Arguably, one of the most important skills in disc golf and one that could take the most strokes off your round is putting.
Unfortunately, one of the most difficult skills to become proficient at and one that often adds strokes in disc golf is, you guessed it,
Putting.
This unfortunate reality becomes even more challenging when you lack the very thing needed to practice putting,
A basket.
In an ideal world, you would either head over to your favorite, local disc golf course and practice putting as much as you want.
If there is not a course nearby, the next best thing would be to own your own portable basket for endless practice at home.
And with very affordable options available, owning your own personal basket for less than $100-150 is a very real possibility!
Quality, affordable baskets such as this Black Hole Lite make practicing
all your disc golf skills at home, especially putting, a breeze! The basket MSRP's for
just $119.99 but you can click on the picture to see the current price!
If having easy access to or owning your own basket is not in the cards for you however,
you may be asking yourself:
How can I practice disc golf putting without a basket?
And the answer is way simpler and easier than what you may think!
While you won't be able to "rattle chains", you can use
just about anything
in lieu of a basket to work on putting and putting accuracy, with thin objects often working the best because they are a smaller target.
Trees
Signs
Fence Posts or corners and
Telephone Poles
are all great examples of non-basket objects you can putt into.
One thing you can do to make these practice objects better is to measure out the rough opening of a standard basket to replicate the size of the chains you would normally be shooting for.
This opening is roughly 20-22" from the top of the bottom basket to the bottom of the top ring with the top of the bottom basket being approximately 30-32" off the ground.
So for practice purposes, when using an object such as a fence post to putt in to, you want to hit it between 32"-52" (3-4 1/2 feet) to best replicate putting into a basket.
While not perfect, this type of practice gets the job done and will certainly make you a better putter.
Although unconventional and obscure, this 4 foot tall concrete pillar behind the building I work at makes for a simple putting target to practice with while on my lunch break with my primary putter,
The goal post at my local high school also makes an excellent putting target when a basket is not nearby!
In addition to thin objects like the ones mentioned, chain link fences or even walls can be used for putting practice, but some walls may be hard on your disc's rim so putt with caution.
A final option to use for putting practice and is one we mentioned in our
article and is a portable sports net such as THIS ONE that can be found on websites such as Amazon.
Not only are they great for putting practice both indoors and outdoors, but they are also versatile enough to be used year round for all aspects of your disc golf game, including drives!
A portable sports net like this one is perfect for practicing all disc golf skills!
Click on the picture above to shop current prices on Amazon!
What if I have nothing to practice putting with?
If you truly have nothing to putt "in to", such as a fence, net, or pole, then the next best option is to work on your
Putting Rhythm
If you watch professional disc golfers enough, you'll notice that they all have their own routine or throwing motion that they are able to replicate to perfection for every putt they take.
The neat part is that they all have a different motion that is unique to them and they all work great!
Good putting is all about being able to do the same thing over and over and over again. This consistency in your motion is what separates the average putters from the good putters and the good putters from the great putters.
This includes having the same release point over, the same arm motion, and the same body positioning over and over and over again.
So,
If you don't have anything to throw in to, then work on your own "routine".
Practice finding that same stance every time, do repetitions of lining up your shot, drawing your arm back, and releasing at the same point every single time.
Improving this consistency, while easier with an object to putt in to, is what is going to make your putting game stronger than ever before.
If you wish to actively release the disc, you could try releasing the disc so it travels in an imaginary straight line every time. Which will also help improve your approach and lay up aspects of your game.
This is also a great chance to work on release angles and figuring out how much spin to put on the disc to further improve your accuracy and consistency (if your spin putting).
You can even mess around with spin and push putting in general and decide which style you feel more comfortable with during these stress free practice sessions.
As mentioned, putting field work can also include working on "lay ups" and approaches to the basket.
To do this, place an object such as an unused disc, hat, or disc golf bag at a random spot and pick a random distance and work on laying your putter up to that object.
There are instances on the disc golf course where making a run at the basket is a low odds shot and could put you in a position where you will either birdie if you make it and bogey if you miss and have a roll-away.
Practicing these scenarios to make or save par can be done without a basket and will significantly improve your disc golf skills.
Lastly, you can also work on improving your putting strength and distance which includes working on your jump putt game!
If you're still looking for some putters to both practice and play with, consider reading these articles to get headed in the right direction!
and,
If you're looks for more putting tips, then check out:
and,
to get started!
As you can see, when you don't have a basket to practice putting with, there are many options at your disposal where you can still improve your short game.
Now it's up to you to get out there and work on those skills!
Feel that we left a tip out? Feel free to let us know!!
To shop all the top rated putters at infinitediscs.com, click on the banner below!
*Some links are affiliate links meaning we may earn a small commission when you make a qualifying purchase with the links that we provide. You can read our full affiliate disclosures on our home page*
Comments