Timko
* Ace Member *
According to the PDGA's website, Disc Golfer (along with the article myself, Discspeed, and Leopard worked on) should be shipping soon. As promised, here's what we wrote for those who don't get the mag.
So, what are your 5 Most Important Discs of the Decade? As you can tell by the wording, it's a pretty open ended question.
Discs underwent some serious technological changes in the 1990s. After moving from a small diameter to a larger diameter in the 1980s for distance, we saw a return to smaller diameter discs, starting with the Cyclone. During that decade, discs such as the Teebird and the XL ruled for golf distance. Rim diameter was getting wider, and longer distances, once achievable by only the biggest arms, were now becoming commonplace for average disc golfers. The PDGA's list of approved discs doubled in the decade, going from 92 to 201, and the number of manufacturers increased to nine. In the past decade, the trend of moving toward larger-rimmed discs continued until 2008, when the PDGA limited the maximum size at 2.6 cm. Approved discs more than doubled to 448 made by an astounding 24 manufacturers. Some of the newer companies have attempted to reinvent the wheel by improving on existing putters and large-diameter midranges. These innovations have made a significant impact on controllable distance. The PDGA also issued revised technical guidelines to manufacturers. The revisions, which came in 2008, were not the first from the PDGA. The hard baseline plastic developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s led to the flex standards. These revisions were issued in the hopes that serious injury to players and spectators could be avoided with discs that had more give to them. We've come a long way in the past ten years in terms of disc technology. Here's my list of the five most important discs released in the last decade.
Innova Valkyrie - Approved August, 2000
I first picked up the game of disc golf in 2003 while in college at the University of Arkansas. After four months of playing, I decided to buy a distance driver. After talking with some local players, I went to the store in search of a Valkyrie. I, like many of those who picked up that disc for the first time in the early part of the decade, saw an instant increase in my distance. When it was approved in 2000, the Valkyrie's 1.9 cm rim boasted a 0.2 cm advantage over every other disc on the market. Putting more weight on the rim of the disc increases its gyroscopic effect, allowing it to spin longer, which gives the disc more potential distance. However, the true testament to its greatness lies in its flight pattern. Innova's previous distance drivers, the Teebird and the Eagle, needed to be thrown hard. Those not able to throw hard enough found they would fade off to the left (for right-hand backhand throws).
The Valkyrie changed that. Today, discs such as the Nuke and Boss may be the flavor of the day for distance drivers, but there was a time when the Valkyrie was the preferred go-to driver for open-field distance. Power players had a disc they could flip over from hyzer, or hold an anhyzer to the ground (figure 1 right). Finesse players had a fast disc that would track right before fading (figure 1 left). Aside from being conducive to golf play, the Valkyrie was also able to set the distance record when Christian Sandström crushed a 164-gram DX Valkyrie on the salt flats of Primm, Nevada. Even as golf discs got faster, manufacturers strove for a disc that could be thrown by people with varying power. The Valkyrie's combination of speed and glide will be the gold standard for comparison leading us into the next decade.
Gateway Wizard - Approved January 2002
Gateway entered the golf scene in the 1990s, but their true breakthrough occurred in 2002 when the Wizard first flew. While it is often compared to the big-bead Aviar (the same mold as the KC and JK Aviar), there are some unique technological differences. First, the wing has a more convex shape. Looking at figure 2, the classical putter shape can be seen on the right side of the diagram. Note the flat bottom side of the rim. Now compare that to the left image in the diagram. The wing has a more convex shape, which allows it to act like a bullet traveling through the air. This is a more aerodynamic shape, which increases its potential ability to gain distance. Another interesting trait is the Wizard's variable thickness in the flight plate. Most putters have a uniform thickness in the flight plate from the center of the disc to the edge. The Wizard actually starts out thinner in the center, and gets thicker as you move toward the rim. This puts more mass toward the outer edge, which helps the disc stay very straight for both putts and short drives alike. I've been a Wizard thrower since 2004, and I've described them as a short midrange you can putt with.
Perhaps the Wizard is best known for its availability in a large range of plastics. Most players know when they pick up a putter if it feels right in their hands. During the 1990s, there were few options if you wanted a harder or softer putter. But when the Wizard started gaining notoriety, people found them ranging from porcelain-plate hard to eraser soft. You could opt for a softer putter that grabbed the chains for spin putts, or a harder putter that dropped for loft putts. Personally, I prefer a stiffer Wizard but know many who prefer a Super Soft or even the melts-in-your-hand Stupid Super Soft.
In addition to its technological impact, Gateway was the first genuine new player in tournament-level disc golf design in 15 years. Since then other companies developing new molds, such as Latitude 64, have found success among professional and amateur players alike. These smaller companies have found a niche in the overall disc golf market, proving there are more than enough consumers who want to buy discs. While Gateway has continued to create new putters, their success can be traced from the Wizard.
Aerobie Epic - Approved April, 2003
I can think of three or four players who can make this unusual disc do things like nothing else on the market. For those who aren't familiar with this disc, let me give you a quick breakdown. The Epic is the only approved disc with an offset elliptical rim. Diagram 3 shows what the underside of the disc looks like. While it can be thrown like any other golf disc, the Epic truly shines for overhands. Instead of simply flying up and down, like most overhand shots, the Epic's rim causes the disc to barrel roll and fly straight like a backhand or forehand before fading to the left or right. The disc can be bent (or flexed), which allows it to fade to the left or the right. People making the transition to disc golf from a sport with an overhand motion, such as baseball, football, or tennis, could use their natural throwing motion, and without developing their mechanics for a classical golf throw, achieve with an Epic similar distances to those already playing the game.
The unusual design of the Epic caused quite a stir among disc golfers. Its asymmetrical rim caused a lot of debate about the "spirit of the game" when it came to approved discs and their shape. In fact, while Quest's Turbo Putt is often cited as the disc that forced the PDGA to issue its most recent technical standards revisions, the Epic was really the one that got the ball rolling. In fact, the current technical guidelines state that for a disc to be approved, it must have a uniform rim diameter, which is a rule that can be traced to the offset rim of the Epic. While only a few players may carry the Epic in their bag, its impact on the rules of the game can't be dismissed.
Discraft Buzzz - Approved September, 2003 (Written by Discspeed)
I was interested in the Buzzz as soon as it came out. I had just gotten serious about disc golf and I was often playing several rounds a day. I already had a decent rip and I couldn't stand the idea of busting up baseline plastic discs on all the trees I regularly hit with considerable force. I had tried the Z Wasp and not only was it too overstable, but it also felt bulky in my hand. The first-run Buzzz felt perfect the moment I picked it up. Prior to its release, there was not a single midrange on the market that flew straight and held any line out of the box, let alone stayed that way for years. Discs took damage from each tree they hit, so they were designed with added overstability to extend their wear period. This meant they required considerable use to reach a state
where they flew straight and held their angle of release. If this broken-in disc was then lost, the golfer's game suffered for the time it took to wear in a new one. When midrange molds started being released in premium plastics they were nearly impossible to break in, remaining overstable and of limited use on the course.
When the Buzzz was released, it solved each of these problems in a single stroke. Brand new, the Buzzz is already in a perfect state to fly straight and hold any angle of release. In Z plastic it is nearly indestructible and can take hundreds of tree hits before showing any change in flight. If lost, a new replacement can go directly in the bag and fly just the same. I have never
been, and will probably never be, a standout golfer in the open division, but I have seen some beautiful shots come out of my hand thanks to the Buzzz. I feel its influence and popularity will surely continue well into the future.
Quest Advanced Technology Odyssey Line - Approved April, 2007
Steve Pearson's company, QuestAT, may have helped innovate the discs we're going to see over the next 10 years. Quest is a plastic molding company that had experimented with creating LED-lit catch discs. During this time, Steve saw local kids playing disc golf, so he began looking into finding a partner to help him design some discs. After seeing an ad in the PDGA brochure, Dave McCormack, the owner of Gateway discs, got in touch with Steve. Dave suggested they use an overmolded design that Quest was already producing and turn it into a golf disc. For an example of a molded disc, see figure 4. Note that there are two different plastics used to create the disc; one on the flight plate and one on the rim. Since the material in the center of the disc was lighter than the material on the outside of the disc, the disc would have an increased gyroscopic effect. This allows the disc to keep spinning longer, which keeps a disc holding its line. The Odyssey line was geared toward recreational players, but the technology used to produce those discs is already being used by other companies. The upstart manufacturer Cam Reality has designed a putter (the Ion) with a more conventional shape out of high-end urethane plastics.
Drivers could also be improved. McCormack said that he and Pearson tried to develop distance drivers with a baseline plastic in the flight plate and a premium plastic in the rim. While the discs didn't come to fruition, the impact of such a disc would
be great. By using a high density premium plastic in the rim, discs could get more gyroscopic without increasing rim size. The Odyssey's total impact on the game may not be felt for years to come, but it's evident that out-of-the-box thinking will be needed in the coming decade.
It's been an amazing ten years for our sport: PDGA membership is up, tournament totals are up, total courses are up. Disc companies have provided their customers with a plethora of options. As companies continue to find their next great disc, we have to ask ourselves, what's in store for us in the next ten years? Are discs going to continue to get faster? Since the Cyclone was approved in the early 1990s, the quest for the fastest driver has been fought by increasing the rim size. Because of the 2008 revision to the PDGA technical standard, we now know there will be a limit to how wide a rim can be. Every manufacturer I talked to told me that they felt discs would continue to get faster. Will overmolded discs be the trend over the next ten years, or will there be a new technological breakthrough? Only time will tell.
Discraft and Gateway both took designs from more classic, slow speed discs, and made advancements on those designs. Anyone who plays the game seriously, knows that the game is won and lost inside of 200 feet. So it would make sense that companies use the advancement in driver technology to make more accurate fairway, midrange, approach, and putting discs. One thing is for certain—established and new manufacturers alike will be finding new ways to conquer the controllable distance plateaus well into the future.
Chris Timko (#8525) has been playing as an amateur for seven years and is currently a member of the Kansas City Flying Disc Club.
Mike Phillips (#23433), who helped with this article, has been competing in the advanced and pro divisions for seven years and has been a member of the Kalamazoo Basket K'Aces, the Tampa Bay Disc Sports Club, and the Tocobaga Disc Golf Club.
Zachary Mallard (#32589) is an Austin disc artist and staffer at Disc Nation. See more of his work at ZAMdesign.com and DiscGolfTeeSigns.com.
All 3 are contributing members to the discgolfreview.com/forums discussion community.
So, what are your 5 Most Important Discs of the Decade? As you can tell by the wording, it's a pretty open ended question.
