Disc Golf Glossary

The Disc Golf Glossary is here to help you decode all the jargon used in the sport! Definitions may assume a right-handed throw, so left-handed throws will result in opposite flight paths.

An-hyzer: Releasing the disc with the outer edge at an higher than parallel to the ground. This will cause the most discs to curve to the right with a backhand throw or curve to the left with a forehand throw. This is often referred to as a roll curve or turnover.

Birdie: Scoring one under par on a given hole.

Bogey: Scoring one over par on a given hole. Two over par is a ‘double bogey’ and so on.

Danger Zone: Close to baskets, in front of throwers, between a thrower and target.

Drop Zone: An area to throw from if go O.B or miss a ‘mando’ and the usual rule is not appropriate. Particularly useful for island holes which demand the thrower to land on an island where it would be unfair for all throwers to have to re-throw from the original tee – inst closer to the island is fair, but they play their 3rd shot.

Flex: A term used to describe the flight of a disc when it peaks in height and then fades to the left without much glide. This generally occurs when the disc is thrown with the nose up.

Flight Plate: The thin flat part of the disc. May be referred to as the top or bottom flight plate.

Glide: The middle portion of the flight, and the key to a long distance throw.

High Speed Turn: A characteristic of a disc that curves to the right (‘turns over’) at the beginning of its flight when thrown firmly.

Hyzer: Where the disc is angled with the outer edge lower than parallel to the ground. This will cause the disc to fly to the left with a backhand throw or curve to the right with a forehand throw. Also known as ‘skip curve’.

Low Speed Fade: The tendency of a disc to fade to the left (or ‘hyzer out’) as it slows down at the end of its flight.

Mando: A mandotary obstacle that the disc must fly past to one side of on a hole. Can be useful for directing throws away from danger or high risk of disc loss.

Nose: The front of the disc. Can be up with ‘mungage’ or nose-down. Some models of disc will fly better when flying nose down.

O.B: Throwing the disc Out-of-Bounds… similar to the mando, a hole design feature for increased safety but more often used to make a hole more challenging and adding a ‘risk and reward’ factor.

Overstable: A term used to describe a disc with a strong resistance to high speed turn and a reliable low speed fade at the end of the filght.

Par: The standard number of throws intended for a given hole or complete course. E.G. ‘par 3 hole’, or a ‘par 58 course’.

Rim: The part of the disc you grip, some, especially putters, have a bead. Define ‘bevelled edge’.

Rip: The speed of release on the disc, which is generated by the arm speed and power a player gets into their throw. More rip (or ‘snap’) will generally make the disc cut through the air faster and therefore fly further.

Roller: A type of throw where the disc is turned over so far that it lands on its edge and rolls.

S-Curve: The flight of a disc when it begins by turning to the right and then “flexes” out and glides back to the left.

Spotter: A role of a player during a round to stand ahead of the thrower to ensure the way ahead is clear and safe or to get a good view of where the disc goes.

Tail: The back of the disc.

Turnover: The term used to describe the flight of a disc that curves to the right when thrown flat or at hyzer. An understable disc required less power to turnover.

Understable: A term used to describe a disc with relatively low resistance to high speed turn and less low speed fade. This is often referred to as a turnover disc.

Wing: The outer edges of the disc as it spins.