Disc Golf: A Glossary of Terms

Every sport or hobby has its own unique and interesting glossary of terms. I’m sure you’ve been out playing disc golf and heard some saying that you didn’t quite understand.

To help newer players and to keep up with the lingo myself, I created this simple and full list of all disc golf terms.

I’ll be sure to keep this glossary updated since the slang in disc golf is always changing. Hopefully, this is a place that you can come back to check in on when you need a little more info on what other players say during a round.

Scroll down below and explore this complete Disc Golf Dictionary to find the common slang and jargon that’ll be heard out on the course!

Disc Golf bag and discs

Disc Golf Terms

A

Ace

Hole-in-one. Throwing your disc in the basket on the first throw

Air Ball

To miss the basket completely on a putt attempt

Albatross

Shooting three under par on a hole

Anhyzer(Anny)

A throw where the outside of the disc is pointed upward

Approach

A throw that lands close enough to the basket to putt

B

Back of the box

The last player to take the tee

Backhand

A throw where the disc is pulled across in front of your body

Bag Tag

Tag showing membership to a club attached to a disc golf bag

Band

Top circle around the basket

Basket

The target for each hole on a course

Bead

Ridge on the bottom of a disc, mostly found in putters

Beat In

A disc that has been used for so long that the flight pattern has changed over time

Bid

A throw that comes close to landing in the basket

Birdie

Shooting one under par on a hole

Birdie Fest

A string of birdies in a row

Black Ace

An ace shot that goes in the wrong basket

Bonus Birdie

A birdie that is very difficult, feels like an eagle

Bullseye

Landing around 5 ft away from the basket

C

Card

A group of players paired together. During tournaments your given card is the other players on the same scorecard

Circle

A measurement of 10 meters around the basket. Used to determine rules for putting.

Come Back Putt

An attempted putt after throwing long on the basket

Crushed

A drive that goes your maximum distance (5 Tips to Increase Distance)

CTP (Closest To Pin)

Determining whose throw landed closet to the basket

D

Dirty Ace

An ace that goes into an unexpected place such as a trash can or bottle holder

Disc

The circular object that is thrown while playing disc golf

Double Bogey

Shooting 2 strokes over par on a hole

Drive

A throw from the tee pad or in hopes to reach the maximum distance of the disc

Driver

The disc used to throw a drive. Usually they have higher speeds for longer flights

Drop-in

A very easy putt that can be dropped in the basket from the lie

Drop Zone

A marked area where the player must throw from if they miss a mandatory or go out of bounds

E

Eagle

Shooting two strokes under par on a hole

Escape Shot

A shot that gets the player out of a tough situation. Often used when stuck behind trees or bushes

F

Fade

The natural direction the disc will fly when it reaches the end of the flight

Fairway

The surface in between the tee pad and the basket on a hole

Fairway Driver

A disc slower than the distance driver and faster than a midrange

Flex Shot

The flight pattern that occurs when throwing an overstable disc on an anhyzer release

Flick

A forehand or sidearm throw where your wrist snaps out as if you’re slapping in front of you

Flight Path

The natural way the disc will fly when released at the correct speed

Forehand

A throw where the disc is thrown from the side of the body (Best Forehand Discs)

G

Green

The area around the basket where putts most often occur

Grenade

A backhand throw that is released an an extreme angle so that the disc goes straight up and down

Grip Lock

When a player has a strong grip and releases too late causing an inaccurate throw

H

Headwind

Wind that is pushing and blowing towards you. This can cause the front of the disc to lift up

Hyzer

A release angle where the disc is angled down and away from your body

I

Island

An area on a hole that the disc must land in to avoid getting a penalty stroke

J

Jump Putt

A putt that is only allowed outside of the circle(10 meters) in which a player jumps up from the ground while releasing the disc

K

Kick Out

When the disc hits the target area perfectly but doesn’t stay in the basket

L

Lay Up

A throw where the goal is to put yourself in a good position to attempt a putt

Lie

The mark of where your disc has landed and where you will throw from next

Line

The path that you are trying to get your disc to hit

M

Mandatory

A designated area that your disc must go within. This is often a tree or sign that you must go around or inside

Marker

Small disc that indicates the lie. Usually used to know what spot to putt from (What are mini discs for?)

Mini

Small disc that indicates the lie. Usually used to know what spot to putt from (What are mini discs for?)

Mid-Range

A disc that has a slower flight and better accuracy and consistency

N

Nose

The front of the disc that is used to determine the angle of a throw

Nose Down

When the nose of the disc is pointed slightly towards the ground. This will often times result in a shorter distance throw

Nose Up

When the nose of the disc is pointed slightly towards the sky. This will result in a shot that loses speed quickly

O

Out Of Bounds

A marked area that a disc can not be played from. Landing in an out of bounds area usually results in an additional stroke count or moving to a dropzone area

Overstable

A stability level that causes the disc to pull from the release angle (Best Overstable Putters)

Overhead

A throw that is released above the shoulders, often called a tomahawk

P

Par

Shooting even on a hole

Parked

Shot that is executed perfectly and lands where planned

PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association)

This is the membership for disc golfers, allowing people to play in sanctioned tournaments (PDGA Site)

Penalty Stroke

When an additional stroke is added to a player on a hole because of a mistake like going out of bounds or missing the mandatory

Play Through

This is when a group lets you skip ahead of them on a hole. This happens if one group is moving much quicker than another (Complete Guide to Disc Golf Etiquette)

Power Grip

A grip that is used to maximize the distance achievable for a player. The grip has four fingers tucked away under the disc with the thumb on top for a backhand

Pull

A compliment given after a great drive. “Hey nice pull!”

Push Putt

A type of putt where the disc is throw with very little spin and comes downward towards the basket (Putting Tips)

Putter

The slowest speed disc that is primarily used for putting action (Best Throwing Putters)

R

Relief

When a lie is adjusted slightly because of an obstacle that isn’t supported. In certain holes you can move the disc slightly forward if you are near the water or an object like a trash can

Re-Throw

A second throw from the previous lie. Players can often choose to re-throw with a penalty if there other shot landing in a worse position

Rip

A compliment when throwing a great shot. “Wow great rip!”

Roller

A type of throw where the side of the disc is rolling along the ground

Round

A complete game of disc golf. When 18 holes have been played you have completed a round

S

Scoober

Throwing style where the disc is upside down and thrown high and from in front of the body

Shot

A throw that occurs adding +1 to your shot total of a hole

Sidearm

Type of throw in which your palm is facing the sky

Skins

A competition where players compete to win money on each individual hole

Spike-Hyzer

A throw with the maximum hyzer angle that spikes down vertically

Spin Putt

A putt attempt that produces a high spin rate towards the basket (Best Putting Games)

Spit Out

When the disc hits the target area perfectly but doesn’t stay in the basket

Stable

Stability level that causes the disc to stay on the angle it was released on

Stability

How the disc will fly when released at a certain nose angle

Straddle Putt

A putt attempt where the player stands will feet spread shoulder width pointing at the basket

Stroke

A throw that occurs adding +1 to your shot total of a hole

T

Tailwind

Wind that is pushing and blowing away from you. Causes the front of the disc to push down

Target

The goal of a hole, referred to as the basket (Best Portables Baskets)

Tee Pad

Area that starts each hole. Usually a longer hard material that provides good footing for a drive

Thumber

An overhead throw where only the thumb is inside the disc rim. Travels from left to right in the air

Tomahawk

An overhead throw where four fingers are inside the disc rim. Travels from right to left in the air

Tournament Director

The person who plans, puts on, and controls all tournament decisions

Triple Bogey

Shooting 3 strokes over par on a hole

Turbo Putt

A putting grip where all fingers are on the outside of the disc rim. Thrown from the shoulder position with a spinning motion (Best Innova Putters)

U

Understable

Stability level that causes the disc to stray from the angle it was released on

Upshot

A shot that is throw close enough to the basket for a putt attempt

X

X-Step

The crossing pattern of feet used to open up the hips and generate more power on a backhand throw