Move to lower glide discs in winter?

[BogeyNoMore]

Originally Posted by biscoe

Discs will behave as if they are more overstable in colder weather.

Originally Posted by sidewinder22

I notice my discs are a slightly more understable in winter.

I have to agree with SW on this. I find discs behave more understable when it gets cold. I'm talking about a difference of 40 degrees or more.

I've never watched a disc fly on a 90+ degree day, and thought, "Wow, that disc sure acted more OS than I expected."
But I've definitely played in sub-freeing temps and thought "That turned more /earlier than I expected."


I don't seem to notice much difference in disc flight until the temps drop below freezing.
But down in the 20's discs turn more. They seem to get more "bite" in the denser air.
But I agree with what a few others have said: When it comes to winter DG, I think changing your bag up for grip, is more important than changing it up for stability. As hands get cold, champ/Z plastic tends to get slipperier than baseline, GStar, FLX, and even some Pro/X type plastic. You can always tweak release angle and other aspects of your throw to compensate for differences in stability. But it doesn't matter what you're throwing if grip is compromised.
Then again, you could swap a few discs out and achieve both.

As for altitude, when I was playing in the mountains of NC and WV, I noticed discs behave more OS.*
Discs that give me predictable turn at home weren't qetting quite as much turn in the thinner, mountain air.

*Armiller helped me track down a notable exception at Seth Burton. Forgot the exact hole # but remember it being fairly early on the back 9... had a driver turnover and sail like a kite. As I recall, there was also some griplock and headwind involved... but jeez did that disc ever stray from the intended path, and bury itself deep in the schule.

[R-Ogre]

It appears that anything that increases dynamic pressure:spin speed ratio (cold temperature, low altitude, headwind, and of course faster throws) tends to make discs understable.

[F.Luke]

Originally Posted by biscoe

Discs will behave as if they are more overstable in colder weather. Also- flight numbers are uncalibrated nonsense.

What are you trying to imply? That a system of “measurement” with no standard as its basis is worthless? Lol!














*I feel like I’m at a players meeting and Gawler just said something asinine.

[araytx]

I have two complete bags -- one for spring/summer/fall, and one for winter, however short it is in Texas. The difference in glide, grip, etc.

Primarily, though I have the same discs in different plastics (more "grippable) in each.

[Casey 1988]

Originally Posted by Tinkles

I was thinking about how the denser air creates more lift and drag on a disc and whether I should look at using something with less glide than my FDs and Wraiths in winter. Maybe replacing Wraiths with Orcs for example.

Does anyone change their bag for winter vs summer?

No I do not change my bag in winter but I do compensate for the increased wind In my area when I do happen to play in winter, I just use a few molds that are more OS or a more OS version of a disc like my almost flat top Star Valkyrie rather then my glow Champion, use an ESP XL over my Z Stalker. I keep those disc in year round as high wind seems to be an possible issue where I live but in true winter weather high winds seem more common then any time of the year. I keep those discs for the grip and the wind over other molds I use in non winter weather. If I loose the ESP XL that is fine I would need to, but the almost flat top Star Valkyrie I would have to replace. Also use a taller dome Champion Destroyer that is 170 grams instead of my 167 gram lower dome Champion Destroyer in the high winds that are more common in winter.

[MarkDSM]

I’m late to the party, but I want more glide in the winter time often as a play my round expecting standstill or ‘one step plant’ upshots. I lean towards minimalist, for me Meteor (vs rocs) and long fade (vs teebirds) get subbedflr shots/bagged in for the often condition factor.

[wolfhaley]

As has been said numerous times already, grip is probably the number one concern. It's one thing if it's just cold out. But if it's cold AND there's snow on the ground then champ/opto/Z plastic is awful. These are my favorite types of plastic in warm weather by far. I have pretty much zero issue with these in the rain either. But they are so slick and stiff in snow that they're practically useless for me. G star is the best in snow, otherwise I never use it. Star/gold/ESP is so much better. Also I agree that discs seem to fly more understable in the cold.

[MANBURGARLAR]

Between the soggy or icy ground depending where you live. Colder stiffer muscles / hands, I always lose distance in the winter with the poor footing and slipping going on. I usually find myself discing down and getting more understable discs out to makeup for the lack of legs I can get into the shot.

[Vintage Folfer]

How would a disc fly in a vacuum? Would it quickly drop because there's no air holding it up, or would it fly further because there's no friction? I don't mean the void of space where there's no air and no gravity, I mean: normal gravity but no air. Not saying this could or would ever be done, just considering the extreme to better understand the effects of air density on disc flight. Aerodynamics would be irrelevant of course, so what would happen?

[BogeyNoMore]

Pretty sure with no air to provide lift, assuming Earth's gravity, it will basically behave about the same as a baseball. Becomes a more typical physics 101 type of projectile motion equation.

Discs would'nt go as far in a vacuum if assuming gravity is the same.