8 putter tips to improve your Disc Golf scores

April 17, 2023

A putter is probably the most versatile and necessary tool that you need on a disc golf course. With enough practice, your putter can become your main driver, approach disc and your birdie machine. In this article, Chris Clemons gives you 8 putter tips for you to use in and outside the putting green.

Choose a putter to practice these tips

Supreme Judge
This brand-new disc pays homage to our original Judge putter while embracing...

Supreme Judge
Dynamic Discs Putters

Dynamic Discs Putters
Maiden
If you're looking for a neutral putter with a thin profile, the...

Maiden

1 | Mindset and aiming on the Disc Golf putting green

So much of being successful on the putting green relies on having a good mindset when stepping up to a putt. It can be so easy to think of the rollaways, the spit outs, or the airballs from the past. But focusing on the mental image of your disc hitting the chains as you step up can make a huge difference. If you find yourself standing over your lie thinking about anything other than making the putt, It’s usually worth it to take a step back and restart your routine with a better mental focus, or just lay up.

“Aim small miss small” is a phrase associated with just about anything involving hand-eye coordination and it certainly applies to disc golf, especially on the putting green. The idea is that if you’re aiming at something small and miss, your margin of error will be much smaller as opposed to aiming at the basket as a whole. Most pros will focus intently on a single link of chain when putting. This is also a good aiming point because it’s easy to find another chain link if you need to adjust your aiming point for wind or any incline.

2 | Grip and stance facing the Disc Golf basket

There’s not really an agreed upon “correct” way to grip a putter, but there are some things that it’s important to make sure you get right: comfort and consistency. A comfortable grip means your fingers aren’t straining to be in position or to make contact with the disc, and they have range of motion to push the disc out of your hand. And a consistent grip means you have points of reference and practice using your grip, so you can grab the disc the same every time.

Most people putt using a staggered stance with their dominant foot forward. This lets them start with their weight over their back leg so they can shift it forward as they throw, adding a lot of power so they don’t have to use as much effort with their arm making them more accurate. Sometimes though, there isn’t space or there’s an obstacle for the staggered stance so it’s a good idea to know how to putt with a straddle stance as well. For this putt players stand facing the target with one foot behind their mark and the other out to the side. It’s harder to get a forward weight shift from a straddle stance, but standing up as you putt can still add some height and make it easier to reach those longer putts.

3 | How to putt in the Headwind/Tailwind

Putting is arguably the biggest challenge when playing in the wind and the wind will affect each players putt differently. For players with a spin putt, it usually works to lower their aiming point in a headwind so it’s nose up flight will allow it to be lifted, but aim higher in a tailwind because the wind will make them drop faster. However, for push putters, they usually have to aim higher in a headwind because the nose down angle makes their putts drop, but a tailwind will help their putts carry farther. In general, the adjustments for a spin putt are smaller than the adjustments for a push putt so most players agree spin putting is more consistent in the wind.

The mentality around putting in the wind is different too. The range where you feel confident will be shorter and it’s important to acknowledge that sometimes it’s smart to just pitch up under the basket and not risk it.

4 | Putting on a crosswind

It’s very rare that your lie ends up directly upwind or downwind from the basket so it’s a good idea to know how your disc is going to react in a crosswind. Most people would expect a crosswind to move a disc to the side, but often, the lift or drop that comes from a crosswind can be more dramatic. Because of the natural hyzer most people putt with, the wind can get underneath a disc and lift it, or hit the top and knock it down.

The only way to know how a crosswind is going to affect your putt is to practice in the wind. When practicing, it can be helpful to pay attention to how far your putt strays from your aiming point so you can adjust it in different winds. The more hyzer angle on your putt the more you’ll have to adjust your aim point. Usually a faster and more direct putt will be affected less by the wind. That is why some players will switch from a push putt to more of a spin putt when the wind picks up.

5 | Putting uphill/downhill

It can be a challenge to know how to adjust your putt for an uphill or downhill lie. Naturally, most people assume that you want to aim higher for uphill putts and lower for downhill putts, and that’s true. But if your putt usually has some natural fade at the end, it won’t fade as much uphill because of the more direct flight, and downhill it will keep its speed better and fly straighter. So it’s very common to see newer players miss wide when putting on an incline.

Stance can be another challenge for players when putting uphill or downhill. Shifting your weight to get that natural power from your lower body on a downhill putt can cause a foot fault so it’s a good idea to take a wider stance. For uphill putts it’s usually better to take a narrower stance so your back leg can push without having to overcome as much of the hill. Some players will opt for a straddle stance on hills and just remove this variable all together. The important thing is to practice out of your comfort zone and know what is going to be the best option for you in that situation.

6 | When to jump putt

A lot of the power for a good putt comes from the legs. With a good weight shift, all the arm has to do is guide the disc into the basket. And for longer putts, usually the best way to add power is to push more with your legs. If you’re closer than ten meters to the basket, you have to maintain balance on your front leg after putting. But outside that ten meter circle, you can push more with your legs and take a step forward or even jump to add as much power as possible from your lower body without sacrificing accuracy.

One of the worst feelings is lining up a putt and still deciding if you’re going to jump or just putt it normally. Some players are really comfortable with their jump putts and will jump at any opportunity to use it. But for others, the jump adds another variable and that could lead to inconsistency. So it’s a good idea to try both and see how they work for your game. You can remove a lot of the mental load by setting a distance in your head where you know it’s most consistent for you to switch from a standing putt to a jump putt.

7 | Driving with putters

Driving with a putter requires a clean throw and a lot of practice. But putters can be the straightest flying and most consistent disc to drive with. Even if it’s not a go-to, knowing how to drive with a putter is an important part of a well rounded game.

Putters can’t really be thrown like most drivers. Most need at least a little bit of hyzer release angle, and if you’re struggling with turning them over too fast you can try adjusting your grip for a more nose up release as well.

It’s not a good idea to drive with the exact same putter that you putt with. You’re probably going to hit trees and beat it in more and you don’t want to change how your putting putter feels. It’s a good idea to drive with a backup putter or pick one up in a more durable plastic for more consistency.

8 | Tips for putter approaches

It can be easy to take approach shots for granted, but getting up and down consistently from two hundred feet will shave more strokes off your game than you’d think. And there’s a few things you can do to make your putting a lot less stressful.

Try to keep your wrist above your elbow to give the disc a floaty, nose-up flight that will hit the ground with less speed and minimize skips and rollaways.

A hyzer is the most consistent shot to throw with the biggest margin for error so if you have a wide open shot, resist the urge to go straight at it and take the smooth hyzer.

Now it is up to you, grab your putters, find a basket and put these tips to the test.

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8 putter tips to improve your Disc Golf scores

Choose a putter to practice these tips

Supreme Judge

Supreme Judge

Dynamic Discs Putters

Dynamic Discs Putters

Maiden

Maiden

1 | Mindset and aiming on the Disc Golf putting green

2 | Grip and stance facing the Disc Golf basket

3 | How to putt in the Headwind/Tailwind

4 | Putting on a crosswind

5 | Putting uphill/downhill

6 | When to jump putt

7 | Driving with putters

8 | Tips for putter approaches