Who is Using Tech Disc and is it Accurate?

[drk_evns]

As winter approaches I'm trying to find better ways to practice indoors. It's time I got a proper net in the garage, and with that I wanted some a radar to get some real time feedback. It seems the Pocket Radar is what people use, but at $299 I'm wondering if a Tech Disc is a better investment. I'm wondering if anyone has input on pros/cons and whether or not it's accurate.

I don't love that it's stuck to a generic driver disc—I imagine that will affect it's longevity. I have yet to see a video of someone throwing this in a field to compare the results between the real flight and the sim.

I also wonder if a sub $100 radar with a big readout is "close enough" or whether it's just garbage.

What's your experience. Who has the best setup?

 

[Sheep]

I think that Tech Disc has some merits, but then I also think that you shouldn't view it as a be all end all as some youtubers seem to be using it as.

I would say that it provides some pretty good data and addresses some questions, but I've also seen video's of it giving really wacky looking data on nose angle.

My engineer brain wonders how its calculating some of these things, such as nose angle and how its countering for off axis torque to give you good data.

Accelerometers are pretty standard stuff now, as well as calculating things like spin.
But were trying to measure an insane amount of data on a high spinning object. And were not looking at nasa level measuring gear here, so. I think we should really treat it a lot like a dynamometer for vehicles.

Not all of them will produce the same data for starters, the data is a rough estimate, but helps you see if improvements were made.

 

[RowingBoats]

I'm on the very edge of ordering one and a net. The thing does seem like it is legit. I don't need it to be 100% accurate, as long as things like nose angle correlates to going out to watch my real throws I'd be pretty happy. Being able to lap throws into a net with even a basic amount of flight feedback is so tempting.

My only concern is that I want to wait for people to throw them for a year or so and talk about the durability.

I know that doesn't answer your question, Im here to see what other people say!

 

[Sewer bill]

I think that Tech Disc has some merits, but then I also think that you shouldn't view it as a be all end all as some youtubers seem to be using it as.

I would say that it provides some pretty good data and addresses some questions, but I've also seen video's of it giving really wacky looking data on nose angle.

My engineer brain wonders how its calculating some of these things, such as nose angle and how its countering for off axis torque to give you good data.

Accelerometers are pretty standard stuff now, as well as calculating things like spin.
But were trying to measure an insane amount of data on a high spinning object. And were not looking at nasa level measuring gear here, so. I think we should really treat it a lot like a dynamometer for vehicles.

Not all of them will produce the same data for starters, the data is a rough estimate, but helps you see if improvements were made.

Cheap hobby/consumer grade Microelectromechanical(mems) gyros on 3mm wafers are capable of sample rates of billions of points per second in 3 axis and two of them mounted perpendicular can sample rate of change between them(off axis torque). The programming is also very basic as it's basically a type of back engineered asymmetrical control feedback used commonly in all hobby grade multirotor and helicopter heading hold gyros. They need to be tuned down to oblivion to give useful data otherwise they'd spit out so much information that nobody needs.

The nasa/military stuff is truly spooky in what they're capable of but that's off topic.

 

[timothy42b]

I don't know which is more cost effective. I've been wondering myself. Pocket Radar and Tech Disc are about the same price.

Tech Disc gives you four measurements while Pocket Radar gives you only speed. At my level I think speed is the thing I can affect directly and the others are all related. So the spin rate is interesting but I don't know how I'd do it any differently or what good that would do. You're far more advanced than me so maybe your answer is different.

I've thought about those budget radar guns after that thread by the programmer guy who did the "250 to 400" videos. But then, pay once cry once.

I wish the local disc store would put up a net and Tech Disc. Most people would pay $5 for three throws once in a while. More if you get your name in the top ten.

 

[BillFleming]

A radar will give you speed. That's about it. Tech Disc will give you speed, spin, nose angle and few other things. So it is all about what data you want and how much you want to spend.

There are two other companies with 'tech' discs/gear in the works. TOSY has PDGA approved discs with electronic stuff built in. And there is a company (can't recall the name right now) that is coming out with a gadget you attach to your own discs.....so, kinda similar to Tech Disc, but uses your own discs. Will they actually get to market? Who knows. But they are something to consider, especially if you want to wait to see a while to see how Tech Disc lasts. Maybe get a radar device and in a few months add Tech Disc or one of the the other options if it is available.

 

[BillFleming]

GameProofer....that's the other device that can be attached to your own discs. There's a thread in the Equipment>Other Gear forum.

 

[drk_evns]

A radar will give you speed. That's about it. Tech Disc will give you speed, spin, nose angle and few other things. So it is all about what data you want and how much you want to spend.

The Pocket Radar only gives speed, but it seems to be well tested and well regarded. I'm not sure that's the case with the Tech Disc yet. They're both $299 (or $399 for the pocket radar that attaches to an app). I also think reading the speed of the discs you bag is a big benefit of the radar.

My only concern is that I want to wait for people to throw them for a year or so and talk about the durability.

I'm also concerned about the durability. Even if it doesn't take a bad hit at some point, discs just get beat up over time. It would make sense for them to sell a unit to go on your own discs, but I imagine they have to be placed pretty precisely on the discs.

_

If accuracy and durability aren't much of a problem, I'd probably lean Tech Disc. I've seen one video where someone uses both and it seemed like they were within ~2mph of each other—so that bodes well for the Tech Disc.

Wholly undecided.

 

[Brychanus]

TL;DR: I'm on the fence buying one myself but wouldn't mind having one. Maybe a holiday request.

I spent a while with a friend's driver mold (Force?) and found the session useful.

There are a couple known occasional quirks, but for the most part it seemed pretty reliable against other visual checks (e.g. confirmed a lot of things I thought I already knew from on camera/on course/theory, and also helped weed out a few weird ideas I was not as clear about).

At $300, I share RBs Q about durability. I would also want to know a little more about how the speed tests against a reliable radar gun at release (e.g., I have no reason to think the measurement is unreliable or invalid, but if the sensor is in the disc center I don't know if it adjusts for the speed at the nose/distance from disc edge as the disc pivots out, or if that's irrelevant. Maybe sewer bill knows). If it's within ~2mph like drk was saying that's not bad - on average, or in which direction? Also would've ideally preferred to be able to pick a mold similar to what I actually like to throw.

Friend thought it helped make some coaching points more tangible in real time. App was mostly useful.

Probably fun at parties, invite all your friends.

 

[BillFleming]

My thought about the cost ($300 per disc) is.....how much use (value) will I really get out of it? After 5 to 10 throws, I should know all the details about my throw (speed, spin, nose angle, etc). After that, what use is it? Okay, maybe a few months later doing a retest to see if anything has changed, but is that worth the expense? And that is $300 for only one type of disc (putter, mid, fairway, distance). Which do you choose for that cost? And will any 'learning' from the Tech Disc carry over to the discs I actually throw? For example....what is the fairway version? A 7 speed? An 8 speed? A 9 speed? Overstable? Understable? Neutral? Domey? Flat topped? How about the weight? Is the disc max weight (is it overweight with the device added)? All of that makes a huge difference in the way the Tech Disc findings relate to your actual throws.

I see this technology more for instructors/coaches to use with their students. Or maybe a shop to have available for a small fee in their shop. Like.....here throw this and we can see what type of disc will work best for you based on what the data shows.

 

[drk_evns]

Essentially, I want to be able to do field work in my garage during the winter when there is snow on the ground. Without feedback, I don't think it has the same value.

I mostly want it to test different "swing thoughts" to see the effects.

 

[Brychanus]

As winter approaches I'm trying to find better ways to practice indoors.

Oh- I was mostly forced indoors again and it was also helpful for me to see data on speed (combined with angle and trajectory) because I know how restrictive indoor throwing can be. I was curious and encouraged to find that my intuitive "power stroke" was more or less where I thought it was even when throwing inside. So psychologically, the data helped encourage me to do what I can with the indoor grind in the meantime.

 

[sidewinder22]

Another quirk is Techdisc also changes the weight distribution/moment of inertia of the disc putting more weight in the center.

 

[drk_evns]

I'm assuming these are just too inaccurate to consider?

I'd be interested in a test that uses a Tech Disc, Pocket Radar, and a cheap Amazon radar all at once.

 

[sidewinder22]

I'm assuming these are just too inaccurate to consider?

I'd be interested in a test that uses a Tech Disc, Pocket Radar, and a cheap Amazon radar all at once.

I have a cheaper version and it's awful. Hard to even get it to register the disc.

 

[Murwen]

Another quirk is Techdisc also changes the weight distribution/moment of inertia of the disc putting more weight in the center.

But the relationship of parameters such as speed and spin between a TechDisc and an identical disc without a puck attached is likely a monotone, so if for example you're looking to increase the amount of spin you can put on a disc it's still a useful tool. I'd also guess that release and nose angle are not as affected by the puck to the same degree as spin/speed. Is doing form work with a TechDisc and learning to throw it well really any different from doing form work with putters and learning to throw them well?

 

[Sheep]

Another quirk is Techdisc also changes the weight distribution/moment of inertia of the disc putting more weight in the center.

This is actually a pretty interesting factor.

I'm now curious what the overall disc weight is.

But more weight in center = easier to spin.

 

[Sheep]

But the relationship of parameters such as speed and spin between a TechDisc and an identical disc without a puck attached is likely a monotone, so if for example you're looking to increase the amount of spin you can put on a disc it's still a useful tool. I'd also guess that release and nose angle are not as affected by the puck to the same degree as spin/speed. Is doing form work with a TechDisc and learning to throw it well really any different from doing form work with putters and learning to throw them well?

False sense of satisfaction. Especially if the weight distribution is really big where its super easy to spin, so you're training muscles to do wrong things.


I think one of the other issues a lot of people dont consider with something like tech disc is you should be doing stuff like reps of 10 throws.

9 throws with YOUR discs, 1 throw with the tech disc.

You dont want/need that data every throw, you need to make adjustments, throw, and see if it sticks.

 

[Sheep]

also, radar guns are stupid, dont buy one.
What are you going to teach yourself?

How to throw fast through a radar gun.

You're more likely to work hard at getting speed and forget about good form.
Our brains are dumb.

We got a smart side that tries to tell the other side what to do.
The smart side when we are chill, is just there being smart, and like "i'd never do that."

And then 10 mins later with whatever were doing, the dumb side of our brain has taken over. The side that drives 90% of our disc golf game on auto pilot, as your body starts to want to thnk and throw faster, cause numbers.

Basically what I'm saying is that its hard to use tools in a fashion and make sure to keep our bodies and dumb side brain in check.
So be sparing with them.

If you were to use a radar gun occasionally and see where you're at, that would be one thing, but as a training tool, I don't think its a good idea.

 

[drk_evns]

This is actually a pretty interesting factor.

I'm now curious what the overall disc weight is.

But more weight in center = easier to spin.

They finish the discs at 175g. I'm not sure the weight of the actual unit, and while I'm sure there is some sort of effect on the flight, I don't see it being so drastic that it makes the thing useless.

False sense of satisfaction. Especially if the weight distribution is really big where its super easy to spin, so you're training muscles to do wrong things.


I think one of the other issues a lot of people dont consider with something like tech disc is you should be doing stuff like reps of 10 throws.

9 throws with YOUR discs, 1 throw with the tech disc.

You dont want/need that data every throw, you need to make adjustments, throw, and see if it sticks.

I think you're making huge leaps and coming to big conclusions. Especially never having used one.

also, radar guns are stupid, dont buy one.
What are you going to teach yourself?

How to throw fast through a radar gun.

You're more likely to work hard at getting speed and forget about good form.
Our brains are dumb.

We got a smart side that tries to tell the other side what to do.
The smart side when we are chill, is just there being smart, and like "i'd never do that."

And then 10 mins later with whatever were doing, the dumb side of our brain has taken over. The side that drives 90% of our disc golf game on auto pilot, as your body starts to want to thnk and throw faster, cause numbers.

Basically what I'm saying is that its hard to use tools in a fashion and make sure to keep our bodies and dumb side brain in check.
So be sparing with them.

If you were to use a radar gun occasionally and see where you're at, that would be one thing, but as a training tool, I don't think its a good idea.

I've thrown with radar before and it doesn't send me into a mental tailspin—maybe it's not the radar gun that's stupid.

I want it to use it to test different techniques indoors when there is snow on the ground and I can't do normal field work.

_

I talked to Michael Sizemore at Tech Disc and asked him a few questions. Here are his answers:

1. We are using the Force, Undertaker and Buzzz for our molds for the December build.

2. We do not offer custom molds at this time. We may look at doing that next year but it adds a lot of complexity on our end and the mold doesn't affect the data so we're just using a single mold per slot for now.

3. We use premium plastic (ESP, Start, etc.) so that the disc lasts as long as possible. It is designed to be thrown into a net and shouldn't beat-in noticeably. We only measure what you do to the disc, not how the disc flies. So if the disc does beat in and become more understable it won't affect the data at all.

4. Mid/Putter vs. drivers: Good question. This comes down to personal preference and what shots you want to work on most. The different rim widths primarily affect the speed and speed of the disc and what grips are comfortable for you. We usually recommend a fairway driver since most people can use the widest array of grips on it and it accommodates small and large hands. But ultimately it's up to you!

5. Accuracy is comparable to the Pocket Radar for speed. It should be +2 or - 1 MPH becuase we are measuring speed of the disc and the radar gun has several ways you can slightly mess up the reading to show a slower speed.

He also mentioned the mounting is crucial to accuracy of the data. They decided selling the unit separately wasn't worth compromising the data.