Moved to CO and lost significant distance

[tomschillin]

So I moved to CO from the east coast back in October. Since moving I have lost about 75-100 feet on my drive and I can't really figure out why? Since moving I have stopped working out, not that I was a physical specimen before moving, but i haven't lost that much muscle, not enough for a 100 foot loss in distance.

Before moving I was throwing a King and Bolt 400+ with a beautiful S-turn shot. Now both my King and Bolt hyzer out pretty consistently and I've decided to go to my fairway drivers for distance as I can get them to flip up easier (Striker, Wraith, Saint).

I know the air is thinner up here, less atmosphere, but does that mean a huge drop in distance? The one good thing is that the courses in the Denver area are shorter than the courses I played on the east coast. How can I get my distance back with this high altitude?

 

[Abrookdg]

Throw something less stable.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Lower air density makes discs behave more OS, because the air has less bite on the disc, so you aren't getting as "full" a flight with the whole turn and fade. I don't have any experience throwing at altitude, but I supsect that using US and dlidier discs will help you achieve more distance. Curious to see what Colorado players say...

 

[AndyJB]

It's a problem I noticed as well. When I got stationed here in Korea I was absolutley crushing drives. Part of it is disc selection, part of it is atmosphere. You will get used to it, I assure you. Your Bolt and King will work just fine in Colorado, you just have to build up to them. They will become flippy again as you increase your throwing speed/power.

TalbotTrojan on here would probably better answer this question than I (as he is a significantly better player). If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? This will help accurately judge how long it will take for you to adjust. But NEVER FEAR! There are plenty of disc golfers in Colorado that bomb huge drives...you will get there!

 

[tomschillin]

I'm almost 35 and I've been playing almost 20 years. I thought the Bolt and King were pretty understable, in fact, at sea level I had to stop throwing the Bolt full power RHBH because it would turn over a lot, almost to the point of becoming a roller. I'm trying lighter weights and slower speeds for the time being. I'm thinking I should stick with the Wraith, Saint, Striker until I can get my snap speed up to where it needs to be for the high speed drivers.

 

[emiller3]

Welcome to CO! Lighter weights are key, I throw almost all of my drivers in the 165-169 range, and I throw my large diameter mids in the 170-175 range. And yes, you'll find speed 10-11 range drivers to be workhorse, reliable distance drivers at this altitude...Valks are excellent high altitude drivers. I cycle Star Eagles/Valks/Destroyers, DX Rocs, and KC Aviars, and when I travel to low altitudes I drop the most beat one and put a new, max weight in its place. I've had a lot of success with this approach, I can throw just as far at sea level and I feel like I'm throwing a familiar bag. I travel to sea level at least once a year and play several rounds when I do. I throw far, if it matters.

We had a tournament here in Colorado Springs (actually Black Forest) that is at 7200', and one out of town guy with a really smooth forehand came in flicking his XCals and had a miserable first ran. Between rounds he ran and got a 150 Champ Sidewinder and flicked that thing the entire second round. Don't be afraid to disc down.

 

[BirdieMachine]

Lighter and less stable. GStar Sidewinder, Pro Katana. 165-168g.

 

[notroman]

I'm almost 35 and I've been playing almost 20 years. I thought the Bolt and King were pretty understable, in fact, at sea level I had to stop throwing the Bolt full power RHBH because it would turn over a lot, almost to the point of becoming a roller. I'm trying lighter weights and slower speeds for the time being. I'm thinking I should stick with the Wraith, Saint, Striker until I can get my snap speed up to where it needs to be for the high speed drivers.

When I play in Colorado I usually pack my roller discs. You know, the discs that will turn and burn if you look at them the wrong way. In Colorado they fly very straight and if I want them to turn I actually have to torque them.

 

[giles]

Yeah I moved from 400' to 7500' and took all my overstable discs out of my bag. On the plus side baskets seem more forgiving as putts tend to drop off the chains rather than cut or bounce.

 

[bobmcnelly]

Welcome to Colorado! Like everyone is saying stick with more US/Stable discs. Discs fly a lot more OS up here. I'm at 7000' and I really don't throw too much in the OS side.

 

[kutz167]

I noticed when I moved from the Black Hills of SD (~3300 ft) to Cincinnati (~500 ft) and back last summer that the lower elevation and higher humidity added 50-75' to my average drive. It sounds like you have experienced the same phenomenon but in reverse.

Like everyone else has already said, lighter or more understable discs should help.

 

[bobmcnelly]

The lowest elevation I've ever played disc is around 4000'. I'm really curios how I would play at sea level.

 

[notroman]

The lowest elevation I've ever played disc is around 4000'. I'm really curios how I would play at sea level.

Lots of unintentional rollers. I wouldn't throw any hole with OB/nasty rough on the right

But on a more serious note, at 4000ft it's not as bad. I find the most drastic changes happen once you go above 6000-7000ft.

 

[Exovel]

But on a more serious note, at 4000ft it's not as bad. I find the most drastic changes happen once you go above 6000-7000ft.

I agree. I live in Colorado at 5000ft and my family lives in Missouri at 500ft. To be honest, I don't see much difference when I go back home. However, I've played a course at 7,800ft several times, and I definitely notice a difference there.

 

[threevok]

OP - meet us at Benedict Park in Brighton this evening @ 5:15 for tags or Springvale South in Thornton on Thursday @ 5:00ish. You don't have to buy a tag to play. We'll compare notes. I've never thrown anywhere except Denver Metro area.

 

[tampabay]

Lots of unintentional rollers. I wouldn't throw any hole with OB/nasty rough on the right

But on a more serious note, at 4000ft it's not as bad. I find the most drastic changes happen once you go above 6000-7000ft.

As you can tell from my name I've played a lot of golf in Tampa Bay (elevation of 48ft). I would definitely like to play some courses way above sea level. I wonder how much of the bickering about flight ratings comes from people playing at completely different elevations.

The farthest north I've played is Tennessee (in the mountains) and I'd definitely say I've noticed a little less turn in my discs when I moved up here. I was having huge problems getting mid ranges to fly straight and not just hyzer out.

Honestly, I think the bigger adjustment is climate. Tampa is humid, and hot, and has almost no wind, except over the water, in which case as soon as your disc gets above the water it gets dominated.

Then I play in places like Georgia, Tennessee, KY, etc. and it's windy and dry (relative to tampa), and my body just felt so different trying to do the same thing in to completely different environments. Even the greens feel different.

Just my .02, I'd love to play a course at really high elevation.

 

[ZMan44]

Climate definitely has a significant effect on flight. Here in Middle Tennessee, I've gotten used to the way my discs fly. I also travel a lot for business, and I usually have my discs with me. We got to go to Denver last July, andthe difference was staggering. I felt like a little girl on the first course with Avengers hyzering out early and hitting 250 on a good pull. Like others have said, moving to US discs helps a lot. It's alot easier playing in Denver, than up in the Pine corridor, though.

In all of my travels, I found Michigan in the summer to be my favorite climate. It was breezy but not cold. And the discs seem to "behave" very well. Denver was by far the most difficult adjustment. The bad part is, by the end of the week I had gotten used to the difference and was playing well...and then it was time to fly home.

 

[orion487]

I mainly throw blizzard or 150-ish discs here in Colorado, and when I tried to play in California everything was turning and burning real quick, and when I play in the mountains it is a struggle to get anything to turn. Makes a huge difference to me.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

I mainly throw blizzard or 150-ish discs here in Colorado, and when I tried to play in California everything was turning and burning real quick, and when I play in the mountains it is a struggle to get anything to turn. Makes a huge difference to me.

Hey, is that you in your avatar? If so... I KNOW YOU!

 

[Puckstopper]

I wonder how much of the bickering about flight ratings comes from people playing at completely different elevations.
.

Hmmm, interesting thought. However, given how few people live/play disc golf above 7000' (which seems to be the consensus number where you'll notice a dramatic difference) I think it's likely that the difference in opinion is more to arm strength/throwing style than altitude.

OP, you've already got a ton of good advice, and I've only visited CO once, and only played twice while I was out there, so I don't have a lot to add. However, I read up on throwing at altitude before I went out there last spring and had decent success following the advice you've received here. I only had room for three discs in my bag on that trip. Normally if I played a 3 disc round in Ohio I'd throw Volt/Buzzz/VP (at that time). Instead I took an Eagle (beat to hell), Comet, Anode combo and felt pretty comfortable. So yeah, disc down, throw US stuff and you'll be OK.