Cheat Code for Picking Beginner-Friendly Discs

New disc golf? Here’s your cheat code for picking beginner-friendly discs that won’t fight you every throw. 

Start simple: Build your beginner bag with a trusty trio:

Putter (Speed 1–3) – your smooth-talking, close-range friend.

Midrange (Speed 4–5) – dependable, like your buddy who shows up early and brings snacks.

Fairway Driver (Speed 6–7) – a gentle intro to distance without the wild side.

Skip the speed demons (for now): Distance drivers (Speed 9+) may look cool, but they’ll just hyzer out on you like a bad first date. Patience, padawan.

“Hyzered out” means the disc cut left early at the end of the flight...like it had somewhere else to be. 

What to Look For:

Speed (1–7): Lower speed = easier control. Great for building your form instead of your frustration.

Glide (5–7): These discs have hang time! High glide means more airtime and a chance for extra distance (and maybe some accidental tree love).

Turn (-1 to -3): Understable is your friend. These discs want to turn right (RHBH), helping your throws go farther without demanding perfect form.

Fade (0–2): Less fade means straighter finishes. More predictability = fewer surprise landings.

Sample Setup:

Putter: Speed 2 / Glide 4 / Turn -1 / Fade 1

Midrange: Speed 5 / Glide 5 / Turn 0 / Fade 1

Fairway Driver: Speed 7 / Glide 5 / Turn -1 / Fade 2

Bonus Tip for the “Noodle Arms” (you know who you are): Stick to low-speed, high-glide discs—your form (and self-esteem) will thank you.

Conclusion (not really)

Still hanging in there? Awesome. Now that you've got a grip on those numbers (or at least pretended to nod confidently), let’s dive into disc weights—and how to pick ones that won’t turn on you mid-flight like a rogue boomerang.