No matter what sport, hobby, or craft you're passionate about, at some point, the thought of being a "professional" of whatever you enjoy doing in your spare time has crossed your mind.
"I want to be a professional baseball player"
"I want to be a world renowned artist and have my work in famous galleries around the world"
"I want millions to buy my CD's and listen to my music"
the list goes on forever.
So chances are if you play disc golf, you have wondered and dreamed of how awesome it would be to become
a full time, professional disc golf player.
If you've had these thoughts, you may have also wondered what discs the professional disc golf players are using.
And the boring answer is,
The same ones you do!
That's right, there is no such thing as a "professional" disc golf disc, and the same discs in your bag could be the very ones a pro player is using.
That being said, there are certain types of discs that professional players may gravitate towards using, and this comes from a combination of things that include:
-sponsorship obligations
-preference, and
-experience
And many times, the decision making process as to what discs a pro is using is decided in that very order. Let's take a look.
Sponsorship
One of the biggest differences between an amateur and professional player is sponsorship.
Simply put, amateur players typically are not being sponsored by a major disc golf brand where professional players are.
With sponsorship comes an obligation to use the discs manufactured by that company. After all, they aren't paying their players all that money to use someone else's discs.
Typically, a pro player will choose to be sponsored by a company who's discs they believe in and they believe will make them the best player they can be. And this decision is partly made with our next two factors.
After a player considers what brand they're using,
Next, comes...
Preference
Pro players are very conscious of what is in their bag, they have to be.
Every disc used has a distinct purpose or purposes and is bagged accordingly.
We've discussed before in a PREVIOUS ARTICLE that knowing your bag is one way to get better at disc golf, and this is because knowing your bag allows you to choose the best disc for each and every situation you're in.
Pro players are no different from any of us in the sense that they prefer to use certain discs over others.
These discs are not only a specific brand, as mentioned above, but they also tend to be a specific
plastic
shape (domed vs. flat)
weight
diameter
beaded or beadless
stability
feel in the hand
and on and on and on.
Professional players will use a mixture of plastics, beads, and stability.
But professional players will often have a preference of disc shape, feel, rim depth, and some prefer beaded over beadless discs and vice versa.
When it comes to weight, most pro players will choose heavier discs because they have the arms to handle them, but this is hardly a "rule" and exceptions are made in many situations.
While we all have our own preferences, the difference between professionals, amateurs and the decisions they make regarding disc selection based on preference is their...
Experience
Some of the pros may not have played as long as some amateurs, but they more than likely practice and play much more than the average amateur player.
I mean, they have to if they want to succeed and be competitive on a regular basis.
With all this playing comes experience that shapes and molds a player into who they are and how they play.
When you go through shot and disc selection in your head, you will probably gravitate towards discs that served you well, and steer away from discs that gave you a less than desired outcome in a similar situation.
Because professional players play so much, and are playing around the best players in the world more regularly, their experiences are likely going to be slightly different than your average recreational player.
This doesn't mean that pro players won't pick the same discs as you, just that they may come to their decision for a slightly different reason based on their experience.
Signature Discs
Lastly, it's important to mention Signature Discs.
When a player earns sponsorship and signs with a disc brand, they will usually be given one or more of their very own "Signature Discs".
These discs will literally have the player's name or signature on them and could be a disc that the player had involvement in designing/conceptualizing.
For instance, say you're a professional player sponsored by Innova. You really like their Aviar but wish it was different in a few ways. They make changes or come up with a entirely new disc and that disc becomes your signature disc.
Signature discs are significant in the sense that the player on the disc will additionally get an incentive to sell their brands' discs, including these signature discs.
So while all players both amateur and professional alike may use the same discs and types of discs, amateurs aren't likely to have their own signature disc.
If you want to support your favorite disc golf player, one of the best ways is to purchase their signature disc! They often have neat stamps or designs and make for both a great collector's item to hang on the wall or a disc to immediately bag.
You can shop all Signature Series discs at infinitediscs.com by clicking on Brandon's Ezer Aderhold Signature Nuke below!
And there you have it!
If you're curious enough to learn the specific discs that a current professional player uses, head over to Youtube!
Simply type in the name of your favorite player or player you want to check out followed by the phrase
"in the bag"
If an in the bag for that player has been done, it will pop up in the search results and you will be able to watch that player go through their whole bag disc by disc and show you not only the models they're bagging, but also the condition they're in, the plastic they like, and sometimes even the reasons they bag it.
Perhaps someday you'll even see a "Disc Golf Guys In the Bag" video
Professional players may be idols in this sport, but they use the same discs you do!
So get out there and play, you might just one day land yourself your very own signature disc!
Shop all things disc golf at infinitediscs.com by clicking on the banner below!
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