Best Disc Golf Starter Set
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Choosing right, from the start
Embarking on your disc golf journey is thrilling, and the gear you choose is important. The price of a disc golf set goes beyond the checkout; it's an investment in your enjoyment and progress on the course.
Why Quality Counts:
Opting for super low-quality, budget beginner sets might seem tempting, but it often translates to problems down the road.
These problems may include:
discs that don't fly as intended, hindering your learning curve;
discs that break down easily, altering their flight path too much; and
discs that require you to upgrade as soon as you develop some throwing power, causing you to spend twice as much money anyway.
Quality beginner sets won’t break the bank. One of the great things about disc golf is that it’s not too expensive to get started.
On top of this, quality beginner sets:
allow you have confidence in your learning progression, knowing the discs fly the way they say they should;
can be kept in your bag, even if you progress quickly and build out an advanced bag of 20-30 discs;
won’t damage as easily; and
will break in properly, or “season” well.
One more good thing about starting with quality discs is that, even if you decide you hate the sport, you’ll easily be able to sell your discs on the second-hand market and get some of your money back. A cheap starter set will just sit on the shelf in your basement until you decide to throw it out.
In the pages ahead, we'll guide you through our picks for the top disc golf sets where value meets performance.
Let's explore sets that promise not just a great throw but a lasting connection with the sport you’ll hopefully grow to love.
What's in a disc golf starter set?
When it comes to disc golf sets, the typical lineup consists of three main types of discs: a putter, a midrange, and a driver (usually a fairway driver, specifically). This trio forms the core arsenal for players at all skill levels. Let's break down each component:
Putter:
The putter is your go-to for short-distance throws and, as the name suggests, putting. Putting, like in ball golf, simply means short throws where you’re trying to get the disc in the basket, rather than throw it in the fairway for placement. Putters are designed for accuracy rather than speed, making them crucial for precise shots close to the basket. Don’t be fooled by the name, through—they can also be thrown off the tee. And should be!
Midrange:
Sitting between putters and drivers, midrange discs offer versatility. They are suitable for mid-distance throws, providing a balance of control and speed. These discs are often the choice for navigating the fairway with accuracy.
Driver (Fairway Driver):
Regular drivers are designed for maximum distance and require a very fast arm speed. Fairway drivers, on the other hand, are designed to balance distance and control and are much better for newer players, as they don’t require as much arm speed or power.
How many discs do I need?
While the typical starter disc golf set includes three discs – putter, midrange, and driver – the question arises: how many discs do you really need?
In truth, starting with just two discs—a putter and a midrange—is sufficient, especially for beginners.
In fact, I might go so far as to recommend throwing just a putter when you start. Beginners will most likely NOT be able to throw a midrange or a fairway driver further than a putter, due to their inexperience and lower arm speeds.
You can test this for yourself, and if you have significantly more distance with a midrange than with your putter (without a significant loss in accuracy) you can probably start with two discs. Then if you find you can throw a fairway driver significantly further than a midrange (again, without sacrificing too much accuracy), you should start throwing all three.
However, most new players struggle to effectively throw discs with higher speeds than putters, and would be much better served developing their form throwing only a putter.
Still, having a set with at least three discs offers distinct advantages. It allows new players to gradually acclimate to higher-speed discs as their skills improve.
What do the numbers on the discs mean?
For the purposes of this article, we will keep this discussion of disc golf flight numbers brief. If you would like to go into more detail, check out this article.
Here are just the essentials:
Flight numbers are an estimate of a disc’s flight path in the air
There are four key numbers speed, glide, turn, fade (written in that order, left to right on the disc)
speed = how fast the disc flies & potential distance
Note: you need sufficient arm speed to throw higher-speed discs to their full potential
glide = how much the disc hangs in the air
turn = movement right at the beginning of the flight*
fade = movement left at the end of the flight*
*assumes a right-handed, backhand thrower
Illustrating the meaning of flight numbers. You can skip this if you already understand the concept.
The blue disc is a fairway driver with the flight numbers 9, 5, -1, 2. The green disc is a putter with the numbers 3, 3, -1, 1. The yellow line demonstrates the center line from where the thrower is located.
Looking at the fairway driver (blue disc), for example, you’ll see that the disc starts out by turning to the right approximately one “unit” from the center line. This shows the -1 turn from the disc’s flight numbers. Then the disc begins to fade to the left. This shows the disc’s 2 fade. You’ll notice that the blue disc actually lands only one unit to the left of the center line. This is because it turned one unit to the right in the beginning of its flight, then faded 2 units to the left as it landed, leaving it only one unit from the center line.
Because the blue disc is a 9-speed and the green a 3-speed, you can see that the blue disc went considerably farther than the green one. However, the green stuck closer to the center line during the duration of its flight path, illustrating that it is more accurate.
Keep in mind that this is not an exact science and there is no universal way for measuring flight numbers. Each disc’s published flight numbers are determined by what the manufacturer estimates they will be. Use them as a starting point.
Understanding Stability:
You may have heard people talking about stabllity when it comes to discs. There’s more to it than what we explain here, but for the purposes of buying a beginner’s set, this is about as much as you need to know.
Understable discs:
Turn to the right more easily
Stable discs:
Go straight (as much as is possible, most discs don’t fly perfectly straight)
Overstable discs:
Fade hard to the left
Why Stable or Understable Discs Are Perfect for Newbies:
All discs, as they lose speed in the air, want to naturally veer to the left and fall from the sky. (again, this is assuming that the thrower is right-handed and throwing a backhand shot)
Understable discs turn a little in the beginning of their flight path, allowing them to stay in the air longer before they get to the point where they’ve had enough, veer to the left, and fall out of the sky.
If a new player tries to throw an overstable disc, because they lack power and arm speed, the disc will not turn at all and immediately progress to the point in its flight where it wants to veer to the left and dump out of the sky. This results in very short distances and frustrated throwers.
And don’t worry, stable and understable discs will still have a place in your bag as you get better, you will just learn to throw them a little differently.
Our apologies
We realize that we’ve spent a lot of time talking about flight numbers and stability and it all seems a bit much. The reason we go into this kind of detail is because we often see beginners buying high-speed, overstable discs when they start off, thinking those discs will go farther.
In fact, the very opposite is true. Starting with lower speed discs that are stable or understable will help beginners throw farther and not get frustrated by their discs seemingly “diving out of the sky.”
Now, let’s get to the good stuff!
The Best Disc Golf Starter Sets
We’ve reviewed all the disc golf sets on the market being sold by trusted manufacturers. We’ve analyzed them in a variety of categories and given you the best options in each. All the discs we feature in this article are Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) approved.
For what it’s worth, if I were a beginner now, I wish somebody would would tell me to buy a beginner set from a known manufacturer in high-quality plastic that consisted of two-to-three, low-speed, higher glide, understable discs. This would have saved me a lot of time and hassle and the discs could have stayed in my bag as I progressed to an intermediate player. I made the mistake of buying a very cheap starter set, which I quickly grew out of.
Best Value Disc Golf Starter Sets
(balance of quality and price)
The discs in this category are not made from these manufacturer’s top-of-the-line plastics, however base plastics from these manufacturers will hold up MUCH better than anything from an off-brand company.
In addition, the disc golf sets contain molds that are well-known and well-used in the disc golf world.
Buying from known manufacturers in their base plastic will allow you to get the best disc golf sets at the lowest prices.
Image from Amazon
Prodigy Beginner Set
Why we like it:
features three of Prodigy’s most famous discs, all suitable for beginners
PA-3 Putter (3,3,0,1)
M4 Midrange (5,5,-1,1)
F7 Fairway Driver (7,5,-3,1)
design is great
also features a mini
very affordable
Where to buy:
Image from Amazon
Discmania Evolution Starter Set
Why we like it:
great selection of stable to understable discs
Link putter (2, 3, 0, 1)
Origin midrange (5, 5, -1, 1)
Essence fairway driver (8, 6, -2, 1)
(High glide, very well-loved, even by more advanced players)
grippy plastic
Where to buy:
Image from Amazon.
Latitude 64 Starter Set
Why we like it:
all slightly understable discs with high glide, great for beginners
Keystone putter (2, 3, -1, 0)
Fuse midrange (5, 6, -1, 0)
Saint fairway driver (9, 7, -1, 2)
high quality product made in Sweden
colorful plastic blends
great price
Where to buy:
Image from Amazon.
MVP Discs Starter Set
Why we like it:
Electron plastic has good grip in all weather, and “breaks in” nicely, features MVP’s gyro technology (separate piece of plastic for the rim)
Quality product made in the USA
*With this product, the discs may vary, but come with discs suitable for beginners. If you prefer to know the exact flight numbers of the discs you are getting, we recommend one of the other options.
Where to buy:
Best High Quality Disc Golf Starter Sets
The disc golf sets in this category all feature their manufacturer’s higher quality plastics. While these sets tend to be a tad more expensive, there’s a greater chance these discs will stay in your bag as your skill level progresses.
They will also hold up to tree hits, chain banging, and pavements scrapes much better than base-line plastic. On top of that, if you decide you don’t like the sport, these discs will easily sell on the second-hand market.
I wish somebody had showed me these sets when I was starting!
Image from Amazon,
Infinite Discs Starter Set
Why we like it:
High-end plastic for the midrange and fairway driver
Lightweight discs, better for beginners
Alpaca putter (3, 3, 0, 1)
Anubis Midrange (5, 5, 0, 0)
Sphinx Driver (9, 6, -3, 1)
Price is still quite low, despite having higher quality plastic
Where to buy:
Innova Gstar Starter Set
Why we like it:
Features Innova’s Gstar plastic, which is higher end, but also has the added bonus of being great in cold weather.
Innova is one of the oldest disc manufacturers and has a variety of popular disc models suitable for beginners.
*Please note that the discs in these packs may vary. If you prefer to know the exact flight numbers of the discs you are getting, we recommend one of the other options.
Where to buy:
Image from Amazon.
Axiom 3-disc Premium Starter Set
Why we like it:
Both the midrange and fairway driver are in top-of-the-line plastic (plasma, proton, & neutron)
Features MVPs gyro technology
*Please note that the discs in this pack also vary. They typically come in beginner-friendly molds and always have high-quality plastic. If you prefer to know the exact flight numbers of the discs you are getting, we recommend one of the other options.
Where to buy:
Image from Amazon.
Discmania Originals Starter Set
Why we like it:
Set features premium plastics
Straight flying discs
Very well-loved disc models, used by new players and professionals alike:
FD Fairway Driver (7, 6, 0, 1):
MD3 Midrange (5, 5, 0, 1):
P2 Putter (2, 3, 0, 1)
Where to buy:
Image from Amazon.
Discraft Advanced Level Three-pack
Why we like it:
High quality plastics
Iconic disc molds, including the Buzzz
More overstable putter and high-speed driver may be better options for more athletic newcomers, or people with some disc throwing experience, such as Ultimate players.
Discs include:
Jawbreaker Challenger putter (2, 3, 0, 2)
Buzzz midrange (5, 4, -1, 1)
Crank power driver (13, 5, -2, 2)
Where to buy:
Best Disc Golf Starter Sets with a Bag
You’re probably thinking “what am I going to use to lug my discs around the course?” Well, there are bags made for that. These starter sets include well-loved discs from a known manufactuer in their base-line plastic, but also come with great bags and other accessories.
Dynamic Discs Starter Set with Shoulder Bag
Image from Amazon.
Why we like it:
Includes everything you need to start:
3 discs,
a shoulder bag, (holds up to 12 discs)
a towel,
and a mini disc.
Includes well-loved disc molds perfect for beginners:
Judge putter (2, 4, 0, 1)
Truth midrange (5, 5, -1, 1)
Escape fairway driver (8, 5, -1, 2)
Comes from a trusted U.S. manufacturer
Where to buy:
Dynamic Discs Beginner Set with Backpack
Image from Amazon
Why we like it:
It’s a deluxe version of everthing you need to get started
3 discs,
a backpack, (holds 17+ discs)
a towel,
a scorecard,
a pencil,
and a mini disc.
the larger bag allows you to add discs to your collection without having to buy a new bag
Includes well-loved disc molds perfect for beginners:
Judge putter (2, 4, 0, 1)
Truth midrange (5, 5, -1, 1)
Escape fairway driver (8, 5, -1, 2)
Comes from a trusted U.S. manufacturer
Where to buy:
(If you like one of the starter sets above more than these, check out our article Best Disc Golf Bags where you’ll find a great selection of beginner disc golf bags that would go great with whatever disc golf starter set you choose.)
What if I want more discs?
Like we mentioned before, anything beyond three discs is probably pointless for new players.
However, we totally understand if you’re very excited about the sport and want to get a few more discs when starting off. It’s exciting, right?!
These 5-disc starter sets are expanded versions of some of the 3-discs sets we’ve already recommended.
Just remember, start with your lowest speed disc (putter) and work your way up as your form and arm speed improves.
Latitude 64 5-Disc Set
Where to buy:
(If you’re the kind of person that wants to dig deeper and put together your own custom starter kit, our articles Best Disc Golf Discs and Best Discs Putters will put you on the right track.)
Start off on the right foot
Getting started in disc golf is pretty exciting, and your gear plays an important role in starting off on the right foot. Beyond a mere purchase, a disc golf set is an investment in the enjoyment and progress of your game. While budget sets may tempt you initially, their downsides can hinder your learning curve.
Choosing reputable brands brings confidence to your throws and retains value for future trades. Durability and longevity are paramount for discs that endure from novice to pro.
In essence, the right disc golf set ensures a lasting connection with the sport. These sets promise to enhance your experience, providing optimal value and performance.
So, get out there and let discs fly, putts drop, and the joy of disc golf into your life!
If you liked this article, check out these other popular articles:
Best Disc Golf Brands,
Best Disc Golf Drivers,
Best Disc Golf Carts,
Best Disc Golf Shoes,
Disc Golf Flight Numbers,
Best Disc Golf Discs,
Best Disc Golf Putters,
Best Disc Golf Bags
Choosing Your Disc Golf Grip