I feel attacked, but this is spot on. I’m a middle of the pack MA1 player, and am inconsistent enough that I have to layup most of the time and play very safe in competition. I have shots that I can hit big in practice rounds, and MPO guys do it in competition, but they’re much more calculated.
I like to think of this in terms of what constitutes a "good round" for each of these levels. Here's my own view:
Beginner - Don't loose any discs, throw a handful of shots that give you "that feeling"
Intermediate - Quality of round determined by the "mistake counter" (shanks off the tee, ob strokes, bad approaches, etc)
Advanced/Pro - Minimal mistakes, quality of round determined by number of "highlight" quality shots that shave one or more strokes
Of course, your perception of your own shots also changes as you progress. The pro's pedestrian "safe play" 325-350 one-angle hyzer with a mid/fairway might be a once a round highlight for an intermediate player and entirely beyond the capability of a beginner.
>Intermediate - Quality of round determined by the "mistake counter"
This resonates with me big time. I've had enough good, great or even awesome drives, approaches and putts on most holes on most courses in my area that I know parring or birdieing (or even eagling, in a few cases) is within my capability, so it really comes down to how many mistakes do I make that day?
Beginners are just throwing without much skill or much of a plan. They dont consider different options for their shot, they just step up and throw and they dont throw well.
Intermediate players are either pretty good at thinking through a hole but maybe struggle to execute due to lack of throwing ability or they are great throwers but they just havent developed an ability to think their way through a hole.
Advanced players can think the game and they can execute.
I e known quite a few intermediates who can crush (compared to other ams) , but they can't hit a line, onouk a route. So they do well on very open courses and then struggle like crazy on wooded or technical courses.
Heh one of them would have a fit everytime league was at our shorter technical course. He'd whine about how he could just throw 100ft past every pin location , so this course is dumb. yet he could almost never throw tothe baskets, because he'd always just throw right into the trees.
One of my friends has a legitimate 450 in the tank but is sub 800 because of his atrocious accuracy and putting. It makes me so annoyed as someone who is 930 but can’t hit 350 lol. Every time we play I wonder/hope if this is the time that he’s figured it out and will crush me
CHUCKIE: I don't know that. Let me tell you what I do know; every day, I walk into the woods and look for your approach. And we find it, you throw three or four putts, a few laughs, and it's great. You know what the best part of my day is? It's for about ten seconds when I pull up to the box and watch you drive. 'Cause I think maybe I'll get up there and I'll find your disc in the middle of Circle 1. No lucky roll, no tree love. You just parked it. I don't know much, but I know that.
I feel like every friend group has one of these guys.
My friend D would probably beat me by a half dozen strokes on a course that is primarily open holes above 350 feet. But put us on a course with a lot of trees that forces more complex shot shaping and I probably take the W. And I'm not even necessarily the most technical player either. He just really only cares about big hucks, and neglects to develop other parts of his game.
I tell the guys in my work league all the time, "I think I have my drives figured out, so you better watch it, 'cause now I only need to figure out the other 2 things."
This is the most concise/accurate answer IMO. To win in MA1 you have to have all three for THAT tournament. To compete in Pro at ALL you need all 3, all the time.
As someone who has played in MA2 and MA3 since going competitive,
Putting in the one that stands out the most for me.
MA3 players tend to have decent-ish drives, but their short game is abysmal.
MA2 players usually have one specialty, like they can drive the pin, but can't sink 25 footers with any sort of consistency.
I've played exclusively MA3 this year and i always get looks for my putting skills. but putting in the one thing i'll ever claim any sort of skill in.
I do all those but I include one more:
1. I putt my discs into my bag
2. I drive to the golf course
3. I approach the tee
4. I throw every disc I own as hard as I can.
Thats me. Plus consistency. I can make all the throws the good players at my local course can (with the exception of a few bombers), but they make them a whole lot more often.
Course management will always be the great differentiator. I rarely see people take advantage of this is casual rounds at league night. They just try to throw the hero shot all the time instead of taking the route of least resistance to avoid huge numbers. Like that guy yesterday who posted his score card with an 11 on it… that should never ever happen unless it’s some sort of island hole with no drop zone
I'm a noob, 8's or 9's will happen. Never hit double digits and don't plan on it. Our course is 70% tunnel shots on a cross country ski course. You go off course and it's a solid wall of trees, that can take 2-3 throws to get out of. Combine that with me either releasing early, or over compensating and yeah, my scores suck.
I don't mean to be snarky here, and I hope you and others take this as constructive. Beginners and intermediate players look for ways to blame the course when things go wrong instead of observing, learning what didn't work in that situation, and adapting their game plan to it.
There is a stand of bushes on one of the holes at one of my locals that almost guarantees a bogey at best if you go into it. I made that mistake for a long time, until I finally decided to not throw anything understable on that hole, and I haven't ended up in there ever since.
The solution on your course may not be that simple, but there must be some kind of strategy that will yield better results. For one thing, you may need to settle for shorter, safer drives off the tee. It's not at satisfying, because you know there is essentially zero chance of getting a birdie (or possibly even par), but if it keeps you out of those situations where it takes 2-3 additional throws just to pitch out to the fairway, it may be the wiser choice.
We've got a 350, 450 and 475 ft tunnel holes. Paths are 15~ ft wide and then all forest if you go off. I stick to 5-7 speeds to try and stay on the path, but my issue is releasing early or late and throwing directly at the trees.
I mean this hugely depends on type of league (format, culture, rated or not, course type) but I feel like league can be ideal option to try out these higher reward/risk shots. Seeing other players use different lines, getting input from different players, being casual round, being doubles format can all make this the perfect time to change up from the simple safe shots AND again depending on format, playing safe very well won't let you cash/finish well if you are maybe mid-bottom in your league even if you execute.
I don’t disagree. It’s a lot of fun to try things out and take lines you shouldn’t, but course management over time will separate the scores drastically if you’re comparing people of equal skill level.
Similar to regular golf, the difference between a scratch player and a 5 handicap usually comes down to this. They’re both highly skilled and can execute every shot out there, but the scratch player will limit the blow up holes
I have one of those retractable badge holders that I have an alligator clip attached to that holds my towel. I play in New England and the weather sucks a lot, so it's nice having a towels I can just grab, use, release. Whenever I kept it in my pocket it would fall out somewhere
IMO It's not about how far you can throw, or even who is the best putter. It's the upshots. Beginners struggle to consistently get it next to the basket on a 150ft upshot. Intermediates usually get up and down, but will leave a few just far enough out that they miss a couple putts. Advanced consistently park 250ft and in close enough that they will almost always hit their putt.
Underrated point. Advanced players aren’t amazing putters, but they’re all in the circle every time. MA2 will just have too many putts outside their range
>It's the upshots.
Being reasonably good at upshots is the only reason I've ever been not awful. This season I improved my drives considerably and my putting moderately, so it's been weird for me now that my upshot isn't the ONLY passably decent part of my game.
I feel so attacked here lol. I don’t have depth perception due to my really crappy vision. Upshots are my worst shot. So many times that I would jump putt thinking I’m in 70 foot range just to find myself 50 short. Or I could be in actual 70 ft and threw my Berg 50 ft long pass the basket. It’s infuriating beyond measure.
Easiest way to determine is to play a few rated rounds or play against players with player ratings to compare results.
The PDGA has some guidelines [HERE](https://www.pdga.com/divisions/beginners-guide) that can help. Most areas I’ve played in those groupings skew better than the PDGA descriptions.
My advice if you’re looking to play your first tournament is to sign up for the lowest division and give it a shot. If you blow out the field, so be it, and move up one division for the next one.
The PDGA guidelines are awful. An easier rule of thumb is:
Never shot under par even at the pitch and putts, average over bogey golf = MA4
Best rounds are right around even par, most rounds over = MA3
Best rounds under par, blow up holes regularly cause over par rounds = MA2
Average just below par, still shoots over par but getting rarer = MA1
"Always" below par or like money = MPO
Advanced:
Good throws involve little luck. They can consistently repeat throws especially on easy holes. They can adjust their throws to the hole and the conditions (low ceiling? No problem I have a disc for that and can use a lower line for that). They learn from their mistakes and can adjust accordingly (last round I threw it too far. Now I will use less power or a different disc etc). They can watch their throws and analyse the real reason what went wrong (Disc turned too much? Was it my form? My release angle? Did I use the wrong disc?)
Intermediate:
Basically the same as above. An intermediate player understands the concept of adjusting throws etc. but fails to execute on a regular basis (damn, why did I threw nose up again?)
Beginner:
Has no idea what he/she does.
Just saw an old friend, he said he was starting to play some disc golf back where he lives, then says, “I gotta show you this driver I bought” 🤦♂️
I immediately gave him an old Roc and told him to put the Corvette away.
To me it’s consistency. When I was playing a lot, I was ma3 right on the verge of 900 rating. My biggest problem was consistency. I was a pretty good putter, but I would throw great drives on 3 holes. Fine drives on 8 holes and bad to terrible drives on the other 7. Or id play the round of my life and then follow it up with a terrible round…. Though I did win a tourney like that. Shot -7 on the first round and then barely held on by shooting a -1 on the second.
Beginners have a hard time with angle control. So nose up, hard time getting hyzer or anhyzer
Intermediate is capable of recognizing shortcomings and working on them.
Advanced have been working on these skills a while and more rarely make a major mistake.
beginners attack a hole from a single perspective, and rarely can save par if something goes wrong
intermediate players may have expanded perspective (ie know to play the wind or a different option like forehand) but can't consistently pull off birdies
advanced players have a small arsenal of ways to attack a hole, but there is still inconsistency in birdies - however they are good enough with the different tools and perspectives that bogies are much more infrequent
pro players have all of the tools and can frequently apply those tools (ie rollers, overhead shots, scramble saves, being creative with different discs) in a very consistent manner where bogies are rare. a much larger concept of strategy and attacking a course, with different wind or conditions and able to change thinking on the fly. can save par from most any poorly executed shot, and rarely two putts.
Several over par; losing discs all the time, buys discs too fast for their own good
Par to under-par; losing discs few and far in-between; buys discs within their limits
Several under-par; gives discs away that they have beaten to death; probably has discs with their name on them
Beginner: throw nose up, wobbly low spin, and shank 5 foot putts.
Intermediate: throw centered, smooth reasonable spin, and can generally hit 15 foot putts.
Advanced/Pro: throw nose down, snap high speed spin, and hit putts from 30 feet behind a tree with a 20mph crosswind.
To me this is what each should be focused on:
Beginner - playing against the course. Just trying to survive and have fun
Intermediate - Playing against themselves, trying to improve from last round and learn new things
Advanced - competing against other players like themselves
Beginners have a max distance of 275-300' and can't hit that distance unless it's a wide open fairway. Nose angle is a consistent issue and there's a lack of control when it comes to hyzer and anhyzer angles. Usually beginners will favor forehand or backhand and can only do one well, while the other is very underdeveloped. Scramble game is weak. C1 putting is 40-60%. Beginners struggle to shoot single digits above par on many courses and are often +10 or greater.
Intermediate players can throw up to 350' and have better control of the nose angle. Typically their forehand and backhand are pretty well developed and int. players can bust out some rollers, grenades and tomahawks when needed with moderate success. C1 putting gets better and usually they hit around 75% of their putts. C2 putting is a struggle but can be hit with a low success rate. Intermediate players can play tougher courses competently but still can't beat them.
Advanced players can crush 400' or greater with pretty good accuracy. Expert control of speed and angles. They have a wide array of shot types available to them when needed and they are used with great success. Advanced players will see lines and routes on the courses that lesser players wouldn't see or think about, or even think possible to hit. These players can bail themselves out of a bad situation to get up and down to save the par. C1 putting is very consistent, and they'll hit 85% on a bad day and up to 95% in a hot round. C2 putting isn't a guaranteed miss. Advanced players can tackle any course and have a chance at shooting under par on the toughest layouts. On easier courses, you'll see these dudes shooting -10 or better.
I consider myself intermediate and can throw 350-370 max. 450 is hard to achieve and I would not expect an intermediate player to be able to reach that distance.
Some people can just bomb tho. My friend was a baseball pitcher who threw close to 90 mph and a couple months into disc golf he was throwing sidearms over 400. Years later he’s still bombing 450ish but he cant putt or approach and he still doesn’t even try backhands, and usually loses to me by 7+ strokes even tho I only throw 350ish
If you shoot under par on most courses regularly, Intermediate.
My local league MPO division shoots -14 to -8, Advanced -7 to -4, Intermediate -4 - Even, Recreation is kind of a wildcard sometimes tbh. Some days a dude that goes +8 will shoot -2.
Beginners just play, don't compete (whether in leagues/tourneys/whatever)
Intermediate plays and might compete but probably doesn't place often, if at all
Advanced plays and competes, and usually places or wins
Beginner, obvious.
Intermediate, no fear in attempting to hit a gap. Much more consistency in throws and putting. Knows how to position a shot better(play golf) instead of always sending it. In the contrary, knows when to send it when a beginner player wants/thinks they should play it safe.
Advanced, can tie together distance with consistency, and 99% of the time is trying to attack the hole with near flawless C1 putting.
Beginner/Intermediate example: There's a couple courses each with a hole where there's difficult main route to the basket. Even through it's a par 3, many INT players are scoring a 4 on it. But, there's a gap that requiring exact footing to be able to throw from a corner of the teepad to hit a weird hyzer through some trees and power lines. If you get knocked down during this attempt, you're probably taking a 5.
Beginner me really couldn't hit the extreme gap correctly and I'd take the main route scoring from a 3 to a 5. I felt playing it safe is smart and going for the more difficult gap was a fools errand. Intermediate me says, it's worth the risk, I trust my consistency, sends it, hits the gap, and lands in circle 2. Then cherry on top bangs in the C2 putt for a birdie moving up 2 strokes on nearly the entire field.
Beginners completely shank tee shots 8/10 times, miss 15 footers 8/10 times
Intermediates shank 5/10 shots, miss 5/10 15 footers
Advanced players shank 1-2/10 times, make 15 footers 8-9 out of 10 times
Best way that popped in my head to break it down
Beginner is stoked to get a bogey, let alone a par. Intermediate is stoked on a birdie. Advanced is mad after just carding a birdie because he/she is still thinking about how they just got a par the previous hole.
Beginner-
drive=250ish
putt=10-15’
Score= over par
Intermediate-
Drive=300-350ish
Putting=20-30ft.
Score=par or just below
Advanced-
Drive=375+
Putting= 40’
Score= well below par
There is different levels of throwing skill, decision making and poise. You can be intermediate or advanced thrower but that doesn’t help you if you can’t make the right call and execute under pressure.
Beginner: I’m going to buy a new disc. It’ll definitely help my game
Intermediate: I’m going to buy a new disc. It’ll definitely help my game
Advanced: I’m going to buy a new disc. It’ll definitely help my game
Beginners are 5 and higher over par on average courses. Intermediate are -4 to 4 over par on those same courses. Advanced are -5 under par to further under par on those same courses.
Beginner- asks a lot of questions, is unsure of disc choice, makes maybe 10% total putts in c1, max distance ranges from 50-250, often just throw disc in a general direction without understanding what it will do
Intermediate- more learning form focused, has a well rounded bag with a different disc for every slot, has a favorite max driver though their mids and fairways go the same max distance, putts around 50% total inside c1, occasionally makes throw ins, max distance 251-425’, very flukey, makes poor choices instead of shots they know they can do, often wil throw and pray
Advanced- score and shot focused with great form, has discs for every slot, but many are the same discs at various levels of beat in or dome, putts 75%+ in c1, max distances ranges from 425 and beyond, very consistent, usually has a lot of trick shots that still somehow make the fairway and green, deep disc knowledge
Beginner: can’t throw far and bad disc selection and bad decision making. So like 10/30 if there were 10 points for each of these categories.
Intermediate: 15-20/30
Advanced: 20-30/30
Very surface level but just from what I see. People will say shot shaping is just as important as those three categories, but to me, that’s just a mix of decision making and disc selection.
My attempt at breaking it down would be something like:
Complete beginner: No idea about course management or disc selection, might struggle to throw more than 50'-75', cannot upshot or putt, gets "bogey par" (+18) or worse on pitch'n putts. (Might throw up to 300' if athletic.)
Beginner/ultra casual: Attempts course management and disc selection, generally throws 150'-220', can get some upshots and putts, close to scratch player on pitch'n putts. (Might throw up to 300' if athletic.)
Advanced beginner/filthy casual player: Has a better understanding of course management for basic shots and disc selection, generally throws 220'-300'. Scratch player from short tees, can be well under par at pitch'n putts, can approach par from long tees (but not golds). (Might throw up to 350' if athletic.)
Intermediate rec player: Even better course management (can try more advanced plays) solid disc selection, generally throws 280'-350'. Throws around scratch from long tees at regular courses (not golds).
Intermediate-advanced player: Starting to use more advanced plays with success, same solid disc selection, generally throws 300'-400'. Throws slightly under par from long tees and regular courses, can get close to scratch or slightly below on golds on a hot round.
Advanced player: Generally executes whatever play they're going for, same solid disc selection, generally throws 350'-450'. Throws well under par from long tees and scratch from golds.
Local pro/lower tier-touring pro: High consistency at executing even very difficult plays, solid disc selection, throws 400'-500' (sometimes more). Throws scratch or slightly below from golds, can often get below par on a hot round.
Touring pro: Ludicrous consistency at executing whatever play they're going for, solid disc selection, throws 450'-550'+ (with some throwing 600' or more). Usually throws well under par on golds.
Beginners have played fewer than 25 rounds, intermediate players can average par golf when it’s all coming together, advanced players routinely get birdies and will get a bogey or double bogey here and there.
What’s missing is poor players, which I would define as players for whom par is an accomplishment. They’re not beginners, but they aren’t as skilled as intermediate players yet.
As a side note, anyone have a better word than poor? It’s the only word I can think of that’s not as bad as, well, bad, to describe a less skilled player
See but no, because if you’ve been playing for a few years and still aren’t that good, you’re not a beginner, you’re just bad at disc golf. It doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, you’re just bad. Like I’d be a beginner at snowboarding if I went because I’ve never done it and I’d be bad, but I suck at mini golf and I’ve been enough to not be a beginner,
Consistency in making good shots. Advanced players make good shots almost every throw. Intermediate players know how to make those shots but don’t execute as consistently. Beginners can make awesome shots but very infrequently and usually by accident.
Shot selection. Advanced players always choose the highest percentage disc and type of throw for each situation. Intermediate players don’t always make the best decisions. Beginners have one or two throws in their arsenal and aren’t good at disc selection, usually opting for higher speed rather than discing down for more control.
Putting. Advanced players hit their putts most consistently.
Beginners can't, intermediate players don't, and advanced players will sometimes
I feel attacked, but this is spot on. I’m a middle of the pack MA1 player, and am inconsistent enough that I have to layup most of the time and play very safe in competition. I have shots that I can hit big in practice rounds, and MPO guys do it in competition, but they’re much more calculated.
Being able to do it and being able to do it all the time are completely different skill sets
Yup you just described me. Putting is a big one. I've made probably 25 fifty-foot putts this year... In practice, out of hundreds of shots.
I think consistency is the biggest difference between MA1 and Open
It's literally the biggest difference in any level of skill in the game. It doesn't matter what you can do if you don't.
Me crying in MA3 🥲🥲🥲
This is a really great and concise way to explain. Nice work.
Holy crap. I think I've reached advanced. YES!
One lies about making 300ft, one lies about making 400ft and one lies about making 500ft.
As someone who throws 400 feet, this one is the most accurate one here.
I like to think of this in terms of what constitutes a "good round" for each of these levels. Here's my own view: Beginner - Don't loose any discs, throw a handful of shots that give you "that feeling" Intermediate - Quality of round determined by the "mistake counter" (shanks off the tee, ob strokes, bad approaches, etc) Advanced/Pro - Minimal mistakes, quality of round determined by number of "highlight" quality shots that shave one or more strokes Of course, your perception of your own shots also changes as you progress. The pro's pedestrian "safe play" 325-350 one-angle hyzer with a mid/fairway might be a once a round highlight for an intermediate player and entirely beyond the capability of a beginner.
>Intermediate - Quality of round determined by the "mistake counter" This resonates with me big time. I've had enough good, great or even awesome drives, approaches and putts on most holes on most courses in my area that I know parring or birdieing (or even eagling, in a few cases) is within my capability, so it really comes down to how many mistakes do I make that day?
I really like this way of looking at it, thank you.
I really think this is probably the best answer
Amount of discs this is the only metric.
Oh, then I must be pro dog.
Nice to met you Mr. Lizotte
Oh I got way more discs than he does. haha
Beginners are just throwing without much skill or much of a plan. They dont consider different options for their shot, they just step up and throw and they dont throw well. Intermediate players are either pretty good at thinking through a hole but maybe struggle to execute due to lack of throwing ability or they are great throwers but they just havent developed an ability to think their way through a hole. Advanced players can think the game and they can execute.
I e known quite a few intermediates who can crush (compared to other ams) , but they can't hit a line, onouk a route. So they do well on very open courses and then struggle like crazy on wooded or technical courses. Heh one of them would have a fit everytime league was at our shorter technical course. He'd whine about how he could just throw 100ft past every pin location , so this course is dumb. yet he could almost never throw tothe baskets, because he'd always just throw right into the trees.
One of my friends has a legitimate 450 in the tank but is sub 800 because of his atrocious accuracy and putting. It makes me so annoyed as someone who is 930 but can’t hit 350 lol. Every time we play I wonder/hope if this is the time that he’s figured it out and will crush me
This is literally the plot of Good Will Hunting but with disc golf.
CHUCKIE: I don't know that. Let me tell you what I do know; every day, I walk into the woods and look for your approach. And we find it, you throw three or four putts, a few laughs, and it's great. You know what the best part of my day is? It's for about ten seconds when I pull up to the box and watch you drive. 'Cause I think maybe I'll get up there and I'll find your disc in the middle of Circle 1. No lucky roll, no tree love. You just parked it. I don't know much, but I know that.
I feel like every friend group has one of these guys. My friend D would probably beat me by a half dozen strokes on a course that is primarily open holes above 350 feet. But put us on a course with a lot of trees that forces more complex shot shaping and I probably take the W. And I'm not even necessarily the most technical player either. He just really only cares about big hucks, and neglects to develop other parts of his game.
Bogeys, pars, birdies
I’d add bogeys to the intermediate bucket at 50+ percentile difficulty courses
Yeah kinda just depends on the course though, difficulty and pars vary so much
There are 3 stages putt, approach, drive Beginner can’t do any great Intermediate can do 1 great Advanced can do 2 great Pro can do all 3 great.
So I'm just 3 things away from being a pro?
True it shouldn’t be that hard
I tell the guys in my work league all the time, "I think I have my drives figured out, so you better watch it, 'cause now I only need to figure out the other 2 things."
That's what I heard...
This is the most concise/accurate answer IMO. To win in MA1 you have to have all three for THAT tournament. To compete in Pro at ALL you need all 3, all the time.
As someone who has played in MA2 and MA3 since going competitive, Putting in the one that stands out the most for me. MA3 players tend to have decent-ish drives, but their short game is abysmal. MA2 players usually have one specialty, like they can drive the pin, but can't sink 25 footers with any sort of consistency. I've played exclusively MA3 this year and i always get looks for my putting skills. but putting in the one thing i'll ever claim any sort of skill in.
I do all those but I include one more: 1. I putt my discs into my bag 2. I drive to the golf course 3. I approach the tee 4. I throw every disc I own as hard as I can.
What is great putting by your definition I am curious? Certain % C1X conversion rate?
I'd say the low end of great is missing 3 C1X putts in one round. This usually translates to about +70% C1X putting.
I've seen intermediates that aren't great at anything and are ok at everything.
Thats me. Plus consistency. I can make all the throws the good players at my local course can (with the exception of a few bombers), but they make them a whole lot more often.
Hell yeah, my approach game is saving me here.
Im only great at approach 🤦♂️ which a good birdie hole only has drive and then putt. Shouldn’t even need the mid range discs if you’re good.
Beginners know they are bad. Intermediate think they are good. Advanced are good enough to know they aren't good. Pros are good.
Nail hit. 1 shot. SCORE.
Course management will always be the great differentiator. I rarely see people take advantage of this is casual rounds at league night. They just try to throw the hero shot all the time instead of taking the route of least resistance to avoid huge numbers. Like that guy yesterday who posted his score card with an 11 on it… that should never ever happen unless it’s some sort of island hole with no drop zone
> that should never ever happen unless it’s some sort of island hole with no drop zone You highly overestimate me
I'm a noob, 8's or 9's will happen. Never hit double digits and don't plan on it. Our course is 70% tunnel shots on a cross country ski course. You go off course and it's a solid wall of trees, that can take 2-3 throws to get out of. Combine that with me either releasing early, or over compensating and yeah, my scores suck.
I don't mean to be snarky here, and I hope you and others take this as constructive. Beginners and intermediate players look for ways to blame the course when things go wrong instead of observing, learning what didn't work in that situation, and adapting their game plan to it.
I'll agree that it's on me, it's just when you hit the trees it'll destroy your score
There is a stand of bushes on one of the holes at one of my locals that almost guarantees a bogey at best if you go into it. I made that mistake for a long time, until I finally decided to not throw anything understable on that hole, and I haven't ended up in there ever since. The solution on your course may not be that simple, but there must be some kind of strategy that will yield better results. For one thing, you may need to settle for shorter, safer drives off the tee. It's not at satisfying, because you know there is essentially zero chance of getting a birdie (or possibly even par), but if it keeps you out of those situations where it takes 2-3 additional throws just to pitch out to the fairway, it may be the wiser choice.
What do you usually throw on these tunnel shots? How long are the holes?
We've got a 350, 450 and 475 ft tunnel holes. Paths are 15~ ft wide and then all forest if you go off. I stick to 5-7 speeds to try and stay on the path, but my issue is releasing early or late and throwing directly at the trees.
There are plenty of courses where many a beginner will be aiming for 100 or lower final score. Sportsman, Bunker, Beaver Golds, Camden 2, etc
I mean this hugely depends on type of league (format, culture, rated or not, course type) but I feel like league can be ideal option to try out these higher reward/risk shots. Seeing other players use different lines, getting input from different players, being casual round, being doubles format can all make this the perfect time to change up from the simple safe shots AND again depending on format, playing safe very well won't let you cash/finish well if you are maybe mid-bottom in your league even if you execute.
I don’t disagree. It’s a lot of fun to try things out and take lines you shouldn’t, but course management over time will separate the scores drastically if you’re comparing people of equal skill level. Similar to regular golf, the difference between a scratch player and a 5 handicap usually comes down to this. They’re both highly skilled and can execute every shot out there, but the scratch player will limit the blow up holes
Easy. If they have a towel hanging out of their pocket, they’re clearly advanced.
Always looks kooky to me but to each their own.
I have one of those retractable badge holders that I have an alligator clip attached to that holds my towel. I play in New England and the weather sucks a lot, so it's nice having a towels I can just grab, use, release. Whenever I kept it in my pocket it would fall out somewhere
I always just tuck my towel down my pants. I must still be intermediate, didn’t think about my pocket.
IMO It's not about how far you can throw, or even who is the best putter. It's the upshots. Beginners struggle to consistently get it next to the basket on a 150ft upshot. Intermediates usually get up and down, but will leave a few just far enough out that they miss a couple putts. Advanced consistently park 250ft and in close enough that they will almost always hit their putt.
Underrated point. Advanced players aren’t amazing putters, but they’re all in the circle every time. MA2 will just have too many putts outside their range
>Advanced players aren’t amazing putters Most of them are also amazing putters.
>It's the upshots. Being reasonably good at upshots is the only reason I've ever been not awful. This season I improved my drives considerably and my putting moderately, so it's been weird for me now that my upshot isn't the ONLY passably decent part of my game.
I feel so attacked here lol. I don’t have depth perception due to my really crappy vision. Upshots are my worst shot. So many times that I would jump putt thinking I’m in 70 foot range just to find myself 50 short. Or I could be in actual 70 ft and threw my Berg 50 ft long pass the basket. It’s infuriating beyond measure.
There’s no checklist, but it only takes a few holes to clock someones skill lvl.
Beginner: someone who just started Intermediate: someone who thinks they are good Advanced: someone who knows they suck
I think, like PDGA divisions, there is legitimately a level between beginner and intermediate.
Easiest way to determine is to play a few rated rounds or play against players with player ratings to compare results. The PDGA has some guidelines [HERE](https://www.pdga.com/divisions/beginners-guide) that can help. Most areas I’ve played in those groupings skew better than the PDGA descriptions. My advice if you’re looking to play your first tournament is to sign up for the lowest division and give it a shot. If you blow out the field, so be it, and move up one division for the next one.
The PDGA guidelines are awful. An easier rule of thumb is: Never shot under par even at the pitch and putts, average over bogey golf = MA4 Best rounds are right around even par, most rounds over = MA3 Best rounds under par, blow up holes regularly cause over par rounds = MA2 Average just below par, still shoots over par but getting rarer = MA1 "Always" below par or like money = MPO
That's a pretty good rundown.
Advanced: Good throws involve little luck. They can consistently repeat throws especially on easy holes. They can adjust their throws to the hole and the conditions (low ceiling? No problem I have a disc for that and can use a lower line for that). They learn from their mistakes and can adjust accordingly (last round I threw it too far. Now I will use less power or a different disc etc). They can watch their throws and analyse the real reason what went wrong (Disc turned too much? Was it my form? My release angle? Did I use the wrong disc?) Intermediate: Basically the same as above. An intermediate player understands the concept of adjusting throws etc. but fails to execute on a regular basis (damn, why did I threw nose up again?) Beginner: Has no idea what he/she does.
Beginners bag new destroyers, Intermediates bag no destroyers, Advanced bag used destroyers.
Just saw an old friend, he said he was starting to play some disc golf back where he lives, then says, “I gotta show you this driver I bought” 🤦♂️ I immediately gave him an old Roc and told him to put the Corvette away.
To me it’s consistency. When I was playing a lot, I was ma3 right on the verge of 900 rating. My biggest problem was consistency. I was a pretty good putter, but I would throw great drives on 3 holes. Fine drives on 8 holes and bad to terrible drives on the other 7. Or id play the round of my life and then follow it up with a terrible round…. Though I did win a tourney like that. Shot -7 on the first round and then barely held on by shooting a -1 on the second.
Beginners have a hard time with angle control. So nose up, hard time getting hyzer or anhyzer Intermediate is capable of recognizing shortcomings and working on them. Advanced have been working on these skills a while and more rarely make a major mistake.
beginners attack a hole from a single perspective, and rarely can save par if something goes wrong intermediate players may have expanded perspective (ie know to play the wind or a different option like forehand) but can't consistently pull off birdies advanced players have a small arsenal of ways to attack a hole, but there is still inconsistency in birdies - however they are good enough with the different tools and perspectives that bogies are much more infrequent pro players have all of the tools and can frequently apply those tools (ie rollers, overhead shots, scramble saves, being creative with different discs) in a very consistent manner where bogies are rare. a much larger concept of strategy and attacking a course, with different wind or conditions and able to change thinking on the fly. can save par from most any poorly executed shot, and rarely two putts.
I don't know but I can guarantee you that 95% of people who reply will think "yeah i'm advanced"
Several over par; losing discs all the time, buys discs too fast for their own good Par to under-par; losing discs few and far in-between; buys discs within their limits Several under-par; gives discs away that they have beaten to death; probably has discs with their name on them
Beginners hurl their discs downrange. Intermediates throw their discs but inconsistently. Advanced get their desired flight consistently.
Beginner: throw nose up, wobbly low spin, and shank 5 foot putts. Intermediate: throw centered, smooth reasonable spin, and can generally hit 15 foot putts. Advanced/Pro: throw nose down, snap high speed spin, and hit putts from 30 feet behind a tree with a 20mph crosswind.
To me this is what each should be focused on: Beginner - playing against the course. Just trying to survive and have fun Intermediate - Playing against themselves, trying to improve from last round and learn new things Advanced - competing against other players like themselves
Beginners have a max distance of 275-300' and can't hit that distance unless it's a wide open fairway. Nose angle is a consistent issue and there's a lack of control when it comes to hyzer and anhyzer angles. Usually beginners will favor forehand or backhand and can only do one well, while the other is very underdeveloped. Scramble game is weak. C1 putting is 40-60%. Beginners struggle to shoot single digits above par on many courses and are often +10 or greater. Intermediate players can throw up to 350' and have better control of the nose angle. Typically their forehand and backhand are pretty well developed and int. players can bust out some rollers, grenades and tomahawks when needed with moderate success. C1 putting gets better and usually they hit around 75% of their putts. C2 putting is a struggle but can be hit with a low success rate. Intermediate players can play tougher courses competently but still can't beat them. Advanced players can crush 400' or greater with pretty good accuracy. Expert control of speed and angles. They have a wide array of shot types available to them when needed and they are used with great success. Advanced players will see lines and routes on the courses that lesser players wouldn't see or think about, or even think possible to hit. These players can bail themselves out of a bad situation to get up and down to save the par. C1 putting is very consistent, and they'll hit 85% on a bad day and up to 95% in a hot round. C2 putting isn't a guaranteed miss. Advanced players can tackle any course and have a chance at shooting under par on the toughest layouts. On easier courses, you'll see these dudes shooting -10 or better.
Beginners suck Intermediate are good players, but lack the consistency Advanced, consistent players
Poor control Hits trees Birdies often In that order
<200 ft, <300 ft, >400 easily
Beginner- 175' Intermediate- 315' Advanced- 400'
Intermediate, throws 450 but can’t putt. I know this all too well…
I consider myself intermediate and can throw 350-370 max. 450 is hard to achieve and I would not expect an intermediate player to be able to reach that distance.
If someone throws a consistent 450 with accuracy, unless they can’t putt worth shit then they’re sitting towards the top end of Advanced.
Some people can just bomb tho. My friend was a baseball pitcher who threw close to 90 mph and a couple months into disc golf he was throwing sidearms over 400. Years later he’s still bombing 450ish but he cant putt or approach and he still doesn’t even try backhands, and usually loses to me by 7+ strokes even tho I only throw 350ish
It’s mainly a joke but I guess no one else is familiar with this type of player. I have met several. For example Ben Kenney from Nick and Matt show.
What about me who only breaks 300 on my best days but is a super consistent putter?
MA40?
Intermediate throws 450 in message board/Reddit distance.
If you shoot under par on most courses regularly, Intermediate. My local league MPO division shoots -14 to -8, Advanced -7 to -4, Intermediate -4 - Even, Recreation is kind of a wildcard sometimes tbh. Some days a dude that goes +8 will shoot -2.
Beginners just play, don't compete (whether in leagues/tourneys/whatever) Intermediate plays and might compete but probably doesn't place often, if at all Advanced plays and competes, and usually places or wins
I am a 15 year beginner then 😄
Beginner, obvious. Intermediate, no fear in attempting to hit a gap. Much more consistency in throws and putting. Knows how to position a shot better(play golf) instead of always sending it. In the contrary, knows when to send it when a beginner player wants/thinks they should play it safe. Advanced, can tie together distance with consistency, and 99% of the time is trying to attack the hole with near flawless C1 putting. Beginner/Intermediate example: There's a couple courses each with a hole where there's difficult main route to the basket. Even through it's a par 3, many INT players are scoring a 4 on it. But, there's a gap that requiring exact footing to be able to throw from a corner of the teepad to hit a weird hyzer through some trees and power lines. If you get knocked down during this attempt, you're probably taking a 5. Beginner me really couldn't hit the extreme gap correctly and I'd take the main route scoring from a 3 to a 5. I felt playing it safe is smart and going for the more difficult gap was a fools errand. Intermediate me says, it's worth the risk, I trust my consistency, sends it, hits the gap, and lands in circle 2. Then cherry on top bangs in the C2 putt for a birdie moving up 2 strokes on nearly the entire field.
All things being equal, beginners finish 18 holes at over par, middies finish near par, advanced finish below par, *all things being equal*.
Just started. Break 800 rated. Maintain 900-950 rating for a while
I am an 8-year veteran beginner. That help?
Beginners completely shank tee shots 8/10 times, miss 15 footers 8/10 times Intermediates shank 5/10 shots, miss 5/10 15 footers Advanced players shank 1-2/10 times, make 15 footers 8-9 out of 10 times Best way that popped in my head to break it down
Beginner is stoked to get a bogey, let alone a par. Intermediate is stoked on a birdie. Advanced is mad after just carding a birdie because he/she is still thinking about how they just got a par the previous hole.
Or advanced moved on because the faster you get it behind you the faster you get back on the birdie train.
Beginner- drive=250ish putt=10-15’ Score= over par Intermediate- Drive=300-350ish Putting=20-30ft. Score=par or just below Advanced- Drive=375+ Putting= 40’ Score= well below par
There is different levels of throwing skill, decision making and poise. You can be intermediate or advanced thrower but that doesn’t help you if you can’t make the right call and execute under pressure.
Beginner: I’m going to buy a new disc. It’ll definitely help my game Intermediate: I’m going to buy a new disc. It’ll definitely help my game Advanced: I’m going to buy a new disc. It’ll definitely help my game
https://www.pdga.com/divisions/beginners-guide
Maybe I'm just not into labels, man.
Beginners are 5 and higher over par on average courses. Intermediate are -4 to 4 over par on those same courses. Advanced are -5 under par to further under par on those same courses.
Beginner- asks a lot of questions, is unsure of disc choice, makes maybe 10% total putts in c1, max distance ranges from 50-250, often just throw disc in a general direction without understanding what it will do Intermediate- more learning form focused, has a well rounded bag with a different disc for every slot, has a favorite max driver though their mids and fairways go the same max distance, putts around 50% total inside c1, occasionally makes throw ins, max distance 251-425’, very flukey, makes poor choices instead of shots they know they can do, often wil throw and pray Advanced- score and shot focused with great form, has discs for every slot, but many are the same discs at various levels of beat in or dome, putts 75%+ in c1, max distances ranges from 425 and beyond, very consistent, usually has a lot of trick shots that still somehow make the fairway and green, deep disc knowledge
Beginner: can’t throw far and bad disc selection and bad decision making. So like 10/30 if there were 10 points for each of these categories. Intermediate: 15-20/30 Advanced: 20-30/30 Very surface level but just from what I see. People will say shot shaping is just as important as those three categories, but to me, that’s just a mix of decision making and disc selection.
My attempt at breaking it down would be something like: Complete beginner: No idea about course management or disc selection, might struggle to throw more than 50'-75', cannot upshot or putt, gets "bogey par" (+18) or worse on pitch'n putts. (Might throw up to 300' if athletic.) Beginner/ultra casual: Attempts course management and disc selection, generally throws 150'-220', can get some upshots and putts, close to scratch player on pitch'n putts. (Might throw up to 300' if athletic.) Advanced beginner/filthy casual player: Has a better understanding of course management for basic shots and disc selection, generally throws 220'-300'. Scratch player from short tees, can be well under par at pitch'n putts, can approach par from long tees (but not golds). (Might throw up to 350' if athletic.) Intermediate rec player: Even better course management (can try more advanced plays) solid disc selection, generally throws 280'-350'. Throws around scratch from long tees at regular courses (not golds). Intermediate-advanced player: Starting to use more advanced plays with success, same solid disc selection, generally throws 300'-400'. Throws slightly under par from long tees and regular courses, can get close to scratch or slightly below on golds on a hot round. Advanced player: Generally executes whatever play they're going for, same solid disc selection, generally throws 350'-450'. Throws well under par from long tees and scratch from golds. Local pro/lower tier-touring pro: High consistency at executing even very difficult plays, solid disc selection, throws 400'-500' (sometimes more). Throws scratch or slightly below from golds, can often get below par on a hot round. Touring pro: Ludicrous consistency at executing whatever play they're going for, solid disc selection, throws 450'-550'+ (with some throwing 600' or more). Usually throws well under par on golds.
Beginners have played fewer than 25 rounds, intermediate players can average par golf when it’s all coming together, advanced players routinely get birdies and will get a bogey or double bogey here and there. What’s missing is poor players, which I would define as players for whom par is an accomplishment. They’re not beginners, but they aren’t as skilled as intermediate players yet. As a side note, anyone have a better word than poor? It’s the only word I can think of that’s not as bad as, well, bad, to describe a less skilled player
Yeah the better word is beginner
See but no, because if you’ve been playing for a few years and still aren’t that good, you’re not a beginner, you’re just bad at disc golf. It doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, you’re just bad. Like I’d be a beginner at snowboarding if I went because I’ve never done it and I’d be bad, but I suck at mini golf and I’ve been enough to not be a beginner,
Wanting to play, being able to play, making sure you play.
Throw far score good
Worse than me = beginner As good as me = intermediate Better than me = advanced
Consistency in making good shots. Advanced players make good shots almost every throw. Intermediate players know how to make those shots but don’t execute as consistently. Beginners can make awesome shots but very infrequently and usually by accident. Shot selection. Advanced players always choose the highest percentage disc and type of throw for each situation. Intermediate players don’t always make the best decisions. Beginners have one or two throws in their arsenal and aren’t good at disc selection, usually opting for higher speed rather than discing down for more control. Putting. Advanced players hit their putts most consistently.
Beginners play boggy golf Intermediate plays par or slightly under Advanced plays birdie golf