Beat In Discs - What's The Big Deal?

There’s nothing like the feeling of a brand new disc in your hand. While we may not like to admit it, many of us carry a new piece of plastic around the house with us or hold it in one hand while driving. Somehow holding, and dare we say caressing, a new disc gives us a sense of joy like nothing else.

But as we use these precious discs on the course, they end up getting their fair share of dings, scrapes, and scuffs. Instead of becoming dismayed about tarnishing the perfect look of a new disc, seasoned players are thrilled to be able to “beat in” their discs. What exactly does this mean and why should you get excited about it?

Defining The Term

In the sport of disc golf, you hear people talk about a “beat in” disc as well as the activity of “beating in” a disc. Shouldn’t our discs be ready to fly straight out of the gate? Why does this extra step have to occur?

It’s not something you have to go out of your way to do unless you really want to, as your disc will naturally get “beat in” as you play. This means that every time your disc hits a tree, the chains, or lands on the ground, it’s getting more and more beat up. This will happen in varying time frames depending on the type of plastic you’re throwing, but with consistent use, nearly all discs will eventually reach this stage.

Why It Matters

As a disc becomes “beat in,” it will actually start to fly differently. While some new players might think this may not be beneficial, as it means you have to adjust your shots with the new flight of the disc, it actually provides a benefit to your game as a whole.

Pro players love their seasoned discs because they’ve learned exactly how it will fly and what lines they need to put them on to get the results they’re looking for. Depending on the type of discs you’re throwing, you may find that its flight pattern tends to be more overstable or understable, and soon enough it becomes a tool that you can rely on time and time again.

Eventually, after years of use, a disc can actually become too “beat in” and therefore doesn’t have the same place in your bag like it used to. These ultra seasoned discs can be used for other types of shots, or you can choose to retire the disc from your lineup. Ultimately that choice is yours, but there’s a good bet that you’ll get in countless rounds before your disc reaches this stage.

Avid disc golfers will often have multiple discs of the same mold in their bags that are at varying levels of wear, so as you move through each disc and progress it down the path of being “beat in,” you’ll always have something that’s not quite as seasoned to turn to. Newer players may get overwhelmed by this process, but once you have it dialed in, you’ll notice that there’s more to your game than just the plastic and mold you throw.

Share with us in the comments below what your process is for “beating in” a disc and how important you think it is to one’s overall game!