Course Strategy

Reading Elevation

Adjust for uphill and downhill shots.

Why it matters

Elevation is the most commonly misjudged thing on a course. Uphill holes play significantly longer than their stated distance and downhill ones considerably shorter, and discs behave differently in both. Getting it wrong is how a well-thrown shot finishes forty feet from where it was aimed.

How to do it

Uphill: the hole plays longer than the number on the sign. Take more disc or more power, and give the shot extra height.
Uphill: expect the disc to fade earlier, because it reaches its slow phase sooner against the slope.
Downhill: the hole plays shorter. The disc stays in the air longer, fades harder at the end and skips further when it lands.
Downhill: throw a more understable disc or a flatter angle, because the extra airtime gives the fade more time to work.
Elevated baskets need height and power together. A shot that arrives at basket height from below has already stopped climbing and will drop short.

Common mistakes

Throwing the signed distance on an uphill hole.Add to it. A 250-foot uphill hole plays like 290 or more depending on the slope.

Forgetting that a downhill disc fades harder.Extra airtime means extra fade. Aim further right for a right-handed backhand, or throw something more understable.

Ignoring the skip on a downhill landing.A disc landing on a downslope runs a long way. Plan to land it short of where you want it to stop.

Key points

Uphill plays longer — club up.
Downhill discs fade harder and skip more.
Elevated baskets need extra height and power.

The drill

Drill · Pace the slope — 10 throws each on an uphill and a downhill hole. Find one uphill and one downhill hole and throw ten on each with the disc you would normally use. Pace out how far short or long you finish against the signed distance. Those two numbers are your personal elevation adjustment and they are worth more than any general rule.

Watch: What You Should Know About Throwing Uphill VS Downhill — JustDisc