When I first started playing disc golf, I was terrible at putting. I used the typical wristy motion that almost all beginners attempt. I would miss way right of the basket, or way left if I forgot the natural path of the disc, or really long if I threw with decent enough form to create glide. As a result, my first several rounds involved laying up from 20′ and out. I was so scared to miss badly that I just went for a toss near the basket.
Then, I came across a video of a great clinic put on by Dave Feldberg.
Disc Golf Push Putting
I had never seen or even heard of the push putting technique he described. I immediately went outdoors and started to work on the form. Dave does a great job describing a strict push putt. It took several days to even get the feeling down and several weeks to be comfortable with the motion but I started to make more and more putts which helped increase my confidence level and decrease my score.
Why Does Push Putting Work?
All of the levers involved in propelling the disc forward are moving in a single line toward the target. If you mess up one of those levers, you still have a chance of making a putt. This makes aim very easy and repeating the motion becomes second nature.
After some time, I adopted a putting style that is mostly push putting but allows for some wrist action when necessary. With this “spush” putting style, I can easily toss putts from 50′ and jump putts from closer to 80′. As I get close to the basket, the wrist gets less active and the motion is more strict. I have also switched to a straddle stance, as you’ll see in several of the pictures on this site. The straddle stance gives me the strategic advantage of finding a line to the basket from almost anywhere. It also gives me a little extra power from the hips. I liken the motion I use to a kettlebell swing exercise.
Are you struggling with consistency in your putting? Give push putting a serious try and I bet you’ll gain confidence in the circle. When you’re ready to select a putter for your new style, we recommend checking out our Best Disc Golf Putters page then heading over to Infinite Discs to find the perfect putter for you.
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2 Comments
Chip Bryan
I am a push putter. I have become very confident out to 25 ft, but once I get out to the circle and just beyond I struggle with consistency. My main putter is a Ti Challenger, but lately I have been finding more consistency with my Big Z Roach. I throw all Discraft so I was just curious if you had any insight into which Discraft putter is best for push putting and what I can do to increase my accuracy and consistency 30-40 ft. Thanks guys and love the material.
rlane2k
Thanks for reading Chip.
Many people seem to max out at 25-30′ when push putting. Usually this is related to a sub-par weight shift or lack of lower body in general. You’ll really want to get the weight on your back foot when you pull back and transfer the weight forward at the hit point. (If you straddle like me, you’ll want your weight on your heels and then up on the forefoot). If you try to add power to the push putt with your arm, you’ll fatigue your shoulder and probably start missing right or left.
As for putters, the Challenger is a solid putter but I prefer the Roach for push putting. Have you tried the new Jawbreaker plastic? Wear in the Jawbreaker Roach so it gets tackier and you’ve got a really nice push putter. We’ll be reviewing the Challenger very soon.