Written by: Denis Flaschner

In the public imagination, disc golf is often associated with crushing beers just as much as crushing discs. For decades the sport was more likely to conjure images of hippies partying in the woods than vigorous training or elite athleticism. 

From 2005-2015, David Wiggins Jr. led a new generation of players who shattered this perception. Through clips and videos scattered across the rapidly evolving internet landscape, his singular throwing style revealed what happens when you channel natural talent, focused practice and premier athleticism into a game that had long been thought of as just hucking plastic in the woods. 

His 360 maximum distance throw remains an athletic display befitting of an Olympic arena, and while we won’t be seeing the sport on that stage anytime soon, for now we have disc golf equivalent: Maple Hill Disc Golf Course in Leicester, Massachusetts. 

In 2015, he uncorked the sort of drive on hole 11 that captures the imagination and makes you wonder what is possible in our sport. While there are plenty of players out there who throw 360’s, Wiggins’ is in a class of its own. 

To begin he reaches the disc way behind his back, turning his torso against his forward momentum and pulling his eyes backwards. Completely blind for the remainder of the throw, a decade of accumulated muscle memory takes over. Thousands of reps, from the time he was a carefree four year old in High Point, North Carolina, are built into this throw.

In a move reminiscent of fellow New Orleanian Zion Willamson spinning through the lane and loading up for a dunk, Wiggins’ light footwork carries him into a dramatic hop-spin, where he hangs and rotates in mid-air for a brief moment. 

A light push-pivot on the left toe redirects his…