Ideas to make discs safer

[optidiscic]

With the lightweight blizzard discs coming out and knowing the 150g class in asia for safety I was wondering if there might be a movement to make discs safer

I know that there is the flex test and a maximum on thickness of drivers

I am concerned with the ultra high speed discs in ultra hard plastics with masses of weight on the outer rim.....MVP has taken this to another level and I fear there will be a day where technology allows for a disc to have the majority of its weight on the outer rim in a premium plastic. Almost like a Quoit

Anyway I figured it might be interesting to see if there is any practical way to make the discs safer

[Rol6566]

Make them out of foam :|

[New013]

make them whistle as they fly so people will move

[steveo69]

Don't let dumb Asses Throw them! Plain and simple if there is someone even remotely in danger of getting hit DON'T THROW IT!

[keltik]

make everyone throw Super Class?

[Technohic]

Don't let dumb Asses Throw them!

lol This

[Eco81]

Don't let dumb Asses Throw them!

^^this

[sloppydisc]

Why? What is the point?? Has there been a bunch of DG deaths that I've missed?? Did someone cut their thumb on an edge? Are you Roger Goodell?

[Violets caddy]

Require helmets :p

[optidiscic]

Why? What is the point?? Has there been a bunch of DG deaths that I've missed?? Did someone cut their thumb on an edge? Are you Roger Goodell?

Im thinking of what discs of the past 10 yrs have done to trees and the potential for injury

[keltik]

Im thinking of what discs of the past 10 yrs have done to trees and the potential for injury

lol wut

[Dj1001]

i think the tree's are fine

[Violets caddy]

I hit a guy With a pro d buzzz from close to 300' away dead center in his spine. I yelled fore as loud as possible three times and he just stood there like an idiot. It made the worst sound ever, like when you pound a steak with a meat tendering hammer, but he was fine.

Years ago, like 13 or 14, when I was a noob I hit my uncle from 350 with a dx viper in the back of his head and he was fine.

[keltik]

yeah the trees are fine. IME the trees usually win when a disc goes up against them. I've exploded discs against trees and I swear I heard the tree say "what now bitch!"

[sloppydisc]

Some trees get hurt. Some don't. Kind of like people. As Gump says, **** Happens! Move on, close thread. Opti needs a hug.

[pchitti]

I taken a nebula to the temple from 150'. I used to be smart.... I lost that well before the disc though.

[The dude on the bike]

I would like to see them become more dangerous, spikes would be cool. Pole courses would be cooler than basket ones!

[Violets caddy]

I would like to see them become more dangerous, spikes would be cool. Pole courses would be cooler than basket ones!

Giant ninja stars would be interesting...

[pchitti]

LOL I saw some at Home Depot the other day... Figured I wouldnt have to go around the trees with those.

[GLong]

Im thinking of what discs of the past 10 yrs have done to trees and the potential for injury

i didn't know you were a tree hugging hippy.

[optidiscic]

This thread is fuel for the anti-disc golf sentiment and all disc golfers are ignorant

thanks fellas for making it perfectly clear...I was obviously under some other illusion

[craftsman]

To lend to your point opti, at my local (super busy and trashed) course the neighbors have pointed out the tree damage numerous times when raising anti dg points.

In all honesty, i think speed 11 and up are not needed. The small distance gains are imo, a small reward for the design difficulties and bad habits the breed.

[kcplease]

do we need discs to be safer? how about we just get out of the fairway

[pchitti]

We cover trees that are in direct constant contact with discs. Black gutter tubing with a little bailing wire...

Doesnt matter the speed of the disc, I have taken two inches of bark of a good size tree with a buzzz.

[Huk Finn]

Hey guys! I'm trying to figure out a way to make golf balls more safer.. If someone gets hit in the head by a ball I hit with my new Nike driver.. Not cool.

I'm also looking to alternative safe ideas. Thanks. :)

[optidiscic]

Hey guys! I'm trying to figure out a way to make golf balls more safer.. If someone gets hit in the head by a ball I hit with my new Nike driver.. Not cool.

I'm also looking to alternative safe ideas. Thanks. :)

your a dick

[scarpfish]

I fear there will be a day where technology allows for a disc to have the majority of its weight on the outer rim in a premium plastic.
I'd suspect if you took a disc, cut out the flight plate from the rim, and weighed both pieces, you'd see that this fear is already a reality, and has been for as long as premium plastic discs have existed.

[Dsplayname]

The discs are not the problem- the players and courses are. We need more private, pay-to-play courses with shrouding on the trees lining the fairways. This would help keep the morons out, and preserve the precious tree bark that gets scratched and dented by discs. It's not like trees grow the bark as a protective shield or anything. And why should we let anyone except highly trained professionals onto a course? It just doesn't make sense...

[kcplease]

This is just another case of catering to the dumbest of the dumb. I say the discs are fine, its the picnicers on the course that are the issue, not the disc.

[JoshEpoo]

Im thinking of what discs of the past 10 yrs have done to trees and the potential for injury

Typically the brunt of the damage is limited to just a few trees per hole, which can be minimized by wrapping them, and probably pales in comparison to the number of trees removed to install the course in the first place.

In regards to personal injury, I suppose lighter and softer, more flexible discs are the only way to go, but PDGA specifications are already based on safety considerations. I don't see a reason that MVP's overmolding technology couldn't be used to make discs safer. The outer ring on MVP discs is probably already softer than the flight plate. If they could find a way to make the flight plate weigh even less, and put more of the weight in the rim, they might be able to do some interesting things with ultra light weight discs without compromising the Gyro stability.

[Huk Finn]

your a dick

My brother hit a guy in the head with a ball once. Not fun.

[ian.w]

your a dick

*You're, -1 for spelling

[optidiscic]

like it or not the game is growing and there are more players playing with more dangerous discs on courses that cant handle the reckless combination.
Tree Damage is a true concern and combined with faster/harder/sharper discs and more tree hits as the game expands it should be considered
danger to other disc golfers and the public is also a concern....higher speed discs in heavy weights dont really seem to be the answer

Not sure why the sarcasm and stupidity?

[Huk Finn]

The Anti Disc Golfers/Tree Planters or whatever from SF and the SFDGC had some studies done. The SFDGC won. Tree damage is super minimal. There is a small faction that really wants the course pulled out. Golden Gate park is nice, it will stay.

[optidiscic]

*You're, -1 for spelling

your also a dick :clap:

[optidiscic]

The Anti Disc Golfers/Tree Planters or whatever from SF and the SFDGC had some studies done. The SFDGC won. Tree damage is super minimal. There is a small faction that really wants the course pulled out. Golden Gate park is nice.

can you point me in the direction of those studies...is it available online anywhere?

[MrGlass01]

wow a ton of thread bashing lately. sorry op. like its been said the discs are not the problem its the throwers. kind of like its the shooter not the arrow or the bullet etc.
I know that some of us are main fixtures on our local courses. All it takes some times is to help fellow disc golfers understand the sport and the course etiquette. I have approached tons of "chuckers" to let them know what the deal is. some appreciate some don't, the ones that don't eventually will get a taste of their own medicine. ;) The real golfers, if you will,have to be an ambassador of sorts when we can.

Help save a chucker give them a leopard!!

[craftsman]

I was in fear when i saw a new player throw a ws king onto an apts balcony. Lacking tact, he retrieved the disc.

This was on one of my fav holes. When the course pro/co designer was told he couldnt figure out how that happened. The answer, he sold a ws king to a new player that was throwing it 100ft high.

[Huk Finn]

can you point me in the direction of those studies...is it available online anywhere?


great question. I just heard that from a TD at the Safari. I don't have any thing to back that up at the moment. I will email them and try to get some info ASAP. I believe that is one of the reasons the course was allowed to stay though. They are trying to get another course at in the city, but its' a really tough battle.

[optidiscic]

I think the most dangerous player is the 16-24 yr old who is reckless, lacks, caution, and has the athletic ability to throw a disc at a high rate of speed to places we designers cannot comprehend.
Put a Katana or an Ape or a Nuke in their hands and watch your disc golf course get pulled

[optidiscic]

I am curious if rubber discs from vibram equate to safer and less damaging discs while still providing durability?

[baileyt1212]

Mandatory helmets for everyone!

[ian.w]

Don't throw discs at people. And you're not supposed to throw them at trees either.

[baileyt1212]

Blind spot disc catcher dogs to watch your back.

[baileyt1212]

Jedi Reflex testing before every round. (hopefully we can get this into breathalyzer form)

[Almighty_Ed]

15yr old boy, just started playing, no arm, brand new champ eagle 165g, zapped me while practicing drive form out in the yard. Yes, 100% my fault for being on that end but it got me thinking about the safety of discs.

I had on jeans too...

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k549/Ed_Glass/disc%20damage/2011-10-20_18-00-51_453.jpg

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k549/Ed_Glass/disc%20damage/2011-10-20_18-00-39_363.jpg

[scarpfish]

like it or not the game is growing and there are more players playing with more dangerous discs on courses that cant handle the reckless combination.

Tree Damage is a true concern and combined with faster/harder/sharper discs and more tree hits as the game expands it should be considered
danger to other disc golfers and the public is also a concern....higher speed discs in heavy weights dont really seem to be the answer

Not sure why the sarcasm and stupidity?
Okay, you've stressed that we have a problem here. What do you suggest we do to fix it? Even if we all agreed these heavy weight warp speed drivers in high durability plastics were the smoking gun, and we mandated that some magical new "safe" technical standards be imposed, they would likely be pointless, as there are already millions of these "dangerous" discs out on the market.

I just checked the disc organizer and we have over 1,200 Champ Bosses with a weight of 170 or higher just logged here on DGCR. That's one mold, in one plastic, from one company, logged by a group of guys who are probably less than 1% of the disc golf community. God only knows how many more of these ticking time bombs that non-DGCR'ers, retailers, clubs, tournament directors and other parties might be holding.

So seriously Opti, what do you suggest? Should we require licenses, complete with a throwing test, to own any disc above say, a speed 9? Should we make any disc above a certain rim width illegal in certain parks and send the disc police to those parks with metric rulers to search people's bags for plastic contraband? Perhaps outlaw courses that have any trees at all on them?

[baileyt1212]

Maybe a foam practice disc would be cool. For warm ups and in the house driving pratice and use in small backyards...

[Huk Finn]

Okay, you've stressed that we have a problem here. What do you suggest we do to fix it? Even if we all agreed these heavy weight warp speed drivers in high durability plastics were the smoking gun, and we mandated that some magical new "safe" technical standards be imposed, they would likely be pointless, as there are already millions of these "dangerous" discs out on the market.

I just checked the disc organizer and we have over 1,200 Champ Bosses with a weight of 170 or higher just logged here on DGCR. That's one mold, in one plastic, from one company, logged by a group of guys who are probably less than 1% of the disc golf community. God only knows how many more of these ticking time bombs that non-DGCR'ers, retailers, clubs, tournament directors and other parties might be holding.

So seriously Opti, what do you suggest? Should we require licenses, complete with a throwing test, to own any disc above say, a speed 9? Should we make any disc above a certain rim width illegal in certain parks and send the disc police to those parks with metric rulers to search people's bags for plastic contraband?

Good point.

I've got a Concealed Carry License for my Opto King. My Sword is unregistered though.

[The dude on the bike]

I hate the damage they do to tree's, wood are people too!

[elnino]

yeah i have thrown blind holes and have lots of peds out walking i do think the course would get pulled if those peds got rocked. the discs now are just dangerous.

I carry a blue opto XXX that u don't want me to thumber your way. hard to see its flight too since it is swirling thru the air.

anyhow

vibram putters do very little damage to trees but i would guess most putters aren't the ones hurting the trees it is the overstable champ like plastic.

we could do an add like the vibram against the wall but use trees and show damage? just a thought.

[ian.w]

15yr old boy, just started playing, no arm, brand new champ eagle 165g, zapped me while practicing drive form out in the yard. Yes, 100% my fault for being on that end but it got me thinking about the safety of discs.
how did that kid throw it with no arm?

[Violets caddy]

I don't think rubber discs make a difference, you still have the same compact mass traveling at high velocity.
As far as trees go its great to wrap them, hell I think every tree on the fairway should be wrapped, but there's always going to be some d*ckhead that breaks/tears it off.
As far as people safety that falls squarely on the dg community, the leagues and designers. Everyone worries about money for pads, money for tee signs, but when do you ever see signs to warn Joe public about the high velocity plastic flying around his head? Maybe one sign for every ten courses you play?
In a shared public park these types of warning signs should be posted on every single hole.

[Almighty_Ed]

how did that kid throw it with no arm?

He's a crafty fawker!




with ape like feet.

[optidiscic]

Okay, you've stressed that we have a problem here. What do you suggest we do to fix it? Even if we all agreed the discs were the smoking gun, and we mandated that some magical new "safe" technical standards be imposed, they would likely be pointless, as there are already millions of these "dangerous" discs out on the market.

I just checked the disc organizer and we have over 1,200 Champ Bosses with a weight of 170 or higher just logged here on DGCR. That's one mold, in one plastic, from one company, logged by a group of guys who are probably less than 1% of the disc golf community. God only knows how many more of these ticking time bombs that non-DGCR'ers, retailers, clubs, tournament directors and other parties might be holding.

So seriously Opti, what do you suggest? Should we require licenses, complete with a throwing test, to own any disc above say, a speed 9? Should we make any disc above a certain rim width illegal in certain parks and send the disc police to those parks with metric rulers to search people's bags for plastic contraband?

I realize that the cat is out of the bag so to speak
I was curious if the pdga could perhaps start to impose some regs

Japan has the 150g rule
Blizzard tech is interesting although who knows
R Pro was a good idea but not practical
Could the flex test standard be improved

I guess I think some more responsibility would be nice from henceforth and if the disc companies wont do it the pdga should regulate it more....I mean if the pdga said discs with this size rim could only be made in lighter weights (unsure that'd make em safer?) or some type of strategy to try to preserve the game

The superclass experiment was a failure...noobs dont appreciate the joy of super class

[craftsman]

If the license scarp is talking about comes in patch form im all for it ;)

[ian.w]

My local course lost more trees this past year to storms than it has ever lost to disc damage. I've also never seen a tree wrapped at a disc golf course. Maybe in va we don't care about trees.

[SirRaph]

Disc golf has to be one of the safest sports out there. I don't know that any safety measures are needed beyond building smarter courses, and raising awareness.

I'm sure a disc could really do some damage, but disc golf ain't polo.

[The dude on the bike]

Hi speed discs are dangerous? I think I could do as much damage with a 186 scorpion. Wear a helmet with a sneeze guard and walk your bike across the street, lets all protect ourselves from living! The only danger is people who throw at holes where there is a possibility of shanking into a person or other ANIMAL. Educate players with a label on each disc sold sort of like the explicit content labels on cd's. make the sport cool and educate at the same time. Or you could be like Edison and kill animals with discs to show how dangerous they are.

[SirRaph]

My local course list more trees this past year to storms than it has ever lost to disc damage. I've also never seen a tree wrapped at a disc golf course. Maybe in va we don't care about trees.

That's the real problem. Foot traffic causing erosion. Trees have lived through worse predators than...well, a predator.

Again, it comes down to smarter course design.

[Violets caddy]

Hi speed discs are dangerous? I think I could do as much damage with a 186 scorpion. Wear a helmet with a sneeze guard and walk your bike across the street, lets all protect ourselves from living! The only danger is people who throw at holes where there is a possibility of shanking into a person or other ANIMAL. Educate players with a label on each disc sold sort of like the explicit content labels on cd's. make the sport cool and educate at the same time. Or you could be like Edison and kill animals with discs to show how dangerous they are.

I almost killed a deer with an 11x teebird once :D
6 inches to the right and it woulda been over for him

[optidiscic]

rubber discs definitely give more than plastic..which should make them safer

The sport is safe for the most part but I think we are kidding ourselves if you don't see the potential for danger

[ian.w]

I realize that the cat is out of the bag so to speak
I was curious if the pdga could perhaps start to impose some regs
I guess I think some more responsibility would be nice from henceforth and if the disc companies wont do it the pdga should regulate it more..
I personally don't care what the pdga says about any discs, I'm going to throw what I want and in sharp champ plastic too. How does it become safer because some association with no authority makes a rule/regulation. Disc golf will still be played no matter how safe/dangerous it becomes and whether or not it has a pdga. Skateboarding has no governing body, but companies make **** tons of money and that sport/activity has steadily progressed for decades. They sell stuff that people buy and stuff that works. What makes you think innova won't do the same thing if all their new drivers get banned or whatever. They'll still make them because we will still buy them.

[kcoates]

The main problem is that most dg courses are in public parks with lots of foot traffic. Think about it, you wouldn't put a walking track in the middle of a ball-golf course.

Trees can handle the discs hitting them, that's not really a major issue, and when it is, they are wrapped like its been said.

Since public foot traffic is the main issue, the only way to alleviate such an issue would be to have all courses be public, pay to play courses. This would probably take away from some people of the sport who like it because it doesn't cost to go play. I wouldn't have a problem with having to pay to play for private courses, but the main problem is that most of these people walking on the course, are oblivious or just don't care at all, and if you hit these people with a rubber disc or even a plastic disc that weighs 25g less, is it really going to hurt that much less than a 175g boss. Maybe, but it'll still hurt, I've been hit a few times.

[scarpfish]

I was curious if the pdga could perhaps start to impose some regs
It wouldn't work. The PDGA already has said standards. One little problem is that they have no authority to control non-PDGA play (in other words, about 99.98% of the disc golf that is played).

If the PDGA made the technical standards too stringent, manufacturers would likely flip them the bird and just start producing more non approved molds (which Gateway already did with the Ninja). I can only guess that some of these without stock stamps would probably start being sneaked into tournaments. In short, by attempting to solve a problem by being overbearing, such an idea could potentially make things worse.

[optidiscic]

see I think its different
like it or not the pdga sets the market.....the Ninja sales have been rather lackluster as have the other deemed illegal molds

[The dude on the bike]

It's up to the throwers to be responsible, we can't idiot proof the world we live in.

[ian.w]

see I think its different
like it or not the pdga sets the market.....the Ninja sales have been rather lackluster as have the other deemed illegal molds

Those discs weren't made by innova or discraft. Quest sucks that's why those discs don't sell. If innova made an unapproved disc it would still sell at dicks if it had a cool name. Oh yeah gateway drivers suck too.

[kcoates]

see I think its different
like it or not the pdga sets the market.....the Ninja sales have been rather lackluster as have the other deemed illegal molds

PDGA could set standards for tournament play. They can't do anything about casual play, which is most of the dg rounds anyway. Weed and beer in parks is illegal (at least here in Ohio), and every round I play I see one or the other, so even if you made every disc required to be 150g or less, how well would it be enforced?

I'm not trying to troll or anything, nor am I disagree that there are possibly safety issues with sharp edged discs. But there are too many discs out there right now that doing anything wouldn't change anything except in PDGA tournament play.

[optidiscic]

I used to think that the thumber should be illegal logic was nonsense until I got buzzed by a few thumbers (impractical I know)

what would happen if the pdga came up with a softer standard for plastic....the discs companies would sell more discs as discs would not last as long and safety and trees might be saved :)

[Huk Finn]

I vote for a 225 gram foam Katana.

[optidiscic]

I am encouraged by the swedish glide discs that many beginners have fallen in love with....the lat64 stuff seems to get D from slower glidey flight and not projectile bullet like flight

[scarpfish]

see I think its different
like it or not the pdga sets the market.....the Ninja sales have been rather lackluster as have the other deemed illegal molds
Sales of that disc have been lackluster because said mold is sort of an outlier in a market where there are plenty of good approved molds available. That and drivers aren't exactly Gateway's strong suit.

But I can assure you, that if the PDGA started making a great degree of those good molds illegal, or started restricting the weights on them, things would change in a hurry. The manufacturers know that casual players and not tournament players are where the money is. Hence, the PDGA needs them more than they need the PDGA.

[ian.w]

The pdga isn't going to bite the hand that feeds it(members) and mandate that discs are softer and wear out faster. I don't want softer less durable discs. I want more durable discs and manufacturers will continue to make what I want because I give them money.

[New013]

you know how people line up really close to golfers when they're hitting. i'd never stand that close to watch somebody throw

[The dude on the bike]

you know how people line up really close to golfers when they're hitting. i'd never stand that close to watch somebody throw

Hellls yes on that. This site should add the thumb war buttons so as not to clutter up the place with agreements/arguments.

[mashnut]

Stop designing courses in heavily used public parks with holes right next to other activities. Combine that with some basic etiquette (yelling fore and waiting until everyone is out of range ahead of you) and it makes a much bigger difference in safety than changing the discs.

[Cygnus]

do we need discs to be safer? how about we just get out of the fairway

The fairway is the safest spot on the course. If your standing in shule, near water or trees you are asking to be hit.


On a serious note. People just need to learn to practice ettequette or more pay to play options with marshalls.

[The dude on the bike]

Stop designing courses in heavily used public parks with holes right next to other activities. Combine that with some basic etiquette (yelling fore and waiting until everyone is out of range ahead of you) and it makes a much bigger difference in safety than changing the discs.

Indeed. I just skip the holes with picnics, fisherman, weddings, etc. The thrower is responsible for all damage, not everyone knows what fore means and many don't think a mere Frisbee can hurt them. Unfortunately a lot of players throw at them as if they are idiots to be near the hole.

[sloppydisc]

like it or not the game is growing and there are more players playing with more dangerous discs on courses that cant handle the reckless combination.
Tree Damage is a true concern and combined with faster/harder/sharper discs and more tree hits as the game expands it should be considered
danger to other disc golfers and the public is also a concern....higher speed discs in heavy weights dont really seem to be the answer

Not sure why the sarcasm and stupidity?

Please site some injury statistics to give us a reason to make discs safer. As far as tree safety and design issues, I could almost agree on a few courses I have seen if you placed this thread in a course design thread. Trees withn a few feet of the pad suck. They get drilled a damaged without much concern for course design, or fun factor. If you put or leave a tree that close protect it. Did you break a sappling over the Holidays?

[optidiscic]

Indeed. I just skip the holes with picnics, fisherman, weddings, etc. The thrower is responsible for all damage, not everyone knows what fore means and many don't think a mere Frisbee can hurt them. Unfortunately a lot of players throw at them as if they are idiots to be near the hole.

yeah I get so pissed when I see people doing this...zero common sense

[baileyt1212]

I'm glad our coarses don't have these problems. Generally, if the popular coarse has more than 5-6 groups on it I head to the other side of the road and have 18 to myself.

[ENold]

Why must anyone cite injury statistics? Are you making the arguement that no one has ever been injured by a driver? Further, while tree damage is an issue, your solution "sucks" most likely in keeping with your ability to play in the woods.

[Banging Chains]

I agree, How many discs get thrown to the number hit people.
Better Question, How many Disc Golfers die on the way to the course in their cars?
Perhaps we should worry about drivers in cars and not drivers on the course.

[sloppydisc]

Why can't everyone live in a house with a white picket fence, 2 dogs and 3 kids? Why can't every tree be protected from all harm? Why can't little babies be born safe and healthy, all people be well fed, and poor people be fat and happy. Oh, poor people are fat?? So what if a few trees get dinged?? Opti, go to bed already! The world and DG have bigger problems. Study up of how many trees and forests died before modern man protected them. A few victims is a small price to pay for my emjoyment.

And don't hit the trees dammit!

[The dude on the bike]

Why must anyone cite injury statistics? Are you making the arguement that no one has ever been injured by a driver? Further, while tree damage is an issue, your solution "sucks" most likely in keeping with your ability to play in the woods.

yea, you dumbys

[optidiscic]

Why can't everyone live in a house with a white picket fence, 2 dogs and 3 kids? Why can't every tree be protected from all harm? Why can't little babies be born safe and healthy, all people be well fed, and poor people be fat and happy. Oh, poor people are fat?? So what if a few trees get dinged?? Opti, go to bed already! The world and DG have bigger problems. Study up of how many trees and forests died before modern man protected them. A few victims is a small price to pay for my emjoyment.

And don't hit the trees dammit!

so any suggestions on how discs might be made to be more safe?

[sloppydisc]

Well, according to people much better than I! throw Ions and Axis's. That should do it. MVP omly courses will solve all the world's problems. Trees will live, and people will get fat and happy.

[New013]

hey i had one, make them whistle so people can hear it coming

[optidiscic]

hey i had one, make them whistle so people can hear it coming

that whistle is from oat

[Violets caddy]

hey i had one, make them whistle so people can hear it coming

I had one too, post more signs to alert the uninformed of the plastic flying around.
Guess that wasn't hostile enough to get noticed :p
I joke ^ :D

[Mike C]

Where do you play that hitting people with your discs is ever an issue?

[The dude on the bike]

This site has some good jokers on it.

[optidiscic]

Well, according to people much better than I! throw Ions and Axis's. That should do it. MVP omly courses will solve all the world's problems. Trees will live, and people will get fat and happy.

You want this, don't you? The hate is swelling in you now. Take your Jedi weapon. Use it. I am unarmed. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger. With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant.

It is unavoidable. It is your destiny. You, like your father, are now mine.

Good. Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you.

If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed!

Young fool... Only now, at the end, do you understand...

Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark Side.

Now, you will pay the price for your lack of vision!

[Paulie]

Problem non existent. Solutions not needed.

More signage wouldn't hurt though, as long as they don't have sharp edges.

[Smigles]

They are perfectly safe as they are.

Just dont throw em at people.

[Technohic]

Where do you play that hitting people with your discs is ever an issue?

I've never hit anyone but I could see hole 15 at Roscoe Ewing as dangerous if someone doesn't clear the path when throwing from that blind hill. I imagine thats why they cleared out a narrow lane but if you go to thumber over and happen to catch a tree top enough, I've seen where the disc still manages to hit that path really hard.

[Doupie620]

With the lightweight blizzard discs coming out and knowing the 150g class in asia for safety I was wondering if there might be a movement to make discs safer

I know that there is the flex test and a maximum on thickness of drivers

I am concerned with the ultra high speed discs in ultra hard plastics with masses of weight on the outer rim.....MVP has taken this to another level and I fear there will be a day where technology allows for a disc to have the majority of its weight on the outer rim in a premium plastic. Almost like a Quoit

Anyway I figured it might be interesting to see if there is any practical way to make the discs safer

Remove the blades...I mean FLASHING...The Aurora MS in Q plastic is sharp enough to shave with. Also...remove kids and animals from running out in front of you RIGHT WHEN YOU ARE GETTING READY TO RELEASE...maybe add a kazoo whistle to the disc that makes a sound while the disc is spinning to warn others of an incoming death missile.:thmbup:

[Doupie620]

You want this, don't you? The hate is swelling in you now. Take your Jedi weapon. Use it. I am unarmed. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger. With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant.

It is unavoidable. It is your destiny. You, like your father, are now mine.

Good. Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you.

If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed!

Young fool... Only now, at the end, do you understand...

Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark Side.

Now, you will pay the price for your lack of vision!


:eek:NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I'll never be like you...

[JoshEpoo]

Where do you play that hitting people with your discs is ever an issue?

There are several courses around here with blind drives next to walking paths in busy public parks. There are also random people walking their dogs or kids around the park sometimes.

[kirvin2]

Drivers are deffinately dangerous, but the person throwing the disc is responsible for any damage that it may cause. Perhaps the best thing to do is educate the newbies as to the potential danger. A warning lable on all new discs, that tells of the potential danger and instruction not to throw towards people, would be a good idea for disc manufacturers to start doing. I'm actually surprised that we haven't heard of anyone sueing a disc company after being injured by one of thier products. A warning lable on new drivers just seems like common sense to me, to help protect disc companies from being sued. Also there should be warning signs on the courses advising the non-discing public of the fact that they are entering a disc golf course and to be cautious of flying discs.

Don't take away the advances that have been made in disc design. Educate the new players.

[dcha]

I hit a guy With a pro d buzzz from close to 300' away dead center in his spine. I yelled fore as loud as possible three times and he just stood there like an idiot. It made the worst sound ever, like when you pound a steak with a meat tendering hammer, but he was fine.

Years ago, like 13 or 14, when I was a noob I hit my uncle from 350 with a dx viper in the back of his head and he was fine.

Then he hit his brother from 400 with a wizard.

[Violets caddy]

Then he hit his brother from 400 with a wizard.

I don't throw a wizard :p
And my brother throws harder than me so I try not to hit him :)

[nate22]

you guys have it easy...our course is right in the middle of a heavily used park and NO ONE knows that it is a disc golf park. We deal with people just laying on the ground, picnicing, talking on their phones etc, right near baskets and middle of fairways.

No ones been hit yet, but the day will come, dunno how to avoid it. For one I think any public park needs to have signs at every formal entrance, thats a given!

[Jack Daniels]

you guys have it easy...our course is right in the middle of a heavily used park and NO ONE knows that it is a disc golf park. We deal with people just laying on the ground, picnicing, talking on their phones etc, right near baskets and middle of fairways.

No ones been hit yet, but the day will come, dunno how to avoid it. For one I think any public park needs to have signs at every formal entrance, thats a given!

I have a park like that. I think its funny how no matter how many times you yell 4!!!!! no one even looks.

[steve a]

you guys have it easy...our course is right in the middle of a heavily used park and NO ONE knows that it is a disc golf park. We deal with people just laying on the ground, picnicing, talking on their phones etc, right near baskets and middle of fairways.

No ones been hit yet, but the day will come, dunno how to avoid it. For one I think any public park needs to have signs at every formal entrance, thats a given!

You could try not throwing the disc when people are in the fairway...:doh:

[Lewis]

Then he hit his brother from 400 with a wizard.

Yeah. 400 decimeters. :p

[The Hammer]

If disc golf is too dangerous for you, then you are too much of a pussy to be doing anything even remotely atheletic. Stick to video games.

[NoahChristopher]

If a tree can survive a lightning strike I'm pretty sure John Q. Chucker won't hurt it when he rips his Champ Ape into it.

[Dsplayname]

I've been hit in the side of the neck with a disc before. It hurt a bit, but no real physical damage. I've seen a friend take a drive to the head too, from about 20 feet off the pad. It looked like it hurt a lot, but no blood and he still continued the round.
I think the warning signs are probably the only real solution that would be feasible to implement. I've played a small 9 hole course on a college campus, and they had signs all around the walking paths and buildings warning pedestrians that people would be throwing discs, which may hit and hurt them. I liked that stance-that disc golf gets the right of way to everyone else.
There is also another park I've been too, and it is usually pretty overcrowded. During tournaments, they put out warning signs, but the rest of the time, I think there is only the one sign as you drive into the parking lot. The signs don't keep anyone from running all over the course though, and it's all wide open.

[Oklahyzer]

Wow...what a thread. Opti, glad you see signs as the solution, because other than thrower education, they're the only thing that can really add much safety really. Lighter discs won't do a thing if you still get hit by one, and since our "sharp" drivers are still more or less blunt, there isn't much difference in getting hit by a Katana or a classic Roc. They're still moving at speed and our skin and bones are still fragile...gonna hurt no matter how much it weighs. The difference between 180g and 125g is so small, especially when you consider the speed they're traveling, and if you consider that lighter discs can potentially travel faster when thrown with the same power.

Tree safety is probably just an unfortunate casualty of our sport...never seen a padded tree, but I guess if those folks take the time and also regularly adjust the straps so it doesn't dig into the tree as it grows, hey why not. Whoever mentioned that far more trees are harmed in the making of a new course compared to those that suffer from getting bashed by discs had a good point there.

I throw on two courses where pedestrians/runners/dogs dart in and out of the fairways. They aren't supposed to be there, but there are no signs indicating that it's a disc golf course, no trail direction (one way) signs, or anything else to let them know that it isn't just an area off of the paved path that they can run free in. Legally, I've always wondered why land owners/municipalities don't post signs on dg courses the way they do with archery courses...it's a pretty basic liability protection even if the landowner is more or less protected otherwise. I'm not a huge fan of signs-signs-everywhere-a-sign, but it does make sense to post them if people can inadvertently get hit.

The biggest thing is douches throwing unsafely, hands down, but we really can't do much about that except speak your mind when you see it happen.

[keltik]

I'm still laughing about the "tree issue". I grew up in eastern NC aka north hurricane parking lot. I don't care what anyone says about discs versus trees. Forces of nature do more damage than Forces of polyurethane. Has anyone here seen that show "Life After Humans"? Nature wins. To me a disc marred tree says "a lot of people have unsuccessfully attempted this line. Look elsewhere for your shot".

[zepphead33]

This thread blows my mind.

[Violets caddy]

I fully support the deforestation of America via premium plastic :rolleyes:

[notroman]

This thread blows my mind.

Reading that line and looking at your avatar made me laugh.

[OcDiscGolf]

Tree Safety ZOMG. That is the funniest (and hippiest) thing I've ever heard.

PADDED TREE AHAHAHAHAHAHA

[denny ritner]

I've been hit HARD in the head with a golf ball. It sucked. I threw myself at the ground every time I heard "fore" for months after that. I'd never argue for making golf balls "safer". It's all about safe course design and accepting a slight amount of risk when playing.

Having said that, families with little kids walking through a public park should NOT have to accept the risk that some careless disc golfer is going to slice their kid's face open with a Boss. Just one of the many examples of how our sport has outgrown its roots and we need exclusive-use, pay-per-play facilities.

[optidiscic]

Many of the dimensions of a pdga disc are made so out of safety. I see no reason why some more tweaking is a bad thing.

[Smcneil]

Im thinking of what discs of the past 10 yrs have done to trees and the potential for injury


So a few trees get hit what about the deforestation that is going on around the world. Donate to green peace and then you can sleep at night. I hear coca-cola is saving polar bears maybe you help out with that as well

[UFO51]

I think there needs to be more signage at multi-use parks. I play with some guys that get really pissed with people loitering on the course but i dont thinks its fair to. Also apparently no cooking signs as some Hispanic folks cooked some chickens in a basket at one of our local courses! (greenbriar for those of you in the dfw area). I remember the days when I didn't know what the baskets were at some parks...all those wasted yrs I could have been dialing in my game.

[sloppydisc]

If disc golf is too dangerous for you, then you are too much of a pussy to be doing anything even remotely atheletic. Stick to video games.


You nailed it. Close thread now.