Who is Using Tech Disc and is it Accurate?

[Sheep]

I talked to Michael Sizemore at Tech Disc and asked him a few questions. Here are his answers:

1. We are using the Force, Undertaker and Buzzz for our molds for the December build.

2. We do not offer custom molds at this time. We may look at doing that next year but it adds a lot of complexity on our end and the mold doesn't affect the data so we're just using a single mold per slot for now.

3. We use premium plastic (ESP, Start, etc.) so that the disc lasts as long as possible. It is designed to be thrown into a net and shouldn't beat-in noticeably. We only measure what you do to the disc, not how the disc flies. So if the disc does beat in and become more understable it won't affect the data at all.

4. Mid/Putter vs. drivers: Good question. This comes down to personal preference and what shots you want to work on most. The different rim widths primarily affect the speed and speed of the disc and what grips are comfortable for you. We usually recommend a fairway driver since most people can use the widest array of grips on it and it accommodates small and large hands. But ultimately it's up to you!

5. Accuracy is comparable to the Pocket Radar for speed. It should be +2 or - 1 MPH becuase we are measuring speed of the disc and the radar gun has several ways you can slightly mess up the reading to show a slower speed.

He also mentioned the mounting is crucial to accuracy of the data. They decided selling the unit separately wasn't worth compromising the data.

I think the way they are offering it is good with the limited discs as they can better control the data integrity overall vs letting people stick it themselves,
As well as limiting the discs they put it on, while annoying, is beneficial to the data integrity as it puts in more control. because less factors of error/calibration, etc.

 

[Orchestra]

I'm most Interested in what insights we can get from examining people's swing paths. Here's mine:

 

[RowingBoats]

Probably fun at parties, invite all your friends.

Low key I want it for nonsense shenanigans as much as I want it for real practice haha.

 

[sidewinder22]

I'm most Interested in what insights we can get from examining people's swing paths. Here's mine:View attachment 322886

I don't know what I'm looking at there.
Here's KJ Nybo vs a Rounder on the bottom
t

 

[Orchestra]

Instead of a top-down view of the swing, TechDisc records a dynamic 3/4 view. Here's a link to the animation.

Tech Disc

app.techdisc.com

 

[Sheep]

I don't know what I'm looking at there.
Here's KJ Nybo vs a Rounder on the bottom
View attachment 322925t

Well. I'd not say rounder, that's a hugging yourself issue.

There are TONS of pro's who throw like that though, its quite insane how they manage to get power collapsing the front shoulder, then getting everything in place to bring in some level of power.

 

[Sheep]

Low key I want it for nonsense shenanigans as much as I want it for real practice haha.

I'd find it nice to actually make video's on it exploring actual teaching uses with it, and maybe how better to use it at home to learn.

A lot of my concerns with people getting devices isn't that it's impossible for them to use it. It's just providing good guidance on how to use it and how to better address the data to self help better.

Because I've already seen a post somewhere someone using it .. i think it was reddit.
Guy was so excited about how he "increased his speed"
He went from a 3 degree nose up throw to a 8 degree nose up throw trying to just work on speed.

And that's the complaint I have when people talk about using the device.
Nose angle trumps speed all day.

 

[Kuby]

As the rainy season descends upon the PNW my field work is gonna take a back seat to just playing on nice days. It doesn't have to be super accurate but as long as I could get the general idea I think it would be a great tool. The price is holding me back but I'm unemployed so anything is too expensive.

 

[Nick Carroll]

I just checked and if you purchase a Tech Disc today they might ship in January. I then checked GameProofer and they might ship in March. If you purchase any of these, unfortunately it'll be months before you receive one.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

So cool to see something like Tech Disc actually exist, will be interested too to see reports of its efficacy.

When I started playing this sport, the most advanced thing we probably had was a Mach III.

 

[itsRudy]

I'm on the very edge of ordering one and a net.

A net is a cheap, solid investment in any case. Less focus on your disc's flight and you can toss a lot of discs much faster. Combined with a smartphone for recording, really can't beat it for value per dollar.

 

[Sheep]

A net is a cheap, solid investment in any case. Less focus on your disc's flight and you can toss a lot of discs much faster. Combined with a smartphone for recording, really can't beat it for value per dollar.

I don't have to spend 2 hours of my 2.5 hours on the field looking for discs using a net.

I can throw 10 discs.
Go do something else taking a break, think about it. Review the footage, make changes. throw 10 discs again.

It's just far superior when you're really trying to dial actual form stuff down.

It doesn't mean you cannot do field work, or shouldn't in some sense.
But it eliminates the issue of "trying to throw far" or "trying to throw hard" when you're throwing into a net vs throwing in a field.

The problem is, I can throw nice and smooth at home and get insane amounts of power.

Then I drink a cup of derpy deerrrrp derp juice or something when I get on the tee pad.
But that's a case of mental game, lack of reps, etc.

 

[Awyoung123]

I'd find it nice to actually make video's on it exploring actual teaching uses with it, and maybe how better to use it at home to learn.

A lot of my concerns with people getting devices isn't that it's impossible for them to use it. It's just providing good guidance on how to use it and how to better address the data to self help better.

Because I've already seen a post somewhere someone using it .. i think it was reddit.
Guy was so excited about how he "increased his speed"
He went from a 3 degree nose up throw to a 8 degree nose up throw trying to just work on speed.

And that's the complaint I have when people talk about using the device.
Nose angle trumps speed all day.

Hey I think I'm that excited guy you mentioned! I agree that speed isn't everything and the more casual user might think it would be.

Just want to mention in my particular case, I've worked on nose angle MORE than speed but it's impossible for me to get no matter what I try (unless I'm throwing negative launch angle). I've gotten it down to 2-3 degrees from 6-8 when I'm really focusing on it, but it isn't going negative quite yet.

But in the meantime, I'm happy with the speed and RPM gains haha. It IS actually contributing to more distance (even though that max distance potential is limited by the nose up throw)

 

[Sheep]

Hey I think I'm that excited guy you mentioned! I agree that speed isn't everything and the more casual user might think it would be.

Just want to mention in my particular case, I've worked on nose angle MORE than speed but it's impossible for me to get no matter what I try (unless I'm throwing negative launch angle). I've gotten it down to 2-3 degrees from 6-8 when I'm really focusing on it, but it isn't going negative quite yet.

But in the meantime, I'm happy with the speed and RPM gains haha. It IS actually contributing to more distance (even though that max distance potential is limited by the nose up throw)

I'm working on some video stuff for nose angle right now.

But, I have something you can try, shoot me a PM if your'e interested since you have a tech disc and I do not. Then you can report back to me if it gives you some signifigant changes.
I"ve been looking for some guinea pigs for this theory.

 

[Kennets]

I'm one thought away of pulling the trigger on this one. I'm barely playing these days, nor doing any field work, but god - I love gadgets.

It's pricey, but I've convinced myself that I could bring it (and a net) to the course and charge people a small fee to get their numbers - that way, I would end up with some money back. (Merely an excuse to spend 300 dollars on a gadget )

 

[timothy42b]

I'm one thought away of pulling the trigger on this one. I'm barely playing these days, nor doing any field work, but god - I love gadgets.

It's pricey, but I've convinced myself that I could bring it (and a net) to the course and charge people a small fee to get their numbers - that way, I would end up with some money back. (Merely an excuse to spend 300 dollars on a gadget )

At the local disc store I suggested to the staff that they put up a net, add a tech disc, and charge people a few bucks to throw.

The guy working the counter said the regulars are always after him to put up a net, but they never buy anything. Hee, hee.

 

[Sheep]

At the local disc store I suggested to the staff that they put up a net, add a tech disc, and charge people a few bucks to throw.

The guy working the counter said the regulars are always after him to put up a net, but they never buy anything. Hee, hee.

We'd love to at our store, but there is that issue for starters, some people wanna just try stuff and all its gonna do is damage something.

And you cannot really "try" things in a net, you can only learn form stuff.

 

[dmoore1998]

Just got mine in the mail yesterday. Pretty cool. Also fun to be able to play around with disc characteristics and throw metrics to see what happens. It was kind of neat to take my metrics, see how short Tech Disc was telling me I throw (because it's a Force and I throw on hyzer), put in the numbers of my primary distance driver, and watch it spit out a pretty darn accurate distance and flight path of what I typically throw.

Plan is to combine some Tech Disc throws with videos of myself to be able to focus more on one change at a time. It's pretty difficult for me to focus on a single change that likely doesn't have much impact by itself and know if it's really changed or not.

Some interesting finds after only an hour or so with the disc:

-My spin rate was lower than I thought it might be.
-My disc speed from a one-step was better than my full run-up (though I already knew my power pocket and timing was much better from a one-step).
-I throw on more hyzer than I would have guessed (on slower runups it's nearly flat, on full power shots though it's a significant hyzer angle).
-My nose angle on slower runups was really good, on full power shots it's slightly nose-up.
-I tried a few throws from my "natural" form, and a few with some changes I've been trying to implement, and my disc speed increased pretty significantly with some and not with others. It was interesting to see which ones effectively changed the disc speed and which ones "felt" different, but probably weren't very different in practice.

Hoping to get a good 2-3 months of practice in my shed while it's too cold and too much snow to do much effective fieldwork.

 

[Sheep]

-My disc speed from a one-step was better than my full run-up (though I already knew my power pocket and timing was much better from a one-step).

This makes me giggle.
But dont take it personally.

I've screamed from mountain tops about people and runups. Seabass does, Brychanus does.

We "think" were getting more by running around, but it's quite amusing how much you loose if your timing is good.

This is also why I giggle at people who run so hard to throw but get nowhere. Its like "slow steady steps and you'll win."

"But I throw 15 feet further with my runup"

yeah, sure you do.

 

[drk_evns]

This makes me giggle.
But dont take it personally.

I've screamed from mountain tops about people and runups. Seabass does, Brychanus does.

We "think" were getting more by running around, but it's quite amusing how much you loose if your timing is good.

This is also why I giggle at people who run so hard to throw but get nowhere. Its like "slow steady steps and you'll win."

"But I throw 15 feet further with my runup"

yeah, sure you do.

This is only true if you're not able to transfer the momentum through your x-step. Most people can't do it at all. I assume anyone who can do it has their own "speed limit" based on their form and athletic ability. Faster might not necessarily mean better for everyone—but many smooth, horizontally-focused throwers like Paul, Simon, and Eagle put significant speed into their longest shots.

Only to say—I don't think the advice is as simple as run-ups are worse or more speed is worse.