Disc life expectancy

[KniceZ]

How long does it take for a premium plastic disc to change it's characteristics. I know there's a normal initial break in period but how long does it take to become too flippy to use for normal shots.

I'm talking about a frequently used (4+ times per round) fairway or distance driver playing pretty regularly.

 

[sgamerp]

it depends on what you play. Is it wooded? is it open? Is the ground hard or soft? I say a good Disc in michigan lasts about two seasons without becoming super beat. But I switch my bag for winter so my work horses are subbed in and out.

 

[tbird888]

It depends on the mold and the thrower. Some molds can be in your bag until they explode (Firebird, TeeBird) and some can hit a sweet spot that isn't what the thrower wants (for me, the first runs of Strikers - way too much turn for me).

 

[thrembo]

I like to rotate my workhorse drivers/mids out somewhere around every two years.

 

[KenTyburski]

I have been playing for 2 years, and I have only hit a "breaking point" with one premium plastic disc; strangely enough, it was a Glow Champ Teebird. Maybe I got a weird run, or the glow material changes things a bit, but I was disappointed when she got too flippy. So now I am working with a regular Champ TB to much better results.

However, perhaps I will go back and try throwing the glow just to see if it might not have been just me at that time.

 

[jrawk]

Took me 7 months to go through one Opto Pure. Was used almost every hole i played. Drove with it, putted with it. Hit many trees; scraped on some roads and sidewalks. It's now too flippy and unpredictable from the tee, so i swapped for a new one about 4 weeks ago.

 

[Connor Jones]

It varies. Discs change roles over time obviously, some discs do that better than others. I've had a bottom stamp destroyer for about two years. It should easily be in there at least another year. I haven't used it as much lately, but not due to it not having use, just found other destroyers I like better.

 

[Sadjo]

I depends. I have several DX Scorpions I throw. I don't used them as regularly as i used to, buy I still throw them.

 

[dashiellx]

I haven't played long enough to really answer this, but I'm hoping discs will last at least two years.

 

[sisyphus]

I haven't played long enough to really answer this, but I'm hoping discs will last at least two years.

^^^This :thmbup:

During (this) my first year playing, I would use a disc until I lost it :doh:.

Once I found a mold I liked for a given purpose (and especially putters), I would try to keep a couple in rotation so they 'age' together at half the usual rate. But I've only played long enough to actually experience dx plastic changing more than I've been changing, so far.

 

[BENFTS]

Tough to say, I have Pro Destroyers that are years old and a first run Xcal that never left the bag. as far a Star or Champ I'd say it lasts a few years.

 

[keltik]

for me discs are good until they break. I always cry a little when that happens.

 

[cooter]

I like to rotate. When I beat a disc to its sweet spot (about a year) I put it in the box and grab a freshie for the bag. That way if I lose a good one I have backups.

 

[JoshEpoo]

Depends on the player and region but, for me, if it's a slower overstable mold in champ/Z plastic like a Predator, Eagle-X, or beefy TeeBird, it's probably closer to 5 years.

If it's a faster less overstable mold in Star plastic they can get flippy much faster. I've had Star Destroyers and Wraiths get way flippy in a few months of heavy use. They're still useful at that point but some of the softer blends of Star beat up really fast in wide wing drivers.

 

[ZAMson]

This isn't an answer but it's geeky interesting.

We built algorithms on this, and it drives some of the durability info you see on the DN site. The mold's specific physical attributes, the method of wear for a particular plastic, and the wear interaction between mold features and plastic all play into a disc's durability rating. That's as specific as I can get with the formulas

Our system is smart enough to know that a Pro Boss is among the most relatively rapidly-wearing discs because of its long wing, lack of bead/notch, and propensity of Pro plastic to bend its wing on a hit. By the same token, DX plastic shreds more than slicing or bending, so the wear-resistant bead, wing, and nose features of a DX Roc make it about equally gradual-wearing as the Pro Boss. If we exposed a per-hit durability rating, the DX Roc would win hard over the Pro Boss.

AFAIK it's the first mathematical logic in the industry that knows about stuff like notches, beads, bending, shredding, etc. That was a super nerdy weekend.

 

[mattw]

This isn't an answer but it's geeky interesting.

We built algorithms on this, and it drives some of the durability info you see on the DN site. The mold's specific physical attributes, the method of wear for a particular plastic, and the wear interaction between mold features and plastic all play into a disc's durability rating. That's as specific as I can get with the formulas

Our system is smart enough to know that a Pro Boss is among the most relatively rapidly-wearing discs because of its long wing, lack of bead/notch, and propensity of Pro plastic to bend its wing on a hit. By the same token, DX plastic shreds more than slicing or bending, so the wear-resistant bead, wing, and nose features of a DX Roc make it about equally gradual-wearing as the Pro Boss. If we exposed a per-hit durability rating, the DX Roc would win hard over the Pro Boss.

AFAIK it's the first mathematical logic in the industry that knows about stuff like notches, beads, bending, shredding, etc. That was a super nerdy weekend.

I will be honest I found that interesting. Now if you will excuse me my nerd is showing.

 

[Monkeypaws]

Unfortunately, I use a lot of used/found discs, so there are few discs for which I am familiar with their flight characteristics when brand new.

 

[kevdiv48]

Sweet thread idea. Sure to be a lot of different opinions here.
For me, it really varies. It seems like I always lose the discs that I really like and should last a long time. I personally don't premium plastic once it gets big gouges, scrapes or chunks. The time for this can really vary. I realistically will throw base plastic until it gets so warped it doesn't even feel like a disc any more.

 

[The Last DJ]

I keep track of birdies and retire my putters after 100 strokes under par. They seem to be pretty much beat after this. I haven't met anyone that does this, but it's system that works for me...

 

[joshualicari]

I have a very early 2000s DX Teebird that is a staple in my bag and more reliable then a lot of the top premium plastic I have. It's beat to all hell but totally obedient.