Approach & Upshots

The Scoring Zone

Getting up-and-down from 150 ft is what separates players.

Why it matters

Inside about 150 feet is where rounds are decided, and it is the part of the game amateurs practise least and professionals practise most. Getting up and down from here — one throw to the circle, one putt — is the difference between par and bogey on holes where the drive went fine. A big drive that leaves a bad approach has saved nothing.

How to do it

1. Pick a landing spot, not "near the basket". Name the patch of ground you want the disc to finish on.
2. Choose the spot that leaves the putt you are best at, which for most people is straight and uphill rather than sidehill or downhill.
3. Favour the side away from trouble. A shot that finishes 25 feet short on the safe side beats one that finishes 10 feet away over a bank.
4. Use the slowest disc that will get there. A putter or midrange lands softer and stays where it lands.
5. Account for what happens AFTER it lands — slope, skip, wet grass. Where it stops is the only thing that matters.

Common mistakes

Key points

• Commit to a landing spot, not just "near the basket".
• A reliable approach saves more strokes than a big drive.

The drill

Drill · Up and down — 10 approaches from 120 ft, then putt each one out. Throw an approach from 120 feet, walk to it, and putt it out. Score how many times you get down in two. Ten repetitions takes twenty minutes and tells you more about your scoring than any amount of distance work. Target is seven out of ten before you move further back.

Watch: The 5 best UPSHOT TIPS from Paul McBeth (5x World Champion) | Disc Golf Tutorial — Paul McBeth

Further reading

• Master Your Approach Game — Innova Discs
• Down The Fairway w/Paul Ulibarri - Episode #41 - Grip technique for better accuracy inside 200' — Paul Ulibarri

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