Ideas to make discs safer

[Violets caddy]

Hi speed discs are dangerous? I think I could do as much damage with a 186 scorpion. Wear a helmet with a sneeze guard and walk your bike across the street, lets all protect ourselves from living! The only danger is people who throw at holes where there is a possibility of shanking into a person or other ANIMAL. Educate players with a label on each disc sold sort of like the explicit content labels on cd's. make the sport cool and educate at the same time. Or you could be like Edison and kill animals with discs to show how dangerous they are.

I almost killed a deer with an 11x teebird once
6 inches to the right and it woulda been over for him

 

[optidiscic]

rubber discs definitely give more than plastic..which should make them safer

The sport is safe for the most part but I think we are kidding ourselves if you don't see the potential for danger

 

[ian.w]

I realize that the cat is out of the bag so to speak
I was curious if the pdga could perhaps start to impose some regs
I guess I think some more responsibility would be nice from henceforth and if the disc companies wont do it the pdga should regulate it more..

I personally don't care what the pdga says about any discs, I'm going to throw what I want and in sharp champ plastic too. How does it become safer because some association with no authority makes a rule/regulation. Disc golf will still be played no matter how safe/dangerous it becomes and whether or not it has a pdga. Skateboarding has no governing body, but companies make **** tons of money and that sport/activity has steadily progressed for decades. They sell stuff that people buy and stuff that works. What makes you think innova won't do the same thing if all their new drivers get banned or whatever. They'll still make them because we will still buy them.

 

[kcoates]

The main problem is that most dg courses are in public parks with lots of foot traffic. Think about it, you wouldn't put a walking track in the middle of a ball-golf course.

Trees can handle the discs hitting them, that's not really a major issue, and when it is, they are wrapped like its been said.

Since public foot traffic is the main issue, the only way to alleviate such an issue would be to have all courses be public, pay to play courses. This would probably take away from some people of the sport who like it because it doesn't cost to go play. I wouldn't have a problem with having to pay to play for private courses, but the main problem is that most of these people walking on the course, are oblivious or just don't care at all, and if you hit these people with a rubber disc or even a plastic disc that weighs 25g less, is it really going to hurt that much less than a 175g boss. Maybe, but it'll still hurt, I've been hit a few times.

 

[scarpfish]

I was curious if the pdga could perhaps start to impose some regs

It wouldn't work. The PDGA already has said standards. One little problem is that they have no authority to control non-PDGA play (in other words, about 99.98% of the disc golf that is played).

If the PDGA made the technical standards too stringent, manufacturers would likely flip them the bird and just start producing more non approved molds (which Gateway already did with the Ninja). I can only guess that some of these without stock stamps would probably start being sneaked into tournaments. In short, by attempting to solve a problem by being overbearing, such an idea could potentially make things worse.

 

[optidiscic]

see I think its different
like it or not the pdga sets the market.....the Ninja sales have been rather lackluster as have the other deemed illegal molds

 

[The dude on the bike]

It's up to the throwers to be responsible, we can't idiot proof the world we live in.

 

[ian.w]

see I think its different
like it or not the pdga sets the market.....the Ninja sales have been rather lackluster as have the other deemed illegal molds

Those discs weren't made by innova or discraft. Quest sucks that's why those discs don't sell. If innova made an unapproved disc it would still sell at dicks if it had a cool name. Oh yeah gateway drivers suck too.

 

[kcoates]

see I think its different
like it or not the pdga sets the market.....the Ninja sales have been rather lackluster as have the other deemed illegal molds

PDGA could set standards for tournament play. They can't do anything about casual play, which is most of the dg rounds anyway. Weed and beer in parks is illegal (at least here in Ohio), and every round I play I see one or the other, so even if you made every disc required to be 150g or less, how well would it be enforced?

I'm not trying to troll or anything, nor am I disagree that there are possibly safety issues with sharp edged discs. But there are too many discs out there right now that doing anything wouldn't change anything except in PDGA tournament play.

 

[optidiscic]

I used to think that the thumber should be illegal logic was nonsense until I got buzzed by a few thumbers (impractical I know)

what would happen if the pdga came up with a softer standard for plastic....the discs companies would sell more discs as discs would not last as long and safety and trees might be saved

 

[Huk Finn]

I vote for a 225 gram foam Katana.

 

[optidiscic]

I am encouraged by the swedish glide discs that many beginners have fallen in love with....the lat64 stuff seems to get D from slower glidey flight and not projectile bullet like flight

 

[scarpfish]

see I think its different
like it or not the pdga sets the market.....the Ninja sales have been rather lackluster as have the other deemed illegal molds

Sales of that disc have been lackluster because said mold is sort of an outlier in a market where there are plenty of good approved molds available. That and drivers aren't exactly Gateway's strong suit.

But I can assure you, that if the PDGA started making a great degree of those good molds illegal, or started restricting the weights on them, things would change in a hurry. The manufacturers know that casual players and not tournament players are where the money is. Hence, the PDGA needs them more than they need the PDGA.

 

[ian.w]

The pdga isn't going to bite the hand that feeds it(members) and mandate that discs are softer and wear out faster. I don't want softer less durable discs. I want more durable discs and manufacturers will continue to make what I want because I give them money.

 

[New013]

you know how people line up really close to golfers when they're hitting. i'd never stand that close to watch somebody throw

 

[The dude on the bike]

you know how people line up really close to golfers when they're hitting. i'd never stand that close to watch somebody throw

Hellls yes on that. This site should add the thumb war buttons so as not to clutter up the place with agreements/arguments.

 

[mashnut]

Stop designing courses in heavily used public parks with holes right next to other activities. Combine that with some basic etiquette (yelling fore and waiting until everyone is out of range ahead of you) and it makes a much bigger difference in safety than changing the discs.

 

[Cygnus]

do we need discs to be safer? how about we just get out of the fairway

The fairway is the safest spot on the course. If your standing in shule, near water or trees you are asking to be hit.


On a serious note. People just need to learn to practice ettequette or more pay to play options with marshalls.

 

[The dude on the bike]

Stop designing courses in heavily used public parks with holes right next to other activities. Combine that with some basic etiquette (yelling fore and waiting until everyone is out of range ahead of you) and it makes a much bigger difference in safety than changing the discs.

Indeed. I just skip the holes with picnics, fisherman, weddings, etc. The thrower is responsible for all damage, not everyone knows what fore means and many don't think a mere Frisbee can hurt them. Unfortunately a lot of players throw at them as if they are idiots to be near the hole.

 

[sloppydisc]

OK, you're on...

like it or not the game is growing and there are more players playing with more dangerous discs on courses that cant handle the reckless combination.
Tree Damage is a true concern and combined with faster/harder/sharper discs and more tree hits as the game expands it should be considered
danger to other disc golfers and the public is also a concern....higher speed discs in heavy weights dont really seem to be the answer

Not sure why the sarcasm and stupidity?

Please site some injury statistics to give us a reason to make discs safer. As far as tree safety and design issues, I could almost agree on a few courses I have seen if you placed this thread in a course design thread. Trees withn a few feet of the pad suck. They get drilled a damaged without much concern for course design, or fun factor. If you put or leave a tree that close protect it. Did you break a sappling over the Holidays?