Roller Or Not To Roller...

[High Flyer]

I don't know about the sidewinder as a roller, it seems to do a nice s-curve with a soft fade for me. Of course, it's champion plastic. The older DX discs seem to work best for me. Maybe if I had an old DX sidewinder, I might have a different opinion.

An old wraith DX is my best backhand roller, and my best sidearm rollers are worn in DX Raven, Valkyrie, and Stingray. Not all were designed that way, they just become unstable after time.

 

[johnt1969]

The Stingray

I just saw this thread and thought I would comment.

A lot of guys keep a disc in their bag for rolling. There's one disc you can probably pick up pretty cheaply now and it's fantastic for learning roller shots. The Stingray. There are still plenty of pro's who keep an old stingray in their bag just in case they come across a well groomed long hole for a roller or a hole that's normal flight path is blocked by trees. I have had one in my bag for those shots since I learned the roller shot in the mid 90's. I'm not a great roller and I don't throw it all the time but it's an awesome shot to have in your bag if you need it. If you get one go with the old style plastic (I don't know what it's called. DX or something like that). It will get beat up faster and usually people want one that's a bit "seasoned".

I throw tons of little forhand flip rollers to get out of trouble. Those are great for getting around sharp corners and out of the woods when there's nothing else that you can possibly do. I use Magnets or Mid Range Discs like the MRX for that. It just depends on what kind of turn I want on them.

In theory, a roller will act like any other disc in regards to stability. Assuming the discs hit the ground at the same angle (approx 45 degrees). If you throw a super stable disc on the ground it's never going to stay on edge so it gets max roll. It will turn just like if you throw it in the air. The angle will eventually go down and it will skid out or turn sharply left(for a right handed golfer). If the disc is too understable then it will turn over too quickly on the ground. You can counter some of that by the angle the disc hits the ground but that's obviously not an easy thing to do. For those wanting to learn a roller you should go to a field with short dry grass and take some stable and understable discs. Try to get them to hit the ground at the same angle and speed and then watch what they do.

Don't think so much about max distance as what those shots on the ground can do for you. They can get you around corners or father than you would normally get if the normal flight path is blocked by trees. You won't use a roller all the time but it's good to know how to do it. It will save you strokes and hopefully help you beat your friends.

 

[JHern]

I know an older guy in Vancouver BC who wins tournaments as grandmaster throwing rollers...most amazing rollers I've ever seen, although he can also throw a nice backhand shot but not the same distance. Recently, though, in the BC open he didn't win since the course was on a wicked steep hillside and the roller is no good there.

 

[dangitboy]

I used to think the same way about rollers when I couldn't throw them. Sorry guys but the best players in the world throw rollers all the time and there are advantages to them. I don't see how it would be cheating? You are having to execute a golf shot with correct angle,speed,trajectery,release etc. just like an air shot. Probably a more difficult shot to be honest. Would a thumber or tomahawk be cheating as well? You will find in time that having ALL the shots in your bag is better than just a few shots to choose from. Besides that it makes our sport fun and interesting. I like it when a foursome tees off and everyone throws a different shot!

 

[DiscChainBasket18]

Roller video

Which online video gives the best info on throwing Rollers, YALL?

Here is a quick vid I took of a guy throwing a roller a long way across an open flat field: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZJIVb0RhMI
It was during a round of urban golf. It looks like a driver was used for this shot. Good roller shots are both revered & scorned. I think I will arm myself with as many (legal) tools needed to become a better golfer. I will learn to throw a roller! Recently I found my '08 Ace Race disc to be a pretty good roller disc. Not very long (yet) but pretty straight!

 

[Jungle Tim]

Rollers are super rad. Everone bags rollers, thats just because they don't get them. It seems people thing distance is about air time, and rollers are 'unethical' but the score sheet does'nt show air time. The point is to get the disc in the hole. If you can do it in less with a roller, go for it.

At my local there is a par 3 that everone can reach, but there are lots of trees so there are really only 2 options for air shots, over the top or round the side. There is a path that runs the length of the hole thought the path is OB. I threw a Z tracker forehand all alond the path, and at the last minuite it dives left. Parked it Birdie. Everone else, 4, and whining about rollers.

Rollers are BA! Check the numbers.

 

[SunIsBlue15]

I completely understand the value of being able to throw a roller, and I'm not saying it should be illegal or anything like that. However, there's a guy I see a lot at my local course that only drives with rollers. There's something about it that just feels kind of cheap. That's just my opinion, though. That's my only complaint about them in general -- when people ONLY use rollers to drive.

Also, I personally wouldn't put a roller and a tomahawk/thumber in the same category. In my opinion, a golf disc is meant to fly. A tomahawk/thumber takes advantage of certain "flight characteristics". Rollers, on the other hand, for the most part do not.

 

[RustyP]

*my 2 cents*

I disagree with the notion that rollers are at all "less than" because they're not what the disc was originally intended for. If anyone is going to be THAT much of a purist, they should also stop throwing bevel-edged discs and go back to lids...because that's what the originators of disc golf intended them to throw.

If someone is throwing ONLY rollers, then they're almost completely missing out on THE most fundamental part of disc golf: being able to control the *flight* path of your disc. My inner hippie screams with glee every time I watch a disc fly beautifully down the fairway just the way I wanted it to, but I get the same feeling any time I launch a giant roller that lands 100' further than I can hit with an air shot. As a primarily competitive player, it's not a matter of what's more fun for me or what I think is more "pure disc golf"...it's about what yields the lowest score.

 

[SunIsBlue15]

*my 2 cents*

I disagree with the notion that rollers are at all "less than" because they're not what the disc was originally intended for. If anyone is going to be THAT much of a purist, they should also stop throwing bevel-edged discs and go back to lids...because that's what the originators of disc golf intended them to throw.

If someone is throwing ONLY rollers, then they're almost completely missing out on THE most fundamental part of disc golf: being able to control the *flight* path of your disc. My inner hippie screams with glee every time I watch a disc fly beautifully down the fairway just the way I wanted it to, but I get the same feeling any time I launch a giant roller that lands 100' further than I can hit with an air shot. As a primarily competitive player, it's not a matter of what's more fun for me or what I think is more "pure disc golf"...it's about what yields the lowest score.

Just to clarify what I was saying in my post previous to this one:

I didn't mean to come across like I felt that any roller is "less than" because it isn't "pure disc golf". The only thing I was really trying to say was that someone who ONLY throws rollers seems to be missing the point, in my opinion.

I agree with basically everything else you said, though.

 

[tomjulio]

A lot of guys keep a disc in their bag for rolling.

..yeah, there sure is! My friend Greg bought THE WHEEL at Art Smarts Dart Emporium in Milwaukee and pulls that sucker out in some unique situations. It's heavy, balanced, and basically has a tank tread for rolling. Hole 18 at Flip City is an elevated down hill right turn into trees some 200 ft away. Good old Greg pulls out the Wheel and down the hill it goes, in and out of trees, over stumps, and wobbles itself right by the basket. so cool.

http://www.everythingdiscgolf.com/The-Wheel-p-13376.html

Then again my friend Justin aced the same hole in the air a week prior for a $300 Ace pot.

To me the beauty of this game is air and technique, but I will never look down on using whatever tool you have mastered to get that sucker in the basket.

 

[garublador]

Just to clarify what I was saying in my post previous to this one:

I didn't mean to come across like I felt that any roller is "less than" because it isn't "pure disc golf". The only thing I was really trying to say was that someone who ONLY throws rollers seems to be missing the point, in my opinion.

Couldn't that also be said for someone who limits their throws to only air shots, only forehand, only backhand or only overhand? What exactly is "the point?"

 

[tomjulio]

Couldn't that also be said for someone who limits their throws to only air shots, only forehand, only backhand or only overhand? What exactly is "the point?"

Leave the kid alone.

His "point" is that a disc/frisbee was made and is intended for the beauty of watching it behave IN the air. based on the technical skills you have learned and acquired throwing the disc. If you think otherwise you should re-examine why you play. A roller is more a utility shot. To do rollers the whole game basically takes away from the basic fundamentals of the game. Is it legal and ok to do a whole round with just rollers? Yeah sure, knock yourself out. BUT if you think a roller IS the game, then well hell, wouldn't you have thought that the initial disc golfers would have called it round-object-rolling-on-the-ground-golf and put the basket on the ground, into something like a hole or similar?

 

[garublador]

Leave the kid alone.

His "point" is that a disc/frisbee was made and is intended for the beauty of watching it behave IN the air. based on the technical skills you have learned and acquired throwing the disc. If you think otherwise you should re-examine why you play. A roller is more a utility shot. To do rollers the whole game basically takes away from the basic fundamentals of the game. Is it legal and ok to do a whole round with just rollers? Yeah sure, knock yourself out. BUT if you think a roller IS the game, then well hell, wouldn't you have thought that the initial disc golfers would have called it round-object-rolling-on-the-ground-golf and put the basket on the ground, into something like a hole or similar?

Then how come it's called "disc golf" and not "flying disc golf?" Are people really still trying to argue that round things aren't meant to roll?

My point is that "the point" is dependent on the individual. If somone plays because they like rolling discs then that is no less valid than someone playing to get the lowest score or to see a disc fly. Heck, it's just as valid to play because you like hanging out with friends, enjoy the outdoors or like using waterproof socks and none of those have anything to do with discs at all.

If nothing else the creaters of disc golf intended the game to be fun. While I don't know any of the pioneers or big names of the sport personally, I'd be very surprised to hear that any of them disagree with this. If you're having fun then you aren't doing anything wrong regardless of how you throw or how you score. Looking down on others for how they have fun is the exact opposite of what the inventors of the sport and the discs intended.

 

[RustyP]

I didn't mean to come across like I felt that any roller is "less than" because it isn't "pure disc golf". The only thing I was really trying to say was that someone who ONLY throws rollers seems to be missing the point, in my opinion.

I was agreeing with you, just elaborating on my POV a little

I too should clarify that I'm not referring to any specific person when I referenced the ideas of a roller being "less than" or not "pure disc golf"...those are just opinions that I've heard in past roller discussions.

Carry on

 

[SunIsBlue15]

Leave the kid alone.

haha thanks for the backup, but I'm ok with people disagreeing with me. It's all in good fun anyway.

Looking down on others for how they have fun is the exact opposite of what the inventors of the sport and the discs intended.

I'm not looking down on anyone. Again, all I'm saying is that, in my opinion, they are missing out on what I believe is the point of disc golf. That doesn't mean I think they are a loser. And that doesn't mean that I think they shouldn't be playing. It just means that I think it's a little weird. That's all. Honestly, if I played with a person that ONLY threw rollers off the tee, I would spend the entire round trying to figure out how to do it and have them teach me so I could add a roller to the types of throws I can do successfully.

I was trying to think of a good sports analogy, and I can't really think of one that I'm happy with. But something that is close is this:

It's like if you're a fast baseball player and the only thing you ever do is bunt for a base hit. Yes, bunting is part of the game. Yes, it can be an extremely useful part of the game. Yes, bunting every at bat is legal. However, in my opinion, it's kind of missing the point. And that point is that baseball was meant to be played where a pitcher throws a ball and the hitter hits it. To bring it back to disc golf -- the point, in my opinion, is to throw a disc into a basket.

I know that's not the best analogy, but it's the best I could come up with while I was typing this post.

 

[JR Stengele]

I hear what your saying. People need to use a variety of shots, not just one. Discgolf was meant to force people to critically think about each shot and try new approaches. It would be like using a driver in golf on every shot. Variety is key. = )

 

[PhattD]

I think that if you don't like some ones shot selection you should beat them and show them your shot selection is better. If you can't then I guess their shot selection was ok. That goes for rollers, thumbers, forehand, and those stupi @%$@#$ Lucky @%$$ skip shots that just barely stay in the $^^##@$ basket tobeat you by one stroke. But at least I'm not bitter or nuthin.

 

[discinator]

I think to say that we must use a variety of shots is just a wrong statement. Its not up to the player to try to use as many variety of shots as possible. To me this discussion is more about course design than shot selection. If a guy can play a whole round with just rollers then that is one lame course and the designer should be ashamed.

The players job is to navigate the course with as few throws as possible period. The course designers job is to test the players shot making ability by making him throw in as many different ways and situations as possible. Thats just my $.02

 

[DeafDiscGolfer]

I completely understand the value of being able to throw a roller, and I'm not saying it should be illegal or anything like that. However, there's a guy I see a lot at my local course that only drives with rollers. There's something about it that just feels kind of cheap. That's just my opinion, though. That's my only complaint about them in general -- when people ONLY use rollers to drive.

I wonder how this guy who only uses rollers for driving shots able to make the shots across the water hazard or rough uneven terrains? I would either assume that there are no water hazards or any rough terrains at this certain course that you are speaking of...

Maybe this guy only played this course for years and have come to sense that rollers are the best way for this course to achieve low scores...

One guy always throws thumber/tomahawk methods for two years until he realized that it doesn't always works for him and started to throw sidearms more often and it has improved his game.

Its all depends on one's own preferred methods on how they like to throw their discs...

 

[SunIsBlue15]

I wonder how this guy who only uses rollers for driving shots able to make the shots across the water hazard or rough uneven terrains? I would either assume that there are no water hazards or any rough terrains at this certain course that you are speaking of...

Yeah the course is on a small college campus so the only hazards are random sculptures and hitting people with your disc haha

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=2446