FredV
Newbie
Much of what I have said in these posts has been in the role of "devil's advocate", posing questions and expressing views for the purpose of obtaining various opinions about the discs we can legitimately use in competition. Early in my exchanges with colleagues, one said, "I don't care what people throw as long as its round and not overweight." If that is what the rule expressed, I would not have "pinched" the nerves as I have.
You have effectively pointed out that a disc that has hit 50 trees in 50 days on several courses will not likely perform differently in competition than a disc that has hit one backyard tree 50 times in one day. After all is said and done this truth should survive any new rule. There is some risk that examining the current rules to achieve clarity about back yard, parking lot, and handball court disc throwing venues, will cause someone to argue that the distortions permitted in a disc should be limited in some ways.
A quantum shift might also be done, where the PDGA defines the principles that regulate the player's use of a particular disc: It is a PDGA approved disc, and it is not different than other discs widely available to players in a new or used condition. I have separately written a rather specific rule. It would identify a very particular set of permitted modifications that could satisfy the interests in modifications that mimic the treatments a discs receives during ordinary play. Now I am leaning toward a very broad statement to replace the awkwardly specified modifications we now have.
