When first starting to play disc golf, it is very important to have the right discs in your hand as you learn the proper backhand form. Choosing the best disc for your backhand as a new player will help ensure that you develop proper form, reduce frustration on the course, and play your best. In this post, we aim to break down what makes the best discs to learn backhand form with and then recommend some specific ones for you to buy before your next round!
What Types of Discs are Best?
The most common mistake that beginners make on the disc golf course is starting with discs that are too fast and too overstable for their current arm speed. When I say fast, I am referring to how thick the rim of the disc is. The wider the rim, the faster the disc needs to be thrown in order to fly straight. The term overstable refers to the flight of the disc and how quickly it wants to dive to the ground. What you are looking for is a slower, more understable disc that will require less arm speed and tend to fly straighter on the course.
The best way to figure out if a disc is right for you as a new player is to use something called flight numbers. These are the numbers that are found on the bottom of the disc that inform you of the disc's speed, glide, turn, and fade. For the purpose of this article, we really only care about the speed and turn number.
What you are looking for in a disc is a speed that is 7 or less and a turn that is -2 or more (more turn means a more negative number such as -3 or -4). What these tell us is that the disc will not require a ton of arm speed and it will resist dumping out of the air during the flight. This will result in an easy, straight flight that you can consistently work with on the disc golf course.
Discs We Recommend
Dynamic Discs Motive
Discraft Sting
The Sting from Discraft is a great option for new players. It sits in between a midrange and a fairway and has a great feel in the hand. If you are worried about the rim thickness but you still want a disc that is a bit faster than the midranges, the Sting is perfect!
Discraft Meteor
The Meteor has been my goto disc to use when I take players out on the course for over 5 years now. It offers players just learning how to throw an immediately controllable flight that has a smooth, forward pushing fade as it falls to the ground. The other great thing about the Meteor is that there are even some pros on the Disc Golf Pro Tour that use the Meteor meaning it will be useful for you throughout your entire disc golf journey!
Innova Fox
The Fox from Innova is a perfect disc for new players. It has a very comfortable hand feel and controllable flight that will get you throwing straight down fairways in no time! Similar to the Meteor above, but with a slightly thicker feel in the hand. It will be a great choice for you that can stick in your bag for a while.
Latitude 64 Pure
The best option for beginners is always going to be a neutral putter. One of the best options in this category is the Latitude 64 Pure. It has a neutral to slightly understable flight with a great amount of glide. Being able to get a consistently good flight out of this disc will help you succeed with every disc as you progress!