[Question] What is the difference between understable and overstable?

[basmith42]

I've become hopelessly confused here...
what is the actual difference between udnerstable and overstable?
I understand stable tends to put the front lip fo the disc upwards in flight while understand pushes it down and that the disc's stability can change at different speeds...
I'm confused as to what effect it actually has on flight, though.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Lewis]

All discs will tend to "fade" or break to the left (for a RHBH throw) as they slow down at the end of their flight. Overstable discs will do this earlier, more, and at higher speeds, than stable discs. Understable discs will tend to break the opposite direction (to the right for a RHBH throw) during the first part of their flight while they're moving at high speed, and very understable discs often don't fade back once they've turned over far enough. "Turning a disc over" or "flipping it" is the term for intentionally using a disc's understability. Stable discs tend to hold a more or less straight line.

 

[Lewis]

A couple of other things:

You might hear overstability associated with "fade" or "low speed turn," depending on the manufacturer.

You might hear understability associated with "turn" or "high speed turn," depending on the manufacturer.

Overstable discs usually need to be thrown very hard and with a lot of spin to go straight, which is why they are not often recommended for use by beginners. However, they tend to travel a more predictable path than understable discs, which is why highly skilled players often love them.

 

[tamahawk]

it may be beneficial to check out innova's 'discs home' page:

http://www.innovadiscs.com/discs/index.html

there are some good explanations on there of overstable vs understable as well as flight charts that help you visualize the difference in flight characteristics between innova's over and under stable discs.

this was a big help to me in understanding the difference.
you will see what lewis526 was talking about with the high speed turn and low speed fade.

the discs on the left side of the discs home page are overstable, the further to left, the more overstable and vice versa.

 

[CommunityMGR]

First of all understable and overstable are relative terms. For one person a disc may act overstable while that same disc may act understable for another.
Two things contribute most to this. Both higher speed and more nose down make a disc act more understable.

The term overstable describes the tendency for a disc to fade in the direction of the spin early on in it's flight. A flat throw with an overstable disc will not hold straight long before beginning to fade.

An uderstable disc is the opposite, it has the tendency to turn in the direction of the spin during the highspeed portion of its flight. If it also lacks much low speed stability (fade) or turns over far enough it will fail to fade back at all.

Most discs are somewhat high-speed understable / low speed overstable. Also, pretty much any disc can perform any line, but shots can be much easier given a disc that naturally caters to the type of line desired.

Referenced At: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/forums/viewtopic.php?p=118298&sid=0f603c4e45aef853ede1a2400164ee91

 

[BillFleming]

As it was described to me one time....if you throw RHBH with the disc level at the basket:

Overstable: will end up left of the basket.
Stable: will end up at the basket.
Understable: will end up right of the basket.

 

[oldmandiscer]

Nice necro.

They are all made up terms to describe a discs flight.

RHBH- OS discs will in general finish left of the release point on a flat throw or fade. Stable discs centerish, can turn and fade but relatively straight of the release point. US discs finish right or turn more.

Stable doesn't mean straight. Just like overstable and understable are not in the dictionary, don't take the terms too literally.

If someone says a disc is really stable then it resists turn or fades hard.

 

[Casey 1988]

Nice necro.

They are all made up terms to describe a discs flight.

RHBH- OS discs will in general finish left of the release point on a flat throw or fade. Stable discs centerish, can turn and fade but relatively straight of the release point. US discs finish right or turn more.

Stable doesn't mean straight. Just like overstable and understable are not in the dictionary, don't take the terms too literally.

If someone says a disc is really stable then it resists turn or fades hard.

Stable is not always Neutral, the term I use for straight flying discs. Stable is often a disc that holds its line the disc is put on, that type of mold.

 

[oldmandiscer]

Stable is not always Neutral, the term I use for straight flying discs. Stable is often a disc that holds its line the disc is put on, that type of mold.

Yeah but you also think DX Roadrunners are a thing so......

 

[Casey 1988]

Yeah but you also think DX Roadrunners are a thing so......

They were in 2000's, not anymore.

 

[Three Putt]

Yeah but you also think DX Roadrunners are a thing so......

That was another guy, SD86 was the DX Roadrunner guy.

 

[discerdoo]

Yeah but you also think DX Roadrunners are a thing so......

Yeah, and I'd rather read Casey's ramblings than yours.

 

[Three Putt]

My kids (who are 17 and 20 now, good lord when did that happen?) endlessly screw up overstable/understable and turn/fade. We all the time have this conversation:

One of them: Why did that flip?

Me: Because you don't know the difference between flip and fade. :|

Both of them: *glare at the old man*

I think they both like to say "flippy" and their shots fade more than they flip so they swapped it so they could say "flippy" more often. :\ It drives me insane.

 

[oldmandiscer]

That was another guy, SD86 was the DX Roadrunner guy.

Maybe it was, I thought for sure it was Casey though.

 

[oldmandiscer]

Yeah, and I'd rather read Casey's ramblings than yours.

Good luck brother.

 

[Casey 1988]

That was another guy, SD86 was the DX Roadrunner guy.

I think you are right, I looked it up that DX Road Runners are not made anymore.

 

[seedlings]

I've become hopelessly confused here...
what is the actual difference between udnerstable and overstable?
I understand stable tends to put the front lip fo the disc upwards in flight while understand pushes it down and that the disc's stability can change at different speeds...
I'm confused as to what effect it actually has on flight, though.

Any help is appreciated.

Are you right handed or left, and do you throw sidearm or backhand most often? This will help to make it supa simple.

 

[oldmandiscer]

Are you right handed or left, and do you throw sidearm or backhand most often? This will help to make it supa simple.

The OP posted this in 2009.

 

[seedlings]

The OP posted this in 2009.

Crikey... :wall:

 

[txmxer]

Search works great!