Disc golf offers a huge selection of discs and finding the right choice in the “disc golf jungle” is not always easy.
Source: Martin Nittmann’s “Die kleine Scheibenkunde” DISCGOLF4YOU 2022 – thanks a lot!
Almost all manufacturers now try to describe the flight behavior of disc golf discs using 4 numbers. (Speed, Glide, Fade and Turn). There are also the manufacturers’ “flight charts”. You can also find countless articles and videos on the internet.
We differentiate between the basic types of discs depending on their airspeed or “speed” (1st value on your disc):
Putters are recognizable by their high design and rounded corners. These are used for controlled throws with straight trajectories.
Apart from approaches, putters are mainly used for the final throw, the putt.
They are assigned a speed from 1 to 3.
A mid-range disc is slightly slimmer. If you are a beginner and mainly throw backhand, a mid-range disc is the fastest disc we recommend. If you also throw forehand (sidearm) from time to time, a faster disc can help you to have more control over your throw.
Midranges are assigned a speed of 4 to 5.
Fairway drivers are the slower category of driver. They are also called “control drivers”. These are often well suited for forehands.
The transition from fairway drivers to distance drivers is often chosen differently. Fairway drivers are assigned a speed of 6 to 8. However, this can vary depending on the manufacturer.
This is the fastest type of disc. With certain exceptions, distance drivers only make sense for highly trained players with high throwing speeds. One exception is when the discs are lighter than the normal weight of 170 grams. In addition, fast discs can be used for rollers and less common throws from bushes etc. if they are used deliberately by advanced players.
Distance drivers are assigned a speed from 9 to 15.
The flight behavior can be roughly divided into 3 categories. If you add the turn (3rd) and fade (4th) value of a target, you can categorize it as follows:
Understable discs have a pronounced turn. This means that the disc pulls very strongly to the right at the beginning of a flat backhand throw by an experienced right-handed player. Due to this characteristic, understable discs are much more sensitive to changing throwing speeds than other discs. However, understable discs help beginners and players with low throwing speeds to achieve good distances.
A stable disk flies “stable” and straighter than the other two types due to the lower turn. With a good throw, it keeps a straight trajectory for the longest time and only bends to the side towards the end and the onset of the fade.
Overstable discs are suitable for turning courses with sharp curves. They hardly have a turn and tend to turn left (for right-handers) and right on a forehand throw due to their high fade value. For beginners in particular, however, it is advisable to only use this type of disc when a sufficient throwing speed can be achieved.
The following example shows the flight behavior of the Innova discs. It is not always easy to compare the disks of different manufacturers, but there are tools available on the Internet such as the “Flight Analyzer“. The best thing to do is to talk to other players.
However, the respective “arm speed” and the technical ability of a player, as well as the weight of a target, are also essential.
Source: Innova Disc Golf Discs Flight Path Chart
A well-explained flight rating system can also be found on the website of MountainDiscs.ch
