New players often ask about the best way to grip a disc. This article covers all of the most common and useful disc golf grips. I’ll include pictures of each type for reference and provide tips on when and how to use each grip. Most advanced players have learned a few of these, and we are definitely here to help out the beginner. But, even after a few years of playing, it was helpful to review some new-to-me disc golf grips and apply them to my game.
These golf grips cover every aspect of the game, from driving off the tee or fairway, too shots from the green. There’s no “right-way” to hold a disc! So, if you need to tweak these grips to suit your style of play, go for it! Having said that, these are the most popular grips for a reason, so if you’re just starting out I suggest trying each grip in order to find the one that best suits your style.
There are 4 main types of grips:
- Power Grip
- Fan Grip
- Stack Grip
- Split Grip
Power Disc Golf Grip
Best For: Tee and Fairway
Attributes: Low Accuracy, High Distance
Let’s discuss the most common grip first. The Power Grip is used often for tee and fairway drives. It can be thrown as both a backhand and forehand. The backhand power grip is one of the most common grips for driving off the tee. This handle provides a very firm grip on the disc which allows you to put the maximum amount of power into your throwing motion without worrying about it slipping out of your grip too early
However, although this grip can be quite powerful, I wouldn’t recommend using this for shots that need accuracy. Rather, this grip may be suitable for shots that only need a general sense of direction.
Technique: hold the disc in the middle of your palm with your thumb on the rim of the top flight plate and fingers curled around. Make sure your fingertips are also touching edge or bead on the bottom of the flight plate. Throw the disc by holding it firmly but not too tightly in your hand. Keep your wrist straight and loose.
Modifications: the power grip does have a known modification for those looking to get a bit more accuracy. This mod might result in a little less distance but is a great way to start the transition from a traditional frisbee to a disc golf.
The modified power grip is nearly the same as the traditional power grip, with one slight difference. The fingers that rest on the inside lip are spread out a little more than those in the standard power grip. The ring finger is the only finger on your hand that wraps around the outside edge of the disc, so it needs more space than any other to do so.
Fan Disc Golf Grip
Best For: Putting and Approach
Attributes: Low Distance, High Accuracy
The fan grip provides the most accurate, controlled way to throw the disc. This grip has some limitations to those looking for longer shots, but for those who wish to move closer to the basket, it provides the perfect control. Be sure to check out our article on Best Disc Golf Putters to practice this grip with.
Technique: to do the Fan Grip, hold the disc in your dominant hand with your fingers splayed over the bottom of the flight plate. One of the most effective ways to stabilize a disc is by placing your forefinger along the outer edge. This will give you more control over the discs rotation.
Modification: I’m not a big fan (ha, pun!) of the modified version of this grip…essentially you wrap the forefinger and pinky around the edge, tightly, while keeping the middle two fingers splayed over the bottom of the flight plate. For me, if I am going to do this I will either do all the fingers as power grip or just use the traditional fan grip, depending on the scenario.
Check out this video from DiscCraft about how to perform the Fan Grip:
Stacked Disc Golf Grip
Best For: driving off the tee and midrange shots
Attributes: moderate distance, moderate accuracy
The stacked grip blends the power and fan grip together for a perfect balance between distance and accuracy. With this grip you can put more power into your swing without sacrificing control over the release of the disc. This is often the grip I utilize the most, especially for fairway shots, as I find the traditional power grip to not provide me without much accuracy at all.
Technique: to perform the stacked grip, hold the disc with your thumb on the top flight plate and your forefinger and middle finger stacked atop one another on the bottom of the flight plate and resting on the inside lip of the disc. The ring finger and middle finger stay on the outside lip of the disc for support.
Split Disc Golf Grip
Best For: Midrange Fairway Approach Shots
Attributes: Medium Distance, High Accuracy
The Split Grip is performed similar to the Fan and for a similar reason. Think of the Fan as your putting grip and the Split as the Midrange but with accuracy.
I use this grip if there is an obstacle, like a tree, that I need to get around. This grip gives me more control and confidence without losing too much distance.
Technique: to perform the split grip, hold the disc with your thumb on top of the flight plate, with your forefinger and middle finger spread out on the bottom of the disc making the shape of a peace sign. The middle finger should be resting along the inner lip of the disc. The ring finger and pinky should be resting on the outside lip of the disc for support.
Tips for Disc Golf Grip
Thumb Position
Changing the position of your thumb can change the angle of your disc’s flight path. This can be useful if you often find that your discs are being released with the nose up. If the front of the disc is too high the disc will perform less aerodynamically and resulting in a reduction of distance.
Experiment with the positioning of your thumb and the angle of the disc that you’re releasing until you can consistently release at a downward angle…you want the disc travel to be flat in relation to the trajectory or path. Try positioning the thumb closer to the outside of the disc and see if that improves the angle.
Speaking of the thumb, be sure to check out our article on How to Throw a Thumber Drive.
Grip Pressure
Every player will use a different grip to throw the disc. You should make sure you have a firm grip for more control and power over the disc. This will result in better distance and flight paths of your throw.
Grip pressure for the game is definitely a delicate balance. But with practice you’ll learn what works. In general, don’t hold the disc so tightly your finger hurt, but too loosely that someone could knock it out of your hand. If the disc appears to leave your hand a little wobbly, then you probably need to tighten your grip a bit.
Hold Tight!
In this article we introduced the 4 main beginner disc golf grips used in everyday play. However, there are more than we covered and each has variations beyond the mentioned above. Starting with these grips you can quickly start to determine what feels good to you and go from there. Next you want to try the forehand version of these grips and work on your flicking method.
I hope this will get you started with some various techniques to improve your grip and make your throws more accurate.
