Breaking a disc in

[cloudstrife]

So I have heard a lot of talk about how a disc works better when its broken in. I was wondering what do the people mean by its better, like flying farther or straighter. Also how does this really work, I woulda thought a new disc would be best. Just wondering what everyone's opinions on this are.

[sk8architecture]

It's all relative to what you like. I love DX plastic fresh off the shelf, but once it gets banged up I toss it out. Unless its a putter I like my DX putters beat up. Same goes for Star or ESP plastic I do not like them brand new they feel slippery. But once they get beat up a little then they become less stable and I think they feel better. Generally speaking a beat disc becomes less stable. Just keep playing I note the condition of your disc as you play. Some people play with the same model and weight but they will be in various conditions. I carry a fresh *destroyer and a beat up one. I find throwing rollers in a grass field beats them up pretty good.

[garublador]

As discs beat up they get more understable. If you have a disc with stabalizers (e.g. a wing notch or a bead) then as it beats up it will get straighter, easier to control and longer. Discs in low end plastic tend to loose their fade quicker than their high speed stability, so you have a disc that isn't flippy, but also doesn't fade as much. Some people find that desireable. ;)

Part of it has to do with your disc selection. If you choose discs with stabalizing features they'll start off a bit too overstable when new, break in to be very controlable and longer, stay that way for a while and then eventually break in to be good turnover drivers that hold a line but don't crash into the ground. Discs tend to spend most of their time in the "broken in" state so it makes sense to choose discs that fly the best when they're in that state. The DX Roc, DX Gazelle, D Cyclone, DX Teebird and DX Valkyrie are a few of the best examples of discs that act like this. If you choose a disc that's really good when new, it will break in to be squirrley and difficult to control.

I'm far from an expert, but I believe it has to do with how the imperfections interact with the air and add lift and glide. It's sort of the same reason golf balls have dimples and why baseball pitchers like scuffed up baseballs more than smooth ones. They fly farther and are easier to control respectively.

[DirtyMittenDG]

As far as Innova Star plastics go, they are much better broken in, when I first got a star disc it had an extreme fade and felt very slippery, also it dropped to the ground very quickly, after I started "breaking it in" the grip started to become much better and it started gliding farther rather than dropping to the ground. Also the extreme fade turned into a controling slice

[Texconsinite]

Totally agree with star plastic being better. I traded a fairly new star Wraith to my buddy for one he found that was i little more broken in and a few grams lighter, and it has made a world of difference. The newer one left my hand like it couldnt wait to arc left into the ground. The slightly more worn one just keeps on going, and doesnt fade nearly as hard or early.

[Disc Dog]

I like Star and Champ plastic with Innova and FLX with Discraft. As these discs break in they achieve a point where they fly consistent.

By this is meant that if you were to draw a graph with point A representing new and Z throw away there is a span where the disc flies the same way for you. When a disc is new it will break harder until it reaches a point where the break-in is complete. We can say this is point D on the graph. It will maintain this predictable flight for a certain amount of time until it reaches point U on the graph. During this span you have a predictable disc. After it passes U it then becomes a good roller, overhand, or the disc you are not afraid to lose.

I hope this helps.

[captain jack]

Throwing backhand, and putting , I dont think it makes any difference for me.
If I want a less stable disc that I can turn over easier , I buy one.

What really pisses me off is when my new overstable Star Boss's and Destroyers hit enough trees to turn from beautiful forehand flex flyers into nasty cut rollers, it gets expensive.

I think Innovas' Champion plastic holds its flight characteristics better than other formulas, and is much harder to beat in than other formulas.

Somebody needs to make a plastic that gets MORE stable with use. I would buy that.

[Nick C]

I think it depends on the kind of disc you are talking about and what you use it for. I throw a Force off most tees because i can get a lot of disctance but they are also super predictable as they are overstable. Once they start to flip i'll probably replace them as they are my consitent left (RHBH) driver

[ChaseTheAce]

Anybody have any "techniques" for breaking a disc in?
I've tried microwaving a champ boss and bending the disc back and forth, but it was to no avail

[djjeremiahj]

So I have heard a lot of talk about how a disc works better when its broken in. I was wondering what do the people mean by its better, like flying farther or straighter. Also how does this really work, I woulda thought a new disc would be best. Just wondering what everyone's opinions on this are.

most discs, when new, will have a meat hook finish and wont perform as their flight characteristics suggest.

example. When you first get a wraith, for most, it will fly like a long firebird until broken in. THen once it breaks in, it will straighten out, turn over slightly and then fade.

As a disc wears in, it gradually becomes more and more overstable. This transition can be quick (Tree Meet fast flying Disc) or very slow and gradual.

Eventually, a disc will get a very consistent broken in flight pattern that you will know and trust. In the beginning it's very consistent overstable.

With all of my discs i give them an immediate 3 phase orientation to my bag.
1) I take sandpaper and remove the extra bit of plastic (flashing) on the inner rim. This little bit of plastic makes the disc overstable. Removing it is an instant change.
2) I microwave my discs for 45-1:30 on a flat wooden paddle to warm them up. Once warm, i gently flex the disc to break up the rigidity. The warmer temperature helps the disc be more flexible, and a little bit of "massaging" via gentle flexing really seems to help.
(i dont let the disc get "hot" just warm enough to be flexible. also, do not let it touch any racks or metal as it will melt. I am also paranoid about deforming it, so i use a very flat surface/wooden paddle).<- Keep the temp like how your discs feel when sitting in a hot car...

3) I take it into a field and practice hyzers and rollers. Not too many, but a few so that the impact helps loosen the rigidity.

4) if it really needs work, i use it as my "into the woods" driver a few times. I am careful NEVER to throw at max force and only throw at 50-60% strength.
5) and... i try to use it as my primary driver when possible.

Is this immediate?
not, but it sure speeds things up quickly.

Having said this, it works very well with champion but it only helps speed up the process with star. DX i skip the microwave step and go right to the field hyzer. Pro- Unknown (dont throw it).

[Technohic]

Personally, I am not a big fan of Star. I love champ type plastic and even some star eqivalent in other brands but just havent got into star.

Do have a Stingray in Star now, which I have broke in DX a couple of times so, will be nice if it beats in better than champ but holds up better than DX. I just gotta get used to it.

[zenbot]

Personally, I am not a big fan of Star. I love champ type plastic and even some star eqivalent in other brands but just havent got into star.

Do have a Stingray in Star now, which I have broke in DX a couple of times so, will be nice if it beats in better than champ but holds up better than DX. I just gotta get used to it.
My Star Stingray refuses to break in. That's good because I get a nice little fade back with it. If I want it to stay over there I go for my Pro Cobra.

[djjeremiahj]

Personally, I am not a big fan of Star. I love champ type plastic and even some star eqivalent in other brands but just havent got into star.

Do have a Stingray in Star now, which I have broke in DX a couple of times so, will be nice if it beats in better than champ but holds up better than DX. I just gotta get used to it.


Having replaced most of my champion to star, i can say that it really affected my game.

Star spins and flies faster. That extra bit really killed/kills some of my control. It really requires snap and spin to control it (something i do not have an abundance of quite yet). As a result, i have a lot harder time turning over discs and flexing them out. All of my discs have a natural tendency to fade more. It's like i instantly jumped up 2-3 grams per disc. Their other bonus is also a draw back. They take a long time to break in. But when you do they stay consistent for a long time.

Now, i am very conscious about the differences in the plastics and what i want to accomplish with a disc when i buy a new one. For the understable, i like the Star plastic as it helps control and "straighten out" the flight.. but for Overstable, i like the Champion as it helps soften the fade. <- depending on the disc and intended purpose.
(i know that i am using the disc plastic to compensate for my own throwing issues, but until i learn how to get massive amounts of snap, it's all i can do. * currently working on it*)

[toothyfish]

Hmmm. I'm finding I get a bit more grip out of Star, especially since it's been cold. The same with Pro. I've pulled most of the Champ out of the bag for now. DX is the best grip, IMHO.

But back to the question: the DX really does beat in nicely like Garublador said, losing fade more so than stability. I have a Roc, with some wear, that I can make turn like a Coyote with zero fade back. I have a Gazelle that's beginning to get that way, too, sort of like a Leopard but with very little fade back. And I have a Valkyrie, that is a bit flippy, but i can throw it on a low hyzer release, it will stay low, turn over, and roll. Great for long shots through tree areas...can't buy a disc that does that...a 350 ft drive that is only 8 ft off the ground.

[scottiver]

Anybody have any "techniques" for breaking a disc in?
I've tried microwaving a champ boss and bending the disc back and forth, but it was to no avail

I don't like your techniques at all. I have no clue what microwaving it will do, but bending it back and forth is just going to mess up it's shape.
What I do to break in a new disc quickly is just skid it down the street on the asphalt to rough up the plastic edge a little bit, just how it would happen naturally over time from just playing with a disc on a course.
I think the act of roughing up the plastic is the key to improving the flight characteristics of a new disc.

[djjeremiahj]

I don't like your techniques at all. I have no clue what microwaving it will do, but bending it back and forth is just going to mess up it's shape.
What I do to break in a new disc quickly is just skid it down the street on the asphalt to rough up the plastic edge a little bit, just how it would happen naturally over time from just playing with a disc on a course.
I think the act of roughing up the plastic is the key to improving the flight characteristics of a new disc.


fyi... many years of restaurant industry service have given me an uncanny ability to spin a disc on my finger for a long time. If you spin it right, you will be able to tell if your disc is warped as it wont spin "smoothly"; it will wobble. <- honestly i am not sure that this wobble means anything, but i am kinda goofy about it, so i straighten it out, because i can.

i've found, using the same microwave heating method above, that if you put a warm disc under a giant stack of books it flattens the plate and straightens the "wobble". The key to using the microwave is that it's a tool to gently heat up the disc to soften the plastic and make it lose its rigidity for a moment... it's not a tool to make the disc hot. If you've ever left a disc in the sun or in a car, you know the affects of temperature and a disc's rigidness; you also know that when it cools down it goes back to its original firmness. The purpose of the above mentioned trick is to apply uniform pressure so that when it cools and returns to its natural state it's been realigned. <- BTW, i do this very rarely with my discs.. its just when i notice they have a really bad wobble.

[garublador]

I apologize that I don't remember who it was, but at one point I had recomended a combination of throwing a disc into objects and skipping them off stuff to simulate a more natural break in. Did whomever I recommend that to try it and if so, how did it work?

You can bend or "tune" disc to get them to fly a bit differently but it's not really the same as breaking them in. The idea is more to get one run to fly like a different run. You can also bend discs back into shape (somewhat) after a really hard tree hit to undo a bit of the damage.

[steven2361]

Man, I just throw it to beat it in. Sheesh!

[Kwick]

Man, I just throw it to beat it in. Sheesh!


That's such a crazy idea it just might work

[Trashthrasher]

Man, I just throw it to beat it in. Sheesh!

Nobody has that kind of patience anymore.:D Just do what I do... play a heavily wooded course & you'll hit a few trees which will knock the bad habits out of it;).

[Technohic]

I dont like hitting trees any more than I do naturally so I preferr the slider across pavement.

[Waddly Hobbins]

Here's an idea....what about giving the disc to a kid under the age of 6 and let him go to town with it for a week. By the time you get it back it is sure to be broken in and ready to go with out you having to throw it once.

[ChaseTheAce]

I don't like your techniques at all. I have no clue what microwaving it will do, but bending it back and forth is just going to mess up it's shape.
What I do to break in a new disc quickly is just skid it down the street on the asphalt to rough up the plastic edge a little bit, just how it would happen naturally over time from just playing with a disc on a course.
I think the act of roughing up the plastic is the key to improving the flight characteristics of a new disc.

yes, and the key to making a disc feel like crap in your hands. nothing worse than the way a disc feels leaving your hand after it has had some severe road rash

[Midnightbiker]

My Magnet used to fade a little, and now that its broken in, it goes almost dead straight.

[simpletwist]

Devil's advocate here. BTW, I do buy into the broken in Star flies better. But back to the Devil's advocate.

Is it possible that the so called broken in disc isn't any better, but the thrower is more in tune with the disc?

[zenbot]

Devil's advocate here. BTW, I do buy into the broken in Star flies better. But back to the Devil's advocate.

Is it possible that the so called broken in disc isn't any better, but the thrower is more in tune with the disc?
Totally a possibility. If you give me a previously broken-in disc I'll still have a learning curve. My buddy's old disc isn't going to be instant magic.

[craftsman]

Possibly if your talking about a new mold the thrower hasn't had time with. If it's a familliar mold then yes it's the worn disc. That's why when trying a new mold I check the used bins first

[shoe59]

Devil's advocate here. BTW, I do buy into the broken in Star flies better. But back to the Devil's advocate.

Is it possible that the so called broken in disc isn't any better, but the thrower is more in tune with the disc?

No. The thrower will be more in tune with the disc, but it will also be less overstable than originally.

You could argue that the broken in disc is better because it's less overstable, or argue that a new disc is best because it is more overstable -- whatever you like. It's nice to have a new and beat disc of the same mold sometimes.

[djjeremiahj]

Devil's advocate here. BTW, I do buy into the broken in Star flies better. But back to the Devil's advocate.

Is it possible that the so called broken in disc isn't any better, but the thrower is more in tune with the disc?


not really....
a broken in disc has very thin lines/margins of error.... so based on consistency's sake, no its actually worse.

Yes, you can argue that a thrower should be able to handle his discs, but if the disc requires such exact precision that anything less creates a bad throw, isnt that a liability?

If you gave Tiger Woods a magic driver and told him that 5 out of 10 times it would drive exactly as planned and great, 3 out of 10 times it would veer off slightly and 2 times it would fly absolutely errantly, would he take it? I bet he'd take the driver he can be consistent with 10 out of 10 times.

[simpletwist]

Now before I get beat on any further, and like I said, I buy into the break in, but doesn't it stand to reason that the more you use a disc the more you learn it? The more you learn it the farther and perhaps straighter you can throw it?

[toothyfish]

No. The thrower will be more in tune with the disc, but it will also be less overstable than originally.

You could argue that the broken in disc is better because it's less overstable, or argue that a new disc is best because it is more overstable -- whatever you like. It's nice to have a new and beat disc of the same mold sometimes.

It's not really a matter of better, but what shot you want/need.

It was said earlier. The beat in disc will tend to loose a bit of fade first while remaining stable (may not be true of all molds, but seems to work for Rocs and Teebirds in DX)

I carry 3 DX Rancho Rocs: a newish flat top, a newish regular, and a wearing regular. All feel the same, same weight, etc. They still fly basically the same, but what I've noticed is this: at medium distances, they are nearly identical. At longer distances (280ish) the flat top stays in a flat, straight line, the new rancho will turn very slightly, then fade back, and the wearing Roc will turn just a hair more and not fade back. The biggest difference seems to be in the last 100 ft of flight.

I carry 2 Teebirds: a newish Champ, and a wearing DX. Newish Champ flies straight with the bigger, predictable fade. Wearing DX flies straight with much less fade and tends to fly a touch further.

I'm a real fan of multiple discs of the same mold in different wear stages and even different plastics. May no be true for all molds but there seems to be a few out there where this really works well.

[shoe59]

It's not really a matter of better, but what shot you want/need.


That's what I was saying... that you could argue either way -- depending on which shot you are looking for.

Simpletwist -- you're definitely onto something, a disc you beat in by throwing it for years is going to be special for you. You pretty much know exactly how it flies (for a variety of different shots). When it gets to a certain point though, the disc will no longer be capable of some shots it was in it's brand new / newish state (such as a nice hard, predictable hyzer shot).

[shoe59]

Now before I get beat on any further, and like I said, I buy into the break in, but doesn't it stand to reason that the more you use a disc the more you learn it? The more you learn it the farther and perhaps straighter you can throw it?

Not beating on you, just friendly opinions :)

I agree the more you use it, the more you learn it. I believe that will carry over into getting a new disc of the same mold. It's a vicious cycle :wall: .... I just HAD to have a brand new esp surge because I loved how mine flew for the first 2 months (now it's a just a hair too flippy for my liking).

[craftsman]

Buy 13 of same mold/weight. Keep two in bag, when reaching go 50/50, keep one for a year and rotate the other monthly.

[BrotherDave]

How to beat a disc in. Step one: Play in NC. End.

[toothyfish]

How to beat a disc in. Step one: Play in NC. End.

Maybe you could offer a disc break-in service...;) Though the trees and rocks of northern NJ and NY do a nice job, too.

[rhino21]

I have a friend that said to me "A broken in disc is always better than a new disc." This made me angry on two levels: 1) he tends to act like a know it all when it comes to disc golf (just the other day he was telling me all about a tournament that we're supposed to play - but he's never played it before), and 2) I don't like broken in discs. When I think broken-in I think flippy. I don't want to have to angle a disc down just to keep it from crashing and burning to the right (RHBH). I will say that champ plastic takes a few throws (not what I would call a break in) to get a really nice flight pattern.

[garublador]

That's what I was saying... that you could argue either way -- depending on which shot you are looking for.I'd argue that it's not a matter of either, but both. You want a spectrum of beatnesses of a disc to get the advantages of new, beat and really beat discs.

a broken in disc has very thin lines/margins of error.... so based on consistency's sake, no its actually worse.This really depends on the disc. For discs that don't break in well (ones that are really good when new normally) this is true. For discs that do break in well (generally older and slower discs that start off a bit too overstable) the margin of error does not get thinner. The discs get easier to control and less nose/hyzer angle sensitive so it's easier to get consistancy out of them.

Proving whether or not it's the person or the disc getting better is easy. Just get a few discs from the same run in the same weight. Throw them in a field when new, beat one in and then throw them in a field again. If it's a disc that breaks in well the beat one will be a bit less HSS, have less fade, be easier to control and fly farther.

[bikinjack]

How to beat a disc in. Step one: Play in NC. End.

Agreed. Or just give it to me for a week or two. With the way I have a penchant for hitting trees, it won't take long for me to break in your disc. I'll provide this service for free if anyone's interested.

[NothinButChing]

I would think playing would be the best way to break in a disc

[superium]

I would think playing would be the best way to break in a disc
It took me like 3 months to break in my champ. boss from just throwing it.
I just got a new star fl and its too overstable and it takes so damn long to break in a disc in the winter so I decided to throw it against a brick wall with a towel over the wall so the disc wouldnt get damaged. Only did it a handful of times and the disc is a bit less stable so its getting there.

[Throwasurge]

Anyone else tried the dishwasher? I saw a post on Marshall St. about the coating on the wizards being slippy and to run it through the dishwasher, seriously. When mine showed up, I threw it for a few rounds, got ticked off and tossed it in the dishwasher the neXt three times and I gotta say, it worked. It washed off that crazy film that was on it, bitta mud and a few rounds and its coming along better.

[chiggins]

Field work's a great way to break in diiscs. In a round, you typically only get 20 drives unless you're on a monster, and maybe less approaches if the round's going well. If you take a stack of drivers out to a field, especially if you're lucky enough to have one with some trees or bushes at the margins, you can throw a round's worth of drives in ten minutes. Another plus is that you get to know each one as it's finding its sweet spot, so if you're keeping a rotation in the bag you'll know which ones make the combo you're looking for.

Also, hi, howya doin'.

[Hindenburg]

so wait ive heard both sides. does a disc after it gets broken in get more overstable or more understable?

[Jbowdown]

so wait ive heard both sides. does a disc after it gets broken in get more overstable or more understable?

More under-stable since there's more friction between the new gouges and protrusions on the surface of the disc and the air it's traveling through. If you wish, you can perform light sanding on the disc to gain back some of the original flight characteristics.

[Hindenburg]

Thanks man, ive heard that they become more of both in this forum and i had no idea how to decide what to get from that. I havent been playing that long and At least now i have a foundation upon which to base my future purchases on.