Here`s another question straight from the showroom floor:

     - Do the different weights change the flight path (other than distance) if two discs are the same type(model) and plastic, but weigh different amounts?

The lighter weight will be more likely to turn over and will turn more quickly, especially into the wind.  Downwind, the lighter discs will not hyzer out as quick as the heavier ones, so they will give you more distance if thrown properly.  In general, the flight path may be similar but it will not be exactly the same.  Your armspeed will be slightly faster with lighter discs, giving you potentially more distance.  You can crank on heavier discs a lot more and trust them not to fail(turnover too far) as quickly as a light disc.

Rule of Thumb - Lighter discs work best when throwing downwind.  Heavier discs perform much better into a headwind.

2nd Rule of Thumb - 90% of the time, the heavier a disc is, the more overstable it will fly.

Also it is good to keep in mind that at some point,when you are throwing lighter weights, it is likely that the amount of maximum snap that you put on a drive will exceed the capacity of that disc to fly properly.  When this happens you have several choices with which to counter it.  One, you could consider that you have too much snap for that weight range and get a heavier disc.  Or you could consider stepping up to a more stable model while keeping the weight the same.  Or you could consider releasing your disc with more hyzer, or modifying your snap to slow it down slightly.  You could start throwing the disc on a slightly higher trajectory or reserve yourself to stop forcing the disc as much and throw with more finesse.  Any of these adjustments, or a combination of them, will help you get your drive back on track.

The fact is, the more you throw, the harder you will throw.  And you will have to do something to adjust to this.  A lot of people make the mistake of constantly getting discs that are heavier and more stable.  Before long they are throwing the heaviest, most overstable discs they can find.  They have to give it everything they got with an anhyzer angle to get any distance, and since those discs don`t have much glide, not getting any great distance anyway.  The only thing they are guaranteed is that they will have back problems eventually.

Max weight discs with maximum stability are for players who are throwing with maximum torque, snap and armspeed, and have the power to actually DRIVE those discs.  Everyone else`s optimum disc choice will be somewhere else further down the spectrum of weight and/or stability.

Any questions?

This is another question that was recently asked in the store.  The question referred to Innova plastic, but the answer will be the same regardless of the brand.

-  ”If you have two brand new discs of the same type, but the plastics are two different types, do they have the same flight patterns?  Like if you have a new DX Sidewinder and a new Star Sidewinder, will they fly the same?”

Great question.  The models may be the same, but, in different plastic, the flight characteristics will be slightly different. 

DX is the slowest, with grippy “textured” plastic.  Surface friction is high in this kind of plastic so the discs generally don`t want to fly as far because they run out of spin faster.  It works great in the rain and humidity and will break-in quickly.

Pro plastic is a little slicker so it will fly faster, but the plastic doesn`t hold up to abuse as well, so it will beat in quicker than most of the others.  This can be a good thing if you want to break-in your discs and get them to turn over quicker.  Not so good if you want them to remain stable.

Champion plastic is very slick and fast flying, but also can be the hardest to grip, especially if it is raining or hot and humid.  Champion is the most durable plastic by far.  It takes a long time to break-in and usually starts off more stable than DX or Pro Line discs.  It is also noticably faster than DX or Pro Line.  It takes forever to break-in and will resist cuts and scrapes and most other surfae incursions.  This is great plastic if you want a disc to be very consistent throughout its lifespan.

Star plastic is the fastest plastic due to its very high viscosity.  Very little friction with the air that crosses over the disc allows this plastic to maintain its rotation longer in flight, giving it maximum distance.  It is very durable, but not quite as durable as Champion.  This means that very hard macks may cause some surface imperfections, but they are less frequent and not as deep as the cheaper plastic.  This can be a good thing when compared to Champion plastic.  If you need your discs to break-in some before they start to perform to the maximum potential (and most people do), then Star discs will allow that to happen way quicker than Champion.  Also, Star is usually very grippy and will be easier to hold on to than Champion when wet.  Star plastic is usually, but not always, more stable than Champion to start.  In my opinion, Star is better than Champion for practical purposes.  Fast and pliable, it is my preferred choice for my primary drivers.  But I do carry some of each type of plastic in my bag - DX, Pro-Line, Champion and Star.  Overstable Chamion discs make great wind fighters.

Another thing to consider when gauging a disc`s stability.  Modern discs tend to be more stable if they are very domey in the flight plate.  Discs with very flat top plates tend to be less stable.

Here`s a question recently posed to me in the store:

-  “is it the little “nicks” and marks a disc gets that changes the flight pattern or is it the actual impact that “loosens” or somehow changes the plastic in some way?”

The little nicks and scrapes(surface imperfections - I call them “teeth”) will certainly affect the flight path.  In 2 ways.

1st, any surface protrusions will act like an “air brake” on the discs rotation, slowing it down, causing it to run out of spin prematurely and limiting the amount of distance you get from the shot.

Sand these off with our disc sanding sponge and your disc will perform 20% better.  It will fly faster, farther and will act a little more stable.

2nd, protrusions on your disc will cause it to turn prematurely.  Your Polaris LS was a great example.  You said it worked great initially but then started turning over a little prematurely.  When you showed it to me I noticed about 20 little surface imperfections on the disc.  That is why it was turning over unexpectedly on you.  Sand those off and the disc would start flying close to the way it was new.

Now, over time, as you whack the disc on trees and what not, the disc will naturally loose its stability.  This is called “breaking-in” the disc.  This is the natural progression of the flight of the disc, so over time it will gradually loose its stability.  As a disc gets “broken-in” from too many hits its function will change.  An overstable disc will become stable and then understable.  An understable disc will eventually become a good roller disc.  Eventually the disc will have to be replaced when you need a more stable version.

Here`s the four primary types of shots, or flights, if you want to call it
that:

Hyzer - This is how the disc flies when it is overstable.  For a righty,
hyzer will be flying and turning left.

Turnover - This is what happens when you release the disc with hyzer(to turn
left for a righty), and it flattens out and then “turns over” so that it
start flying and finishes right.  It turns over to the opposite direction a
disc normally flies.

Anhyzer - This is a shot that you release with an inverse angle from the way
it normally comes out of your hand.  An anhyzer shot, for a righty, will
start off with the angle turned to the right, and will stay angled to the
right and moving to the right throughout the flight.

Helix - This shot is sort of in between an anhyzer and a turnover.  You
release it angled to the left like a turnover or hyzer shot.  During the
flight the disc turns over, much like a turnover shot.  The difference is at
the end of the flight.  A helix shot will straighten out and turn back left
again before the end of the flight.  Basically this results in an “S” turn
throughout the flight.  This is great for accumulating distance because of
all the time it takes for the disc to complete its flight.

A common question we receive at the store and site:

“I never have completely understood the over/under stable thing…Helix?”

Here`s a primer -

Overstable means that, if you throw right handed, the disc will have a
tendency to hook real hard to the left.

Understable will be the opposite, and the disc will have the tendency to
“turn over” to the right.

Stable means the disc should have the tendency to go fairly straight, but
stable will mean different things to different people.  I suspect that, for
most people, a disc that is labeled as stable will tend to hook left to a
degree.  The more stable or overstable the disc, the more it will hook left
for a right-handed player.

All of the above will be the exact opposite for a left-handed player.