[Question] Can someone explain Glide numbers?

[SuperWookie]

I have a generic question related to Disc flight path numbers I really don't understand. Can you guys explain WHY someone would need, want or use a low glide disc? I see In the Bag of pros sometimes on yt, and all the heavy hitters have TONS of discs in their bag that seem to overlap. And one thing I noticed is that guys like Simon, Kevin Jones, etc have quite a few discs with numbers like 10/3/0/4 or 12/3.5/0/3 or even a midrange or FW that is 5/3/0/2 or 7/3/0/3. Just crazy stuff like that.

And my understanding of glide and speed ratings is very limited and rudimentary, so I'm wondering if you can explain WHY a player would throw a disc like that? I thought the whole point of throwing a different speed disc is to have it go farther and farther from the distance you can throw your putter? So if my putter has a speed 3 and glide 3, it goes 250 max lets say. Then if I moved up to a midrange with 5/5/0/1, it would go 300ish max and a little higher and stay in the air a little longer at the end? And you keep jumping up in speed to get more distance (but of course glide pretty much tops out for 99% of discs in the 5-6 range).

So when I see a disc that is a 11/3/0/3, I instantly think to myself, HOLLY CR*P, that disc is going to be SUPER hard to keep on a straighter line, it's GOING to go left almost immediately, and it's going to hit the ground quickly. AND, it's not going to go very far. I feel like if I threw a speed 11 disc that had 3 glide vs 6 glide, that the glide 3 is going to only go 250-300, and the glide 6 will go max distance of lets say 400-500.

Whereas when I see a disc that says 11/6/-1/2 or 7/6/-1/1, I get excited. Because I see that as a potential disc to throw super far, accurately and yet still be in good control and not have some huge S line path that goes 30' right, then 20' back left. So I'm just not understanding the reason for having or throwing a low glide disc.

But now that I know all these pros are carrying not just 1, but sometimes 4-8 discs like this in their bag, speeds 7-12 with glide of 3-4, I realize I may not understand why you always don't want to throw a high glide disc.

The only reason I can see for throwing a low glide disc is for a putter, like the Berg (which I just picked up and can't wait to try). If you throw that thing at a decent speed and you miss the basket, it should in theory fall like a brick and not go very far past the basket. Same on a short approach of like 100' or something. If I can dial that thing in to different distances, it should just drop out of the sky like a brick right where I want? Right? So why would anyone want a midrange or fairway or driver that does that? It seems like if I want to throw a speed 7 fw disc, it's because I want to throw it 300-400'. Not 250 and just fall out of the sky. I'm really confused by this.

I must be missing something here though, because a lot of pros and I'm sure AM's use these low glide discs for something. And it must be useful, otherwise they wouldn't be throwing them. So can you guys explain some or all of the reasons you would want a low glide disc?

Thanks

 

[zenbot]

Low glide: More consistent in the wind and for questionable distances.

See: Gator


The best description I've heard selling the lack of a Gator's glide was something like "Instead of a disc, just throw it the same distance you would a baseball".

In my experience, it works pretty well for upshots.

 

[InWaves]

Low glide is all about consistency. A disc with low glide will only go as far as you throw it and that is very useful sometimes.

Basically big bomber pros have enough power to throw a low glide disc exactly where they want it. Remove glide as a variable for consistencies sake

 

[Treeknuckle]

Lower glide discs tend to only go as far as you can throw them. Sometimes with those silly high glide discs (escapes, rivers, tursas, comets) it can be difficult to gauge distance because of that.

I'm no super armed pro, but on drives that have obstacles/hazards within my driving distance instead of discing down to a mid, maybe I'll throw a relatively low glide Raptor. Or on 90% of my approaches I'm throwing a Zone because of that consistency and lower chance to bomb past my target.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[RFrance]

This video explains when to choose a high glide disc but in doing so, it also explains why you would want the opposite, or low glide disc.

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

Throw a low glide disc hard and it only goes so far. You know how far, you know the wind won't catch it as bad, you know the result.

Those speed 12 with lower glide are for people that throw fast. They can throw the disc fast enough to get good distance and the consistency that comes with the lower glide.

 

[Casey 1988]

Low glide: More consistent in the wind and for questionable distances.

See: Gator


The best description I've heard selling the lack of a Gator's glide was something like "Instead of a disc, just throw it the same distance you would a baseball".

In my experience, it works pretty well for upshots.

That was Why until recently 2017 that mold an old Flat top DX beat top from 2005 fly straight was his putter, then the Stud came out and that was his putter I got him for birthday as his old DX Flat top Gator was nearly dead like one good wack to the metal non chains of the basket and that disc was toast. Also he was having that DX Gator be US.

 

[Casey 1988]

Low glide is all about consistency. A disc with low glide will only go as far as you throw it and that is very useful sometimes.

Basically big bomber pros have enough power to throw a low glide disc exactly where they want it. Remove glide as a variable for consistencies sake

Yep, that is why I did not throw a Rubber Putter for my Putter past about my first 365 days of playing. The glide was so high I could not control the glide in wind situations.

 

[DoWork]

This video explains when to choose a high glide disc but in doing so, it also explains why you would want the opposite, or low glide disc.

Dang, that's a really awesome video! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[DoWork]

Basically if you're throwing a big downhill bomb, you want a low glide disc that lets you really chuck it directly where you want to put it. Pick a speed number you can throw the crap out of accurately with low glide and you're setting yourself up for success when going too far is REALLY bad.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

This video explains when to choose a high glide disc but in doing so, it also explains why you would want the opposite, or low glide disc.

This is an excellent series of videos.
Must see material for those who take the game seriously.

 

[R-Ogre]

Glide numbers are weird to me. Like, they're the one that seems the most subjective, but when you throw a disc they're also the easiest number to feel out. Just me?

 

[Casey 1988]

Glide numbers are weird to me. Like, they're the one that seems the most subjective, but when you throw a disc they're also the easiest number to feel out. Just me?

Speed also seems subjective too who is the person testing a disc I mean a Putter shaped disc like the Gator or Spider are speed 5 and not a 4 or 3.5 and some of Innova's putters have a wider wing. Fade seems more concrete like a standard can be made for disc based on how the disc is at end of flight, that seems to stay more consistent no matter who is testing a disc.

 

[slowplastic]

Glide numbers are weird to me. Like, they're the one that seems the most subjective, but when you throw a disc they're also the easiest number to feel out. Just me?

The weird thing to me is that even though we know the numbers are relative to speed classes, it seems that for putters a "normal" glide is a 3. For mids a normal glide is a 4, like Rocs are 4/4/0/3...and Buzzz is 5/4/-1/1 from the numbers I find on Infinite. So a "glidey" mid I'd call a 5 of glide or higher.

But then for fairways up to distance drivers a normal glide is 5, like a Teebird and Destroyer are both 5's. Something like a River or Shryke have higher numbers, so you know compared to a "typical" disc of similar speed like Teebird/Destroyer they should be more floaty.

So basically if a disc is "normal", as expected for glide when you throw it then it should have a glide of:
Putters - 3
Mids - 4
Fairway/Control/Distance Drivers - 5

But if some older molds were to be re-released or re-marketed today I think they'd earn some inflated glide numbers compared to what the stamps currently say.

 

[R-Ogre]

The weird thing to me is that even though we know the numbers are relative to speed classes, it seems that for putters a "normal" glide is a 3. For mids a normal glide is a 4, like Rocs are 4/4/0/3...and Buzzz is 5/4/-1/1 from the numbers I find on Infinite. So a "glidey" mid I'd call a 5 of glide or higher.

But then for fairways up to distance drivers a normal glide is 5, like a Teebird and Destroyer are both 5's. Something like a River or Shryke have higher numbers, so you know compared to a "typical" disc of similar speed like Teebird/Destroyer they should be more floaty.

So basically if a disc is "normal", as expected for glide when you throw it then it should have a glide of:
Putters - 3
Mids - 4
Fairway/Control/Distance Drivers - 5

But if some older molds were to be re-released or re-marketed today I think they'd earn some inflated glide numbers compared to what the stamps currently say.

That's kinda what I'm saying. It's hard to define what "glidey" is but you and I both know that we could pick up any pair of discs in the same range (putter, mid, fairway, etc) and throw them a couple times and say which is glidier.

 

[Jolt]

I really like the "1" Glide BERG for upshots, no risk of going/gliding past the basket. . it just drops and stays

 

[FinHatch]

That was Why until recently 2017 that mold an old Flat top DX beat top from 2005 fly straight was his putter, then the Stud came out and that was his putter I got him for birthday as his old DX Flat top Gator was nearly dead like one good wack to the metal non chains of the basket and that disc was toast. Also he was having that DX Gator be US.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KtYwWsVKU4

 

[zontar]

I would recommend a Gator for anyone's first low glide disc. you'll find it can really come in handy, especially on windy days.

 

[Pymm]

I really like the "1" Glide BERG for upshots, no risk of going/gliding past the basket. . it just drops and stays

Second this. You;ll love the Berg. Fantastic for FH and BH upshots. Very resistant to turning over and drops like a rock when it's done.

I haven't seen it mentioned here yet but, I believe, that higher glide also makes any nose angle issues more apparent. In my experience, this seems true. I used to love my River when I was a beginner because it gave me much more distance than some other discs I was throwing but as I got better my FD became my FW of choice as it seemed less finicky about angles in general and especially nose angle.

 

[Streets]

That was Why until recently 2017 that mold an old Flat top DX beat top from 2005 fly straight was his putter, then the Stud came out and that was his putter I got him for birthday as his old DX Flat top Gator was nearly dead like one good wack to the metal non chains of the basket and that disc was toast. Also he was having that DX Gator be US.

Do you read over your posts before you hit submit? Because this is just straight gibberish.