Disc golf: How to systematically rid your bag of unused discs

Every disc golfer is different.

I like to use the discs I bag. As such, the Upper Park Shift has served as my bag of choice for the better part of the past six or so years. The bag comfortably carries 15 discs. And wouldn’t you know it, most rounds – regardless of the day’s course – I use MOST of those 15 discs.

It’s a setup that works for me.

Whether they throw them or not, other guys feel more at ease golfing with 25-plus discs strapped to their backs. Perhaps they’re capable of hitting more lines than I am. There’s a chance they’re worried about losing discs, too. Or, maybe they just don’t know what else to do with ‘em.

This message is for those with a foot in BOTH camps:

• You want to carry less discs.
• You can’t help but carry many.

Here’s how to get your bag right …

Step No. 1: Play as you normally would

You might not’ve seen this coming …

Change nothing.

That goes for the number of rounds you play, as well as the courses you normally play. But on top of all that, it goes for the WAY you play, too. Knowing the end goal is ultimately to shed discs, don’t look for excuses to throw all of ‘em. Reach for what you know, love and trust.

Less thinking. More throwing.

Step No. 2: Track the discs you don’t throw

After each round, take inventory of the discs you didn’t throw – not a single shot. Furthermore, resist the urge to justify why you didn’t reach for a disc: The wind was up, the weather was bad, the course didn’t call for it, etc. If you didn’t throw it, make a note of it in a safe place …

You’ll come back to this list at a later date.

Step No. 3: Stick with the process for 10 rounds

Please don’t do this for one or two rounds …

It won’t work.

Arbitrarily, I’d say 10 rounds is a nice, even number to work with. If it takes less time to notice a clear-cut pattern, that’s fine. And if you’re mega-anal about bag-building, it could be that 20 rounds is what’s needed to get you a large enough sample size. Whatever you do …

Stick with this.

Step No. 4: Remove what’s not used (and adjust, too)

Trim away the fat.

Over the course of 10 rounds and hundreds of shots, if certain discs haven’t seen at least ONE throw per round, there’s no need for ‘em in your bag – set them aside. This goes for utility discs, too. Limiting yourself exclusively to the discs that see the most action, you’ll soon find one or two that will competently take the place of the lesser-used molds you once felt were necessary.

Sometimes they are; most of the time, they’re not.

Your game will adjust.

Step No. 5: Strategically set aside your less-used discs

So, what should you do with your excess frisbees?

Buy this box – or one like it, at least.

In it, you’ll store your more “occasional” discs. Before you head out to the course for a casual round or a tournament that might call for a between-round audible, toss it in your trunk.

They’re there if you need them.

The benefits of building a bag this way are numerous:

• Your back will feel better after a round.
• You won’t need to make as many disc decisions.
• You’ll build a better relationship with your best molds.

And yet again, my personal favorite …

You will use all your discs.

It’s a beautiful (and rare) thing.

Or, you could just buy a cart …

Easy enough.

Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.

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