Speed. Such a confusing rating.
I just updated my Daedalus review (
http://heavydisc.blogspot.com/2014/05/innova-daedalus-review.html) with what I *believe* is an accurate description of speed.
Innova lists their definition as: Speed is the ability of the disc to cut through the air. Speed Ratings are listed from 1 to 13. Discs with high numbers are faster. Faster discs go farther into the wind with less effort. Slower discs take more power to throw, but have less of a chance to fly past the basket.
Technically, speed was originally just a measurement of the rim width.
1.6cm = speed 6
1.7cm = speed 7
...
2.2cm= speed 12.
2.3cm= speed 13.
But rim width has zero real information for how it's going to fly in terms of hand speed. Some 2.2cm rims will fly understable, some over stable. Some understable speed 13 discs are almost impossible to put 50mph of initial hand speed on without throwing it sky high.
To be honest, it's a bit confusing because if speed is simply a measure of wind resistance or drag - then the #'s that innova uses have no relation to hand speed or disc speed at all. I think that most disc golfers (myself include) have taken the speed meaning to correlate with the speed you throw it. Turns out, that by their definition - that belief was incorrect. You can have a speed 13 disc that won't fly it's intended path if you throw it 50mph and some speed 13 discs will only fly their intended paths at 50mph.
Ultimately what the speed means, in real world terms - is that higher speed discs retain their initial speed longer than slower speed discs.
