Difference?

[alvinp48]

Hi...may sound like a silly question...what is the difference between a mid-range and a fairway driver? Thanks

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Primarily, the speed at which the disc was designed to be thrown.
Both come in a wide range of stabilities and have various other attributes, but typically, the shorter the distance your trying to cover, more you'll want to use a disc that's intended for lower speeds.


Also, all other things being equal (which they seldom truly are), slower discs tend to be more accurate/easier to place.

 

[tampora]

Mid: Blunt Edged and possibly heavier than the Fairway driver
Fair: Sharper Edged and possibly lighter than the midrange

Mid: May stop quickly upon impacting the ground
Fair: May skip or slide a ways before stopping

Mid: Used for shots longer than a putter, but shorter than a Fairway driver
Fair: Used for shots longer than a mid, but shorter than a Distance Driver

Mid: Discraft dominates, imo
Fair: Innova dominates, imo

Mid: A faster version of a putter
Fair: A slower version of a distance driver

 

[optidiscic]

Hi...may sound like a silly question...what is the difference between a mid-range and a fairway driver? Thanks

not silly at all
its basic nomenclature...20 yrs ago there was no such thing as a fairway driver
As discs became faster and capable of easier longer distance but also capable of ever increasing errant throws due to the difficulty of controlling the higher speed discs...the previous more reliable discs became know as control discs and these were thought better suited for woods and fairway type shots

thus the NAME fairway driver was born


Mid-Range was the old term for the disc between the driver and the putter before the high speed stuff came out
it was putter-midrange-driver then it cancered into putter-mid-range-fairway driver-distance driver

In practice a midrange is capable of covering shots 150-300 ft for most players and a fairway is more in the 250-350 range for most

obviously the simple answer is a putter is more controllable than midrange which is more controllable a disc than a fairway which is more controllable than a distance driver ALL AT THE EXPENSE OF DISTANCE

there I explained it best I could I'm sure some will disagree or say they can throw their mid 400 blah blah but that's the basics

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I would agree with all the above (even tampora's opinions, although highly debateable).

Would like to add:
Faster discs only travel faster if you throw them faster. Fairways and mids of the same mass don't travel faster or slower when you release them at the same speed. They are designed differently specifically to be thrown at different speeds... to cover different distances.

 

[scarpfish]

There really is no defined line, but the telltale characteristic is when blunt edges start becoming bevel edges. Most mids are usually 0.5-0.7 cm bigger in diameter than most drivers. The Stalker is a disc that kind of rides the line between the two.

 

[garublador]

Would like to add:
Faster discs only travel faster if you throw them faster. Fairways and mids of the same mass don't travel faster or slower when you release them at the same speed. They are designed differently specifically to be thrown at different speeds... to cover different distances.

I don't agree with that. People have done tests using radar guns and have shown that narrower rimmed discs actually come out of the hand at a higher speed than wider rimmed discs. One implication is that many slower speed discs can actually take more out of the hand speed than some faster speed discs. For example, a Roc or Wizard can be thrown faster than a Sidewinder and still be controllable.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

^ I've read something to that effect. The point I was trying to emphasize was that a "faster" disc only travels faster if it's thrown faster... they don't not inherently travel at higher velocities than slower discs. In fact, [art of your post supports this...

People have done tests using radar guns and have shown that narrower rimmed discs actually come out of the hand at a higher speed than wider rimmed discs.

IMO, the term Disc Speed or the concept of "how fast a disc is" is quite misleading.
I think Intended Speed is a more accurate description.

 

[optidiscic]

I completely disagree.....a speed 13 disc will travel faster than a lower speed disc given the same arm speed and snap

there really is no debating this

 

[scarpfish]

I completely disagree.....a speed 13 disc will travel faster than a lower speed disc given the same arm speed and snap

there really is no debating this

What if the thrower's arm speed and snap aren't exactly Herculean?

I would venture in some people's hands, a fairway driver might get out of the box faster because its profile fits the thrower's hand better, allowing them to get better torque on release.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I completely disagree.....a speed 13 disc will travel faster than a lower speed disc given the same arm speed and snap

there really is no debating this

I haven't tested them with radar guns, so I don't know for certain. I believe faster discs do retain their release velocity longer than slower discs, and hence travel further. I believe Garu's post has more to do with grip and energy transfer. I have a feeling you might be able to throw a putter with a higher initial velocity than a driver because you have more to hold onto - but people seldom throw putters that hard.

I think the same arm speed/snap will result in about the same initial velocity for discs of the same weight, if you can achieve the same energy transfer from hand to disc... the difference is that a slower disc will lose velocity quicker than a fats disc, so it won't travel as far.

...but now we're getting into disc physics again. :doh:


This sub-forum is intended to help newbies. For the most part ...mids are meant to be thrown at lower velocities and for shorter distances than fairway drivers.
Are there exceptions and other things that come into play? Yes, but that's generally the case.

 

[mashnut]

I completely disagree.....a speed 13 disc will travel faster than a lower speed disc given the same arm speed and snap

there really is no debating this

There is, depending on where in the flight you're talking about. Radar tests showed that from the same thrower, a small rimmed disc like a mid or putter comes out of the hand at a higher speed. A driver is more aerodynamic though, so it retains it's initial speed much longer through the flight.

 

[optidiscic]

What if the thrower's arm speed and snap aren't exactly Herculean?

I would venture in some people's hands, a fairway driver might get out of the box faster because its profile fits the thrower's hand better, allowing them to get better torque on release.

of course.....thats why I said given the same arm speed and snap that a higher speed disc will fly faster

there really is no debate here

the faster drivers get much of their distance from this speed

 

[optidiscic]

There is, depending on where in the flight you're talking about. Radar tests showed that from the same thrower, a small rimmed disc like a mid or putter comes out of the hand at a higher speed. A driver is more aerodynamic though, so it retains it's initial speed much longer through the flight.

I agree and its the aerodynamics and gyroscopics of the high speed stuff that makes them wildly uncontrollable and nose sensitive compared to slower discs

so yes aerodynamics make the high speed extreme bevelled edge stuff faster and tougher to control

I dont think we are in disagreement

 

[sidewinder22]

Lizotte threw a wraith 89mph as the fastest recorded throw. Will S threw a lid 83 mph as the fastest guts record.

 

[garublador]

^ I've read something to that effect. The point I was trying to emphasize was that a "faster" disc only travels faster if it's thrown faster... they don't not inherently travel at higher velocities than slower discs. In fact, [art of your post supports this...


IMO, the term Disc Speed or the concept of "how fast a disc is" is quite misleading.
I think Intended Speed is a more accurate description.

I got it. I misinterpreted what you wrote. I thought you meant that you're not supposed to throw slower discs as fast as you throw faster discs.

I agree with what you actually wrote. Faster discs don't guarantee more initial speed (in fact, it's usually the opposite), just that they don't slow down as fast as slower discs.

 

[loganrocks]

I almost feel like anything up to speed 9 should almost be considered a fairway or make more of a break from driver to max distance driver