Firebirds Illegal!

[tarel]

guess the max's i have in my sig would be just as bad as teh flatops

[KniceZ]

I'm still waiting for someone to explain how the flex standard was determined. If it's concussion I would think it would be max weight. Otherwise I would think force per contact area. The real safety standard can't be the same to putters and drivers.

It seems totally arbitrary!! And to top it off - inconsistent enforcement.

[onemilemore]

Originally Posted by KniceZ

It seems totally arbitrary!! And to top it off - inconsistent enforcement.

Did you expect anything less from disc golf?

[jasonc]

Originally Posted by stubborn puppet

I still think safety should be the responsibility of the players. Granted, a manufacturer shouldn't ever build discs with serated edges or razor blades on them, that would be a weapon, not sporting equipment.

Check this out.....the fun stuff starts at 1:22 for those that have no patience.

[theeterrbear]

Originally Posted by KniceZ

I'm still waiting for someone to explain how the flex standard was determined. If it's concussion I would think it would be max weight. Otherwise I would think force per contact area. The real safety standard can't be the same to putters and drivers.

The difference in weights isn't entirely negligible, but the amount of energy in the disc is mostly influenced by velocity.

e=mv^2 where m is mass in kilograms and v is velocity in kilometers per hour. So even at max PDGA legal weights, we aren't even cracking .2kg.

And then when it comes to impacts I would rather be hit by a flexible disc all day. What matters here is the length of the impulse, which is the transfer of energy through the collision. A longer impulse means that the energy transfer is less violent essentially. And with more flexible discs you will lose more energy to the warping of the disc during the impulse, making it much better to be hit by a soft disc than a stiff one.

Regarding the surface area of getting hit by a driver versus putter I completely agree. Putters have a huge amount of surface area on there edges in comparison, which also helps to dissipate the energy upon impact.

Not to mention that putters travel a lot slower, so it would be difficult to even get the same amount of energy into either.

It's an ill-written rule that's meant as a blanket. The blanket no longer fits, however.

[mashnut]

Originally Posted by theeterrbear

Not to mention that putters travel a lot slower, so it would be difficult to even get the same amount of energy into either.

That depends on where in the flight it hits someone. If it's right out of the hand, a putter actually can leave your hand faster than a driver on a full strength throw. If it's later in the flight after air resistance has had time to work then you're right, the putter is going much slower.

[HiFi]

No one seems to be pointing out that it's the plastic that would be illegal, not the mold.

Firebirds and Wizards are perfectly legal, they just had to change the plastic blend.