The first few times I went out to play Disc Golf my friend handed me a few discs and told me what was what. Needless to say I had no clue what contributes to a best disc golf discs for beginners, being a beginner myself. That was a few years ago and since then I have acquired a large collection, arguably too many, that need to be donated or just simply discarded . My problem, your benefit, as I have come to understand what makes a good disc and specifically what makes a best disc golf disc for beginners.
Like any sport, starting out with the right equipment can greatly improve your chances of getting hooked or giving up. It can be frustrating to try and learn something new when the tools you’re learning with feel like they are against you. It wasn’t until my buddie Paul taught me that some discs are far more advanced in design than others. And when learning, I should start with a more well-rounded disc as opposed to something specialized.
So let me save you a bit of trouble, frustration, and money with a post about beginner-level discs. This short list will help you find easy discs to throw for all aspects of the game.
Why I chose these discs
- Easy to Use: most of these discs are sufficient for the everyday player. We added them to our list of best disc golf discs for a beginner, because of certain criteria. They have a decent glide time, spin, and will float a little slower. This in turn allows you to gauge what the disc is doing and why…letting you learn more quickly.
- Comfort: there is something about the discs on this list that just feels right in your hand. This will give you confidence and allow you to focus on form and technique. As you progress to more advanced discs you will find that they sit in your palm and on your fingers a little differently.
- Stability: each of these discs offers the player stability, allowing you to throw it harder and get more flight time or distance. They will fly straighter than a more advanced disc and allow you to practice putting the disc where you want it without worrying about advanced techniques.
Disc Golf companies, such as infinitediscs.com, rate discs based on a few different aspects: speed, glide, turn, fade, and stability. Each of these discs on the list are considered to have a decent speed, a lot of turn, and not much fade. Below, you will see some of these criteria for each disc on the list. So, let’s get to the list…
5 Best Disc Golf Discs for Beginners!
1. Innova Leopard – Driver (6, 5, -2, 1)
Let’s start out with a driver and then will move onto a midrange and putter. Without a doubt you should have an Innova Leopard in your quiver. “The Leopard is the classic straight flying Innova fairway driver.” Although I would recommend starting out with a midrange disc or practicing your short game with a putter, you will quickly want to let something fly and this disc is an easy one to throw. The Innova Leopard has a predictable flight path and little fade. These are great discs to have more than one for practice purposes. Check out the Leopard here: Innova Leopard
Update: Innova has released a newer version of the Leopard. It’s a little flatter, and slightly higher speed. I am anxious to get my hands on one and compare to the classic. Check out the Leopard 3 here.
2. Discraft Buzzz – mid-range (5, 5, -1, 1)
The Buzzz might be the most popular disc golf disc ever made. As a midrange disc it is the perfect unit to start out with because it will fly where you want it to go. It’s consistent, reliable, and stable…exactly what you want when starting out and trying to improve. This is a great disc to share with others due to its ease of flight. Start with this disc here: DiscCraft Buzzz
3. Latitude 64 Ruby – putt and approach (3, 5, -3, 1)
The Ruby is herald as one of the easiest discs to throw and stems from Latitude 64’s line of “Easy-to-Use”. Without a doubt one of the best disc golf discs for a beginner. With a small grip and low weight, this disc will have a neutral flight pattern. A speed of 3 and glide of 5 means it doesn’t take much power to throw and will fly a good distance. Pick one up to add as an approach or putter here: LT 64 Ruby
Ok, so the above 3 should get you started and I would definitely recommend picking up one of each. These are the discs I lend to my friends who don’t have any yet or are just getting started. However, even as a seasoned player, if these units aren’t in your arsenal I highly recommend trying them out. Plus, read my article on disc golf tips that talk about how the 3 disc method can greatly improve your game: 3 discs for the win!
Now, while 3 discs might be sufficient to get you started or help you improve your score through focused practice, I did promise you 5 to choose from. Keep reading for a couple bonus selections that have some unique qualities…
4. Discraft Comet -Mid-Range (4, 5, -2, 1)
The Comet is a great disc to play with. This disc is larger in diameter (21.8cm) and should feel more like a frisbee disc that is still made for disc golf. So for those of you coming to the sport from ultimate or college campus frisbee throwing days, this will be a great disc to help with the transition. Further, this disc is super accurate and reasonably easy to understand. Put a little power behind your throw and you will easily achieve distance with a straight flight pattern. Give it a try: Discraft Comet
5. Innova Shark – mid-range (4, 4, 0, 2)
I recently switched up from the Innova Panther to the Innova Shark. The main reason was it’s what came in the Innova Starter set I wanted to review. The second was that the Shark has less turn than the Panther and allowed me to work on distance and accuracy. Not saying it’s a better disc, just what I was looking for to practice a mid-range shot. The Shark has a small rim allowing me to work a few different grips while not worry about any headwind slowing it down. This is a nice disc to start learning various throws such as the ones we go over in our article: “Basic Disc Golf Throws”. With a speed of 4, you won’t need much power to get a decent throw out of it. If you want to round out your kit give the Innova Shark a try.
There you have it!
We’ve covered 5 of the best disc golf discs for beginners every player should have especially if starting out. These discs all represent a collection of easy to throw and easy to understand discs from some of the top manufacturer’s in the world. If you’re new to the game and a little unsure perhaps check out a starter set. I recently picked up the Innova Starter set and happy with my choice. Make no mistake, even the pro’s have these units in their quiver and so should you. For more disc golf content, check out the related posts below!
