The Community of Disc Golfers and About All Things Disc Golf

Updating the almighty Disc golf basket

If the basket was invented in the early to mid seventies to accomodate the super class disc, shouldnt it be made smaller for modern putters? Look at the size of a golf ball compared to the hole. We have it way to easy. Id like to roll a disc into a laid over metal can so u have to use the terrain in the factor.

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Permalink Reply by Mike on January 28, 2009 at 6:40pm

Discking, is the only difference the size and shape of the catch cage, or am I missing somthing?

Permalink Reply by Nathan on January 28, 2009 at 9:34pm

mr ed.....I'll definitely keep the attitude up! I am soooo pumped! But I did want to take this opportunity to thank you for your concern on my behalf! When I was trying to decide on what baskets to buy for the course I'm working on I looked at every basket I could find.....then also tried to find out what people thought of those baskets. I'm still convinced beyond the shadow of doubt that I am got the absolute best basket I can for the amount of money I spent for them. Again.....will they be certified for use by the PDGA?....who knows.....but since tournaments weren't in my thoughts when I started on this project.....if a sanctioned tourney never gets held there I'm ok with that. I think it would be the sports loss....not mine.....if that were to happen. I'm sure that the course will have plenty of local tourneys held by local service clubs to raise money for their causes and that's what I set out to do anyway. Even though it was with a waiver that these baskets were used in a PDGA World tourney.....just the fact that THAT in itself was allowed is good enough for me! But again.....that wasn't even something I was aware of so that's just icing on the cake. The baskets themselves have 3 sets of chains.....the basket is powder coated.....they are numbered.....and they have the "sleeve mount"....so that in the future some other Scout can purchase more sleeves and totally change the course. I am VERY HAPPY with my choice! I know there are some of you that may be thinking....."Isn't Allen Pier also helping to design the course? Did he suggest these baskets?"....or whatever else....but I want to share this bit of info with you. When I was looking at baskets I didn't even know he made some.....I had narrowed it down to 2 other types and someone else asked me if I had looked at the "Spiders".....Only at that point did I find out where they were made and by whom. When I asked Allen about it he just shrugged his shoulders and said...."Well....yeah.....I make a basket called the Spider Web III......but since I'm helping you with the course I didn't want to mention them because I didn't want you to feel like you needed to buy them off of me." What a STAND UP GUY!! Those of you who know Allen won't be surprised by this....he truly is a GREAT guy!

Permalink Reply by Mike on January 28, 2009 at 11:15pm

These are the baskets at Beaver Ranch in Conifer, Co near Denver. They are sweet, and I heard that they were made by a guy in Colorado. I like the top rim being angled in at the bottom, if you hit that it usually just deflects the disc in.

Permalink Reply by Chuck Kennedy on January 28, 2009 at 11:26pm

Check out this basket being used on some courses in Canada:

http://discgolfer.ning.com/photo/canadian-basket

Permalink Reply by Mike on January 28, 2009 at 11:35pm

Our crazy neighbors to the north. That thing has to be expensive! Looks like it is made of stainless or aluminum, plus that molded golf ball top. Looks like it would catch good though.

Permalink Reply by Hootie on January 29, 2009 at 9:35am

Ok, so once in a while you throw a good putt, hit centre chains and it spits out..... well, what about all those times you throw an absolute dog of a putt, wrong side of the chains and not catching many links.... and IT DROPS IN?

To me, this is one of the beauties of the sport. Most baskets on the market today catch sufficiently if you give your putt a good chance, but from time to time there will be anomalies that will both work to your benefit or your detriment. Deal with it.

Permalink Reply by Chas Ford on January 29, 2009 at 9:46am

I agree with this concept. But I'd rather see the good putts stick and the bad putts fall out.

Hootie said:

Ok, so once in a while you throw a good putt, hit centre chains and it spits out..... well, what about all those times you throw an absolute dog of a putt, wrong side of the chains and not catching many links.... and IT DROPS IN?

To me, this is one of the beauties of the sport. Most baskets on the market today catch sufficiently if you give your putt a good chance, but from time to time there will be anomalies that will both work to your benefit or your detriment. Deal with it.

Permalink Reply by Terry Sink on January 29, 2009 at 10:04am

did ball golf ever change the size their "basket"? no. why should we change the size of the basket. it is perfect how it is. 50 years from now i bet it will be the same, and hope it stays the same. long live disc golf!!!

Permalink Reply by ROBEY the one. on January 29, 2009 at 10:44am

no there are a lot of differeences. the biggest difference is in the sliding link of the chains, as most baskets that have sliding chains have about a maxium distance of travel of about 1" before the chains actully bottom out and start to react. the "KINGPIN" has about 2 1/2" inches of travel ability, and it is at a increased angle to be able to absorb a greater amount of energy when nessacary but still catch the soft throws at the same time. also there was alot of prototypes made to assure that the chains are spread just right to try and alleiviate any holes in the chains, and to stop the discs from being able to make it the pole to bounce back out.
Mike said:

Discking, is the only difference the size and shape of the catch cage, or am I missing somthing?

Permalink Reply by mark ellis on January 29, 2009 at 10:59am

The first rule of any tool is that it should do its job effectively. On this standard most disc golf baskets fail.

The design of baskets is poor. This includes every basket model I have ever putted on except Spiderwebs, which are comparatively superb. I have heard the Titans are good but have not tried one. I am skeptical though because I have heard players sing the praises of Mach 3's as well. I know they suck.

An aside on Spiderwebs: The Spiderwebs used for the Cincinnati Worlds did not get a event waiver. The baskets were tested (measured) and found to be in compliance with the PDGA Technical Standards and approved for play. I know because I sat on the PDGA Board and had a hand in the process. With Worlds quickly approaching we got word that the Cabin Creek course had Spiderwebs. The Technical Standards Committee Chairman (and only member) Jeff Homberg was off on an archeological dig somewhere and could not be reached. By vote of the full PDGA Board I was assigned to the Technical Standards Committee and drove to Cabin Creek and measured them. Those individual Spiderweb baskets (not the model since it was not submitted for approval) were then approved by the Board.

Good putts should counts. Bad putts should not. Our baskets allow bounce-outs and blow-throughs at an unacceptably high rate. This causes luck to be more of a factor than it should be. I view basket design as an embarrassment to our sport.

I suspect that some sort of wire or plastic mesh mounted on the inner chains would resolve most of the problems.

The suggestion that a seemingly perfect putt which hits the center of the chains and bounces out is actually a flawed putt and the fault of the player makes no sense to me. The best players in the world putt exactly like that. When it happens they do not change their putting style. They try to throw the next putt exactly the same way. The flaw is in the basket design. There is no putting style which can prevent basket error (except a drop in, which is not an available option most of the time).

The suggestion that poor basket design is a benefit to the game because it makes players mentally tougher makes no sense to me. If it were true then I can invent numerous ways we can introduce more randomness and luck to the game. After each tournament round every player draws a card. One card disqualifies you. One card adds 6 strokes to your score. One card makes you play the next round with your wrists tied together. I could go on but the absurdity should be obvious. Anyone screwed by the card draw would have to develop mental toughness but it would not make tournaments or the sport better.

It is nonsensical to add luck to a true sport. But this is what poor baskets do and it diminishes our sport.

Permalink Reply by Chuck Kennedy on January 29, 2009 at 11:11am

I believe the Innova Traveler would be the best catching target out there if a fair way to test them was determined. However, it's net design is not heavy duty enough for permanent installations.

Then Mark, I would say your Board failed to get the approval communicated to the Tech group so the Spiderwebs would get on the approved list. Stork has been a key partner in the Tech group as long as Homburg. He played at those Cincy Worlds where the Spiderwebs were used. Alan himself told me last summer he needed to submit one to get approved so he wasn't aware that your measurements were valid for the long haul.

Permalink Reply by Tim on January 29, 2009 at 11:23am

Mark,
I disagree...isn't the idea to put the disc into the basket? In ball golf, you can put a putt on a perfect line, but if it's too firm the ball will more times than not roll over the hole. Same idea in disc...if a "perfect" putt slams the chains in the middle of the basket and blows through, it wasn't really a "perfect" putt after all. We're trying to put the disc in the basket, not slam the chains. Although, I do like that sound.:)