Disk Weight

[Bulldogger]

As a noob, and not having a lot of disk to try out and experiment on my own, what do the experienced peeps recommend as starting weights in general. I feel i am just choosing randomly. Of course after i get more disk and see the weight differences myself i can figure out the best for me. But can anyone please explain their thinking behind choosing the different disk weights, and for what reasons, either the heavier or lighter ones. Especially starting out when i dont have a 20 disk selection with all the weights to choose from. Thank you !

 

[jupiterboy]

Flight distances are similar, although lighter discs probably trend a little longer. Heavy is good in the wind. When I played long ago my best disc was 168 g and I hear people talk about this being a common, popular weight in general. 150 is very light. I have a higher speed driver that is 150, which makes it easier to throw. Some people have shoulder issues and tend to go lighter. Flick shots with a 180 g kinda hurt me.

I think it has much to do with what you want the disc to do. It also varies by plastics and if they are flat or dome-topped.

I'm finding I like a little lighter discs for tailwind situations and no wind situations, and also if I want a higher speed driver than I should be bagging.

If you've not discovered the Innova factory store and their factory seconds, that is a good resource for figuring things out on a budget. If you get their FB code on Friday morning, they will give you a free disc. Hope that helps. You'll get better answers I hope.

 

[ru4por]

Most folks stick around the 165-170 range for drivers. Max weight 180+ mids and putters are very common. As a noob, I am not sure you are going to be able to see much difference in weights. But, having a rule of thumb to start is not a bad idea. You may be able to adjust with more experience.

PS. As a noob, you should be reminded the word is DISC in our world, not DISK.

 

[ray1970]

I'm finding I like a little lighter discs for tailwind situations and no wind situations, and also if I want a higher speed driver than I should be bagging.

Me too. If I have a tailwind I break out a light weight disc and send it. Being an older, noodle armed guy I have also found I like really overstable discs in lighter weights as well because I can push them longer and straighter before the fade kicks in.

In calm conditions though I don't see any big distance differences between lighter or heavier discs.

 

[Dingus]

Lighter weight discs are more effected by wind, good or bad. Lighter weight discs have a lower swing weight, which can be good or bad for your timing. These factors are subjective based on your form and the shot you want to execute.

The only objective fact I can articulate is that lighter weight discs mold up differently for the majority of molds. The notable exception is MVP/Axiom, which do not suffer noticeable variations. Innova is the most affected in my opinion. If you take an Innova disc that is 175g and compare it to a 165g, the lighter weight disc will fly significantly less OS simply due to the airfoil difference.

Some players like to fine tune the stability of their discs by selecting weight. Historically speaking, most players like OS, either because they are pros with high arm speed, or new players with OAT. Because of the preference for OS discs max weight was the overwhelming preference of consumers. On forums like DGCR folks have the advantage of a helpful form community and we have a high population of low disc speed low OAT throwers, that don't need OS to overcome form issues, but also don't throw fast meaning they actually benefit from a less OS disc. It also seems to be easier to work on form timing with a lower swing weight, and a less OS disc will reveal form issues as well.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

But can anyone please explain their thinking behind choosing the different disk weights, and for what reasons, either the heavier or lighter ones.

The harder I'm throwing, the lighter I like the disc to be (Within reason. The 135 drivers I've thrown are too easy to overpower.). I like my distance drivers at about 150g, fairways, mids and driving putters at 165 and putting putters at max weight (175-180).

The thinking behind that came from injuries but even after I healed, I continued the practice due to the extra control I felt with the lighter/faster discs. The downside is using a 150 driver requires a more accurate throw. Particularly on a windy day. I have to be more conscious of the wind but I think that's made me a better player.

 

[RowingBoats]

I've always gone near max weight for everything because it just helped so much learning how to feel the disc. But...
The other day I bought my kids some of those ultra light weight Dino discs, and I gave that Bronto a mighty huck and I think I'm gonna look into some lighter stuff lol.

 

[Barefoot744]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvpdTf_FjjM

This is a pretty comprehensive look at disc weights.

 

[eegor]

The older I get, the lighter my discs are. At 60, only my putters are max weight. It has more to do with fatigue than anything. I can probably throw a max weight Valkyrie farther than anything else, but with arthritis issues and just fatigue from getting old, I don't want to throw it all day on a long course. I'll break out the lighter wide rimmed discs and send 'em. It's easier on the old bod.

Most MPO players use max weight. The wind effects them less, and there's money on the line.

 

[sidewinder22]

The older I get, the lighter my discs are. At 60, only my putters are max weight. It has more to do with fatigue than anything. I can probably throw a max weight Valkyrie farther than anything else, but with arthritis issues and just fatigue from getting old, I don't want to throw it all day on a long course. I'll break out the lighter wide rimmed discs and send 'em. It's easier on the old bod.

Most MPO players use max weight. The wind effects them less, and there's money on the line.

I'd wager you can throw a 150g Valk further than max weight except maybe in stiff headwind.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

The older I get, the lighter my discs are. At 60, only my putters are max weight. It has more to do with fatigue than anything. I can probably throw a max weight Valkyrie farther than anything else, but with arthritis issues and just fatigue from getting old, I don't want to throw it all day on a long course. I'll break out the lighter wide rimmed discs and send 'em. It's easier on the old bod.

Most MPO players use max weight. The wind effects them less, and there's money on the line.

Thank you for mentioning that. I neglected to mention that I'm 63 and have a few injury/age related issues with my throwing arm, hands, back, knees... Getting old may suck but it beats the alternative.

 

[eegor]

I'd wager you can throw a 150g Valk further than max weight except maybe in stiff headwind.

I can still turn a 150g over for a long anny. I bag one.

 

[pauldst]

I throw a lot of lighter weight discs (148g to 165g) because I can get them farther and my arm feels less worn after a round. (I have also had a few injuries.) I trade out for higher/full weight discs when it is windy. I have some even lighter discs put away to use at high altitude, along with the normal light weight discs.

 

[autocrosscrx]

I like my drivers about 158 to 163 and my fairway drivers in about the 166 to 169 range. Those seem to be about the lowest that I can get away with without my timing getting a bit inconsistent.

Early in the day, I can pretty much throw max weight stuff to the same landing zone, but I start to wear down and early release towards the end of rounds.

 

[bsammons]

I'd wager you can throw a 150g Valk further than max weight except maybe in stiff headwind.

I find this interesting.
I have a mechanical engineering background and see things very… scientific and nerd-like. So when looking at the flight of a disc, it would seem to me that a few statements would hold true:
1a. Lighter disc has less inertia, therefore can be accelerated at a higher rate.
1b. Heavier disc has more inertia, therefore cannot be accelerated at as high a rate.

However:

2a. Lighter disc has less inertia, therefore is affected by air resistance more (drag acts quicker on it) and can be slowed down easier
2b. Heavier disc has more inertia, therefore tends to hold its (albeit slightly lower) velocity longer.

So what I don't know, is if the difference in speed makes up for the difference in deceleration by air resistance. For instance, a whiffle ball can't be thrown nearly as far as a baseball, although it would be easier to reach higher arm speeds with a whiffle ball than a baseball. However, the human body cannot throw a shotput as far as a baseball, and can't healthily even "throw" it (like a baseball) for that matter - so there is a point of diminishing returns, and then regression.

So does the difference in weight result in more or less distance? Or would it change for professional level technique and power vs amateur level power?

Also.
3. Larger variation in speed over the course of the flight would result in more left to right movement, resulting in a less-straight overall flight of a lighter disc vs a heavier disc. However, gravity affects a heavier disc more, as its relatively equal lift is countered by its greater mass, so that would result in more fade. Another factor

 

[R-Ogre]

A lighter disc needs less lift to keep it airborne . The more lift you make, the more drag you make. Therefore, a lighter disc has less drag for the same flight.

 

[Dingus]

The wiffleball analogy is not great because the aerodynamics of a baseball vs wiffleball is completely different.

The most interesting thing to me would be how much glide (lift) impacts distance vs speed. A lighter disc would lose speed slightly faster, but would also benefit more from lift. My own thought is that the increased impact from lift on a lighter disc would help a noodle arm more than the increased impact of drag would hurt them. The impact of drag, both friction and turbulent, is pretty negligible when a disc has the proper angle of attack. What really kills distance is when the fade kicks in and the nose angle goes up, leading to a negative feedback loop which ends in a stall. I bet a lighter disc will benefit more from the lift and therefore resist that fade/nose angle feedback loop better and give the noodle arm superior results.

 

[sidewinder22]

I can throw my 150g Banger about twice as far as my 250g Wizard.

 

[Rastnav]

As long as we are talking about disc weight, it's worth mentioning how supply complicates this.

It seems to me that if you want something other than somewhere between ~167g to ~175g, it was always less available, and it's an even rarer find ATM. Inventory is such that if they have the mold you want, you may not even have a choice in plastic. If they have the plastic you want, you likely won't have much of a choice in weight.

Just as a for example, if you want a Champ Destroyer from the Innova factory store at the moment, your choice is 145-149g. If you want a Star Destroyer, you have a choice of 165-169, 170-172, and 173-175 grams.

Like with everything right now, you kinda have to make do with what you can find. And even when discs were much more plentiful, finding stuff much light than 167g was very hit and miss (in my experience, without a decent local store).

 

[BillFleming]

So what I don't know, is if the difference in speed makes up for the difference in deceleration by air resistance. For instance, a whiffle ball can't be thrown nearly as far as a baseball, although it would be easier to reach higher arm speeds with a whiffle ball than a baseball. However, the human body cannot throw a shotput as far as a baseball, and can't healthily even "throw" it (like a baseball) for that matter - so there is a point of diminishing returns, and then regression.

You have to compare 'like' things where weight is the only difference.
Discs - take discs of the same mold but different weights. They are the same. Same shape, etc.
Balls - a whiffle ball is plastic with holes and a baseball is rubber or cork center wrapped in yarn and covered with white horsehide or cowhide. Now, change the inner material (rubber/cork) to something that reduces the weight. Now you have a true comparison.