How To Putt In Disc Golf
There is 3 main different styles of putting and I will teach you them all here so you can find the one for you.
The spin putt, push putt, splush putt.
There is also 2 main stances you can do for your putting technique, but that doesn’t also mean you are limited to them.
Disc Golf Putting Grips
I will show you various pictures of different grips for you to try out. I will show you mine and a few different other grips from top pros. I believe you just have to find out which you prefer for your hand size.
You also grip the disc with about 40-60% pressure for a clean easy release. You can also add more thumb pressure if you are a spin putter as it will help get more spin.
Here are are 3 variations of putting grips you can use, some also lay the pointer finger along side the rim completely on it, some don’t. I use the first putting grip, I got that from Eagle McMahon/Simon Lizotte.
I find I can generate the most spin from that grip in my experience using a lot of different styles. Find what works for you and experiment with all 3 and even putting you pointer finger flat on the rim and see how it goes.
Disc Golf Putting Stances
There are 2 main putting stances you can do. The most popular one is doing some form of a staggered stance. Doing a staggered stance, is a lot easier to generate distance from it and weight transfer and get more ommmph into the throw.
The next putting stance is doing a straddle put, it’s hard to generate lots of “power” doing the straddle putt unless you really bend over and swing the disc between your legs, but it is a extremely good viable putt with practice at all ranges.
With staggered stance, you put your front foot slightly angled, and most put there backfoot horizontal as it turns there hips 45 degrees allowing them to get generate more power/spin from the ground up.
Staggered stance you just line the basket up in the middle of your body, I recommend watching Kevin Jones if that is the style you want to learn.
Disc Golf Push Putt
One style of putting is the push putt which means you are using your arm as a pendulum. You will nearly have a straight arm, that only moves up and down and you do not use the elbow to gain more spin to the putt, the disc will also go higher in the air before dropping into the basket.
This style of putting can lead to really consistent putting within 20-30ft, but getting distance for 40-70ft with push putts can be difficult and most will need to learn how to practice it and get efficient at weight transferring and timing to gain the bigger distances.
Ricky Wysocki is the best push putter in the world and check out the highlights right here to show you what it looks like.
Disc Golf Spin Putt
The spin putt, you are using your elbow, and it can achieve farther distances at running the basket when putting, it can lead to less consistent within 30ft, when you do miss it can sometimes soar past the basket 15-20ft leaving yourself a tester putt just to make it in the basket.
Spin putt is really good in windy conditions, and when you need to make a little gap and need to go just straight at the basket.
Simon Lizotte putting highlights to demonstrate spin putting.
Disc Golf Spush Putt
A spush putt is a combination of a push and spin putt, you are using less elbow then a spin putt but you are also swinging your arm down like a pendulum.
This is personally my favorite style of putting and I can achieve standing still putts with 60-75ft and I don’t like jump putts or want to do them so this works perfectly for me.
Spush putts usually don’t fly past the basket if you do miss so they aren’t as punishing as spin putting. They work good in the wind as spin putts also. They also have a good consistency of aiming just like push putts.
Eagle McMahon is probably the best Spush putter in the world but he doesn’t have a dedicated putting highlight video, I will recommend a overall highlights of a bunch of putts for you to watch know that you understand all the styles.
Here is putting highlights from Jomez the best disc golf coverage out there.
You will see pros using every style there is no best style, repetitions and practice can make and style a high level.
(I will have personal videos for each style of putting but there is a bunch of snow and extremely cold where I live)
Disc Golf Putting Follow Through
In those highlights notice how everyone’s hand is always nearly pointing at the basket, it is the most important thing and getting the muscle memory down to achieve that will lead you to making consistent putts.
When putting with every style, the follow through is the most important thing for how you aim the disc and get it released on your line. If you are missing left or right, it’s probably caused by your timing/follow through.
When you throw any putt, your fingers, wrist, and forearm should all be flat on top, meaning you are not over snapping the disc, which leads to lousy aiming and less consistency.
Disc Golf How To Get More Distance
All Distance when it comes to any throw in distance is generated from the ground up. You can only using your arm swing for so much distance.
Backhand, Forehand, Putting, everything starts with the ground up to generate more power/spin and momentum to achieving more distance.
If your upswing starts before you are kicking up with your back foot then you are starting to early and you need to start kicking up from the back of your body before you begin the upswing.
How To Get Good At Putting
First choose the style you would like to do, they are all good, start with the ground up find your footwork. Find a footwork routine.
Footwork leads, your arm and weight transfer and aiming with follow through.
Practice small, go to 10 feet and practice, footwork, arm swing for your style, and follow through, then slowly add more distance practicing.
Make 50 putts in a row at 10 feet, then continue to practice at 15, then 20, 25, then 30. Repetitions will allow you to gain consistency and you will gain more distance over time as your form improves and muscle memory gets there.
I also recommend practicing straddle putts with all forms of putting. Sometimes you need to do that stance with trees. It’s good to learn the arm swing while doing that stance when it’s necessary when you have to stand out to the side trees or bushes.
Don’ts
Most just go up to a distance you can’t even get close to putting at and you aren’t practicing muscle memory of the release point and missing out on simple practice. Little distances will allow you to achieve farther putts over time.
Do’s
Trying to practice putt daily, if you can’t do daily try to get 15-20 minutes before your round of just putting.
Probably 99% of pros practice 100-300 putts a day. Putting can make or break your game.
You don’t need to achieve that level of practice, but that’s what it takes to achieve greatness with putting. Allow yourself to practice with whatever spare time you can allow yourself.