Widdershins
Double Eagle Member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
- Messages
- 1,155
iacas said:Not to drift OT, but I'm surprised that's legal. What's to stop a disc maker from manufacturing a disc with a fingerprint stamp where you place your fingers, getting approval, and then hot stamping dents and depressions into the disc later on? Perhaps this is simply an example of the PDGA rules not being quite as old or far along as they perhaps will be some day. I realize the stamping is done at the factory but it's not the same disc that was submitted for approval and edges a bit closer to the "post-production modification" with a "detectable thickness" than I'd be comfortable using.Mark Ellis said:These, properly grip stamped, are what I use. For those unfamiliar, a grip stamp is a hotstamp, purposely burned in deeply enough and placed precisely where my fingers rest on both the top and bottom of the disc. This custom hotstamping is labor intensive and requires a lot of skill to do right.
To the topic at hand, my favorite putter is a Wizard. I'm experimenting with different firmnesses (and have some erasers and chalkies coming) but like them all at this point. Some are overweight and thus marked as "not for play" but they're fine in the basement. I don't see myself using the RFFs or the SSSS as I don't really care for the floppy putters, but you never know.
There are no PDGA rules on hotstamping, so long as it is done by a manufacturer. Nor should their be. If anything should be illegal it is plastic which is so slippery it poses a safety danger to players, spectators and other park users who might be hit by an errant throw.
Safety is the primary reason why stick um, in its various forms, is legal. You do not consider only best case scenarios when planning safety rules. Grip is important to safety. How many players use towels, dirt, Birdie Bags, moisture and many other methods to try to get a good grip?
There already exist discs with thumb depressions (originally called the MOJO then changed to the JUJU and perhaps others). There are already discs with ridges on the flight plate for better grip (Banger GTs and Rhynos). One of the European companies (Latitude 64 ?) makes a putter with finger pads. Several Discraft models have raised letters inside the rim and Predators have a crisscross traction pad. All of these innovations recognize the value of good grip.
In baseball, foreign substances are banned. Pitchers do not want a pitch to fly straight and true. Pitchers want a pitch which dips and turns and wobbles, making it harder to hit. Pitchers without movement on their fastballs are delivering up easy homers to opposing batters. But in disc golf we want our discs to fly true. Good grip doesn't make our discs fly erratically and unpredictably, it helps us hit fairways. Good grip allows better control.
None of us would ever choose SHOES with terrible grip. Imagine playing on roller skates on icy tee pads and think how safe that would be.
Many years ago I was playing in a Amateur World Championships. A guy from Ohio arrived to compete only to find his work buddies had played a prank on him. They had sprayed all his discs with WD-40. And we think candy plastic is slippery!