Disc Golf Jargon Most people who play disc golf are familiar with the usual terms and language. There are many other words that people use to describe things that happen in the field. Words that are not in the dictionary or general disc golf vocabulary. I’ve collected some interesting terms from other players, and from what I’ve read other players use. I’ll share the common ones, and some better uncommon ones I’ve found.
I got a great story sent to me a couple of years ago. A player who was new went out to play a round with his dad, there was a reporter and a photographer on the field from the local newspaper. He asked if you could take a couple of photos for a story they were doing about disc golf; the boy said sure. The photographer positioned himself about 50 feet from the edge of the street; The guy let go of his momentum and hit the photographer in the chest with his driver.
Very embarrassing and funny now, but nobody wants to do that. I love this story because it shows exactly why everyone wants to get better. I put together the terms I learned over the last 30 years playing disc golf. Terms that will make you feel like you know what other people are talking about. Disc golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. One of the main reasons for its popularity is that players of almost any age and ability can play.
I play with guys half my age and beat them all the time. I am 62 years old and in good shape. I know older people who still play. There are no limitations. If you can move around the field, you can play. If you’ve never played, you should. If you play now, keep playing. It’s great exercise, and it’s a great way to socialize. When it comes to sports, it is also very economical. 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 Parlance
- Ace Put the puck in the basket on the first shot
- Hyzer Release the puck with the edge closest to your body higher than the other edge.
- analyzer The outside is higher than the inside edge.
- overstable The puck wants to hyzer on the ground when you drop it. So that it doesn’t happen, you have to split it and throw it hard with a light anhydride.
- to understand You can cast with less spin, less snap to fly straight.
- Rotation When you launch the hard drive with a good snap; it will turn in the opposite direction to how it normally turns. If you throw your right hand back, it will spin to the right.
- S curve The disk flight starts as hyzer, then hyzer at the end of the flight.
- Nap The amount of spin on the disk when released from your hand.
- driving The launch from the tee.
- Getting closer The shot from the drive to the basket.
- short blow Throw the puck into the basket.
- grip How you hold the puck when you’re throwing.
Player Invented Disc Golf Terms
- dead man When your putt hits the side of the basket and falls to the ground.
- chain tuxedo Several good putts in a row.
- bogey sandwich A score card with a per bogey per bogey.
- black ace Playing on the wrong hole.
- cabbage Raw weeds.
- Chastity belt The yellow band of the Innova shoes.
- dry metallic sound The sound a putt makes when it hits the chastity belt.
- hit the nickel A putt that hits the license plate.
- horking A huge long throw.
- local road Taking an unconventional path to the basket.
- wood lift When you hit all the trees.
- Black Forest Very thick woods.
- Nickel A score of 5 we have a hole.
- nuclear shule Rough very thick.
- fly by Putt of correct height, but navigates the basket.
- chance deuce A two of something very lucky happening.
- Gaak He missed a short putt.
- Grenade A high shot that falls quickly to the ground.
- head thumper When your puck falls under the basket and you could hit your head on the basket while lifting it.
More Disc Golf Terms
- Paper plate An unstable disk.
- pig putt A putt that is really bad.
- Pinball A shot that hits several trees.
- Pinball Wizard Continuously hit multiple trees.
- Rooted When the root of the tree prevents you from shooting.
- Saturn A score of 6 (Saturn is the sixth planet)
- Shank Any shot that doesn’t do what you wanted.
- Heavy Shule Weed off the street.
- Sneak In flight instruction to disk.
- Snob Throw with the nose of the puck up.
- Snowman A score of 8.
- Spinach Shrubs, trees and undergrowth.
- tacos Hitting a tree so hard it folds like a taco.
- tombstone A disc golf disc that hits the ground and comes to rest on the rim.
- treefelction The tree gives you a good detour.
- valet parking When he parks his unit under the basket.
- FRC Candy fundraiser.
- CTP Unit closest to the pole.
- DL Last dead in the order of release.
- FAT When you reach the first available tree.
- LB Lucky bounce.
- THIRST See eye disk.
- YSA You are still far away.
- Blast of the Gods When the wind blows the disk offline.
- getting greasy Sneaking through the trees.
- lawn art A nightclub that has landed partially buried in the ground.
- merged When you get hit in the head by someone thrown from a tree.
- tombstone For those discs that stick edge to edge in muddy terrain.
- Helicopter A shot that ultimately has to come straight down without curving.
- A fraud The perfect drive.
The terms in the section above are the ones you need to know. These terms will help you understand the game and how to play it and how to play it better. The rest are just temporary ones that other players use when they are playing.