Should their be a Junior rim width limit?

[Hampstead]

Sorry, but I am so tired of basket size talk.

Disc size is alright. For now. Until OMD ruins it.

[Cgkdisc]

Originally Posted by Dingus

Really? Are the lower baskets pushing the envelope that hard where 3cm will fall through the bottom? In any event the rules currently cover the eventuality where a disc falls out the bottom, and if it was really that big of an issue (which I doubt) it would be a simple solution for the enterprising disc golf entrepreneur to design.

While the baskets can be fixed, it would be significantly more cost effective to use existing or develop new discs suitable for youthful players and take advantage of the widespread basket infrastructure in place.

[Dingus]

Originally Posted by Cgkdisc

While the baskets can be fixed, it would be significantly more cost effective to use existing or develop new discs suitable for youthful players and take advantage of the widespread basket infrastructure in place.

So why not just allow the occasional disc to fall through the basket? Even putting minis at the basket they sometimes stick, I don’t really think an 18cm disc would fall through that often. And when they do the rules are already in place, the shot counts.

[ru4por]

Not needed. There is no injury risk with kids throwing 170 gm discs or normal diameter. They are playing within age protection. This just kind of smacks of coddling, everyone get a trophy stuff.

I never had slow pitch, coach pitch, tee ball. We just played hard ball from first or second grade on. I turned out to be a decent ball player and played with a few exceptional ones. Hardball even has some elements of danger to kids, at that age....disc golf does not. Let them go out and have fun. The ones that like the competition will continue and learn the game. Kids should not need our help to have fun.

[Central Scrutinizer]

My 12-year-old is fully into the sport now (BogeyNoMore has gotten to see him play) and actually had his form epiphany with a PFN Star Sidewinder I had sitting around at the age of 10. At the big juniors tourneys I see kids as young as 8 throwing normal Discs we throw, and some of them much better than we do. The kid who won the state championship in MJ-12 this year at Holly Rec Area was throwing MASHED forehands with a Discraft Flick. I'd say 300 feet or more and accurately.

My son is real good with Rocs. He gets Destroyers and Wraiths out to 350' in open fields now. Weighs 85 pounds...

Edit: here's a quick video of him at the Peru, IN tourney's distance competition. He had a 934-rated round that day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc2dzhFa0zQ

[Central Scrutinizer]

Really if you've got a young kid new to playing, a Stingray or Stratus has a pretty thin rim and is easy to throw straight. Rather than having a "limit" you can simply get slower understable Discs and they can start their journey in the sport there. For awhile when my son was about 10 he had a Starlite Valkyrie weighing about 135 grams. He quickly outgrew that one, and now on the rare occasion my wife takes a throw, that's her Disc!

[foxdawg10]

Originally Posted by Eman

I come from cycling, where juniors up to 18 have to use smaller gear ratios in races to encourage kids to learn proper pedaling and cadence and stop potential injuries from pushing too big of gears. This has me wondering if disc golf should do a similar thing by setting a max rim width for juniors to encourage kids to learn the proper form with reasonable speed discs.

I can definitely see where your thinking is coming from. I don't think it's necessary, only because narrower rim widths are currently available to anyone who wants to use them. Setting a max limit would only penalize those younger players who may actually be able to handle the wider rim widths.

[zontar]

I too come from cycling background and really, I agree with most here that it is apples to oranges. injury is not the issue. throwing a lower speed disc is like spinning 20rpm faster in a lower gear. not only will it work for kids, it works better for most adults....

[seedlings]

There are some pretty decent disc golfers right now who learned ok as kids without extra rules.

But, I’m OK with having a children’s tee box.

[chris deitzel]

Originally Posted by Eman

I come from cycling, where juniors up to 18 have to use smaller gear ratios in races to encourage kids to learn proper pedaling and cadence and stop potential injuries from pushing too big of gears. This has me wondering if disc golf should do a similar thing by setting a max rim width for juniors to encourage kids to learn the proper form with reasonable speed discs.

I raced monutain bikes when I was 13-15 and ran a Onza 60 tooth outer chainring so I could crush the downhills.