Choosing disc weights/Speed that fit your game

[PhillyPhan69]

I don't see a lot of threads on which weight is best (for you personally) and why?

I started playing about a year ago, and received a Innova champion disc starter kit. The discs were Valky (167), Panther (165) and aviar (166)....I could not control them at all (and although the Panther ranks among my favorite discs now I think this was a poor starter kit). After growing increasingly frustrated that I was pretty good with a Frisbee, and incompetent with these crazy discs...I met the course designer and guy who runs a makeshift pro shop. He played a couple of holes with me and my son, and said that I should try a 150 disc and a lower speed driver such as a Leopard and a shark as well. Finally I could throw a disc on a line, and began to understand what they/I could do a lot better. Now I love a 158 TeeBird/Leopard, and am getting more consistent with them....I also have a 175 of each and cannot get either one to do what I am attempting, due to (a lack of torque/snap??? or strength), for some reason? I was also told that when I got proficient these I might be ready to step up to a dx Viking (right now 7 speed is the max I get solid results with)

Now in my mids and putters I feel more comfortable with 165-166 type of weight (max of 170 for putters...but really like 165)....I have been using a Panther/R Pro Roc+/Shark/Shark 3 combo but wanted a real straight flyer (which I guess the 147 DX shark does, but a little light for me anymore) with little to no fade....so for my B-day I asked for a 160 Mako, and my son got me a 177, not being patient enough to send it back and get another I went out and tried this disc....Now my younger and stronger son can throw this like the flight chart says.....deadly straight.....for me it flies kind of like my Roc+ or a cross between that and my Panther straight at high speed but quite a bit of low speed fade. I am going to guess if I had a 160-165 I could throw it like and it might fly the way I was hoping.

Anyway sorry if this posted in the wrong section, I don't see very much posted/talked about I regards to choosing weight/speed for discs and how they play an important role in the development a ones game.

So the main question is how did you figure out decide which weights/speeds were the best fit for your game and how does a mismatched pairing or these categories alter your game? (Another example my son loved his 173 Nuke and now has a 167 Nuke that he hates and flies nothing like the heavier one?)

 

[Azpostal]

I tried a few lighter 150's but seemed to overpower/turn and burn them. I finally just went with what felt comfortable. My sweet spot is 168-172 for drivers and 172-175 for mids. I have always used max 175 for my putters. I think it's all a personal choice of what you like.

 

[PhillyPhan69]

I tried a few lighter 150's but seemed to overpower/turn and burn them. I finally just went with what felt comfortable. My sweet spot is 168-172 for drivers and 172-175 for mids. I have always used max 175 for my putters. I think it's all a personal choice of what you like.

When I throw my RHFH with a 150 I turn them over, but that is about t for me.

 

[cheese dog]

for me sub 150 disc have to be thrown with more snap than arm speed. I have no spot in bag for anything less than 167 grams. lighter weight disc are just trouble for me, I would recommend staying around 170. flight seems to be more consistent the heavier the disc.

 

[DiscJunkie]

I've had some conversations with some experienced players and they are generally dismayed at the popularity of max-weight discs, especially among noobs.

If I could have every thrower in my bag at 167g, I'd be a happy camper. I'll settle for 170g, but generally dislike anything heavier.

No real "light bulb/aha!", just the realization that the discs that I liked and flew well form me were all in lighter weights.

It would be great if someone could come up with an objective way to determine what weight is best for each thrower.

 

[unsmith]

A friend who turned me on to disc golf told me to make a Latitude 64 starter set - Diamond, Jade, Pearl, Ruby. All of those can be had as 150-ish discs, which suited me well as a newer player with low power.

Since then (only been playing a few months) I've attempted to add some 160 and 170-ish discs, with some success (and some failure). The 150's always seem better for me at least right now, except for a few notable exceptions like my 167 River.

 

[bsnone]

For me, I like to carry a couple different weights in molds I like - that is, I carry both a 168g and a 175g orc and beast. The heavier discs - as you see are a little more stable and I think are much trustier in sidewinds than the lighter discs. My mids are all 177-180 and my putters are all 175. I've experimented with the lighter plastic and will occasionally throw in a bubble top wraith but its been a while, they just get so squirrly in the wind for me.

that aside, with your son, I don't think there should be THAT much of a difference with his nukes - sounds like something else is going on maybe with his throws. Either than or perhaps they're molded up like some of the recent star destroyers where the lightweight discs are waaay more stable than the heavier discs.

 

[Monocacy]

I have always preferred lighter discs.

Spent a lot of time throwing drivers in the 150s. I always laugh when folks talk about "overpowering" 150-class drivers. Think about it - somehow the pros playing the Japan Open, who throw really far, manage to avoid "overpowering" their 150-class discs.

Anyway, 165 is my sweet spot for for drivers, 166-8 for midranges, and 170 for putters. I had a flaw in my throw where I was pulling too early, and lighter discs were easier on my shoulder. I have improved my form so now I can throw (relatively) heavier discs again.

 

[idahooldguy]

It's all about the individual.

I am 50 years old and don't have the arm strength that I once had when I played baseball and softball. I took up disc golf when I was 48 and had a tough time throwing the max weight (170-175g) discs at first. They would break into a hard fade within a 100'. Then one day my buddy/mentor let me throw his 158g Sidewinder; WOW! It went straight and far. I bought one the next day and it is still one of my favorite drivers. I have since done much reading about disc design and flight and now understand the flight ratings. I also went to local courses and boldly invited myself to join other singles and groups. I had two goals for this: meet other golfers and throw their discs. I made a multitude of discoveries. One of the most important elements of disc flight is weight. For example, my 172g Pro Wraith is quite overstable for me while my 136g Blizzard Wraith is stable to slightly understable. I teach high school geometry and the math and physics of disc design is quite fascinating.

When Innova came out with the ultralight Blizzard Champion plastic, it changed my game. I now have 8 Blizzards (most <138g). I can drive 20% farther with my Blizzards. I seem to get a much higher release speed with them. Many players mistakenly assume that you can't throw an ultralight into a headwind; not true! I can throw my 138 Katana, 136 Boss, or 136 Wraith 300' into a 20 mph wind (which is common where I live). The key is to tip the edge down and throw a hyzer flip. Ultralights are also awesome in a tailwind. Another great advantage to the Blizzards is that anything <137g floats so you don't have to panic when you botch a drive near a water hazard. I do like to use heavier more overstable discs when I throw forehand. I tend to flip the lighter discs when forehanding. However, I have a friend who throws ultralights really well FH. Even though I love my ultralights, many players can't stand them.

Distance drivers have the greatest flight variation when it comes to weights and stability. I prefer my mid-ranges to be >160g and I must not be alone because it's very uncommon to find mid-ranges that are <160g. The reason for this must be because mids are usually thrown at lower speeds.

The best disc or best weight is TOTALLY dependent on the thrower! Saying that max weight drivers are the best is like saying that Chinese food is the best. My best advice to anyone who is reading this is to get out there and experiment with different weights and stability ratings. The cheapest way do this is do what I did; go out to the busiest course in town and introduce yourself. Get bold and ask if you can throw other players' discs. This will save you big bucks because you can find out that you can't throw a disc BEFORE you spend $15.

 

[idahooldguy]

Totally agree with Monocacy on the Japan Open comment. Those pros do know how to throw the lightweights. I love my ultralight Blizzards. They're easier on my bursitis prone elbow.

 

[DanJon]

Most of my discs are not max weight.

I feel I get more control and accuracy with some molds, and more glide and distance with other molds.

For putters my main "putting" putter is 171 but I do carry a 175 for drives and a little more heft in the wind when putting. Then I have a 170 for most drives and upshots.

My 3 main Rocs are at 177. I also carry a 171 for touch shots.

Fairways are all right around 165-169. Even my main Firebird is a 169. I do carry a 175 Firebird for when it's a hurricane.

Distance drivers are all right around 171. With a 175 OS for wind.

 

[Magicweed]

I started playing last May and the correct weight has been a big issue while building my bag. I've gone through a number of different discs in different weights but I'm starting to settle into a good range right now.

Putters: 175g+, for both putting and driving
Mid Ranges: 178+ depending on the max weight of the mold
Fairways: 173-174g
High Speed Drivers (10+): 170-171g

This seems to be my sweet spot for weights because I can generate the needed arm speed for disc so they fly closer to ratings. I've tried 175g 12 speed discs and I need too work to hard to get them up to speed and it results in less accuracy. Right now I feel like I've got a good combination of distance and control, but I might lighten up my fairways a touch. It would be nice to slow down my motion just a bit and still get the distance but have a little more control. Something to experiment with.