How Field Work Can Make You a Better Disc Golfer

Practice like the Pros

Field work is one of the fastest ways to improve at disc golf. It helps you learn your discs and gives you space to test different shot shapes without pressure.

In the field, you can throw lines you won’t find on your local course, film your form, and compare results in a controlled setting. It’s one of the easiest ways to identify what needs work.

The field also gives you room to make mistakes. During rounds, most players stick to shots they trust. In the field, there’s no score—just reps. That freedom lets you focus on weaker areas and improve faster.

Tips For Better Field Work

Be Intentional With Each Shot

Throwing without a plan won’t move your game forward. Go in with a purpose.

Work on specific shots or drills that target the areas of your game that need the most improvement. Pay attention to how each disc flies. Use each throw to learn something—about your form, your angles, and your discs.

Film Yourself

Set up your phone and film your throws—slow motion if possible. Most players notice form issues right away once they see themselves.

Compare your form to players you trust, and keep older clips to track progress over time.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kona Montgomery (@kona_disc)

Throw into a Net

A net is a simple way to focus on technique and get consistent reps.

Pick a target on the net and hit it from different angles. Without watching the full flight, your attention shifts to how the throw feels. It also cuts down on time spent retrieving discs.

Quality over Quantity

In the field, you’ll usually throw more shots in less time than you would during a round. That can add up quickly, especially when working on more demanding throws.

Focus on quality reps. Warm up and stretch. Spend more time on controlled throws than max-distance drives. A focused 30-minute session is often more productive than a long one.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Mobley Allen (@jennifer15354)

Make Up Games

Field work doesn’t have to feel like a chore.

Turn practice into a game—either solo or with friends. Add structure and scoring to keep things engaging.

For example, set up stations at 150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 feet. Throw five shots from each station. Bullseye hits are worth 5 points, C1 hits are worth 3, and C2 hits are worth 1.

Add rules like using a different speed disc for each throw or requiring a different shot shape each time. Play against your friends or try to beat your own high score. Remember to keep it fun!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Innova Discs (@innovadiscs)

3 Simple Drills to Practice in the Field

Gap Hitting

Set up two discs or cones in the field about 50 feet in front of you, spaced 10 to 20 feet apart. Imagine they are trees lining a gap on a wooded hole.

Start by throwing straight shots through the gap with different discs, from Putter to High-Speed Driver. Then work on hyzers and anhyzers, both forehand and backhand depending on what you want to practice that day.

Move your starting position to either side to change the angle, or move farther back and narrow the gap to increase the difficulty. Pay attention to each flight and use the drill to better learn your discs.

Distance Control

Place an object such as your disc golf bag or a portable DISCatcher in the field. Set up markers on the ground at 150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 feet away.

Try to park the target with every disc in your bag. This teaches you how to throw Putters farther and Drivers shorter, both of which come in handy on the course.

Practice distance control with straight shots, spike hyzers, anhyzers, and even rollers or other specialty shots.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Innova Discs (@innovadiscs)

Shot Shaping

Set up a line of discs or cones in the field that outlines the shape of the shot you want to practice.

If you want to work on an S-curve that starts turning right at 200 feet and comes back left at 350, map that shape out with points on the ground. Then throw so your disc flies over each point.

You can create any shot shape you need to practice at any distance. Combine this with the gap-hitting drill to recreate specific holes in the field. That nemesis hole on your home course can be practiced without losing discs or beating them up on trees. Once you get back on the course after all this field work, you’ll be surprised at how much you’ve improved.