Be A Part of the Conversation – A Complete List of Disc Golf Lingo
by Celavirgie Bautista JUL 09, 2021
Imagine this…
You’re having a great time playing disc golf with your friends when one of them says a disc golf slang you haven’t heard before.
Chances are, you’ll just nod your head and pretend you understand what he just said.
If you want to decode all the jargons used in your favorite sport, keep reading.
10-MeterCircle
The circle around the basket that indicates how a player may putt.
150 Class
A class of discs weighing less than 159.9 grams. These discs are the only ones approved for playin the Japan Open Disc Golf Tournament.
A-tier
Regional tournaments with strict requirements for the overall purse and payouts.
Throwing your disc into the basket on your first shot off the tee box.
Air Bounce
A disc thrown in such a way that the disc suddenly “bounces” by quickly rising into the air early into its flight.
Albatross
A scoring term when a player finishes a hole in three fewer strokes than par.
Anhyzer
A disc golf throwing technique where the left side of the disc is higher than the right upon release. (RHBH)
B-tier
A state-level tournament that consists of 2 different disc golf rounds.
Backhand
A throwing style where the player turns his back to the basket
Bag Tag
A tag that typically shows a player’s membership to a club
Basket
The target of the player’s throws. The disc must land in the basket to complete a hole.
Bead
A ridge added to the bottom side of a disc.
Birdie
A scoring term when a player finishes a one throw under par.
B.O.B. (Back of the Box)
Refers to the person who throws last.
Bogey
A scoring term when a player completed a hole one throw over par.
C-tier
A class of disc golf tournament with the least strict requirements. A local tournament.
Card
Players who playin groups are called cards.
Casual Relief
Relief with no penalty stroke.
Chain Out
When a disc hits the basket but slips through the chains and falls out the other side.
Ceiling
The maximum height where a disc can fly due to course obstacles.
Comebacker
A putt where the player has gone long off the basket and has to “come back” after a missed putt.
Death Putt
A putt where there is a hazard directly behind the basket.
Deuce
Completing a disc golf hole in two shots.
Disc
A plastic circular object specifically made for disc golf.
Disc Down
To throw a slower speed disc for greater accuracy.
Driver
A high-speed disc designed for maximum distance.
Drop Zone
An area on the course where play is resumed after a shot is thrown out of bounds, miss as a mandatory, or landed in a protected area.
Eagle
A scoring term when a player finished a hole.
Even
At par.
Fade
The disc’s tendency to hook left at the end of the flight.
Falling Putt
A putt after which a player touches their marker disc or any object beyond the lie before having demonstrated balance.
Fan Grip
A grip style where the fingers are extended and not wrapped tightly together.
Flair Skip
High arching skip that can occur when throwing a distance driver.
Flex Shot
A type of throw where the player gets the disc to turn to the right (RHBH) before fading leftat the end.
Flick
Another name for a sidearm or forehand throw.
FlightRating
How a disc is designed to fly.
Flippy
A very understable disc.
Floater
A putt thrown with a nose up to float into the chains
Forehand(aka Forearm or Sidearm)
A throw type in which the player faces the target with the forehand grip and flicks their wrist.
ForehandGrip
Palm to the sky and thumb placed atop the flight plate, typically index and middle fingers are tucked into the rim with remaining fingers along the outside of the rim.
Frolf
Slang for frisbee golf.
Glide
Describes the disc’s ability to maintain loft during flight.
Green(Typically the Circle)
The putting area.
Grenade
A shot type where the disc is thrown upside down at a nearly vertical angle to go above the trees and drop straight down.
Grip It and Rip It
Grip hard and throw hard.
Grip Lock
The late release of the disc.
Guardian
An obstacle in the fairway that blocks access to the green.
Hazard
Out-of-bounds area where a one-stroke penalty is incurred and the player throws from whereh is disc has settled.
Headwind
Wind blowing directly at you. For best result, throw a more overstable disc when throwing into a headwind.
High-SpeedTurn
The tendency of the disc to turn right (RHBH) just after release.
Holing Out
Finishing a whole, meaning your disc had made it into the target.
Hork
An exaggerated hyzer or anhyzer.
Hyzer
An angle of release where the outside edge of the disc is tilted downward.
Hyzer Bomb
A massive hyzer.
Hyzer Flip
When a disc is thrown with a hyzer release angle and “flips up” to flat.
Hyzer Spike
An extremely deep hyzer angle release that is thrown high, usually with a very overstable disc, for the disc to drop almost straight down and stick in a certain area.
Jump Putt
A putting technique using a forward jumping motion to increase distance.
Kick
Slang for a change in a disc’s flight due to contact with an obstacle
Lay-Up
A strategic throw designed to set up the next shot.
Lead Card
A group of players leading the tournament.
League
A group of disc golfers that get together, typically on a weekly to play competitive disc golf.
LHBH
Left-Hand Backhand throwing style.
LHFH
Left-Hand Forehand throwing style.
Lie
A spot where the disc comes to rest.
Mando (Mandatory)
The path that your disc must follow during play.
Meathook
A disc with drastic fade.
Midrange
A disc designed for slower and more stable flight; often used on an approach shot.
Mini
Miniature disc designed to mark a lie.
Nose
The front part of the disc pointed toward the target.
Nose Down
A disc position where the nose of the disc is below parallel to the ground.
Nose Up
A disc position where the nose of the disc is above parallel to the ground.
O.B. (Out of Bounds)
When a thrown disc lands in an area of the course considered to be out of play.
Overstable
A disc that tends to turn towards the left (RHBH).
Par
The established number of strokes that a player should require to complete a hole.
Parked
When a disc lands a few feet within the basket on a drive or up-shot.
Penalty Stroke
A stroke that is added due to a foot fault, missed mando, landing OB, or rule violation.
Power Grip
A variation of the backhand grip, fingers are tucked into the rim.
Push Putt
A putting style where the putter is propelled forward by a push with very little spin.
Putt
Any shot within a10-meter radius of the target.
Putter
A disc used primarily for putting.
Rating
A numeric value given to tournament disc golfers that can be used to decide which divisions they are eligible to play.
Relief
When the disc lands in an unsafe, unplayable, or illegal position, a player may move the lie of the disc to the closest safe and playable location that does not advance the disc towards the basket.
RHBH
Right-hand backhand throwing style.
RHFH
Right-hand forehand throwing style.
Roller
A throw where most of the distance comes from the disc rolling on the ground instead of through the air.
Rough
A playable area off the fairway that makes the next shot more difficult.
Round
A complete game of disc golf, playing all of the holes on a course.
Scoobie
A disc thrown in which the player holds the disc with a backhand grip (RHBH) and positions it vertically next to their right ear.
Shank
A poor throw, typically leads to a mulligan
Shot
A stroke or each throw in disc golf.
Skip
A shot that is meant to fly after it hits the ground.
Sky Roller
A backhand roller that is thrown high into the sky before landing on an angle and rolling.
Snap
The point in which momentum is transferred into the disc.
The rate at which the disc can travel through the air.
Spike
A shot that lands almost vertically and doesn’t skip.
Spin Putt
A putting style in which the putter is propelled forward with a high-spin rate.
Spush Putt
A putting style where the putter is propelled forward with both a push and a high spin rate.
Stable
A flight that doesn’t turn.
StallShot
A shot that is intentionally thrown nose-up for the disc to stall in the air or in other terms to drop out of the sky as if it were a helicopter that lost power mid-flight.
Step Putt(Stepper)
Similar to a jump putt but instead of jumping, the player steps forward beyond their lie.
Straddle Putt
A putting style in which the player spreads their legs and squats as if straddling a horse.
Taco
A disc deformed due to a high-speed impact with an object causing it to bend and resemble a taco shell.
Tailwind
The wind that is blowing from behind you. For maximum distance, it is best to throw more understable discs in tailwinds.
Teebox
A designed area at the beginning of a hole in which players throw their first shot. The area is often rectangular and can be a hard surface such as concrete.
Throwler
An attempted throw that accidentally turns into a roller.
Thumber
An overhand throw where the thumb grips the inside rim of the disc and the fingers tightly snug the exterior flight plate of the disc.
Tomahawk
An overhand throw where the index and middle finger grip the inside rim of the disc and the thumb rests on the exterior flight plate of the disc.
Turbo Putt
An overhand putting technique in which the fingers are placed on the exterior rim with the thumb moved towards the middle of the bottom flight plate.
Turn
The tendency of the disc to turn over or bank to the right (RHBH) during the initial part of the flight.
Turnover
A throw that causes a disc to turn opposite if its normal fade.
Understable
A flight that turns right (RHBH).
Wedge Putt
A putt that comes to rest wedged in the side of the basket.
Wing
Rim width.
Wire to Wire
Leading the tournament from start to finish.
Worm Burner
A throw that is released lower than intended and ends up flying low to the ground.
X-Step(Scissor Step)
Footwork in which the left foot goes behind and in front of the right foot for an RHBH to improve weight transfer.
Yank
Similar to a grip-lock, the disc is pulled too far to the right for an RHBH typically resultant from trying to throw too hard.