Try My 100-200-300-400 Method in Disc Golf

There’s so much advice out there for disc golf beginners. So here’s yet another blog full of advice for folks who are struggling with when they should throw each disc.

One question newer players often ask me is when they should throw each disc.

“Is this too far for a putter?”
“Do I take out my driver here?”
“What is a fairway driver even for?”

They’re all good questions so I’d like to answer.

I’ve heard a lot about the “Rule of 35” and I think it’s a fairly decent guideline. But I feel like people struggle to divide the distance to the pin by 35 and pick a disc based on it.

For example if you pull out your Bushnell Rangefinder and see that you’re 280’ to the basket, what’s 280/35?

I’d have to say that I know there’s three 35’s in 105 and so there would be six 35’s in 210. Then 280-210 is 70 so I’d add two more and get that I should throw an 8 speed. But that’s a lot of math for me to do in my head when I have other things to think about.

I think that the rule of 35 is a little bit better for determining your overall arm speed than for helping you out on the disc golf course.
When you’re out on the practice field working on those distance drives go out and measure your max drives and figure out what disc speed works the best for you. That’s when you can throw 350 feet and realize that a 10 speed is right in your wheelhouse.

But when you’re out on the disc golf course, try my 100-200-300-400 method.

If you’re 100 feet away, (or closer) use a putter.
If you’re 200 feet away, use a midrange.
If you’re 300 feet away, use a fairway driver.
If you’re 400 feet away, use a distance driver.

This method works for amateur players when the ground is mostly flat.

“But Streeter, I see pros throwing their putters 300 feet.”

Jomez, GK Pro, Gatekeeper, Central Coast, Disc Golf Network, these are all entertainment channels. They’re not meant to be informative. If you’re throwing your putter 300 feet you’re a big arm in my book.

And it takes a lot of extra effort to throw a putter 300 feet. You’ve got to get a run up, hit that nose angle just right, maybe throw it on a little flip up hyzer, release it a little higher so it has more time to glide, OR you can just throw a fairway driver a lot easier and get a much more consistent flight.

The average player throws 200-300 feet. If you consider MA3 to be the average player.
Anecdotally, I don’t think the average player throws past 225’ with any consistency. I say that as someone who has given dozens upon dozens of lessons and spent time behind a lot of cards on a lot of different courses.
Every time you think disc golf is hard for you, remember you’re in the better

Now how about those distances that aren’t an even 100/200/300/400 feet? I’m rarely 300 feet exactly away from a hole. Sometimes I’m 335 feet away, what do I do then?

That’s when I believe you admit to yourself how you’re feeling that day. Did you skip breakfast and lift a bunch of extra stuff at work? And it’s hole 16 and you’re a couple strokes off where you usually are?
Then it might be time to disc up to a distance driver because you’re tired and you know you’re going to have to throw a little harder on this drive and don’t want to risk flipping over your fairway driver.

Conversely if you ate a big breakfast and you find that your midrange just carried 250 on a 210 foot hole so you hit that big comebacker for birdie. Maybe you throw your fairway on a 335’ hole and just trust that today you have what it takes to get there.

Are there moments when you should break this 100-200-300-400 strategy?

Yes.

1. Anytime you’re throwing downhill you want to account for the distance dropped. Here’s a great blog on the subject of throwing uphill or downhill.
2. If it’s super windy, you need to be throwing more stable discs to get reliable flight paths. More overstable discs mean less distance on them. It will be harder to achieve the regular distances, so you might want to disc up and throw harder.
3. If you’re really good with a disc at a specific distance. Maybe you have 275’ absolutely dialed in with your Pro Destroyer because you’ve been throwing that on a specific hole on your home course forever. Maybe you’re hitting the circle at 180’ with your putter. Keep using that disc at that distance.
4. If you become a big distance arm. Someone who can throw their putter 300’ or their distance driver 450’+ regularly. You don’t really need to adhere to this rule.
5. If all your discs are flying the same distance. Let’s take a look at that and fix that first. That’s important for scoring, faster discs should fly further *when thrown at the proper speeds.*
6. If the distances aren’t working for you. This is a guideline that I’ve developed to help players who are newer to the game expand the discs they’re working with and learn when discs may be appropriate. If you’re not throwing any discs 250+ feet, there’s not going to be a lot of differentiation between your fairways and your distance drivers.

Try the 100-200-300-400 strategy the next time you’re out on the course.
Simplify that decision making down to some easy to manage numbers.
Finding the discs that work at the distances you find yourself frequently, and managing your skills and energy for the day will help you lower your scores.

May your discs miss all the trees,
Andrew Streeter #70397