How To Speak The Language Of Disc Golf

Disc Golf Lingo Most people who play disc golf know the regular terms and language. There are lots of other words that people use for describing things that happen on the course. Words not in the dictionary, or in the general vocabulary for disc golf. I have gathered some interesting terms from other players, and from what I’ve read that other players use. I will share the common ones, and some better ones that are not common that I have found.

I got a great story sent to me a couple years ago. A player who was new went out to play a round with his dad, there was a reporter and a photographer at the course from the local paper. He asked if you could take a couple pictures for a story they were doing on disc golf; the guy said sure. The photographer got into position about 50 feet up the edge of the fairway; the guy let loose with his drive and hit the photographer square in the chest with his driver.

Very embarrassing and funny now, but no one wants to do that. I love this story because it shows exactly why everyone wants to get better. I put together terms that I have learned over the past 30 years of playing disc golf. Terms that will make you feel that you know what others are talking about. Disc golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. One of the main reasons for its popularity is players of almost any age and ability can play.

I play with guys half my age and I consistently beat them. I am 62 years old and in good shape. I know people older that still play. There are no limitations. If you can get around the course, you can play. If you have never played, you should. If you play now, keep on playing. It’s great exercise, and it’s a great way to socialize. As far as sports go, it is also very inexpensive. You can start with as few as three discs. A driver, a midrange and a putter. For just around $30 you can get started. Most courses are free to play.

Common disc golf language

• Ace Getting the disc in the basket on the first shot
• Hyzer Releasing the disc with he edge closest to your body highest than the other edge.
• Anhyzer The outside is higher than the inside edge.
• Overstable The disc wants to hyzer into the ground when you release it. To make it not hyzer, you must snap it and throw it hard with a slight anhyzer.
• Understabe Can throw with less spin, less snap to fly straight.
• Turnover When you throw the disc hard with good snap; it will turn opposite the way it normally will turn. If you’re throwing right hand back hand it will turn to the right.
• S Curve The flight of the disc starts as an anhyzer, then will hyzer at the end of the flight.
• Snap The amount of spin on the disc at release from your hand.
• Driving The throw from the tee box.
• Approach The shot from the drive to the basket.
• Putt Throwing the disc into the basket.
• Grip How you hold the disc when you’re throwing.

Player Invented Disc Golf Terms

• Dead man When your putt hits the side of the basket and drops to the ground.
• Chain smoking Several great putts in a row.
• Bogey Sandwich A scorecard with a par bogey bogey par.
• Black ace Acing the wrong hole.
• Cabbage The weeds in the rough.
• Chastity belt The yellow band on the Innova baskets.
• Clank The sound that a putt makes when in hits the chastity belt.
• Hit the nickel A putt that hits the number plate.
• Horking A huge long throw.
• Locals route Taking an unconventional path to get you to the basket.
• Lumber jacking When you’re hitting every tree.
• Mirkwood Very thick woods.
• Nickel A score of 5 on a hole.
• Nuclear shule Very thick rough.
• Fly by Putt correct height, but sails by the basket.
• Fluke deuce A two from something very lucky happening.
• Gaack Missed a short putt.
• Grenade A shot that is high and falls fast to the ground.
• Head Banger When your drive lands under the basket and you might bang your head on the basket as you pick it up.

More Disc Golf Terms

• Paper plate An understable disc.
• pig putt A putt that’s really bad.
• Pinball A shot that hits several trees.
• Pinball Wizard Continually hitting multiple trees.
• Rooted When the tree root stops you shot from skipping.
• Saturn A score of 6 (saturn is the 6th planet)
• Shank Any shot that does not do what you wanted.
• Shule Heavy weeds off the fairway.
• Sneak In flight instruction to the disc.
• Snob A throw with the nose of the disc up.
• Snowman A score of 8.
• Spinach Bushes, trees, and undergrowth.
• Taco To hit a tree so hard it folds like a taco.
• Tombstone A disco golf disc that hits the ground, and remains standing on the edge.
• Treefelction The tree gives you a good deflection.
• Valet service When you park your drive under the basket.
• CRF Candy fundraiser.
• CTP Closest drive to the pole.
• DL Dead last in the order of throwing.
• FAT When you hit the first available tree.
• LB Lucky bounce.
• SED Seeing eye disc.
• YSA You’re still away.
• Gust from the Gods When the wind blows the disc way off line.
• Getting greasy Sneaking through the trees.
• Lawn dart A disco that has landed partially buried in the ground.
• Merked When you get hit in the head from someones throw off of a tree.
• Tombstone For those discs that stick on edge in muddy ground.
• Helicopter A shot that needs to come straight down at the end without curving.
• A rip The perfect drive.

The terms in the top section are ones you need to know. These terms will help you understand the game and how to play and how to play better. The rest are just temps other players use when they are playing.