Crushing the Frozen Fairway: Tips for Cold Weather

As the last autumn leaves fall and the winter months approach for most of the country, many disc golfers are preparing for the off-season. However, the cold and snow don’t have to mean that disc golf is over. In fact, playing a round in the snow is one of the most fun and unique experiences of disc golf. This article will set you up to be successful in the colder months so there doesn’t have to be an off-season and so that you can keep your skills sharp into the spring.

Items To Bring

Similar to playing in wet conditions, playing disc golf in the cold or snow requires more preparation before a round. Packing your bag with the necessary items to make you feel more comfortable in the winter will help your performance and save you by throwing any extra strokes. Below is a list of items and how they can be put to use in your rounds during the winter months:

• Layers – Wearing a heavy jacket may restrict your movement. By layering your clothing, it will allow you the freedom of movement while keeping you warm and preventing hypothermia for those 32 degree (or below) rounds.
• Waterproof Shoes – Playing in the winter, you’ll need waterproof shoes or boots to avoid wet, cold feet. Pair that with these waterproof disc golf socks and you’ll be unstoppable in snowy rounds.
• Handwarmers – Use an electric handwarmer to keep your fingers nice and toasty. Handwarmers help blood flow and will prevent your hands from locking up, thus improving grip.
• Towels – Bring two or three disc golf towels to wipe your discs since playing in the winter means you’ll be playing in some form of snow or rain. (At least if you’re located in the Northeast).
• Hand Dryer – In addition to a towel, a hand dryer keeps hands dry from snow while improving grip and feel.

Disc Selection

Now that your bag is packed with hand warmers and multiple towels, it’s time to choose which discs to bring for those chilly or snowy rounds. Some discs to avoid before you play a snowy round include white discs, stiff plastic discs, and irreplaceable discs since there is a higher likelihood you’ll lose a disc in just a few inches of snow. Now that you’ve taken out that White Innova DX Destroyer from your bag, it’s time to fill it with some brightly colored, softer discs.

Brightly colored and softer, grippier plastics are generally better for winter disc golf because they are easier to find in the snow and become less brittle in the cold. Here are a few disc plastics that will help you crush the frozen fairway:

• Innova GStar – The grippier, flexier cousin of the premium Star plastic, Innova’s GStar plastic is made from the same material as Star and Champion, so it’s just as durable but is a softer grade of plastic which is better for cold-weather play by adding better grip.
• Discraft Z FLX – Discraft’s Z FLX plastic combines Z plastic with cushioning FLX plastic providing durable, all-weather super grip that is easier to grip for more controlled releases, especially in cold or wet conditions.
• Prodigy 300 Soft – Featuring a soft, flexible, and grippy plastic, Prodigy’s 300 Soft Plastic is a great option for wintertime, especially for putters. Prodigy offers all their putt and approach discsin the 300 Soft Plastic. They also come in a variety of colors such as orange, yellow, green, purple, and pink which helps finding discs in the snow.
• Glow Discs – Daytime is relatively short in the winter and glow discs are a fun way to keep playing despite the sun setting. With most disc manufacturers offering some variation of glow discs, Rogue has you covered with plenty of glow plastics to choose from to ace the early evening course.

Bonus Tips

Playing in the snow can quickly turn into a round of “Dude, where’s my disc?” or calling it quits after 9-holes because you can’t feel your fingers. Below are a few bonus tips when it comes to playing a winter round:

• Do NOT Pre-Warm Your Discs – Keeping discs warm is not recommended in the winter because snow melts on the discs and refreezes, messing with the flight and grippiness of the disc. One option is to store discs in vehicles or other outdoor storage areas overnight to acclimate discs to the cold.
• Ribbons – Losing a disc in the snow can be difficult to recover. By attaching ribbons to your discs, you’re able to find discs faster because the ribbon will stick out where the disc entered in the snow. For a better explanation on attaching ribbons to discs, check out this article by DG Puttheads.
• Get Warmed Up by Warming Up – Give your body a chance to warm up and get acclimated to the weather by warming up with a few practice throws or putts.
• Bring a Small Shovel – Playing in the snow typically means you have the course to yourself but that also means tees aren’t cleared. You may want to bring a small shovel to clear off teepads.
• Bring Extra Clothes – Playing snowy rounds means you’ll get wet. Bring extra clothes and shoes to change into after a round to keep yourself warm and your car dry. Also, you may want to consider bringing a trash bag to put your wet clothes in.

Bringing It All Together

Disc golf is one of few sports that can be played year-round through all types of conditions, and playing in the winter is no exception. Playing disc golf in the winter presents itself with many benefits such as fewer people on the course, unique throwing strategies like skipping a disc off of the ice, and being able to play in a picturesque winter wonderland. As long as you’re properly prepared with hand warmers, waterproof socks, and grippy, brightly colored discs, you’ll be successful in crushing the frozen fairway.