[Question] Stiffer flight plate = more distance?

[seedlings]

Watching a random YT disc demo and guy said that he could tell which plastic had more distance by the flight plate. Dude said stiffer flight plate has more distance than softer flight plate, for the same mold. That sounds like mumbo jumbo to me based on Gstar, star, champ in my bag, but maybe it's a wives tale based on hint of truth?

 

[GripEnemy]

No science guru here, but that can't be true. I've thrown countless hundreds of discs over the years and never once was that an observation of mine. Typically domey goes farther, typically flatter means more overstable, but there's always exceptions to these rules.

Until discs are produced in the same facility as microprocessors or lab equipment, we'll never have a definitive answer.

For now the best we get is the same lab John Jones got his dick pills from (heh).

 

[autocrosscrx]

I've had a similar thought of recent...

I throw a lot of DX drivers. I really like stiff, chalky Destroyers and Wraiths. Since I tend to lose drivers, I'll occasion buy 3 DX drivers on a friday to get a F2 Friday disc that might be of interest. After years of getting stifff, chalky drivers, the last few orders have been these really soft, glossy, almost Pro-like discs. And they don't fly nearly as far.

...and I've had similar experience with Pro plastic. The last couple of Pro discs that I've ordered online were incredibly soft. And none of them fly nearly as far as the same molds Pro molds from a few years ago. Those are by no means stiff, but they are definitely stiffer than the new stuff.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

Yeah, I kind of found that with envy's, comets and some drivers. All factors identical, a star/plasma plastic disc will not fly quite as far as a champ/proton. I figured something between less air resistance and less imperfections in the flight plate/dome. When the dome starts to drop or divot it will make it less stable but it also creates turbulence. IME it was maybe 10' difference. If you can get more flex out of a star disc it will increase your distance that way.

A slicker plastic should have less air resistance but if it affects your grip you also won't transfer as much power/spin. It also tends to fly straighter with less of an S.

Kinda like the dome thing, seems to me dome can add glide but it can also provide a touch more hss to overcome. Sometimes flat means it turns easier but fades harder and faster.

 

[flatflip]

Actually surface roughness improves aerodynamics, up to a point -- thus the dimples on a golf ball.

I am in the same boat -- I've cycled DX firebirds forever and I have a hard time getting the flight I want on low lines out of the softer blends, even with similar PLH and dome. Assuming this is my technique which torques the disc in a way that makes it burn over too quickly (like, it rolls more than a roadrunner). I've had to replace this slot recently with something more predictable (specifically a MOLF, and yes, they are stiff).

For some reason, I do not have this problem with floppy mids and putters. Guessing this is because I tend to get more air under them.

 

[Three Putt]

Watching a random YT disc demo and guy said that he could tell which plastic had more distance by the flight plate. Dude said stiffer flight plate has more distance than softer flight plate, for the same mold. That sounds like mumbo jumbo to me based on Gstar, star, champ in my bag, but maybe it's a wives tale based on hint of truth?

People say a lot of things. I'd file that away under "funny things frolfer think are true" and move on with my day. :|

 

[ThrowBot]

Maybe the stiffness of the fight plate is a hand feel thing. Depending on grip & technique, some throwers might be able to rip harder on more firm disc.

 

[chevis]

more believable than saying 'nice' can affect disc flight

 

[BillFleming]

more believable than saying 'nice' can affect disc flight

WAIT!!!! You mean it doesn't? Dang, now what excuse do I have?

 

[seedlings]

more believable than saying 'nice' can affect disc flight

Wait, wait, hold on now. I played a glow round with a casual friend and an acquaintance who I had played with only once before. They got MAD at each other for calling nice.

 

[Ahildy13]

more believable than saying 'nice' can affect disc flight

The vibrations in the air from your "nice" pushed my disc off line.

It's essentially the Butterfly effect.

 

[jmdaire27]

more believable than saying 'nice' can affect disc flight

I've been involved in hundreds of shots where someone or I have said "nice" (or similar) and… you are right. It's a toss up.

As for the stiffness thing, I'd also say ho-hum. It's in your mind!

 

[GripEnemy]

more believable than saying 'nice' can affect disc flight

Is nicing people useless?

I'd say it has more of an effect than the stiffness of a flight plate. A soft plate domey Valkyrie (Pro, 10/10 170) will fly farther than a firm plate flat Valk (Pro, 10/10 170). That's a hill I'll die on until someone can scientifically prove it.

 

[Three Putt]

Is nicing people useless?

I'd say it has more of an effect than the stiffness of a flight plate. A soft plate domey Valkyrie (Pro, 10/10 170) will fly farther than a firm plate flat Valk (Pro, 10/10 170). That's a hill I'll die on until someone can scientifically prove it.

Yeah, I'd sit on that hill as well. I really don't think there is anything to this.

It's like back in the day when people said green and blue Cyclones were more OS; I had friends that would only throw green and blue Cyclones because of that. Was it true? I mean maybe? A little? Maybe not? Probably not. I mean if you could throw, you could throw a yellow Cyclone. Any little tiny bit of extra stability you might get from a green Cyclone wasn't going to take you from chump to champ. It was a psychological thing mostly. If throwing a green Cyclone somehow made you more confident, whatever. If digging thorough stacks of discs looking for stiff flight plates makes you think you can throw farther, you do you man.

For me it's just a buncha hooey. There are better features on a disc to be looking at IMO.

 

[Innova63]

Yeah, I'd sit on that hill as well. I really don't think there is anything to this.

It's like back in the day when people said green and blue Cyclones were more OS; I had friends that would only throw green and blue Cyclones because of that. Was it true? I mean maybe? A little? Maybe not? Probably not. I mean if you could throw, you could throw a yellow Cyclone. Any little tiny bit of extra stability you might get from a green Cyclone wasn't going to take you from chump to champ. It was a psychological thing mostly. If throwing a green Cyclone somehow made you more confident, whatever. If digging thorough stacks of discs looking for stiff flight plates makes you think you can throw farther, you do you man.

For me it's just a buncha hooey. There are better features on a disc to be looking at IMO.

Everyone here in SE WI wanted the Black Cyclones and X-Clones because they were "absolutely, positively, without doubt" the more over-stable color to throw...
It sucked at dusk late in the rounds, tough discs to find...some of us would say 3 minutes starting now, while the disc was still in the air because we hated looking for those d@mn discs...

By the way, I threw white Cyclones for the exact opposite reasons, they where "absolutely, positively, without doubt" the most under-stable Cyclones...

 

[Three Putt]

Everyone here in SE WI wanted the Black Cyclones and X-Clones because they were "absolutely, positively, without doubt" the more over-stable color to throw...
It sucked at dusk late in the rounds, tough discs to find...some of us would say 3 minutes starting now, while the disc was still in the air because we hated looking for those d@mn discs...

By the way, I threw white Cyclones for the exact opposite reasons, they where "absolutely, positively, without doubt" the most under-stable Cyclones...

I think wherever you went it was "(insert a dark color) are the most OS". The Discraft green back then was a really dark green. Black, Green, Purple, Blue...those were the colors you would hear as being OS.

My go-to Cyclone for years was white because it had a rainbow foil stamp and I thought it looked cool. I found out later it was supposed to be understable. I was pretty new at the time.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

Oh geez don't go bringing colours in here... that's a whole other hill and a whole other battle.... I swore that was BS and if I ever started believing that then I knew I was too far down the rabbit hole...

Let me tell you how awesome fr white inertia are....and yellow 2nd run esp comets. Haha. I am a believer but now I realize that PLH and dome differences caused by the colour additive is a viable explanation or that one colour might be run at the same time on one particular day..

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Yellow discs fly farther, but only when you eat red licorice. All the pros say so.

 

[XDrocker]

I BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i get most distance with stiff DX plastic!
just my opinion of course...

 

[Three Putt]

Yellow discs fly farther, but only when you eat red licorice. All the pros say so.

The best Soft X APX are yellow. White is acceptable. Orange is pushing it. All other colors are straight-up trash; only the yellow and white ones have the magic APX glide. I'm not sure why, but I'll die on that hill. :|