Noobie Question Thread (Dumb Questions answered here)

[JonCatch]

What are pre-flight / post-flight ratings? Does this have anything to do with the disc breaking in?

 

[mashnut]

When you see "pre flight ratings" it's describing Innova discs before they started including the flight rating numbers in the stamps on their discs. Many people get attached to certain runs of certain discs and it's one of many ways to help describe the time period when a disc was produced.

 

[wonderflex]

Good Distance and How Far is a "Putt"?

I have been playing for a whole week now (completed nine 9-hole rounds) and had some general questions.

Today I was playing alone at our local course (Westmoreland DGC) when I came on a group of three and they asked me to join. There was a father and daughter who had been playing three years, the father a par thrower on the course and the daughter a bogey thrower. In addition there was a mystical 71-year-old Asian man who made a birdie on every hole but one.

For the entire course I was using a 168 Innova Shark, and the father said I should be using a driver on the tee instead. On one of the longer holes I threw it about 280 feet, which led Psy (the Asian guy's name) to say that I threw far using a mid-range. So, the long way around, those are my first questions:

1) Do I need to/should I use a driver to tee off?
2) Is 260-280 feet a good throw for a beginner with a Shark or should I be looking to get more out of it? I have thrown two 290+ foot throws, and can get 260+ on almost every throw.
3) Would I throw farther if I increased or decreased the weight of the disk, or is this more of a form issue?

While we were playing I confirmed what the internet has told me about the importance of putting. Two great throws coupled with the need to putt twice...or three times...isn't very effective. This has made me to want to practice putting more than anything, which leads to my other questions:

4) If 30 feet is the ring in which the putting rules apply, should I practice putts past 30 feet or should I be making an extra throw to try and get into a range I feel more comfortable putting?
5) Should I get a dedicated putter, and if so, should it be heavier than my mid-range? The reason I ask about the weight is because my wife has a 150 Cobra that I seem to throw straighter than I do with my 168 Shark or her 160 Cobra.
6) When putting with my Shark I seem to get a much straighter line if I release it with an anhyzer. Is this normal?



Thanks for any answers or advice.

 

[knave]

What is PLH?

Does the powder RIT at Walmart work to dye discs? (Premium plastic)

Why is it so important to use ONE exact disc for all your putts? I have good luck with everything from a buzz to a polecat. I'm 7/10 from 35'.

 

[NuNinja]

What is PLH?

Does the powder RIT at Walmart work to dye discs? (Premium plastic)

Parting line height

As long as the code on the envelope does not end with "ND", it should work.

 

[knave]

Thank you.

 

[krupicka]

I have been playing for a whole week now (completed nine 9-hole rounds) and had some general questions.


For the entire course I was using a 168 Innova Shark, and the father said I should be using a driver on the tee instead. On one of the longer holes I threw it about 280 feet, which led Psy (the Asian guy's name) to say that I threw far using a mid-range. So, the long way around, those are my first questions:

1) Do I need to/should I use a driver to tee off?

If you can reach the hole with a shark, then no. If you need to get more distance, you may want to consider it. Don't get anything with a wider rim than a disc that is considered a fairway driver yet. You will be less likely to learn bad habits that way.

2) Is 260-280 feet a good throw for a beginner with a Shark or should I be looking to get more out of it? I have thrown two 290+ foot throws, and can get 260+ on almost every throw.

That is a good distance. You can get more out of it over time, but I wouldn't worry about it for now.

3) Would I throw farther if I increased or decreased the weight of the disk, or is this more of a form issue?

It is more of a form issue. Weight is a personal preference thing. I started throwing better when I reduced the weight of my discs, but it was hard to throw consistently if I went too light.

While we were playing I confirmed what the internet has told me about the importance of putting. Two great throws coupled with the need to putt twice...or three times...isn't very effective. This has made me to want to practice putting more than anything, which leads to my other questions:

4) If 30 feet is the ring in which the putting rules apply, should I practice putts past 30 feet or should I be making an extra throw to try and get into a range I feel more comfortable putting

The putting circle is at 10m (a little over 30 ft). Practice the putts you can make and slowly extend the distance. Focus on 15 footers first, then slowly work your way back. You want to be able to look at a putt and have confidence that you know you can hit it.

5) Should I get a dedicated putter, and if so, should it be heavier than my mid-range? The reason I ask about the weight is because my wife has a 150 Cobra that I seem to throw straighter than I do with my 168 Shark or her 160 Cobra.

Many putt with heavier plastic as it is less affected by the wind.

6) When putting with my Shark I seem to get a much straighter line if I release it with an anhyzer. Is this normal?

That's because you aren't putting as much into the shark as it needs to fly straight. I'd get a putter.

 

[bcr123psu]

What is PLH?

Here's a little more information on parting line height (without getting too complicated):

http://www.inboundsdiscgolf.com/content/?page_id=573#PLH

 

[spikodelhyzer]

Why is it so important to use ONE exact disc for all your putts? I have good luck with everything from a buzz to a polecat. I'm 7/10 from 35'.

Putters were built to be used for putting. Discs like the buzzz were not.

Also 7/10 from 35' is like pro level of putting.

 

[knave]

Putters were built to be used for putting. Discs like the buzzz were not.

I have a basket that I work on my short game with. As a pitch putter, and keeping the nose down, It seems like they all fly about the same. Well, maybe not the polecat!
Rather than run to the basket after every throw, I use my buzzz, roc, skeeter, pig, dart, aviar, and polecat for practice.
I really should get more putters, but I can't decide which one i like.
I like the dart for longer puts, and the pig for windy ones.

 

[jmhoekst]

I don't consider myself a noob, but this is a good thread to clarify this for me. Casual relief is defined as "up to 5 meters straight back" on the line created by the basket and your disc. But...

If my disc lands in the middle of a 20 meter (diameter) muddy pond, does casual relief take me all the way to the edge of the pond, even though it's 10 meters from where my disc came to rest? Also, if it's a muddy pond, do I have to technically go in and find my disc before I can take casual relief, otherwise it's a lost disc?

For those of you who played the Majestic, I'm thinking of the casual pond on #10 at BRP.

 

[krupicka]

In a tournament situation, hopefully the TD has provided greater relief. If he hasn't and 5m doesn't get you out of it, then you can take optional relief (which goes even farther back) or an optional rethrow. In those cases there is a one throw penalty applied.

In casual play, do what you want.

 

[jmhoekst]

In a tournament situation, hopefully the TD has provided greater relief. If he hasn't and 5m doesn't get you out of it, then you can take optional relief (which goes even farther back) or an optional rethrow. In those cases there is a one throw penalty applied.

In casual play, do what you want.

That was my understanding. The rule book says the TD can announce greater relief, though I dont' recall that specifically being said.

But what about having to actually find the disc in the muddy pond prior to taking your relief? What if I use the "spot where we think it went in", played my relief shot then couldn't find the disc? Lost?

Lots of questions, I know, but I guess I'm still a noob... :\

 

[krupicka]

You would have to have reasonable evidence (this is the standard used for OB vs lost) that your disc was in there. In this case you would need to have seen it splash in the pond. You would then use the position from where you saw it splash, not where it crossed over from dry ground into the muck.

 

[knettles]

I have been playing for a whole week now (completed nine 9-hole rounds) and had some general questions.

Today I was playing alone at our local course (Westmoreland DGC) when I came on a group of three and they asked me to join. There was a father and daughter who had been playing three years, the father a par thrower on the course and the daughter a bogey thrower. In addition there was a mystical 71-year-old Asian man who made a birdie on every hole but one.

For the entire course I was using a 168 Innova Shark, and the father said I should be using a driver on the tee instead. On one of the longer holes I threw it about 280 feet, which led Psy (the Asian guy's name) to say that I threw far using a mid-range. So, the long way around, those are my first questions:

1) Do I need to/should I use a driver to tee off?
2) Is 260-280 feet a good throw for a beginner with a Shark or should I be looking to get more out of it? I have thrown two 290+ foot throws, and can get 260+ on almost every throw.
3) Would I throw farther if I increased or decreased the weight of the disk, or is this more of a form issue?

While we were playing I confirmed what the internet has told me about the importance of putting. Two great throws coupled with the need to putt twice...or three times...isn't very effective. This has made me to want to practice putting more than anything, which leads to my other questions:

4) If 30 feet is the ring in which the putting rules apply, should I practice putts past 30 feet or should I be making an extra throw to try and get into a range I feel more comfortable putting?
5) Should I get a dedicated putter, and if so, should it be heavier than my mid-range? The reason I ask about the weight is because my wife has a 150 Cobra that I seem to throw straighter than I do with my 168 Shark or her 160 Cobra.
6) When putting with my Shark I seem to get a much straighter line if I release it with an anhyzer. Is this normal?



Thanks for any answers or advice.

Well, IF you are getting 260-280 with a Shark, then you're doing better than 95% of disc golfers when they first started out. In which case you could definitely step up to a fairway driver for longer shots. And yes, a putter is a very important disc to have. Many people will tell you the 170g is a safe weight to get for a putter.

 

[spikodelhyzer]

I have a basket that I work on my short game with. As a pitch putter, and keeping the nose down, It seems like they all fly about the same. Well, maybe not the polecat!
Rather than run to the basket after every throw, I use my buzzz, roc, skeeter, pig, dart, aviar, and polecat for practice.
I really should get more putters, but I can't decide which one i like.
I like the dart for longer puts, and the pig for windy ones.

Well a dart, pig, aviar and polecat are all putters and really most midrange/putter discs are gonna act the same inside the circle. The thing is though the buzzz and roc have a better chance of kicking out/not grabbing chains as their design is not meant for that whereas a putter is.

 

[joshmo65]

Why is it so important to use ONE exact disc for all your putts? I have good luck with everything from a buzz to a polecat. I'm 7/10 from 35'.

I have never heard of it being so important. I like to use wizards out to 25' and then switch to summits. The thing with putting is that there is no "right" way to do it. Just to what feels comfortable to you. The reason people like to use just one putter is because they become confident with it and confidence has a huge effect on putting.

 

[knave]

Well a dart, pig, aviar and polecat are all putters and really most midrange/putter discs are gonna act the same inside the circle. The thing is though the buzzz and roc have a better chance of kicking out/not grabbing chains as their design is not meant for that whereas a putter is.

I have never heard of it being so important. I like to use wizards out to 25' and then switch to summits. The thing with putting is that there is no "right" way to do it. Just to what feels comfortable to you. The reason people like to use just one putter is because they become confident with it and confidence has a huge effect on putting.

Thanks to both. This makes a lot of sense.

 

[wonderflex]

Well, IF you are getting 260-280 with a Shark, then you're doing better than 95% of disc golfers when they first started out. In which case you could definitely step up to a fairway driver for longer shots. And yes, a putter is a very important disc to have. Many people will tell you the 170g is a safe weight to get for a putter.

Thanks for the info, I'll go see if I can get a putter soon.

I've gone out for three days to my local turf football field and I can throw 75 yards without a step or effort and 85-90 yards with two steps using the Shark. I have thrown three throws that are over 91 yards but I can not figure out for the life of me what I am doing different with my form to make it happen, but they look and feel so much better.

The driver I have is a Boss, which I know for certain is too much of a disk for me, but I purchased it before I read about that being an advanced disc.

 

[Soups]

Is my Proto Prodigy D2 legal for tournament play?