I have been playing disc golf since 2015 and have played at every level of the game. If there is a mistake to be made out there, I have personally made it and watched countless other players make it. The ten mistakes you will find in this article are the BIGGEST and most common mistakes I see in players once they advance past the beginner stage of their game and begin to improve. If that is you, chances are multiple of the mistakes below are holding you back from being as good as you should be right now!
Copying Pros Bags
This is by far the most common mistake I see players making. The pros influence our purchasing decisions all the time. This is mainly because they are the big marketing tool that manufacturer's use so a lot of the molds that are good for you, unfortunately you will never see or hear about! The big thing to remember here is that you don't throw 500+ feet so the disc that Anthony Barela is using on the course will not fly like that for you. Realizing this will really help you build a bag for YOUR game and not copying the one built for theirs. Another important thing to remember is that they play a lot more disc golf than your average person. This means that their discs see a lot more wear than typical discs. The Force or Destroyer in a pros bag will a lot of times be beat in to fly a lot different than the stock ones on the shelf. Chase the flight path that pros get, not the discs they use to accomplish those flights.
Relying Too Heavily on Flight Numbers
The classic line that gets said that instantly lets you know you struggle with this is if you have ever said something like "Why is that fading so early?! It is supposed to be a -2 1..." Now don't get me wrong, flight numbers have a place in making purchasing decisions when you are first starting out and don't know what discs do or were designed for. What I am talking about is when players refuse to accept that the disc they have doesn't fly for them like the flight numbers say it should. Once you throw a disc and learn it, ignore the flight numbers. A Beast (10,5,-2,2) might fly like a 10,4,0,3 for you and that is okay! The mistake you need to avoid is ignoring the evidence of past throws and thinking it is magically going to fly like that -2,2 instead of the 0,3 and ending up out of bounds or in the crap left.
Ignoring Their Natural Release Angle
Everyone has an angle that they are most comfortable throwing. When you first start out, you throw everything a certain way and then begin learning other ways to throw and think that you need to always adjust your release angle to match the shot. It feels like this is the next step and what you need to do if you want to be good like the pros. The funny part is that the pros rely heavily on their natural release angle and let the disc do the work whenever possible. If you can choose a disc that gives you the flight you need for a hole without changing your release angle from what you are most comfortable with, you should always do that. This will dramatically improve your consistency. Watch the pro tour closely and you will notice that on a lot of holes every pro throws the same shot shape with several different techniques. This is because they are doing what they know they do best personally instead of bending to what it seems like the hole calls for.
Carrying Too Many Molds
A lot of people will disagree with this take, but I really think this is an important one. I see so many amateurs bagging way too many molds without knowing the difference between them or even acknowledging they do very similar things but just like throwing one over the other sometimes. The idea of mold minimization is eliminating choice as much as possible. This provides two main benefits in my opinion. First, it allows you to really get to know the discs in your bag and build confidence with them since you are throwing them frequently. Second, it eliminates the possibility of doubt on your disc selection. If you know that your only choice for a neutral mid is your Buzzz then you won't have the option to wonder if you should be throwing your MD3 here instead. This really helps you build confidence in your bag which quickly results in strokes saved on the course.
Switching Discs in Their Bag
This has similar logic and issues as the one above but is a different problem. You can never fully know the discs in your bag if you are constantly switching them in and out to try new ones. This is the biggest problem I currently have with my game. Being a disc golf shop owner and content creator, I get the privilege of throwing new releases all the time and naturally I fall in love with one from time to time. The only problem is for it to go into my bag, something has to come out. This means that I constantly am taking out discs that I know for ones that I want to get to know. This is fine if you are in a position like me and just want to play disc golf for fun. If you are trying to improve and be a competitive disc golfer, this is only holding you back. Try new discs in field work, not in your bag.
Disc Selection
One of the biggest mistakes amateur players make is choosing a disc based on what looks cool instead of what the shot actually calls for. A lot of players reach for a high-speed driver on every tee, even when the hole really asks for something slower, straighter, or easier to control. Since I started playing in 2015, I've seen players improve almost immediately just by matching the disc to the shape, distance, and landing zone of the shot. A well-thrown fairway driver or midrange that fits the line will usually beat a disc that is too fast, too overstable, or just plain wrong for the situation.
Ignoring Course Management
Most amateur players lose more strokes from poor decisions than poor throws. Trying to force a hero line through a tiny gap or running a risky putt when a simple layup would secure par often leads to unnecessary bogeys. Good course management isn't exciting, but it's one of the fastest ways to lower your scores. The best players aren't always making spectacular shots, they're consistently avoiding big mistakes.
Wasting Practice Sessions
A lot of players practice without actually improving. Throwing a stack of drivers as hard as possible in a field for an hour might feel productive, but if you're not working on something specific, progress is usually limited. The most effective practice sessions have a purpose. Whether it's improving your release angle, dialing in your putting routine, or learning a new shot shape, focused practice will always beat mindless repetition.
Chasing Distance
Distance is probably the most overrated skill among amateur disc golfers. Every player wants to throw farther, and there's nothing wrong with that, but many players become obsessed with adding 20 feet while ignoring the parts of their game that actually save strokes. I've watched plenty of players throw 450 feet and shoot worse scores than players who max out at 325. Distance helps, but accuracy, consistency, and decision-making matter far more for most golfers.
Ignoring Short Game
Nothing lowers scores faster than improving everything inside about 200 feet. Yet most amateurs spend the majority of their practice time throwing drives. The reality is that a missed 20-foot putt counts the same as a drive that travels 100 feet shorter than your friend's. Putting, approaches, and scramble shots may not be as fun to practice, but they're responsible for the majority of scoring opportunities during a round. If you want to improve quickly, spend less time trying to throw farther and more time making sure you can convert the shots that actually matter.
Closing Thoughts
The good news is that every mistake on this list is completely fixable. Most amateur players get stuck because they spend their time chasing what looks impressive instead of focusing on what actually leads to lower scores. They buy discs meant for pros, obsess over distance, constantly change their bags, and ignore the less exciting parts of the game like course management and the short game. The players who improve the fastest are usually the ones who simplify things. Learn your discs, trust your strengths, practice with purpose, and make smart decisions on the course. Do those things consistently, and you'll be surprised how quickly your scores start dropping.