan grip for putters andmid-ranges, uh, the fingers are
(04:56):
a little more spread out.
So um just give you a betterfeel and control.
Stance and footwork.
For a backhand drive, mostplayers use an X-step, a
rhythmic three-step motion thatgenerates momentum.
Weight transfer from one foot toanother is also an integral part
of footwork.
There are numerous excellentvideos out there uh that discuss
(05:20):
this topic.
Um, but if you're just startingout, just stand still and throw
the damn disc.
Um, but again, you want to arun-up is different.
So you want to get, if you'regonna get your distance and
you're gonna get consistency,you're gonna have to learn to
use those feet because thisisn't just an arm thing, it's a
body thing, it's a leg, waist,the whole nine yards.
(05:42):
You'll learn as you as you getfurther along.
I will note on forehand, again,we've mentioned backhand uh a
few times already, forehandthrows, which are popular with
anyone who's played baseball.
A sidestep or shuffle is used indisc golf with this type of
shot.
Um here, use caution because alot of people will tell you to
(06:04):
take that elbow and tuck it inclose to your body.
Don't do this.
So uh because when you get thatelbow close to the body, um it
limits the range of motion ofthat arm.
So, and um it can cause you someproblems.
Scott Stokely has some reallyvaluable lessons on this topic.
So go to YouTube, um, search himand look at his forehand.
(06:27):
Uh, if you're a baseball playerand you're just getting into
disc off, definitely consider aforehand as an option.
Um, because in my experiences,I've played dozens and dozens of
tournaments, all the people Imeet, I pay attention to them.
These former baseball playersand stuff have a have really
good luck with a forehand.
So especially if you yourprimary shot was a pitcher, um,
(06:49):
it might be something for you toinvest some time in.
Number three, reach back andpull through.
This is on a backhand.
We're not talking forehandanymore.
Reach back with the disc atshoulder height or slightly
lower.
Pull through your body line.
The disc travels across yourchest to the release point.
(07:10):
Number four, snap, sometimesalso called a hit.
This is where you accelerateyour arm and release uh with a
wrist snap.
Generally, uh it generates bothspeed and spin, critical for
distance and accuracy.
So again, you're pulling acrossyour chest, you gotta make sure
you get the snap at the end.
(07:31):
Don't worry when it comes outugly.
Everybody goes through it.
So just trust it.
So just develop the form, don'tworry about the disc, develop
the form, worry about the disclater.
So release angle.
Now, as you pull through, as yousnap, as it comes out, a flat
(07:52):
release will give you a neutralflight path.
So it's pretty much gonna staystay flat again, depending on
the disc design.
If it hyers on you, which you'llhear this term a lot, um, if
it's going to hyzer or you needit to hyzer, which means it's
gonna go left, the disc tilteddown on the outside edge, left
(08:14):
curve for a backhand.
And hyzer, the disc is tilted,the disc edge is tilted up on
the outside edge.
And this is gonna give you aright.
And again, don't worry about theshot shaping, you're just
worried about how to properly dothis based on what you're trying
to achieve on the course.
Follow through.
(08:34):
Oh my god, this is important.
So it's important in driving,it's important in mid-range,
it's important at putting.
Um, your body continues forwardnaturally after the release.
A smooth follow-through helpsprevent injury and improves
consistency.
The big thing aboutfollow-through too is when you
follow through, make sure thatyou're following through that as
(08:58):
your arm comes through, as yougo through that whole motion,
that hit mark, that releasepoint, that follow through, that
that is a release point.
So if that hit mark or thatrelease point is right of the
basket, guess where you'regoing.
Yep.
If it's left of the basket,that's where you're going.
If you're looking at the centerof the fairway, because you
(09:19):
you're like me, you can't throw500 feet, you you've got your
eye on that part of the fairwaythat you're trying to get to.
Now, if your release point is tothe right, guess where you're
not going.
You might luck out and the discmight come back to you, which
some people do do that.
Um, but the trick is to learnproper form.
When you learn proper form, uhthen the disc will be able to do
(09:42):
their job.
So now, this is some bonus tipsbased on just my playing over
the years.
Uh again, I'm not a coach, I'mnot a pro.
I'm just sharing what works forme.
I still have a lot of room togrow.
That's a great thing aboutsports.
No matter what you play, you canalways get better at it, no
matter how good you are.
So um, putters um are slower,more stable, they're great for
(10:07):
control and shorter distances.
Uh don't uh don't underestimateyour ability to chunk a putter a
damn good distance.
So, because sometimes um insteadof going to a mid-range, which
is going to um make whatevershot you're trying to perform,
um, if you have a putter andyou're like, geez, I don't, I
(10:30):
it's only 200, you can you canjam a you can jam a putter 200
feet.
And sometimes that's what youwant because at the end of that
flight, that putter is gonna sitstill and not skip off on you a
hell of a lot less than amid-range or even a driver.
So why you're throwing a driverat 200 feet, who knows?
(10:50):
But anyways, everybody'sdifferent.
So putters are slow, morestable, great for control and
shorter distances.
Mid-range, you also hear themcalled fairway drivers, they're
a moderate speed discs suitablefor shaping lines.
Putters in mid-ranges, whenyou're first out, my personal
suggestion is this is what youneed to stick to.
The easy way to determine whatis what is just look at the
(11:13):
speed.
I am not a big fan of flightnumbers, but look at the flight
numbers.
And my advice is anything 10 orless, that's what you should
stick to when you're startingout.
Because the problem you havewith these hires, 10 is a little
much too at times, but anythingunder 10, put it that way.
Um you might see a 500-footcourse and then you see the
(11:35):
videos and you see a Mamba oryou see one of these uh discs,
one of these discs out therethat have a 12 at 12, 13 speed,
something like that.
What that is, is when you get upin them high speed, high
performance drivers, you reallyhave to have snap.
You have to have snap and youhave to have arm speed.
If you don't have it, that discis never gonna do what it's
(11:57):
designed to do.
Um, I'm not saying the flightnumbers are 100% accurate, but
the high speed ones are prettyaccurate.
So um, you need, in order forthat disc to fly properly,
you've got to tag that armspeed.
So starting out, anything under10, stick with that.
(12:17):
I have thrown um a what'sconsidered a fairway or a
mid-range driver, I have thrownone than 400 feet.
So they can give you distance.
It's better to be consistent at3350 um than be all over the
place, so everywhere else.
So, and um, and this especiallyif you're younger, I'm an old
(12:38):
guy, but if you're younger, umthat distance will come fairly
quickly if you hold true to theform and go after it.
Uh drivers, as mentioned,high-speed drivers are designed
for maximum distance.
They are designed to be flexed,they are designed depending on
the the make, mold, and model.
Um they uh they can give yousome monster distance.
(12:59):
My longest drive was definitelywith a um with a driver-based
disc.
Um, I have one.
My on my longest unassisteddrive is 427 feet.
I think I've done a couplelonger than that.
That's the only one I'vemeasured via U-Disc.
Uh, and then the longest one Ihad that was assisted by the
wind was 527 feet.
(13:19):
And I had a lake behind me, Iwas playing a mountain course.
So uh, but consistently I'm moreat the 2350 range.
So I can throw 400 if need be,um, but I'm just not very
consistent with it.
Uh so putters, slow, morestable, great for control, and
shorter distances, mid-rangedisc, moderate speed, suitable
(13:41):
for shaping lines.
Drivers, high speed discdesigned for maximum distance.
Plastic matters, starting out,don't worry about it.
Don't don't go buying thosesuper expensive things.
Just just get used to playingthe game and have some fun.
Uh, rollers is a popularthrowing style, and when done
correctly, can give you massivedistance with minimal effort.
(14:04):
This is I'm not good at these,but I've had a few bail me out
of some pretty pretty nastycourses I played over in uh
Tennessee.
Um it will uh it will also getyour butt out of a thicket of
trees or bushes when you findyourself off the fairway.
So um when you're in doubt, whenyou're in a thicket of crap,
(14:25):
just go skinny.
So get the smallest dish youhave, turn it on the side, and
then just try to flip it outstraight out, try to roll it
out.
Just get it out of there.
I had a uh a fellow card mate.
I was stuck in the bushes, andI'm not good at rollers, and he
said, dude, just get skinny.
So just get skinny, turn thedesk upside down, throw it like
a plate, and get skinny.
(14:46):
And on this particular case, Irolled out and it gave me par,
so I saved my par.
Um that was in North Carolina.
Okay, so um, so rollers, try itif try it.
Some people like them, somepeople don't.
Um figure out the disc.
Um, there are discs specificallymeant for rollers.
(15:08):
Rolo is one from one company.
Um, but I've seen people rollrace, I've seen people roll
undertakers, I've seen peopleroll rocks, putters.
I can consistently roll a bergat 150 to 250.
Um I've got the left hook downfrom the roll, I just can't
develop the right yet.
I'm still working on that.
So uh that leads to beingcreative.
(15:31):
Uh be creative and practice theodd stuff.
Heavy thicket and tree shots, aswell as those that require
shaping to get through woodedobstacles.
Um, all this should be practicedfar more than most people do.
I have had I have some crazyways of getting myself out of
some crap when I screw up adrive or approach shot.
(15:52):
These trick shots, so to speak,um are just as important as a
good short game and just asimportant as putting because you
will find yourself in the woods,on a lake shore, butted up
against a rock, stuck behind alog, uh one leg buried in
brambles that's just slicing thepiss out of your leg.
(16:14):
So you're gonna have to getcreative and um track.
I mean, I don't like thumbers,but I do have a thummer style
that I can actually throw up andget like all it is called a
grenade, by the way.
It is a it is a throwing style.
And I create a sidearm thumberthat that literally converts
into a grenade, and literally Ican get it to I can get this
(16:36):
eagle to flop and flatten out onits lid so it comes down top
down.
And uh it's one specific disc.
I don't know why it flies theway it does, but practice these
crazy little trick shots whenyou're on a course by yourself
and it's a heavily wooded courseor you got big boulders and it's
elevated, which I hate elevatedbaskets.
Put your find the stupidest spotat that basket where you've got
(17:00):
trees or bushes in front of you,and just try eight or nine, ten,
ten shots.
Try forehand, try backhand, tryroller, try any of those.
That creative stuff will get youout of some stuff, and also it
will create you some goodmoments.
I was playing one here in NorthVirginia, and uh I did this
crazy little weird high tossthummer because I had buried
(17:21):
myself behind the hut bushes,and uh I I chained it right dead
bottom of the.
I could not see the basket.
I could make out just one leftside of it through the tree, so
I threw it up almost the guys,the basket would be to my left.
My card mates were directly infront of me, and the bush is
god, every bit of 15, 20 feet.
So I had to tomahawk chop thisthing into I had to get it to go
(17:45):
up like I was trying to chop itwith an axe straight up in the
air.
And then as it goes up, I neededit to come over and almost act
like a grenade, so I had toconvert its flight in the air.
Now I know what this particular,it's a K1 soft berg in this
particular case.
I know what that thing does whenI get it really high and it
stalls.
And when it comes down and boom,right square in the basket.
(18:07):
I got a birdie on that one.
So um, so get creative becausethis these creative stuff is
extremely important.
Every time you go out there,people are putting monster
drives and they do their puttsand they forget that that that
creative, you've got to work onthat creative short game,
especially North Carolina, uh,parts of Tennessee.
I mean, there's courses likethis in every single state.
(18:29):
Um, I've played a ton of states,so I've seen a bunch of
different courses.
Um, but you gotta get creativebecause they will save you.
Now, as mentioned before, youhave grenade shots, you have
thumbers, turbo putting.
There are other inventive waysof playing this game that will
come along as you play more andmore.
In a nutshell, if it works andit gets the job done, go out
(18:53):
there and use it, no matter howstupid uh it may look to
everyone else.
Um my personal thing that I do,I don't jump putt, so um, but I
have created a side-standing, avery stiff upward.
I just jump putting is veryuncomfortable for me.
Maybe I'm old, maybe my kneesare screwed up, who knows?
(19:14):
Um, my bot, I just I'm veryuncomfortable doing a jump putt,
so I created a standing stiffarm putt to compensate for the
jump putt, and I just I won'tgive it up.
I have a disc golf basket in mybackyard, I practice jump
putting, and I just even afterall these times, it's just not
something meant for me.
Now, this standing stiff armthrow, I can get a lot of
(19:36):
distance extremely accurate withit.
Now, I'm still trying to dial itin a little bit, a little bit
more, but a couple years ago Iwas playing a tournament in
Georgia, and we were allpracticing our putting.
I'm just trying to get my armwarmed up.
So, like everybody else, wasjust trying to get warmed up,
get in the disc golf mode so wecan play a course.
And I was I had four or fivediscs, four or five putters in
(19:58):
my hand, and I'm doing mystanding stiff arm um putt that
replaces what I what most peopledo a jump putt for.
One of the guys goes, dude, youlook like Jackie Chan, because
in that particular sequence, Iactually basketted three of the
five discs I was holding usingthat motion.
And the guy said, Dude, thatlooks so weird.
(20:19):
You look like Jackie Chan, likesome martial arts looking thing.
So I call it a Jackie Chan,because apparently that's what
it looks like when I throw it.
And uh I have to use veryspecific putters because of
flight and loft and things likethat.
So uh if it's creative, if it'sstupid, and it's getting the job
done, do it.
Um so the name came from otherdisc golfers.
(20:41):
Again, I was playing in Georgia.
It was a really tough course.
I had a really, really bad gamebecause the course was way
beyond my experience level.
Um, but we'll discuss thatanother day.
Um so the disc off aerodynamicsand science and the beginning um
cluster of what I'm talkingabout here is just you have to
(21:05):
understand the science behind ita little bit just so you know
what to do.
Um don't throw it like a beachfrisbe or a backyard frisbee.
Um if you take a regular frisbeeand hold it up against one of
our disc golf discs, you canclearly tell there's a
difference.
Um so get your arm down, throwflat, throw straight, have fun.
So don't get too frustrated.
(21:26):
Um and um when you met when youwhen it when you throw it and it
does doesn't do what you want itto do, just pause for a second,
think about it.
Where was my arm, where was myfoot, what was I doing?
And again, the big thing is tolisten to professionals.
I don't consider myself aprofessional.
Um Scott Stokely, Gannon Burrboth have videos that have been
(21:51):
tremendously valuable to me overthe years.
Ganon Burr more for the puttingand my approach putts, the
longer distance stuff.
They call it uh C2 and beyond C2and things like that.
Um Gannon has been very uhhelpful in that aspect.
Scott Stokely's videos have beenextremely helpful with my
forehand, which I actually usein tournaments now.
(22:13):
I went through the first year ofplaying tournaments and playing
games where I wouldn't, I meanplaying tournaments, I wouldn't
use a forehand because I was sobad at it.
And then I forced myself tostart doing it.
Stokely's videos uh were very uhvery, very important, and now
I'm just as confident with themas anything else.
It's just my overall game isstill in need of improvement.
(22:35):
So um keep going and um keepplaying.
So I appreciate you listening into me ramble.
I'm trying not to use the AIvoices.
I think this is probably gonnabe a little bit more
impressionable.
So uh this is JT Norton.
Good throw, bad throw, goodputt, bad putt, good game, bad
game.
It doesn't matter.
Get out there and have fun.
(22:56):
Take the family.
Uh starting out, start with youreasy courses.
Uh, you're gonna love this game.
It's not gonna break the bank.
And like today, it's a beautifulday out there.
Get out there and play.
And if it's not a beautiful day,go play anyways, because the
rain and the wind will make youa better player, too.
Appreciate y'all for listening.
I'm out of here, but I shallreturn.
Hey done, folks.
Uh this one here is more of aneducational stuff for people new
to the game and uh may notunderstand the aerodynamics and
some of the basic terminology.
Again, I'm keeping this reallysimple just so that it um kind
of gives the new peoplesomewhere to start.
I'm not saying it's 100%accurate, um, but based on
(00:38):
everything I've read so far,it's pretty close.
Um the aerodynamics of disc offand a little bit of the science
to it.
Hope y'all enjoy.
Have a good one.
Discoff aerodynamics, thescience behind flight.
Some of it, anyways.
Disc off discs are specificallydesigned flying objects with
(00:59):
different flightcharacteristics.
Their aerodynamics depend on,one, lift based on Bernoulli's
principle.
The disc shape airfoil causesair to move faster over the top
and slower under the bottom.
This pressure difference createslift, helping the disc stay in
the air longer.
(01:20):
Gyroscopic stability is numbertwo, the spin of the disc.
A disc must spin to stay stableduring flight.
The faster the spin, the moregyroscopic stability it has.
It resists wobble and holds itsintended line.
Number three, it's drag.
Discs slow down due to airresistance, also called drag.
(01:42):
Discs with sharper rims likedrivers reduce drag for longer
flights.
Wind affects drag.
Headwinds make the disc act moreunderstable, tailwinds make them
more overstable.
Side winds drive you crazy.
Now, this throws off a lot ofpeople.
(02:02):
The pun's intended, by the way.
Understable, overstable.
Understable discs are generallybetter for beginners when thrown
with a flat release, will goright with a right-handed
backhand throw.
Over stable discs, which aresometimes referred to as beefy,
(02:23):
and are typically used by moreexperienced players, and those
facing headwinds will fade leftwith a right-handed backhand
throw.
Stable disc putters, somemid-ranges, things like that,
will have a consistent neutralflight and tend to stay straight
when thrown flat.
(02:45):
Most disc, once they lose theirflight power, this is an
additional note from Jack fromJT, will drop left.
So once that power is gone, itwill drop left.
Some will drop very slightly.
Some will take off left likeit's got a mind of its own.
(03:08):
Some, depending on the design,will actually skip once it hits
the ground on more compactsurfaces, rock, clay, things of
that nature.
So you really need to payattention to what your disc is
capable of and how it willperform, not only in
environmental conditions in theair, but what it's going to do
(03:29):
when it strikes the ground.
So some of them will hit theground and take off, some of
them will hit the ground andstay put.
So in the various environments,take five or ten minutes and
practice.
Okay, what happens if thishappens to me?
Angle of attack.
The angle at which the disc cutsthrough the air affects its lift
and drag, as mentioned before.
(03:50):
The nose-up angle causes astall, resulting in shorter
flight.
Nose down or flat angle promotesglide and distance.
Number five, distability.
Overstable discs tend to curveleft for a right-handed backhand
throw.
Understable discs tend to curveright and are easier to turn
(04:15):
over.
And turnover is when you youpull it one way, it comes back
the other.
Now, how to throw a disc.
Number one grip.
The two most these are the twomost common.
But there are other ways ofholding, uh holding a disc, but
these are tried and true, prettymuch.
(04:36):
Um power grip for distance, tuckyour fingers under the rim,
place your thumb on top of it,and you're literally just you're
you're you're gripping it fairlyfairly hard.
Tuck your fingers under the rim,place your thumb on top of it,
grip it, and rip it.
A fan grip for putters andmid-ranges, uh, the fingers are
(04:56):
a little more spread out.
So um just give you a betterfeel and control.
Stance and footwork.
For a backhand drive, mostplayers use an X-step, a
rhythmic three-step motion thatgenerates momentum.
Weight transfer from one foot toanother is also an integral part
of footwork.
There are numerous excellentvideos out there uh that discuss
(05:20):
this topic.
Um, but if you're just startingout, just stand still and throw
the damn disc.
Um, but again, you want to arun-up is different.
So you want to get, if you'regonna get your distance and
you're gonna get consistency,you're gonna have to learn to
use those feet because thisisn't just an arm thing, it's a
body thing, it's a leg, waist,the whole nine yards.
(05:42):
You'll learn as you as you getfurther along.
I will note on forehand, again,we've mentioned backhand uh a
few times already, forehandthrows, which are popular with
anyone who's played baseball.
A sidestep or shuffle is used indisc golf with this type of
shot.
Um here, use caution because alot of people will tell you to
(06:04):
take that elbow and tuck it inclose to your body.
Don't do this.
So uh because when you get thatelbow close to the body, um it
limits the range of motion ofthat arm.
So, and um it can cause you someproblems.
Scott Stokely has some reallyvaluable lessons on this topic.
So go to YouTube, um, search himand look at his forehand.
(06:27):
Uh, if you're a baseball playerand you're just getting into
disc off, definitely consider aforehand as an option.
Um, because in my experiences,I've played dozens and dozens of
tournaments, all the people Imeet, I pay attention to them.
These former baseball playersand stuff have a have really
good luck with a forehand.
So especially if you yourprimary shot was a pitcher, um,
(06:49):
it might be something for you toinvest some time in.
Number three, reach back andpull through.
This is on a backhand.
We're not talking forehandanymore.
Reach back with the disc atshoulder height or slightly
lower.
Pull through your body line.
The disc travels across yourchest to the release point.
(07:10):
Number four, snap, sometimesalso called a hit.
This is where you accelerateyour arm and release uh with a
wrist snap.
Generally, uh it generates bothspeed and spin, critical for
distance and accuracy.
So again, you're pulling acrossyour chest, you gotta make sure
you get the snap at the end.
(07:31):
Don't worry when it comes outugly.
Everybody goes through it.
So just trust it.
So just develop the form, don'tworry about the disc, develop
the form, worry about the disclater.
So release angle.
Now, as you pull through, as yousnap, as it comes out, a flat
(07:52):
release will give you a neutralflight path.
So it's pretty much gonna staystay flat again, depending on
the disc design.
If it hyers on you, which you'llhear this term a lot, um, if
it's going to hyzer or you needit to hyzer, which means it's
gonna go left, the disc tilteddown on the outside edge, left
(08:14):
curve for a backhand.
And hyzer, the disc is tilted,the disc edge is tilted up on
the outside edge.
And this is gonna give you aright.
And again, don't worry about theshot shaping, you're just
worried about how to properly dothis based on what you're trying
to achieve on the course.
Follow through.
(08:34):
Oh my god, this is important.
So it's important in driving,it's important in mid-range,
it's important at putting.
Um, your body continues forwardnaturally after the release.
A smooth follow-through helpsprevent injury and improves
consistency.
The big thing aboutfollow-through too is when you
follow through, make sure thatyou're following through that as
(08:58):
your arm comes through, as yougo through that whole motion,
that hit mark, that releasepoint, that follow through, that
that is a release point.
So if that hit mark or thatrelease point is right of the
basket, guess where you'regoing.
Yep.
If it's left of the basket,that's where you're going.
If you're looking at the centerof the fairway, because you
(09:19):
you're like me, you can't throw500 feet, you you've got your
eye on that part of the fairwaythat you're trying to get to.
Now, if your release point is tothe right, guess where you're
not going.
You might luck out and the discmight come back to you, which
some people do do that.
Um, but the trick is to learnproper form.
When you learn proper form, uhthen the disc will be able to do
(09:42):
their job.
So now, this is some bonus tipsbased on just my playing over
the years.
Uh again, I'm not a coach, I'mnot a pro.
I'm just sharing what works forme.
I still have a lot of room togrow.
That's a great thing aboutsports.
No matter what you play, you canalways get better at it, no
matter how good you are.
So um, putters um are slower,more stable, they're great for
(10:07):
control and shorter distances.
Uh don't uh don't underestimateyour ability to chunk a putter a
damn good distance.
So, because sometimes um insteadof going to a mid-range, which
is going to um make whatevershot you're trying to perform,
um, if you have a putter andyou're like, geez, I don't, I
(10:30):
it's only 200, you can you canjam a you can jam a putter 200
feet.
And sometimes that's what youwant because at the end of that
flight, that putter is gonna sitstill and not skip off on you a
hell of a lot less than amid-range or even a driver.
So why you're throwing a driverat 200 feet, who knows?
(10:50):
But anyways, everybody'sdifferent.
So putters are slow, morestable, great for control and
shorter distances.
Mid-range, you also hear themcalled fairway drivers, they're
a moderate speed discs suitablefor shaping lines.
Putters in mid-ranges, whenyou're first out, my personal
suggestion is this is what youneed to stick to.
The easy way to determine whatis what is just look at the
(11:13):
speed.
I am not a big fan of flightnumbers, but look at the flight
numbers.
And my advice is anything 10 orless, that's what you should
stick to when you're startingout.
Because the problem you havewith these hires, 10 is a little
much too at times, but anythingunder 10, put it that way.
Um you might see a 500-footcourse and then you see the
(11:35):
videos and you see a Mamba oryou see one of these uh discs,
one of these discs out therethat have a 12 at 12, 13 speed,
something like that.
What that is, is when you get upin them high speed, high
performance drivers, you reallyhave to have snap.
You have to have snap and youhave to have arm speed.
If you don't have it, that discis never gonna do what it's
(11:57):
designed to do.
Um, I'm not saying the flightnumbers are 100% accurate, but
the high speed ones are prettyaccurate.
So um, you need, in order forthat disc to fly properly,
you've got to tag that armspeed.
So starting out, anything under10, stick with that.
(12:17):
I have thrown um a what'sconsidered a fairway or a
mid-range driver, I have thrownone than 400 feet.
So they can give you distance.
It's better to be consistent at3350 um than be all over the
place, so everywhere else.
So, and um, and this especiallyif you're younger, I'm an old
(12:38):
guy, but if you're younger, umthat distance will come fairly
quickly if you hold true to theform and go after it.
Uh drivers, as mentioned,high-speed drivers are designed
for maximum distance.
They are designed to be flexed,they are designed depending on
the the make, mold, and model.
Um they uh they can give yousome monster distance.
(12:59):
My longest drive was definitelywith a um with a driver-based
disc.
Um, I have one.
My on my longest unassisteddrive is 427 feet.
I think I've done a couplelonger than that.
That's the only one I'vemeasured via U-Disc.
Uh, and then the longest one Ihad that was assisted by the
wind was 527 feet.
(13:19):
And I had a lake behind me, Iwas playing a mountain course.
So uh, but consistently I'm moreat the 2350 range.
So I can throw 400 if need be,um, but I'm just not very
consistent with it.
Uh so putters, slow, morestable, great for control, and
shorter distances, mid-rangedisc, moderate speed, suitable
(13:41):
for shaping lines.
Drivers, high speed discdesigned for maximum distance.
Plastic matters, starting out,don't worry about it.
Don't don't go buying thosesuper expensive things.
Just just get used to playingthe game and have some fun.
Uh, rollers is a popularthrowing style, and when done
correctly, can give you massivedistance with minimal effort.
(14:04):
This is I'm not good at these,but I've had a few bail me out
of some pretty pretty nastycourses I played over in uh
Tennessee.
Um it will uh it will also getyour butt out of a thicket of
trees or bushes when you findyourself off the fairway.
So um when you're in doubt, whenyou're in a thicket of crap,
(14:25):
just go skinny.
So get the smallest dish youhave, turn it on the side, and
then just try to flip it outstraight out, try to roll it
out.
Just get it out of there.
I had a uh a fellow card mate.
I was stuck in the bushes, andI'm not good at rollers, and he
said, dude, just get skinny.
So just get skinny, turn thedesk upside down, throw it like
a plate, and get skinny.
(14:46):
And on this particular case, Irolled out and it gave me par,
so I saved my par.
Um that was in North Carolina.
Okay, so um, so rollers, try itif try it.
Some people like them, somepeople don't.
Um figure out the disc.
Um, there are discs specificallymeant for rollers.
(15:08):
Rolo is one from one company.
Um, but I've seen people rollrace, I've seen people roll
undertakers, I've seen peopleroll rocks, putters.
I can consistently roll a bergat 150 to 250.
Um I've got the left hook downfrom the roll, I just can't
develop the right yet.
I'm still working on that.
So uh that leads to beingcreative.
(15:31):
Uh be creative and practice theodd stuff.
Heavy thicket and tree shots, aswell as those that require
shaping to get through woodedobstacles.
Um, all this should be practicedfar more than most people do.
I have had I have some crazyways of getting myself out of
some crap when I screw up adrive or approach shot.
(15:52):
These trick shots, so to speak,um are just as important as a
good short game and just asimportant as putting because you
will find yourself in the woods,on a lake shore, butted up
against a rock, stuck behind alog, uh one leg buried in
brambles that's just slicing thepiss out of your leg.
(16:14):
So you're gonna have to getcreative and um track.
I mean, I don't like thumbers,but I do have a thummer style
that I can actually throw up andget like all it is called a
grenade, by the way.
It is a it is a throwing style.
And I create a sidearm thumberthat that literally converts
into a grenade, and literally Ican get it to I can get this
(16:36):
eagle to flop and flatten out onits lid so it comes down top
down.
And uh it's one specific disc.
I don't know why it flies theway it does, but practice these
crazy little trick shots whenyou're on a course by yourself
and it's a heavily wooded courseor you got big boulders and it's
elevated, which I hate elevatedbaskets.
Put your find the stupidest spotat that basket where you've got
(17:00):
trees or bushes in front of you,and just try eight or nine, ten,
ten shots.
Try forehand, try backhand, tryroller, try any of those.
That creative stuff will get youout of some stuff, and also it
will create you some goodmoments.
I was playing one here in NorthVirginia, and uh I did this
crazy little weird high tossthummer because I had buried
(17:21):
myself behind the hut bushes,and uh I I chained it right dead
bottom of the.
I could not see the basket.
I could make out just one leftside of it through the tree, so
I threw it up almost the guys,the basket would be to my left.
My card mates were directly infront of me, and the bush is
god, every bit of 15, 20 feet.
So I had to tomahawk chop thisthing into I had to get it to go
(17:45):
up like I was trying to chop itwith an axe straight up in the
air.
And then as it goes up, I neededit to come over and almost act
like a grenade, so I had toconvert its flight in the air.
Now I know what this particular,it's a K1 soft berg in this
particular case.
I know what that thing does whenI get it really high and it
stalls.
And when it comes down and boom,right square in the basket.
(18:07):
I got a birdie on that one.
So um, so get creative becausethis these creative stuff is
extremely important.
Every time you go out there,people are putting monster
drives and they do their puttsand they forget that that that
creative, you've got to work onthat creative short game,
especially North Carolina, uh,parts of Tennessee.
I mean, there's courses likethis in every single state.
(18:29):
Um, I've played a ton of states,so I've seen a bunch of
different courses.
Um, but you gotta get creativebecause they will save you.
Now, as mentioned before, youhave grenade shots, you have
thumbers, turbo putting.
There are other inventive waysof playing this game that will
come along as you play more andmore.
In a nutshell, if it works andit gets the job done, go out
(18:53):
there and use it, no matter howstupid uh it may look to
everyone else.
Um my personal thing that I do,I don't jump putt, so um, but I
have created a side-standing, avery stiff upward.
I just jump putting is veryuncomfortable for me.
Maybe I'm old, maybe my kneesare screwed up, who knows?
(19:14):
Um, my bot, I just I'm veryuncomfortable doing a jump putt,
so I created a standing stiffarm putt to compensate for the
jump putt, and I just I won'tgive it up.
I have a disc golf basket in mybackyard, I practice jump
putting, and I just even afterall these times, it's just not
something meant for me.
Now, this standing stiff armthrow, I can get a lot of
(19:36):
distance extremely accurate withit.
Now, I'm still trying to dial itin a little bit, a little bit
more, but a couple years ago Iwas playing a tournament in
Georgia, and we were allpracticing our putting.
I'm just trying to get my armwarmed up.
So, like everybody else, wasjust trying to get warmed up,
get in the disc golf mode so wecan play a course.
And I was I had four or fivediscs, four or five putters in
(19:58):
my hand, and I'm doing mystanding stiff arm um putt that
replaces what I what most peopledo a jump putt for.
One of the guys goes, dude, youlook like Jackie Chan, because
in that particular sequence, Iactually basketted three of the
five discs I was holding usingthat motion.
And the guy said, Dude, thatlooks so weird.
(20:19):
You look like Jackie Chan, likesome martial arts looking thing.
So I call it a Jackie Chan,because apparently that's what
it looks like when I throw it.
And uh I have to use veryspecific putters because of
flight and loft and things likethat.
So uh if it's creative, if it'sstupid, and it's getting the job
done, do it.
Um so the name came from otherdisc golfers.
(20:41):
Again, I was playing in Georgia.
It was a really tough course.
I had a really, really bad gamebecause the course was way
beyond my experience level.
Um, but we'll discuss thatanother day.
Um so the disc off aerodynamicsand science and the beginning um
cluster of what I'm talkingabout here is just you have to
(21:05):
understand the science behind ita little bit just so you know
what to do.
Um don't throw it like a beachfrisbe or a backyard frisbee.
Um if you take a regular frisbeeand hold it up against one of
our disc golf discs, you canclearly tell there's a
difference.
Um so get your arm down, throwflat, throw straight, have fun.
So don't get too frustrated.
(21:26):
Um and um when you met when youwhen it when you throw it and it
does doesn't do what you want itto do, just pause for a second,
think about it.
Where was my arm, where was myfoot, what was I doing?
And again, the big thing is tolisten to professionals.
I don't consider myself aprofessional.
Um Scott Stokely, Gannon Burrboth have videos that have been
(21:51):
tremendously valuable to me overthe years.
Ganon Burr more for the puttingand my approach putts, the
longer distance stuff.
They call it uh C2 and beyond C2and things like that.
Um Gannon has been very uhhelpful in that aspect.
Scott Stokely's videos have beenextremely helpful with my
forehand, which I actually usein tournaments now.
(22:13):
I went through the first year ofplaying tournaments and playing
games where I wouldn't, I meanplaying tournaments, I wouldn't
use a forehand because I was sobad at it.
And then I forced myself tostart doing it.
Stokely's videos uh were very uhvery, very important, and now
I'm just as confident with themas anything else.
It's just my overall game isstill in need of improvement.
(22:35):
So um keep going and um keepplaying.
So I appreciate you listening into me ramble.
I'm trying not to use the AIvoices.
I think this is probably gonnabe a little bit more
impressionable.
So uh this is JT Norton.
Good throw, bad throw, goodputt, bad putt, good game, bad
game.
It doesn't matter.
Get out there and have fun.
(22:56):
Take the family.
Uh starting out, start with youreasy courses.
Uh, you're gonna love this game.
It's not gonna break the bank.
And like today, it's a beautifulday out there.
Get out there and play.
And if it's not a beautiful day,go play anyways, because the
rain and the wind will make youa better player, too.
Appreciate y'all for listening.
I'm out of here, but I shallreturn.
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