Get the Most Out of Your Practice Rounds

There are essentially 4 ways to play disc golf. Two of these are geared more for training purposes and the other two are geared for putting those skills to the test. In this article, we are focusing on practice rounds and how they fit into the greater disc golf mold. The four types of ways to play disc golf are as follow:

1. 1. Field Work – Open-ended training while throwing many shots for aspects of your game that you want to improve. This occurs in an open field and not at a course.
2. 2. Practice Round – Played at a course where you get to pair your skills with what the course offers. Great way to experiment and unlock different lines and aspects of a certain course.
3. 3. Scored Round at a Course – Typically played with friends where you keep score and have competitive spirit flowing. Always playing by the PDGA rules. Fun but trending towards competitive.
4. 4. Competitive Round – These are tournament rounds where you get to test all of the skills you have gained through the other three modes of play. Bring your best!

A practice round fits in right between field work and a scored round at a course. It is the best way to prepare for a tournament as you are still throwing many shots but they are specific to the course you will be playing. Let’s break down how you can get the most benefit out of your practice rounds.

Aspects Of A Practice Round

As with all of the ways to play disc golf, keep your mental game sharp. It can be difficult to keep your pre-shot routine consistent when you are throwing so many shots in a non-competitive fashion. It is not necessary to take your complete pre-shot routine before every shot. However, make sure you center yourself and throw with focus. This will ensure that each shot was thrown with your best effort and give you data points to figure out your best options for each hole.

Think of a practice round as training. This is a space to get to know how your skills pair with the course. Do not keep score in your practice round but rather get to know your game and the course. This will take all pressure or expectation out of the round and allow you to simply
visualize lines and throw your best shots. On holes that I can reach off the tee, I always make sure I put at least one shot inside the circle before moving off the tee. This will leave you with a nugget of confidence that you bring with you into a competitive round.

One of the best aspects of a practice round is to throw lots of shots. From the tee pad, visualize all the possible lines to your target landing zone and throw them all. See which one you feel most comfortable with and throw that shot a few more times. Then onto upshots. Same idea. Visualize all the possible lines to the basket and throw those shots. Then pick the line you feel most comfortable with and throw it a few more times. Now onto putting. I like to throw 5-10 putts per hole from the edge of my “comfort zone.” This is typically in the 25-30 foot range. Your comfort zone may be different but you get the idea. I will then pick certain holes to throw jump
putts, straddle putts, obstructed putts, etc. This ensures that on an 18 hole course I am getting around 200 putts in a variety of circumstances

Logistics For Practice Rounds

Play solo or with a friend who is willing to throw as many shots as you. This is going to be a SLOW round so make sure your friend knows this beforehand. Ask this person to film you during various shots in different circumstances (i.e., drives, up shots, putts). This will give you homework that you can take with you. Compare your form from how you think it is to how it ACTUALLY is! This can sometimes be an eye-opening and humbling experience. However, I have gained helpful insights from watching my form on film that has improved my game greatly. Remember, honest friends can be a huge help in advancing your game.

You will be spending lots of time on each hole while playing a practice round. Always allow other groups to play through. I have been on the other end of this and had to wait for players to throw multiple shots while on a hole. Frustrations certainly rose while our group questioned the motive. Don’t be THAT GUY!!

Before starting your practice round make sure to have goals. You may know the course and have goals on specific holes. There may be certain holes that have always given you trouble and you want to dial in the drive. Other goals may be to throw forehand upshots to within 20 feet, hit 90% of putts inside the circle, be more consistent with your pre-shot routine, visualize different lines off certain tee pads, etc. These goals provide tangible areas to find growth.

Consistency: It’s What We Crave!

Let’s talk about consistency. Back in 2017, I was a solid enough player. My rating was somewhere in the 950 range and I was competing in the Advanced division. Going into tournaments I always knew I had a chance to compete for the title. However, sometimes I would finish way down the leaderboard and was never quite sure why that would happen. The issue? Consistency. This came in two forms. The first was mental and the second was executing shots. Sometimes it was my mental game that led to a deterioration of my executing of shots while other times it was my inability to execute shots that led to a spiraling mental game. These two facets of disc golf typically go hand in hand when we lack the confidence of a consistent game.

During the Summer of 2017, I began to use field work and practice rounds as a way to improve consistency in tournament rounds. I had specific goals (i.e., improve putting, better forehand, flatter reach back, solidify mental pre-shot routine, etc.) which I used to develop a plan for developing my skills. Over time I began to feel a difference in competitive rounds where confidence was present which led to more consistency. If my mental game began to lapse I could focus on executing shots. If my execution of shots was in poor form I could focus on my mental game to carry me through while minimizing strokes. If both of these aspects are in poor form, watch out! But when both of these aspects are flowing together they bring confidence and consistency that make the competition a pleasure. I have since moved to the Open division and my player rating has stayed above 970. I attribute this consistency to training with intention.

Conclusion

Leave your expectations at home and enjoy your practice round. You are going to throw loads of shots and see lines you never knew existed. This creativity and shot-making will lead you to better scores in competitive rounds. Enjoy the process! All of your efforts are bound to lead to the golden goose of disc golf; consistency. This is bound to take time. Just be sure to keep a level head and have a plan going into your practice round. As long as you bring the right intention to your training you are on the road to progress.

Once you’re ready to start making practice rounds a part of your regular routine, make sure you have all the discs you’ll need to be successful. If you need more discs (who doesn’t?) then stock up with us!