A Great Beginner Disc for Disc Golf

When I hit the local courses, I see a lot of novice players out there with just one disc. This isn’t a bad idea. However, more often than not, what I see them throwing is a driver. A fast, over stable driver, to boot. Not only is this all wrong for learning how to drive, but it makes it basically impossible to putt because the enormous fade will kick in even on an 8 foot pitch.

I started with five discs (I bought a starter set which included a carry bag) and this was overwhelming. Three might have worked well for me: putt, up shot, drive — but really can a beginner genuinely throw a driver farther than they can throw a mid-range or fairway disc? Most often, not. At the same time, you don’t want to be out there trying to learn to drive (or approach) with a putter that’s got some big bead on it or a huge dome. Those are going to significantly impede the tightness of your grip and drag on your fingers during release and will radically reduce your snap at the hit.

So what to do? A driver and a putter would be perhaps ideal, but if you don’t know if you like the game yet, why buy two discs?

I have found the solution.

You only need one disc, and I know what disc it is.

The Innova Skeeter in star plastic.

I defend this assertion with the following points:

1. It is a small diameter disc which is thus easier to develop both a putting and driving grip before your hand is strong.
2. The star plastic for this disc is quite soft, almost identical to a Star Aviar putter, and will grab chain when putting (this is the other reason putting with a driver is madness, that smooth, slick plastic isn’t going to stick to the basket even if you hit it).
3. Because it is a mid-range and flies slow, the bevel is very small — easy for beginners, especially those with small hands (thus good for teaching children, or women with petite features, or that unfortunately small guy you know without embarrassing him by pointing out how small his hand is by handing him a Champion Groove).
4. Unlike the Discraft Buzzz (which is also a large diameter disc), the Skeeter has a slight dome to it. This makes the bevel short as well as narrow. Even better for those small hands.
5. This disc is about as flat stable as you can get without throwing a big bead putter, which means it will hold the line you put it on for both putts and drives as well as upshots.
6. Because the disc is such a reliably straight flier, you’ll never take it out of your bag, even when you’re a more seasoned player. It will always be there, ready to sneak down that tunnel fairway or to annie out around a mando when you need it. I threw one that a beginner friend has just bought and it went as straight as my well weathered Buzzz, but was much easier to grip.
7. The star plastic is available down to 150 grams which is good for children or adults who need to develop their muscle sets before trying to bomb max plastic.
8. Not holding a “driver” will encourage you to throw the correct throwing motion and simply accept you aren’t going to get the distance you need out on the course rather than tempting you to throw at 105% and never developing a good motion or consistency because you use fast discs as a crutch to cover ground. AKA you will learn to actually throw golf.

In short, if you take this disc and go out and develop your putting motion and then begin to develop a standing throwing motion (to use for up-shots), you will learn how to actually throw golf discs long before you ever pick up a fast driver.

I have really big hands, and some unusual hand strength from playing guitar, from typing 8-20 hours a day for 20 years and from martial arts training. So, the Z Buzzz is the better choice for me and I won’t be replacing it with a Skeeter anytime soon.

But for anyone I know with small hands or who is just starting out in the game? This is going to be the disc I recommend.

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