Disc Golf Putting Form: Spin Putt vs Push Putt, Spush and Turbo

Putting is where most strokes are won or lost, and it is also the part of the game where advice contradicts itself the most. One player swears by a pure push putt, another by a hard spin putt, and both make their putts. That is a clue: what matters is a motion you can repeat under pressure, not a single "right" form.

This guide compares the styles, covers stances and the rules that affect them, gives you mechanics checkpoints for any style, and shows how to film and practice so the putt holds up on the course.

Disc golf putting styles compared

Style	How it moves	Spin	Flight	Strengths	Weaknesses
Push putt	Arm extends straight at the chains, legs drive the motion, little wrist	Low	Slow, floaty, often slightly nose up	Soft misses that drop near the basket; forgiving in close	Wind moves it more; range falls off faster
Spin putt	Arm pulls across, wrist snaps at release	High	Flat, fast, stable	Holds line in wind; carries farther	Misses can skip or roll well past; timing is less forgiving
Spush	Push-style motion with moderate wrist spin	Medium	In between	Combines a soft line with some stability	Easy to drift into a style that is neither
Turbo putt	Disc held overhead on the fingertips, pushed forward like a dart	Low to medium	High, floating line	Gets over low obstacles inside the circle	Wind sensitive; a specialty shot, not a main putt

Push putt

The push putt is a long, straight extension toward the target. The disc stays on one line from the chest to the release, and the legs supply most of the power by rising through the putt. Because the disc carries little spin, it slows down quickly and tends to drop near the basket on a miss. That is the main reason players like it for short putts. The tradeoff is that a low-spin disc is easier for wind to move, and it loses effectiveness as distance grows.

Spin putt

A spin putt uses more of a pulling motion with a snap of the wrist at the end. The extra spin keeps the disc flat and stable, which is why many players prefer it in wind or on longer putts. The downside is consequences: a spin putt that misses has more speed, so it may skip or roll away and leave a long comeback putt.

Spush

The spush is a blend. You keep the push putt's straight, leg-driven motion and add a little wrist for spin. Many players end up here without naming it. If you use it, be deliberate about how much spin you add so the putt is the same each time.

Turbo putt

The turbo is an overhand putt: the disc sits flat above the shoulder, balanced on the fingertips, and you push it forward like a dart. It is a situational shot for clearing a low branch or a bush inside the circle. Learn it as a backup, not as your everyday putt.

Putting stances and the rules

Staggered stance

The most common stance has the dominant-side foot forward, pointing roughly at the basket, and the back foot behind for balance. It allows a natural weight shift onto the front foot. Make sure your front foot is set behind your marker before you start.

Straddle putt

A straddle stance has both feet side by side, roughly shoulder width or wider, with the body facing the basket. Players use it when a tree, a slope or an out-of-bounds line makes a staggered stance awkward. Power comes from bending and rising through the legs. Straddle is worth practicing even if it is not your main stance, because the course will force it on you.

What the PDGA rules require

Two rules shape every putt. I paraphrase them here; read the full wording on the PDGA site.

• Rule 802.07 (stance): at release, at least one supporting point must touch the lie, none can be closer to the target than the back edge of your marker disc, and all must be in bounds (PDGA 802.07).
• Rule 806.01 (putting area): any throw from within 10 meters of the target, measured from the front of the lie to the base of the target, is a putt. After releasing it, you must show full control of balance behind your marker before moving toward the target. Failing to do so is a stance violation with one penalty throw (PDGA 806.01).

So inside 10 meters, no jump putts and no step-through putts. Outside 10 meters, a step or jump putt is allowed as long as your stance meets 802.07 at the moment you release. If you practice longer putts with a step, keep a separate balanced routine for anything inside the circle.

Mechanics checkpoints for any putting style

Whatever style you choose, these are the checkpoints that tend to separate a repeatable putt from a streaky one.

1. Same setup every time. Same foot position relative to your marker, same grip, same pre-putt routine. Consistency starts before the motion.
2. Disc on one line. Draw an imaginary line from the disc to the chains. On a push putt, the disc should travel that line. On a spin putt, the release should still point at it.
3. Legs start it. The motion should begin with the legs, not with a jab of the arm. If your arm moves first, distance control gets erratic.
4. Level release. A disc released with the nose far up floats and drops early; a nose-down release dives. Aim for a release that matches the flight you expect from your style.
5. Finish toward the target. Your hand should end pointing at your aim spot, and your weight should settle without stepping past the marker.
6. Hold the finish. Holding your follow-through for a beat trains the balance the rules require inside 10 meters.

A tip on aiming: research on attention suggests that focusing on the effect of a movement often helps learning more than focusing on the body movement itself (Wulf 2013). In putting, that means picking one specific chain link or a spot on the pole and putting to it, rather than thinking "elbow up, wrist firm" during the stroke. Work on body checkpoints in practice, then putt to a target on the course.

Filming your putt

Putts are short and slow compared with drives, which makes them easier to film well.

• Side-on shows the leg drive, the arm path toward the chains, the release height and the balance at the finish.
• From behind, looking at the basket, shows whether the disc travels on one line and where your hand finishes.
• Keep the basket in frame if you can, so you can link the motion to the result.
• Film a set, not one putt. Five to ten putts from the same spot show your real pattern, including how your misses differ from your makes.

For phone height, framing and slow-motion settings, use the same checklist as for drives in how to film your disc golf throw for form analysis.

Full disclosure: I build Disc Golf Form Analyzer. To be clear about scope, the coach-graded body tracking in Pose Estimation covers backhand and forehand throws. Putting goes through Form Analysis, which gives a written breakdown rather than a fault-by-fault grade. I explain how the different parts work in how disc golf form analysis software works.

Putting practice that carries over to the course

Putting practice is easy to do badly: stand at one spot, make fifty in a row, feel great, then miss the first circle putt of the round. A few principles from motor-learning research help.

Mix blocked and varied practice

Blocked practice (the same putt over and over) builds the motion quickly. Varied or random practice (changing distance, angle or stance between putts) tends to help retention and transfer in many studies, starting with the classic contextual interference work of Shea and Morgan 1979. The effect is not universal, and sport-skill results are mixed, so use both: blocked reps when you are changing your form, varied reps once the form feels stable.

Don't check video after every putt

The guidance hypothesis in motor learning holds that feedback given too often can hurt learning, because you start leaning on it (Anderson et al. 2005). Putt a set, then watch the set. Pick one thing to change for the next set.

Sample routines

Routine	How it works	Use it for
Ladder	Start at a short distance; step back a set distance after every make; step forward after a miss	Building range and confidence
Around the world	Putt from several spots in a circle around the basket at the same distance	Varied angles and stances
Make-to-move	Must make a set number in a row before moving to the next distance	Pressure under a goal
Straddle set	A full set from a straddle stance only	The stance the course forces on you
One-putt finish	End each session with one putt from a typical distance, as if it counts	Pressure on a single attempt

Keep sessions short and focused. One style, one or two checkpoints, then a varied set and a pressure set. If you want a full weekly structure that includes putting, see the disc golf practice plan, and for a quick self-review method see the disc golf form check.

Choosing your putting style

If you are undecided, try this for a few sessions:

1. Putt a set of ten from a short distance with a push putt, then ten with a spin putt.
2. Repeat from a longer distance inside the circle.
3. Note your makes and, more importantly, where your misses end up.

Choose the style whose misses you can live with at the distances you face most. Many players settle on one style in close and another for longer putts or wind. That is a valid choice, as long as each one is practiced on purpose.