It’s okay to indulge in disc golf’s most hyped disc releases

Other major sports have trends …

Why not disc golf?

Remember oversized shorts in professional basketball? There’s a fad T.J. Ford wishes he could forget. Years back, there wasn’t a middle linebacker in the NFL without a neck roll. These days, however, you rarely see ‘em. And in pro baseball, big-time bling is as popular as ever. Which is all the more insane, considering how frequently those guys slide head-first into second base.

The Green Splatter Twitter account might give off a different kind of vibe, but there’s nothing wrong with hopping onboard the latest “trend train” in disc golf. If you’ve followed the sport for at least 15 minutes, you’ll quickly recall the madness surrounding each of the following:

• The Discmania Tilt confirmed Simon Lizotte could sell ice to an eskimo.
• The MVP Glitch made glorified, 150-gram catch frisbees all the rage.
• The Halo Polecat somehow made a dumb mold widely beloved.
• The SockiBomb Slammer is pretty solid – no quip needed.
• And the Zone OS? The jury’s still out on that one …

* Note: You know what’s wild? The Berg built a massive following – and organically.

The snarky, knee-jerk reaction for most “smart” disc golfers is to sneer at those who partake …

I just did.

You don’t know me, but I’d confidently consider myself both smart (-ish) and snarky. And each of those trendy golf discs I just mentioned? I bought every last one of ‘em within hours of the initial drop. I threw them all for a bit. Not a SINGLE one made my bag. And still …

No ragrets.

Disc golf is a gear-driven sport – and more than most athletic undertakings, I’d argue. D.G. gets beyond sneaker obsession and jersey-collecting. As flight paths change, getting to know a disc properly takes serious time and effort. An intimate, emotional relationship is the end result.

Think it over …

There’s not much of that in sports.

Given the ever-present role of gear within the game, in a roundabout way, to take part in a disc trend (or two) is to connect with the greater disc golf community – it’s to join in on the convo. You don’t have to be a writer to get involved, either. You have a voice: Buy. Throw. Share.

And lastly, there’s a chance a mega-promoted disc could very well transform your game. Ricky Wysocki certainly leans on his Slammers plenty. And amongst the amateur ranks, as improbable as it sounds, Bear Bite Disc has built a brand on throwing overhand aces with his army of Tilts.

Most marketing messages are more fluff than substance – this goes for discs, too.

But should an overhyped disc pique your interest, take it out for a spin …

Maybe it’ll stick.

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

Editor’s Suggestions:

• Disc golf: The problem with mystery boxes …
• Innova: How Dave Dunipace chooses Halo molds
• Disc golf: How to systematically rid your bag of unused discs

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