Question on Disc weights

[RamblinRedhead]

I've been playing longer now, and starting to get a feel for what does and doesn't work. I read the advice on sticking to Fairway Drivers and Mid-Rangers, and have been trying to be careful on my drive, to not develop bad habits I'll have to break later.

I bought a Leopard 3 and a Buzz, and have been playing them, but still also throw the Sidewinder I originally bought at times - it's bright orange, and so easy to find if it's getting late, and I'm in the woods where it's dark. And I still like the Sidewinder, though couldn't say why until yesterday. Thing is, both the Leopard and the Buzz are heavier discs - and after buying them, I saw I would be FAR better off with discs closer to 150 g, not 160 and over. But lighter discs are not available anywhere I've looked, they were all heavier ones.

I threw a borrowed 150 g disc earlier this week, and noticed the difference immediately. But then it also occurred to me the next time I went out, that my Sidewinder is also much lighter, even though it doesn't have the exact weight on it. I plan to weigh it at home tonight, but I am sure it is significantly lighter than the other two above.

So my question is - will I "grow into" these heavier discs eventually - both good discs, but the Buzzz seems especially heavy to me. Despite wanting to like it, since it comes so highly recommended. Or should I try to trade them, or just use them if/when a friend wants to play with me that doesn't own any discs?

It is hard for me to justify buying more (and even more!) discs, when I am not even a halfway decent player yet (maybe never). I do not want to be carting around a ton of discs, either. I'd much rather be one of the types that have only 2 or 3 discs - and know how to use them to best advantage.

 

[Nasty Nate]

I say do what works for you. There is no right or wrong in this regard. Some discs you may prefer to be heavier or lighter depending on what they are. Midranges tend to be on the heavier side, but there is nothing wrong with throwing a lightweight driver. You'll generally want your putter to be at least 170g.

Heavier discs tend to be less affected by the wind, but they also sacrifice distance. Lighter discs will get pushed around more but fly farther more easily. Personally, I've been looking to switch all my drivers to under 170g because the difference in control is negligible and they will be easier to throw. Don't worry what other people think. There are those who say "I only throw max weight" but that is just some hipster BS.

 

[PBokor]

...So my question is - will I "grow into" these heavier discs eventually...

The short and ambiguous answer is 'maybe'. If your form and strength develop sufficiently, then you might 'grow into' the heavy weights, though it certainly won't happen overnight. I give up 30-50' of distance and a ton of control when throwing the heavyweights.

I like ultra-lightweight drivers (143-150g), lightweight mids (150-165), and heavier P&As (167-175). To keep my bag slim, my putters double as utility discs should the wind come up.

Unfortunately, like you, my closest retail place (Big 5) only carries discs at 170 and above, exactly the opposite of what most beginners need, so I make the 25 mile round trip to a real disc pro shop. :doh:

 

[RamblinRedhead]

The short and ambiguous answer is 'maybe'. If your form and strength develop sufficiently, then you might 'grow into' the heavy weights, though it certainly won't happen overnight. I give up 30-50' of distance and a ton of control when throwing the heavyweights.

I like ultra-lightweight drivers (143-150g), lightweight mids (150-165), and heavier P&As (167-175). To keep my bag slim, my putters double as utility discs should the wind come up.

Unfortunately, like you, my closest retail place (Big 5) only carries discs at 170 and above, exactly the opposite of what most beginners need, so I make the 25 mile round trip to a real disc pro shop. :doh:

Thanks so much for this! A guy I had just met from the local club let me use his 150g disc Mon evening, which I thought was amazing, and kind. I really loved it, and thankfully I did not lose it or throw it in any water He told me I can order discs on line - but how can I pick out the right discs just looking at pretty pictures?!? The place with the best selection - Clearwater - has a whole selection of 150 class, but by the time you rule out all the choices that are "OUT OF STOCK", there's not tons left - and I was hoping to get a more durable plastic, so was trying to not get Innova DX, so that took out many of the rest. And then I read the reviews on the few remaining - not a lot of positives there. To complicate it more - they have Midrange and Drivers in 150 class, no Fairway Drivers category - and I have no idea whether I need under, over, or just plain old stable! Do I have to order one of their "used multipacks" (almost 100 bucks) and just play with the random 10 discs they send me?!?

I did a search on pro shops here, and I can only find a disc golf shop about 70 miles (140 round trip) from me. I'm 30 miles SE of Washington, DC, so that can't be right. The PIAS I checked out in Chesapeake, VA had TONS of discs - but all of them were heavier in weight. I do use heavy putters, and will continue to do so - and putting is what I do best so far (the guys I played with seemed amazed that someone who drives as poorly as I do could get it in the basket from a respectable distance). But I am now sure I need to get a lighter disc(s) for my long throws to have any distance any time soon. Am I making this harder than it needs to be? I hate to waste money on things I don't use, and can't afford to do this trial and error (mostly error so far, it seems).

 

[PBokor]

I feel for you. I truly dislike buying discs online, for exactly the reasons you've stated above. I am also on a somewhat limited (self-imposed) disc budget.

Perhaps the best course of action would be to split the difference to start. Since you obviously like the Buzzz, maybe order a couple of those in different weights in whatever plastic you like best.

I don't carry any Discraft, but a quick google search reveals they offer a few discs in '150' class, so maybe you can get a 150 Buzzz, hit the field and determine if it's for you. To save on shipping, you could also order the same disc in a 160'ish weight and use that one in light to moderate winds, as the lightweights really do get kicked around a bit in the breeze.

http://www.discraft.com/dghelp.html

 

[Dcinmd]

I did a search on pro shops here, and I can only find a disc golf shop about 70 miles (140 round trip) from me. I'm 30 miles SE of Washington, DC, so that can't be right. The PIAS I checked out in Chesapeake, VA had TONS of discs - but all of them were heavier in weight. I do use heavy putters, and will continue to do so - and putting is what I do best so far (the guys I played with seemed amazed that someone who drives as poorly as I do could get it in the basket from a respectable distance). But I am now sure I need to get a lighter disc(s) for my long throws to have any distance any time soon. Am I making this harder than it needs to be? I hate to waste money on things I don't use, and can't afford to do this trial and error (mostly error so far, it seems).

I would recommend that you speak with Allie Stone with DC Discs http://dcdiscs.com/

She is very close to your/our area. And she can be very helpful in the selection of disc weights. It mostly on-line or at the course retail as she doesn't have a physical shop. And if she doesn't have what you are looking for she can place and order with any of the manufactures for you. So just shoot her a message and I am sure she would be happy to help you out and let you know the next time she is retailing in the area.

Personally speaking I bought a lot of used disc for my trail and error period to figure out what worked best for me.

 

[KniceZ]

Heavier discs tend to be a little more over stable and can handle more power without flipping. Lighter discs don't take as much energy to get them up to speed or to throw up hill. But since I don't have the power I tend to keep most of my discs in the upper 160s, thinking that it's a good compromise between light weights for distance and heavy for wind. I do carry a light fairway driver that I use mostly for up-hill drives.

I use discgolfcenter for my on-line purchases. So I can pick weight and color combination I want.

 

[upstatedave]

infinitediscs.com has a huge selection and they also show what the disc is supposed to do with a proper throw.

 

[Plastic Thunder]

There is a YouTube Video "How to Choose the Right Disc Golf Driver Weight" which explains everything you need to know about weight. Study was done by Theo Pozzy in 2000 and these guys break it down.

Now you still have to throw a bunch to work out the disc you need but this video is a good start.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

You don't necessarily have to "grow into" heavier discs, 1000+ rated rounds are possible with both light and heavy discs.

 

[Tee1]

My first two or three years of playing I tried everything from 140g to 175g. I find that lightweight drivers 150-164g or so do give you some added easy distance but it's really just an illusion. When you throw in any wind speed over 15mph unless it's a tailwind good luck. Eventually after tons of trial and error I've settled on drivers that are 170+ just because they seem to fly consistently and are less effected by wind. Just try everything you can disc wise. Try different manufacturers and different weights and find out what you like. I threw nothing but Innova for 4 or 5 years and now the only Innova discs in my bag are Aviars.