It’s great to take those things to your career whom you love. Let’s say if you are a disc golf lover, you may think, “How to become a professional disc golfer?”
Let me tell you one thing clearly by learning disc golf, you will not only become able to spend time with the game you love, but you can also get paid. Isn’t it amazing? However, it is not as easy as it looks. It would be best if you worked on taking your disc golf game to a pro-level. But if you love the game passionately, then no one can stop you, and you can achieve your goal without any doubt.
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How to become a professional disc golfer?
So if you are interested in, How to become a professional disc golfer, we are here to assist you. Here our complete article is going to be about playing pro disc golf. Let’s take a look at some amazing tips that will help you to become a pro disc golf player.
1. Practice
The first and foremost that you can do for achieving anything in your life is hard work and practice. There is also a very famous quote.
“Practice makes a man perfect.”
The quote fits amazingly in disc golf. The practice is the first step that can make you pro in your game. With practice, you can get deep inside the rules of the game, understanding of rules, you will make mistakes, and after learning from them, your game will improve.
However, a practice not only needs more rounds of disc golf, but you need to improve every aspect of your game. Like putting, scrambling, and driving. All of these things will help you to play an effective game.
2. Training:
To be very honest, people can play disc golf as the game is not very difficult. It means you need to work some extra to go beyond the limits or to out stand yourself in the game. Training is different from practice, in training don’t only focus on your muscle’s strength. Muscle strength is important for your game, but it should not be your main focus. So try to give more focus to flexibility, your game power, and stamina.
3. Know the rules
Disc golf is an innovation from the traditional golf game. Some people also call it Frisbee golf. Disc golf has its own set of rules. These rules have been slightly modified to fit a golf game played with discs or Frisbee.
If you are new to the game of disc golf, your basic concern would be to familiarize yourself with its rules. But if you know the rules of the traditional golf game, familiarizing yourself with the rules will be easy. There is nothing complicated about disc golf; you can easily appreciate its concept and objectives even if you have not played the game of golf yourself. Knowing the basic rules of disc golf is enough for you to get started and start playing your initial rounds of disc golf.
In disc golf makes use of a golf course with eighteen holes and tee boxes. Each hole has a basket specifically designed to catch a disc, and the ultimate objective is to shoot your disc to that basket in the least number of strokes, or throws, possible. Disc golf courses consist mostly of par three holes. And just like traditional golf, the players can score aces, birdies, and bogies. Furthermore, the player has the complete choice for discs, and they can use whatever they want. There are discs designed especially for drives, putts, and mid-range shots and players have a choice to choose one disc or more than one. You can use your different techniques for throwing shots and you can also throw shots like any other player. It depends on you. Many players throw drives from tee boxes and dash, and they find it more practical.
Moreover, there are many written and unwritten rules from disc golf. So you can not vandalize any rules of disc golf.
Etiquette, manners, and all other basic rules apply the same as in traditional disc golf.
Some other rules for disc golf
1) Throw your disc only when the hole will be clear.
2) The player earns the first crack with the lowest score on the last hole, however, such a player may choose to waive it
3)if your pace is slow, you can allow other groups to play before you to maintain your pace.
4) After the tee shot, the disc position of every shot is at the spot where your disc falls. Now throw your disc from this spot just pick up the disc, take a stance, and throw it.
5) Now start your round from the designated and follow all the specific rules of games to design the designated hole.
4. Hire a Coach
Finding an experienced coach can also help you. The reason for hiring a coach is, the coach will help you to get to know about strengths and weaknesses, and you can improve your game. However, if it is difficult for you to find a coach, then find any player that you think is a better player than you.
5. Market yourself
You may don’t find it necessary, but as you know we are living in the era of technology and this thing can help you a lot. Even you can make your YouTube channel or any social media account to showcase your skills. You may not believe it, but this thing will help you greatly for taking you to a professional disc golf player.
6. Youtube mentorship
There is hardly any topic that is unavailable on Youtube. You may watch videos on various issues and techniques regarding disc golf to master it. Avail the treasures with the mentorship and learn with replay and zooming.
7. Websites
This is the digital era and almost all are available on the net. You may follow various disc golf-related websites to explore the trends and updates. Keep your eyes open to the real-life tricks shared on various blogs by pro disc guys.
8. Social Media
Social media is only not entertainment; it may be a great source of learning. You can keep yourself updated and informed with the disc golfing world by following the professional players on their social media profiles. They share their tips, achievements, updates, future plans on socials. If you follow them, you will get to know all that you need.
How do professional disc golfers make money?
There are several ways for full-time disc golfers to make money from disc golf. As we know, disc golf is relatively a new game, but it is emerging amazingly. Have a look at some sources for paid disc golfers to make money.
Tournaments:
The first thing that helps professionals to make money from disc golfers in tournament competitions. Touring pros may earn some from the international, national, or even local tournaments. However, for tournaments, the winning fee is not millions. The usual fee of disc golf tournaments is between $1000-$3000. Also, keep in mind that playing a tournament is not free of cost. You may have to pay entry fees and other costs of lodging and food as well.
Sponsorship
The other thing that can help you to make money is sponsorship. However, it can only give you great benefit if you earn a sponsorship with a huge amount of money. Many pro athletes also get incentives on the sales of the disk from sponsors. But it is not easy to get sponsorship in disc golf. If you want to earn it, you should prepare yourself like the world’s top disc golfers.
Social media influence
As we mentioned, we are living in the era of technology, and if you want a real example of this in a disc golf game, then there is an example of Wynne McMahon. McMahon is very active on social media and had a YouTube channel. We are very sure, in this way, he is not only promoting himself but also earning a good amount of money. Moreover, once you become a pro player, you can give training to others and can also work as a coach for beginner players.
Writing
Wring disc golf articles and content may be one of the best earning sources for experienced disc golf guys. You may come up with helpful disc golf content and upcoming disc golf competition. You are sure to earn handsomely with real-life tips, tricks, and suggestions.
Speaking
Professional disc golfers may earn a handsome amount from speaking on various occasions like sports and motivational events. Many of the players are invited to lots of programs and are given top-class remuneration.
Coaching/Mentoring
When you are well-known, there are plenty of calls for mentoring/coaching physically and digitally. You may earn as a pro disc golfer from this teaching scope.
Future of disc golf
Disc golf is a rising game and people’s interest in disc golf is rising rapidly. For instance, the number of disc golfers tripled from 2008. So we can say it is one of the emerging games. Soon the time will come when disc golf will be as famous as basketball or football etc.
FAQ’s
Q. How many professional disc golfers are there?
There are 261 PDGA qualified players; 32 pro female players in disc golf and 219 pro-male players.
Q. Who is a Pro Disc Golfer?
For a pro disc golf player, the player has to meet the following criteria of qualification to become a pro disc golfer.
- 1. World Champion of PDGA from 2015 to 2019 in pro division (Last five years and single events)
- 2. US Champion for the year 2015-2019 in pro division (last five years and single events)
- 3. A-Tiers winner and National tour 2019 the FPO and MPO Divisions
- 4. Cash winner in tour 2019 for women players $2500 and men players $5000
- 5. Player rating of 1000+ for men and 930+ for women’s
Q. Who is the highest-paid disc golfer?
Paul McBeth is the highest-paid disc golfer. McBeth won the world championship 4 times. Moreover, he is a two times Us champion in disc golf. Paul McBeth, in his 12-year career, won 13 major and 21 national tours. Besides all this, Paul McBeth is the leader of all-time prize money at PDGA events.
Q. Who is the best disc golfer of all time?
Ken Climo is considered one of the best players of all time. Ken, the champ Climo, is known as one of the best players in professional disc golf. He was born in 1969 in Florida, United States. Climo has won twelve PDGA world championship titles. This includes 3 master’s word titles in 2014, 2014, and 2015. Moreover, Climo was named seven times as a player of the year in PDGA. HE won the world championship for the first time in 2012 in his 40s. After that, he added two more world titles to his name in 2014 and 2015.
Q. Paige pierce net worth
Paige Pierce is one of the best female players in disc golf. As McBeth, Paige Pierce signed a lucrative deal with Discraft with her growing signature on the line of PP disc. Paige Pierce has been a player since 2006. In 2019, she earned prize money of $33,630. His total career earnings are $223,683.44. From 2006, she has a total of win130 career wins.
Q. Simon Lizotte net worth
Simon Lizotte is a professional German disc athlete. Till March 2020, Simon Lizotte has total career earnings of $151,959.00. He is famous for holding the disc golf distance world record on different events.
Q. How much does Paul McBeth make in sponsorships?
There are not many players who make earnings from sponsorship and have signature discs. Paul total made $57,880 in the 2018 season. It means Paul earned four times the sponsorship from Discraft now.
Q. Ken Climo net worth?
Ken Climo is one of the best professional disc golf players. He is a 51 years old player from the United States. According to statistics of IMDB, Forbes, and various online resources, Ken Climo’s net worth is $1-5 million as a professional disc golf player.
Q. Is disc golf a growing sport?
Disc golf is one of the most arising games at this time with tremendous growth. Now there are more than 45,000 active PDGA members. Moreover, according to the United States professional disc golf association, disc golf is the fastest growing sport. Till now, disc golf is played in 47 countries. If we talk about disc golf courses, there are more than 5000 courses in America.
Whenever we start a sport and pay attention to the sport, then we start thinking about the professional players and how much they earn from this sport. Same in disc golf if you are good in this sport or want to play it for a living then you will be interested in the earning of paid players.
Disc golf has been around for a very long time but now people are taking an interest and the sport is growing every year more and more. I did a lot of research just to know how much pro disc golfers make after winning a tournament.
How much money Do pro Disc Golfers Make?
According to the Paysa website, in 2018 the average rate of disc golfers is $116,037 in a year. In the same year, the lowest 25% makes less than $62,970, and the highest 75% makes more than $145,198. While the top 10 pro players made more than $213,198 just like other sports, depends on the performance. The players are not just paid for playing, they also make money from advertisements, sponsorships, and incentives sales. The player under 1-4 must have played in 8+ pro tournaments, during the 2019-year male players won $3k and female players won $2k.
Paul McBeth is the most popular pro player of disc golf, at the end of 2018, Paul McBeth’s total career earnings are more than $420k. Many of the pro players’ income comes from the sale of fundraisers and signature discs. You can also support them by purchasing signature discs, for each sale of signature sales they receive $3-$6.
Earning from the tournament
In the tournament, the top 40% will receive the payment if you don’t finish the game in the top 40% then they will not pay. If we compare disc golfers with ball golf, the average rate of ball golf is $300,000. The amount seems good, but remember that ball golf is a full-time sport, and disc golf is per year usually 20-25 tournaments. Some sponsors give salaries to their team members based on their skills. Some players are active in social media and invest their time on social media, which promotes their self also their product or signature discs and increase self business. Which makes more money than other players. Here are the top 10 earning list of male and female disc golf players.
Top 10 earning list of males:
| Rank | Name | Earning |
| 1 | Paul McBeth | $57,880 |
| 2 | Ricky Wysocki | $45,989 |
| 3 | Eagle McMahon | $44,669 |
| 4 | Kevin Jones | $34,793 |
| 5 | Chris Dickerson | $34,477 |
| 6 | Paul Ulibarri | $31,396 |
| 7 | James Conrad | $30,173 |
| 8 | Gregg Barsby | $28,682 |
| 9 | Nate Sexton | $26,569 |
| 10 | Garrett Gurthie | $23,510 |
Top 10 earning list of females:
| Rank | Name | Earning |
| 1 | Paige Pierce | $28,777 |
| 2 | Sarah Hokom | $24,769 |
| 3 | Catrina Allen | $23,382 |
| 4 | Jessica Weese | $17,360 |
| 5 | Lisa Fajkus | $14,867 |
| 6 | Paige Bjrkaas | $14,812 |
| 7 | Madison Walker | $10,496 |
| 8 | Ellen Widboom | $8,452 |
| 9 | Rebecca Cox | $7,805 |
| 10 | Kristin Tattar | $6,902 |
Conclusion
In our today’s article, we try to provide complete information about how you can become a professional disc golfer and how professional players earn from disc golf. So if you are planning to learn premium disc golf skills, then there is nothing greater than this. Just continue improving your game with more practice and training, and you can do it.
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