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As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, you might be thinking it’s time to give up disc golf for a few months and head indoors for warm activities.
Sure you could do that but you risk losing all the progress you’ve made during the warmer months. Spending all the time inside in front of the tv and you’ll lose your competitive edge for sure.
And when the sun starts to shine and all the ice melts away, you’ll have to re-learn your forehand and putting stroke. No one wants that.
So before you think you need to give up the sport you love for a few months, consider my 8 disc golf tips. Hopefully, following these tips will help you stay warm and improve your game while playing in less than ideal conditions.
Plus, if you haven’t tried it yet. Playing disc golf in the snow can be a lot of fun.
1. Use Winter Plastic
The cold weather is going to change how your discs feel in your hand. You’ll notice that as the temperature drops your disc will become less flexible and less grippy.
If you play a lot in winter weather, you may also notice that your discs have a higher probability of cracking or breaking. Especially if you are hitting trees, concrete or metal baskets.
In order to counteract the effects colder weather has on the plastic you use, I recommend using grippy and flexible plastic. A great option for this would be GStar plastic made by Innova. It’s both grippy and flexible.
For more options for winter weather plastic check out this article.
If you hesitant about replacing all the discs in your bag with a premium plastic version of the disc, you might buy a lower grade plastic like Innova’s DX. The plastic does have adequate grip and flexibility to get you through the winter weather but if a disc does break it’s much cheaper to replace.
2. Adapt to Disc Flight Changes
If you’ve ever played disc golf in the cold, you might have noticed that your discs don’t fly the same. Most players notice two main changes to their disc’s flight.
One is stability. When playing in the cold, discs tend to act more overstable.
Another difference is they don’t fly as far. When playing during the winter time, it’s not uncommon to see less distance on your drives.
You could make changes to your bag and add more understable discs that have extra glide to counteract the effects of winter.
Check out some of our articles on great understable discs. Here is the one about drivers and this is the one for midrange discs.
Another option would be to adapt to these changes. Before you make a decision on the disc or shot understand that the disc will likely not fly as far and act more overstable. Either method should work.
3. Dress for Winter Success
As the seasons change and the temperatures drop, you’re going to be playing in less than ideal conditions. You are usually going to experience colder and wetter playing conditions.
You’ll want to be prepared for this by wearing warm clothes that are waterproof. I recommend wearing multiple layers, as you can always shed layers as you warm up and add layers if you get colder.
Gloves are a must. You’ll need to keep your hands warm during play. Pay close attention to your shoes and socks.
Playing in sogging socks and waterfilled shoes is no fun on any day but add in the colder temperatures and you could end up with frostbite. Make sure you’re playing in waterproof shoes and socks or at the very least bring extras to switch into.
They are also many waterproof sprays you could add to your shoes for added protection.
Here is a great option for boots. Check it out on Amazon.
4. Join a Putting League
If you don’t want to face the cold weather, why not just play indoors? That’s what an indoor putting league can allow you to do.
A group of disc golfers get together during the colder months and compete. The great thing about playing in one of these leagues is it allows you to keep practicing and improving on the most important part of your game, putting.
If you aren’t sure if there is a winter putting league in your area its best to start with the local disc golf club. If you ask around and find out there isn’t locally, you could start your own.
Here’s a link to guide on starting your own.
Also, dynamic discs has a winter marksman league program that will help with the equipment. Check that out here.
5. Change your Expectations
Just like you aren’t going to play your best in the wind, you aren’t going to play your best in the cold. As the temperature drops, there are too many variables that change.
We’ve already discussed the effects that winter can have on your discs in both how they feel and fly. But other things change too.
With more layers on, you are less flexible and your bulky clothing can affect your throwing form. Your footing usually isn’t as good.
Ice and water can make the tee pads slippery. It’s more difficult to keep balance in the snow.
All these things are going to be difficult to overcome and play at your very best but that’s okay. Play for fun and practice.
When the warmer months come around and tournament play begins you’ll be sharper than the competitors that stopped playing when it got cold.
6. Give special attention to your hands
Your hands are so important in disc golf. They are the only interface you have with the disc.
You use your hands to transfer the momentum and power you generate during your dive or throw to the disc. If your hands aren’t in the right place or your grip is off this can have a detrimental effect on your ability to throw well.
Because you need your hands for throwing the disc, especially your dominant hand, they are also exposed to the winter weather. I recommend keeping your non-dominant hand in some gloves as I mentioned before.
For the hand you use to throw the disc, keeping it warm in your pocket works well. I also like using hothands.
You can keep one of these in your pocket and basically warm up your hand instantly. Check out them out on Amazon.
7. Don’t lose your discs
When playing in winter weather it can be easy to lose a disc. Lighter discs, like white and yellow, can be hard to find, especially in the snow.
For this, I recommend using discs that stand out against the white of snow. Don’t throw your favorite white disc in the snow. You are just asking to lose it or at the very least spend a few hours searching for it.
If there is a large amount of snow and your disc can get buried in the snow, the color of the disc isn’t really going to matter.
In this situation, I recommend using the ribbon technique. If you attach a ribbon to your disc, you’ll be able to see it and easily retrieve it.
Check out this video for more information on how to do this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq7onUGx5So
8. Cross Train instead
If you are still reluctant to play disc golf in the cold and snow, you could use the winter season to focus on something else. I suggest you use the extra time to cross train.
What do I mean by cross train? Disc golf can be a physically demanding sport where you use the same movements over and over again.
This can cause muscle imbalances and injury from repeated movements. So if you aren’t going to play disc golf during the winter, why not try another sport.
You could join a basketball league or take up racquetball. Both involve different physical movements than disc golf and have a cardiovascular competent.
If starting a new sport doesn’t seem like something you are in to, you could use the extra time in the gym. You can build up your muscles and help fix any muscle imbalances by hitting the weights.
And while you are spending time on the cardio machines, you can listen to your favorite disc golf podcast and still keep up to date on the sport you love!
Flickr Image Creative Commons – Larry Jennings
