Kristin Tattar putting at the 2019 U.S. Women's Disc Golf Championship. Credit: Alyssa Van Lanen
Disc Golf Putting: Everything You Need to Know
The objective of putting in the sport of disc golf is to land your disc in the basket, which can be challenging due to a number of variables, such as: how far away you are from the basket, wind conditions, and whether you have obstacles in your way. A player's ability to stay calm and confident while putting can make a significant difference in their performance. Putting is a critical skill in disc golf that requires practice, patience, and consistency to master. And we're here to help you!
Why is Putting Important?
Watching a disc fly hundereds feet is one of the most beautiful things to witness. But there's a reason they say, "Driving's for show. Putting's for dough". More often than not, what separates 1st from 2nd place is one or two made putts. So, becoming more accurate with your putting means scoring better and ultimately winning more often (whether it's your weekly doubles, a local C-tier tournament, or out on the Disc Golf Pro Tour).
Lets explore the different aspects of putting and then figure out how we can help you improve your putting performance.
Already familiar with disc golf and just want to improve your putting? Sign up for free and start practicing with our Putting Games and then take advantage of our detailed analytics.
Putting Form
If you've seen disc golf played before, you've probably noticed there are many different styles of putting. Let's breakdown some of the more important aspects of putting form.
Stance
Most people will use either a Staggered stance or a Straddle stance. A Staggered stance means one foot (right foot if you are right-handed) is closer to the basket than the other, whereas the Straddle stance has one foot behind your disc and the other out to the side so that both feet are equidistant from the basket. Some find one way easier than the other. BullseyePutting helps you experiment with different forms and will highlight which one produces the best results for you.
Want to dive deeper into each of these putting forms? See more about Staggered Stance and Straddle Stance.
Stroke
If the disc golf putting stroke is a spectrum, then the Spin putt and the Push putt are on opposite ends. And the Turbo putt is in an orbit of it's own.
The Spin putt is exactly like it sounds, a lot of spin with heavy wrist input. The Push putt travels in more of an arch motion towards the basket. A Spin putt tends to be easier to get on-line with the basket, however, misses tend to end up quite far from the basket. In order to keep missed putts close to the basket, players adopted the Push putt.
A Turbo putt looks similar to the position your arm is in when throwing a baseball or football. Rarely does a player use it as their main putting stroke but it comes in handy if you're behind a bush or need to straddle out from behind a tree.
Unsure which form you want to adopt? Read more about the Spin Putt, the Push Putt, and the Turbo Putt. Use our app to track your putting with each to see which one you're more effective with.
Wind
Although not technically a part of putting form, wind direction and wind speed play a big part of how a putter flies through the air. We have articles explaining how to deal with head wind, tail wind, and cross wind putts (how the wind acts upon the disc and what you need to consider).
What is Circle 1?
Circle 1 is defined as the circular area within 10 meters (32.8 feet) from the basket. When putting from "inside the circle" you must maintain your balance until your putter comes to rest, which requires a great deal of strength when you're further out in the circle. Circle 1 is one of the most critical areas in disc golf as it can make or break a player's score, and it requires skill and accuracy to make successful putts on a consistent basis from this range.
Circle 1X
Circle 1X (commonly abbreviated C1X) is the area of Circle 1 outside of the bullseye. If you're putting from the bullseye you're usually within 3 meters (~9 feet). It's common to look at putting stats outside of bullseye because those are made 99% of the time by pro/advanced disc golfers.
Outside the Circle
Anything beyond Circle 1 is considered, "outside the circle". From here you're allowed to fall forward with your momentum, so many players utilize a jump or step to their putting stroke when outside the circle.
PDGA Official Rules of Disc Golf: Not sure how to handle a certain situation? Reading the PDGA Rule Book will help you understand all aspects of the game.
Putting Games
Survivor
The Survivor game tests your ability to putt under pressure. You start with 1 life and have 3 chances from 5 meters away. If you miss all 3 putts then you lose a life, if you make 1 or 2 you stay at the same distance, and if you make all 3 you move out 1 meter. If you make all 3 your first time at that distance you gain an extra life.
JYLY
This game tests your consistency from a specific distance (typically 5 putts in a row). The further away, the more points you get. The more putts you make, the further the distance the following round. We have a Circle 1 version that tests your abilities in the outter half of C1 and a Circle 2 version of the game. We also have a variant for beginner/intermediate players that only requires 3 putters and you move between 5 and 8 meters away from the basket.
Ladder
The Ladder game is a more friendly version of the Survivor game. You start from 5 meters away and use 3 putters. If you make all 3, you move 1 meter further from the basket. If you make 2 putts, you stay at the same distance. If you make 1 putt, you move 1 meter closer. If you don't make any putts, you move 2 meters closer.
Same Spot
The Same Spot game is pretty self-explanatory: you take 20 putts from a given distance from the basket. This game helps you dial in accuracy from a given distance. Let's say you're not very comfortable from 9 meters. Here you can dail in the feel from that distance before you move on to other games where making a large portion of your putts from that distance dramatically improves your point total. Give it a try!.