In disc golf, there are two main ways to putt:
- From a straddled stance.
- From a staggered stance.
Getting beyond footwork, many disc golfers favor a specific angle of release on the putting green, as well. Flat is common, as it allows the disc to “do its thing” without manipulation.
And though far from the norm, there are a few psychos who almost exclusively putt with an anhyzer release. Way back when, Paul Ulibarri was known for busting this out. He still does on occasion. And when she could somewhat compete, Kona Panis was big on the all-anny putt, too.
Both have dialed back the lunacy.
Thankfully.
Then there’s the hyzer putt.
You can get extreme with this, à la Garrett Gurthie – I don’t recommend it. Or, you can follow in the footsteps of more subdued hyzer-putters like Paul McBeth and Isaac Robinson. If the hyzer putt feels normal to you, as it does to me, you’re likely no stranger to the following …
The no-chain bucket.
I’d refer to it as a “smash,” but admittedly, that word’s hard to use when the chains aren’t more than tickled en route to your putter miraculously finding the bottom of the pin. Especially from distance, for a right-handed golfer, the frisbee has more time (and height) to work from right to left back towards the pin, seemingly sneaking into the tray at the last-possible moment.
You know, like this:
Though I don’t believe in luck, whenever I rattle home a no-chainer, it’s hard not to chalk the whole thing up to a timely smile from the disc golf gods above – that’s my knee-jerk reaction. What’s strange to me, though, is how frequently I drain no-chain putts from circle two.
I don’t know if it’s the way I jump-putt or a subconscious commitment to missing on the pro side of the basket, but I rarely go two consecutive rounds without at least one of these bad boys.
So luck?
Eh, if there was such a thing, it’d be hard to call it that. Luck is running into Sasquatch in the middle of the woods with your smartphone camera ready and rolling. Also, out of stagefright, he stops and looks straight into the lens for a solid 10 seconds – truly a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
Conversely, for me, the no-chain putt is about as commonplace as my ability to wake up fifteen minutes before my every-morning alarm is scheduled to go off with a severe need to pee.
Maybe I’m just living right?
Let’s go with that.
If you’ve found a frequent companion in the no-chain clanker, maybe you are, too.
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