I’ve noticed when buying some discs to replace my older discs that they are listed as OOP. I wasn’t aware of what this meant at first.
OOP is an acronym used by manufacturers and it can mean you might be out of luck when trying to replace your favorite disc.
Table of Contents
Here is What OOP Means in Disc Golf
An OOP disc in disc golf stands for “out of production”. A manufacturer will designate a disc as out of production when they have either modified the original design, changed the material, or have stopped making the disc altogether in favor of another design or mold.
Why Do Discs Go Out of Production?
There are several reasons why a disc golf disc manufacturer will discontinue a particular disc.
It’s not always because they are stopping the production of the disc completely. It can be for other reasons like modifications to the original design.
- The disc manufacturer stopped using the mold for the disc
- The plastic used for the disc is no longer used
- Modifications or materials have been made to the plastic used for the disc
- The mold used for the disc has been modified
Reasons Why You Might Want an OOP Disc
You might find that some OOP discs are very desirable to have. Just like any other item that is no longer in production. Its scarcity will make it more desirable.
But, there are other reasons why you might want to get your hands on an OOP disc. Some reasons will be more practical than others.
1. You’re a Collector
Some disc golf players love to play the game, but they also love to collect discs. It can become pretty addictive too.
An avid disc golf disc collector will seek out and add all kinds of different discs to their collection. This will always include rare OOP discs.
Any collector will want to get their hands on a disc that is rare, and that not many people will own. This is the lure of having an OOP disc. It’s a great part of a collection.
2. Familiarity With an OOP Disc
It’s always a good idea if you have a backup disc for your favorite disc. If that one disc you’ve had for years, and love to throw ends up lost or broken, you will probably want to have a replacement for it.
But, what if that disc is now OOP? You’re going to want to get your hands on another one. Players get very attached to certain discs that they always use.
If you have your favorite disc, you’ll become accustomed to exactly how that disc will perform and have the confidence to use it in certain situations.
3. You Want to Use What Someone Else is Using
You might notice someone throwing a disc that you’re curious about. A disc someone else is using may have a certain flight pattern or flight characteristics that you think you’d like to give a try.
It’s not always possible to go grab that same disc if it’s OOP. A disc that is scarce and OOP can get expensive too.
If this is the case maybe it’s possible to borrow the OOP from your buddy to throw a few times before buying your own.
When to Not Use a OOP Disc
If you’re a beginner to the game of disc golf, you’re not going to be the right person to use or try an OOP disc.
Using an OOP disc as a beginner can be to your detriment even. This is because as you learn the game and get the feel for certain discs, it’s going to be hard to replace an OOP disc when needed.
I know from my own experience that as a beginner, you’re going to lose or even break a disc way more often than a more experienced player.
So, attempting to locate and replace an OOP disc that you’re comfortable with and have been using from day one will be pretty tough.
Where You Can Find OOP Disc Golf Discs
There are several different avenues you can take to find an OOP disc. If you don’t know where to start, here are a few ideas to get you started.
1. Ask Around Locally or in the Disc Golf Community
Finding a particular OOP disc will be the hardest part. If you have a certain OOP disc in mind that you’d like to locate, try to ask around first to see if anyone in your immediate circle or club might have one.
If you like the disc, it’s worth asking that person if they’d sell the disc or trade for it. It might be that they have no use for the disc or it’s fallen out of favor with them.
2. Check the Used Bins
If you’re not searching for a particular OOP disc, you can always search around the used bins of your local disc golf shop.
As long as you have a good idea of certain disc models that are OOP that you’d like to get your hands on, digging through a bin full of second-hand discs might just pay off.
3. Search the Internet
If you’ve already checked all the big-name players for a certain OOP disc and can’t find it, try to dig down a little deeper on a search engine like Google.
There are a lot of small e-commerce disc golf sellers that might have that exact disc in stock that you’re looking for.
You may find a poorly made website selling disc golf discs on page 11 of Google, and they have exactly the OOP disc that you were looking for!
4. Check on eBay
Finally, there is eBay. People are selling all kinds of items on eBay. There is no shortage of disc golf discs too. Unfortunately, people are trying to disguise a disc as a high-value OOP disc when it’s just garbage.
Don’t fall into this trap. Only truly go with this option if you’ve done your research and can identify if the disc is legit or not without inspecting it in person.
Final Thoughts | What is OOP in Disc Golf?
Using an OOP disc might not improve your game, but they are cool to have, especially for those who like to collect OOP discs.
Familiarity with a certain type of disc will be the next most common reason to want to track down an identical OOP disc as a replacement or a backup.
Finding an OOP is not an exact science either, and it might take a little time and research to finally find the OOP disc you’ve been searching for. But, when you do find that disc it will be well worth the effort.
