Only The Best Disc Golf Discs for Ultimate Frisbee Players
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Trying to get into disc golf and utilize your background in ultimate frisbee? Look no further. There’s tons of people in disc golf that rely on their ultimate frisbee skillset — Jeremy Koling, Andrew Fish, yes, even Brodie Smith. However, there’s not much literature on how to make the switch… so I’m trying to fill that void and provide resources for people like me. First, if you haven’t seen already, here are my thoughts on why you should make the switch:
The reason for this article is that a lot of advice for beginners are geared towards people who have never thrown a frisbee correctly before in their life.
That’s not true for Ultimate players, because we know how to throw a Discraft Ultrastar very, very well. The advice we need is about how to transition that knowledge to disc golf, not start from scratch. For this article, I’ll provide my thoughts at a starter bag of discs for the new disc golf enthusiast and former ultimate player. Get (a subset) of these discs, go out to a course, and maximize your disc golf potential!
When purchasing discs, remember that not all discs are created equal. Each disc has a model (e.g. Firebird), a plastic type (e.g. Champion), and a weight (e.g. 175g). These are all attributes that make a disc fly differently, and it is easiest to forget about the weight. I’ve definitely grabbed a few beautiful discs without thinking twice, before realizing that they are 158g and extremely lightweight. The Discraft Ultrastar that Ultimate players are familiar with is 175g, so I recommend buying discs that are similar to that weight.
Putters
Every disc basically flies the same when you are putting, so what putter you pick up is unimportant. But it is essential to try a few out and make sure that whatever disc you get feels good in your hand.
My recommendation based purely on availability and price is to get a set of 5 Dynamic Discs Judges (flight numbers: 2:4:0:1) or Wardens (2:4:0:0.5). Judges are more popular, but I like Wardens more because they do not have a bead on the bottom (nor do Ultrastars). There’s not much Ultimate that goes into putting, so don’t fret over this decision too much.
You definitely don’t need to invest in a “throwing putter” early on, but it’s still a nice-to-have. I heavily recommend the Kastaplast Berg (1:1:0:2) here. It won’t fly like an Ultrastar, but it does feel like one. If you are longing for a comfortable grip that you’ve been used to with your trusty Ultrastar, look no further than the Berg. What’s better, the Berg flies extremely straight and not far at all, so it is a very simple disc to own.
Mid-Ranges
The most popular discs in this category are probably the Innova Mako3 (5:4:0:0) or the Discraft Buzzz (5:4:-1:1). But also virtually every disc manufacturer has a disc similar to this in their lineup. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with busting out a Buzzz on all 18 holes at the course, so that’s a sound decision if you want to go down that route. But my personal recommendation is to grab a Discraft Comet (4:5:-1:2) as your first mid-range.
That’s because it flies most similar to an Ultrastar, so you’ll feel at home with the flight path. You can send the Comet on an OI backhand path and trust that it will hold that line like it does in Ultimate — that doesn’t come for granted with most disc golf discs. Or you can toss an IO forehand and watch it flip up to flat and glide for days.
That being said, throwing a Comet definitely does not feel the same as throwing an Ultrastar, so don’t think that everything will be equivalent. It’s a big disc in disc golf terms, but its still smaller than the Ultimate disc. And the rim feels different since it is a 4-speed disc (the first flight number) where as an Ultrastar is probably 1-speed.
My second recommendation is to grab a Discraft Zone (4:3:0:3) if you are a solid flick-thrower. The Zone has a deep rim and feels like an Ultrastar when you hold it in a flick grip. It definitely does not fly like one, but has a flight path that you can get used to. Early on in your disc golf career, you can throw the Zone at a steep OI angle and trust that the disc will fight back to an IO flight path.
Drivers
You don’t need many drivers when you’re just getting started with disc golf. They are definitely the sexiest to throw, but the hardest to get right. For a few months after I picked up disc golf, I threw my drivers the same distance as my mid-ranges (and I threw those the same distance as my putters!). I have two recommendations for this slot in your bag, one for forehand throws and one for backhand throws.
I have a very powerful forehand thanks to Ultimate, and I think that will be the case for quite a few folks as well. A lot of my forehand throws would turn-over, meaning I put so much torque on the disc that it would disrupt the flight path of the disc (and make it fly left and into the ground). An Innova Firebird (9:3:0:4) is an awesome disc to grab to alleviate this issue. The Firebird flies quite wonderfully for a power forehand, and reliably fades left no matter how much torque you exert on the disc. So you can power away with the Firebird and throw your elbow out!
For the backhand, my advice for the first disc you buy is an Innova Valkyrie (9:4:-2:2). As you can see by the flight numbers, a Valkyrie is a more understable cousin of the Firebird. Since my backhand sends less torque into the disc, I find the Valkyrie as the best option to fly straight and far without meat-hooking into the ground.
If you follow these thoughts to a T, you’ll get a pretty solid starter bag for an Ultimate player. It’ll look something like this:
- Dynamic Discs Judge (2:4:0:1) — use this to putt from 50ft or closer to the basket.
- Kastaplast Berg (1:1:0:2) — use this from 100ft or closer and you can throw a straight line to the basket.
- Discraft Comet (4:5:-1:2) — use this for smooth backhand shots off the tee or from under 300ft out.
- Discraft Zone (4:3:0:3) — use this for equally smooth and accurate forehands from under 300ft out.
- Innova Firebird (9:3:0:3) — if you have a strong forehand, bomb this as far as you can and keep it low to the ground.
- Innova Valkyrie (9:4:-2:2) — use for long backhand shots that shape similarly to an Ultrastar.
These 6 discs are all you need to have the right disc for any shot on an 18-hole course. Most of these discs can be found for under $15 in premium plastic or under $10 in base plastic (though I strongly recommend the premium plastic!). If you’re feeling extra frisky with funds, you can also invest in a utility disc like a Dynamic Discs Justice (5:1:0.5:4) or Discraft Machete (11:4:0:4) that you can throw to get yourself out of the woods. That’s a complete bag! You can call yourself a disc golfer and not an Ultimate player with a few cool discs!
Let me know what you think about this Ultimate beginner’s bag in the comments. Any discs I left out that worked well for you?
