Approach & Upshots

Long Approaches

Park it from 200+ ft to set up an easy putt.

Why it matters

From 200 feet and out you are not going to hit the chains often, so the shot is about leaving a putt rather than making one. The difference between a good and a bad long approach is rarely distance — it is which side of the basket the disc finishes on, and whether the putt it leaves is one you want.

How to do it

Pick a disc that finishes predictably at that distance for you. Predictable beats long every time on this shot.
Aim to leave an uphill, straight-on putt. Downhill and sidehill putts from the same distance are measurably harder.
Favour the safe side of any trouble, even at the cost of twenty feet.
Account for the landing: a disc arriving at 200 feet is still moving, so plan the skip or the roll out.
Accept two throws from here as a good outcome. Trying to make it is how you end up three-putting from a bad side.

Common mistakes

Attacking the pin from 220 feet.Your make rate from there is near zero and the misses are expensive. Play for the best two-throw outcome.

Choosing the disc that goes furthest rather than the one that finishes most reliably.You know the distance you need. Pick for predictability and spend the choice on the finish.

Ignoring which side the putt will come from.Before you throw, decide which side you would rather putt from, and aim so the miss goes there.

Key points

Pick a disc that finishes predictably at that distance.
Favor the safe side of trouble; leave an uphill tap-in.

The drill

Drill · Leave the putt — 10 approaches from 220 ft, scoring the putt they leave. Ten throws from 220 feet. Score each one not on distance from the basket but on whether it left a putt you would be happy with — uphill, straight, inside 25 feet. Count the happy ones. Seven out of ten is a strong number and most people start well below it.

Watch: How to park EVERY upshot! | Disc Golf Beginner's Guide — DynamicDiscs