Cold days

[Questatement]

I live in So Cal but my meet up group bounces around a lot. A couple of weeks ago we played in the foothills of the San Bernadino mountains after a light snow dusting and it was right around freezing when we started at 10am. A few weeks before we camped, it was cold, and my game suffered due to not 'feeling' the usual connection with my plastic via cold fingers.

So that latter time, I brought a couple of chemical hand warmers and found that if you put your fingers between them in your pocket between throws and don't hold your discs any longer than you have to before throwing, you can retain the feel needed that comes naturally with warmer weather.

Does anyone else notice a difference between warm and cold hands?

[Martin Dewgarita]

My best round at a home course of mine Oak Island was on Tuesday, was also one of my colder rounds out there 5*F with -20*F windchill. I've played colder. Hand warmers are meh, can be somewhat helpful, but really it's about the clothing. Layers, windbreak, and insulation, a good hat, possibly a scarf, and a good pair of mittens.

(there's also 100 other threads on the topic that I'm sure someone will link to, or you could search for)

[BogeyNoMore]

I live where we don't consider it cold until it's below freezing. Yeah, I notoce a big difference if my hand is tpp cold/numb to feel the disc. I have thrown alright wearing relatively light cotton gloves, but I prefer hand on disc. Like Martin said, Mittens work well , too, especially with hand warmers.

Originally Posted by Martin Dewgarita

(there's also 100 other threads on the topic that I'm sure someone will link to, or you could search for)

Yeah, but he did ask specifically about cold hands vs. warm hands for throwing. Not so much about the layerying and other clothing.

[Questatement]

Originally Posted by Martin Dewgarita

My best round at a home course of mine Oak Island was on Tuesday, was also one of my colder rounds out there 5*F with -20*F windchill. I've played colder. Hand warmers are meh, can be somewhat helpful, but really it's about the clothing. Layers, windbreak, and insulation, a good hat, possibly a scarf, and a good pair of mittens.

Mercy, you make me thankful to live where I do.

[Martin Dewgarita]

Having warm hands is directly related to the rest of your body being warm. "good pair of mittens" is key as well. Expect to spend around $50 (I've heard good reviews on a muff, though have no experience). My mittens are always on my hands except for the moment before I grip the disc until the moment I release the disc. I find hand warmers too cumbersome and a hassle for every day play, but could be worth it if you're only playing occasionally.

[Martin Dewgarita]

I'm still puzzled on why these conditions led to my best round, does the constriction of a heavy jacket slightly improve my form on driving or putting? does icy footing somehow help with focus? Does cold air cause plastic to be more attracted to the chains...

[Questatement]

Does cold make you focus better? Was the competition just the right balance? Maybe just a fluke never to be repeated again? Was it all just a dream? LOL

Personally, I hate wearing any extra clothing as it seems to restrict my freedom of movement.

[JC AceHole]

I have one of those zippo handwarmers. They are awesome and relatively inexpensive and keep the hands very hot. Somthing to consider...

[kutz167]

Originally Posted by Martin Dewgarita

Having warm hands is directly related to the rest of your body being warm. "good pair of mittens" is key as well. Expect to spend around $50 (I've heard good reviews on a muff, though have no experience). My mittens are always on my hands except for the moment before I grip the disc until the moment I release the disc. I find hand warmers too cumbersome and a hassle for every day play, but could be worth it if you're only playing occasionally.

I have a hand muff that I use once it gets below about 10 degrees that works wonders. It is like a small furnace for your hands and it keeps them feeling just dandy until the moment you go to throw. I definitely recommend one for cold weather rounds.

As for the OP, I have found that when it gets cold my hands dry out, causing me to have some issues with grip. To remedy this, I lightly breath on or lick my finger tips and then test my grip on the disc and either wipe them on my pants or remoisten to achieve the grip I want on the throw.

[GLong]

i definitely notice a difference. my hands get stiff and the feel is terrible. the winter weather in MD is pretty mild compared to what a lot of you guys have to deal with. i just wear a pair of running gloves to keep my hands warm and keep them in my pockets when not throwing. i will use handwarmers every once in a while but find that most of the time i don't need them.

Originally Posted by kutz167

As for the OP, I have found that when it gets cold my hands dry out, causing me to have some issues with grip. To remedy this, I lightly breath on or lick my finger tips and then test my grip on the disc and either wipe them on my pants or remoisten to achieve the grip I want on the throw.

yea i give a little breath on the hand to help with that. i've found that playing in cold and any kind of wet conditions is bad for me. my hands get super dry (from getting wet and dry so many times cleaning discs etc.) and i can't keep a grip on anything. i carry a travel size bottle of lotion in my bag just for that. the tiniest amount can give your hands back just the right amount of moisture.