Cannot Control a Disc

[banknwank]

Thanks for all the help guys! I can see that I have a lot of learning to do, but I definitely have a much better understanding. That video was very helpful by the way.

Have a good one!

A little cheesy, but very informative. Now that your overwhelmed with info and flight number rating systems.......go get a Discraft comet or innova stingray and go have some more fun with your dad. Not sure if anyone had mentioned yet, but keep weights under 170 for now. Happy hucking.:thmbup: keep us posted on how it gos.

 

[hempies]

I think you might have HSS and LSS backwards. But I could be wrong. I thought HSS was at the start of the flight since that's when it would be moving at the highest speed.

Yep, you are completely correct. Sorry 'bout that.

HSS is beginning of flight with the most rotation and power.
LSS is fade at the end of flight when the disc loses momentum and rotation.

Here's a couple more good resources. Innova glossary of DG terms with definitions and DGCG list of acronyms without definitions.

 

[hempies]

A little cheesy, but very informative. Now that your overwhelmed with info and flight number rating systems.......go get a Discraft comet or innova stingray and go have some more fun with your dad. Not sure if anyone had mentioned yet, but keep weights under 170 for now. Happy hucking.:thmbup: keep us posted on how it gos.

Seriously! HAVE FUN and you're winning.




Just don't play in a suit and yell "my life!"...... :doh:

 

[saaber]

First off, welcome! Many of us have had the same problem as you. It's common with beginners. Don't get too discouraged. Have fun.

Hempies got the idea right, but had a few terms mixed up. Here is what it should read:

Then there are nuances like high speed stability (HSS) which is the tendency of a disc to turn one direction at the beginning of the flight and low speed stability (LSS) which is the tendency of a disc to turn (or fade) at the end of the flight. On the chart I linked, the HSS is the first turn in flight as it travels 50'-150' feet (+/-) and the LSS is the fade at the end of the flight

Also the term 'turn and burn' typically refers to a throw that turns over too far into the ground during the initial high speed portion of the flight, often caused by overpowering a slower, understable disc or by having too much wobble upon release, which is called off-axis torque (OAT) and causes a disc to fly more understable than it is. Apologies for that nice run-on sentence just now.

I will definitely echo what's been said about putters and slower, neutral mids. Work with your putter especially- you would be surprised how far a putter can fly, and with much better accuracy.
Don't even try to throw your Valkyrie or Wraith yet, you may wind up creating bad habits. Don't get wrapped up in the hype that a "faster" driver will yield longer throws. A Teebird (speed 7) and many other slower discs can go just as far as distance drivers, and putters can be thrown over 300 feet.\

Good luck!

Edit: Jeez, everyone beat me to the HSS/LSS corrections. I'm a slow typer.

 

[scarpfish]

Anything that says "Maximum distance driver" or just "driver" in general stay away from until your atleast hitting 250'. There's flight ratings on many of the discs. The first number is always the speed and ranges from 1-14. 1-3 being putters, 4-5 being mid ranges, 6-7 being fairway drivers, and 8-14 distance drivers. I would steer clear of anything over a speed 7 until your hitting over 325'.

I believe in learning form with slower speed discs, but that's overkill. He'd be fine trying out fairway drivers well before he reaches 250'. He may never see 325'.

 

[JTdisc]

Don't get discouraged. The exact same thing happened to me at the beginning.

What everyone else said is true. You're trying to throw discs that require a lot of armspeed and perfect technique. When thrown right hand backhand, these discs will dive off to the left quickly.

The best discs to start with are putters and midranges. Innova's Aviar is a great starting putter and the Shark is a great starting midrange. These are pretty easy to find if you go to Dick's Sporting Goods or other stores. These discs should fly straighter and further for you.

It's probably going to be a long time before you can get the Wraith to fly well (heck, I can't even throw a Wraith after 1.5 yrs of play). You should work your way up to the Valkyrie reasonably quickly.

Also, don't worry about being better with forehand. Throw what works. I'm much better with my forehand than backhand. The majority of players throw primarily backhand, but there are a lot of forehand players as well. A forehand throw will curve in the opposite direction as a backhand, so learn both shots and use whatever one the hole calls for.

 

[webmanna]

I'd recommend getting lighter weights and less stable, slower speed discs. It's possible the discs you got were both understable and too heavy. So for example, I'd get 150g DX Shark, 150g Discraft Buzz and an Aviar Putter - the putter can be heavier - like 165-175g.

The shark and buzz are both midrange discs, so they can be thrown at a slower arm speed and still achieve the desired flight of the disc characteristics. The discs have numbers on them that explain their characteristics - the first number is speed, second number is glide (how long the disc will want to float), third is high speed turn and last is low speed fade. You want the turn number to be 1-4 and the fade to be 0-2. Here's a page that explains all of this in a simpler format: http://www.innovadiscs.com/home/disc-golf-faq/flight-ratings-system.html

When I first started I had a Destroyer, a shark and an aviar and that was all I threw for about 6 months. The destroyer was way too fast and stable for a new player IMO so I wouldn't recommend starting with that. If you want a slightly faster disc to try out along with your mids and putters - I'd recommend an understable fairway driver like a leopard or an archangel - both are good starter discs.

Just pick a few discs to try in lighter weights, and get a few of each disc in the cheapest plastic (DX) so you're not too upset if you lose them in water or trees. Remember it will take a while - 3-6 months - before you'll be able to throw them the way you see in your head - and that's completely normal! Have fun!!

 

[FlightMedic]

Take a few minutes and watch these videos.

http://www.discmania.net/deep-in-the-game/

Try watching them in order and go outside to practice the skills in each video before going onto the next one. I played several rounds with just my putters and it improved my game tremendously.

 

[Kinsman]

You know that really awesome feeling you get in the fall when you take out your winter clothiers for the first time and find a $20 bill in the pocket from the previous winter? Well, go bury that Valk and Wraith somewhere in your closet with those clothes and just hammer it out with a putter, midrange, and a slower fairway driver (maybe that Leopard) all summer. Take them out next fall and you'll have a blast after 6 months of building some solid throwing technique. It's so easy to get caught up in the hype around all the distance drivers these days but they all require technique that will only come with practice. I'm one of many people that started much like you did... A wide assortment of discs that for the most part were too much for me and it wasn't until I learned to throw my putters (Aviar and Rhyno back then) that I really could appreciate a higher speed disc.

 

[threevok]

I'd take a putter like an Aviar and throw it back and forth with your dad in a field for hours on end until you both can throw it straight for at least 200ft.

 

[Tafe19740]

All the tips and videos and such are great so far.
What I think you need to do now is find some people to talk with in person. Look for a group/club or event in your area. You don't have to play with them, just hang out and watch. Hopefully, someone will talk with you otherwise ask if anyone has some time when they're done. Someone should be more then happy to show you a few things. You may even find that people who have been playing a while may have some extra discs laying around that don't work for them anymore but would be perfect for you.
Good luck and welcome to the sport!

 

[Zimmy]

Sounds like you're figuring it out. I pretty much did the same thing only to find out what everyone has been saying. The disc will fly the best when you match disc speed to arm speed. When you see the charts about 400+ ft discs, the disc does not make you throw 400+ feet. YOU have to throw it 400 ft. The disc just flies better at that speed.

 

[Peter S]

I 2'nd the advice to get a Stingray as your very next disc. Although a great beginner disc it is also a disc you will need down the line when you learn how to "Turn or anhyzer" a disc.