How do they come up with Flight Chart Distance?

[Torpedo Vegas]

I usually look at the flight numbers but my wife has been getting more interested lately and prefers to look at the flight chart illustrations and asked me how they come up with the distance. Since I have read on here about people throwing farther then some of the distances listed I am here to try and get an explanation.

Here is my theory. The listed distance from the inFlight Guide assumes the disc is flying exactly with its corresponding rating

 

[Curtis_Valk]

That's always been my assumption as well. If thrown further than its listed distance, the disc will have more high speed turn and the low speed fade will kick in later. If thrown shorter, it will behave more overstable than its listed numbers and LSF will kick in much sooner.

 

[Chainsgoching]

It is my understanding that the flight charts show what speed needs to be put on the disc to achieve optimal flight pattern. So for a Boss that has a speed of 13, needs to be thrown with enough power/spin to acheive the other flight characteristics and the distance shown on the fight chart.

 

[joecoin]

flightanalyzer allows you to choose among four different power ratings. If you change the rating for a given disc, the estimated distance changes.

 

[inbounds]

I usually look at the flight numbers but my wife has been getting more interested lately and prefers to look at the flight chart illustrations and asked me how they come up with the distance. Since I have read on here about people throwing farther then some of the distances listed I am here to try and get an explanation.

Here is my theory. The listed distance from the inFlight Guide assumes the disc is flying exactly with its corresponding rating

The distance calculation in the inFlight Guide incorporates multiple data points to estimate how far a disc will travel (assuming that the player already has the ability to throw a disc that distance). The flight ratings are a part (but not the only part) of this calculation. From here, depending on your arm speed & power, the flight may change.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

The distance calculation in the inFlight Guide incorporates multiple data points to estimate how far a disc will travel (assuming that the player already has the ability to throw a disc that distance). The flight ratings are a part (but not the only part) of this calculation. From here, depending on your arm speed & power, the flight may change.

Thanks for chiming in and providing that link! :thmbup:
Reading that paragraph, seems you express "armspeed and power" in terms of how far a player can throw, which seems a bit nebulous to me.

After all, clean form is about translating your "power" into the disc's kinetic energy (i.e. forward velocity) at launch, no? There certainly are less powerful people who can bomb because their form is clean. Aren't they simply transferring their power into greater velocity with more efficiency than someone else throwing the same disc and shot, but getting less distance?

Wouldn't it make more sense to express the necessary "power" to achieve a given distance with a specific disc in terms of velocity rather than "ft of power?"

 

[inbounds]

You make a good point BogeyNoMore. Essentially, what we are trying to do is state simply that if you can only throw X distance, your expectations shouldn't be that a disc rated at X+150' will fly the same for you as depicted.

Specific to the clean form, we do note that "players have the appropriate arm speed, skill, and power levels necessary for a disc to achieve the lines shown". To a large extent, having clean form is a skill that will translate to distance and smooth disc flight.

So I believe that we're on the same page, it's just a matter of finding a way to eloquently bridge the gap, phrasing-wise.

 

[rocthecourse]

Just tell her flight charts are for noobs.

 

[Shapers]

Transfering power only occurs in the grip. About the technique, it's about generating enough kinetic energy to the disc, in order to make it fly faster at the point of release. People throwing bombs all over the place, are simply able to move the disc in a straight line, at a greater speed than others. It's basically about focusing all the force in one direction. The more the direction of the total force is off from the direction of the disc, the less initial speed, meaning that the disc will travel a shorter distance. However, some people may still throw far without the proper technique, because they are still able to generate a lot of force.
This is also why OAT is a thing. This happens when you "flip" the disc from a hyzer angle to flat or even an anhyzer angle during the throwing motion. This motion will then continue after you release the disc, and the disc will flip over and crash to the right on a RHBH throw.

 

[nb2210]

flightanalyzer allows you to choose among four different power ratings. If you change the rating for a given disc, the estimated distance changes.

which is awesome. I throw RHFH and by switching the handedness and power til i found a pattern pretty close to how i throw my teebird has let me see pretty closely how other discs will fly for me.. just my 2 cents

 

[Shmacka]

I have yet to see anything (here, at stores, promotional items, talking with local hotshots, etc.), anywhere that resembles objective, replicable analysis of disc flight.
That being said, the system created by innova is a good rule of thumb to use, knowing that you likely aren't throwing everything as far as they say you can. The inflight guide is also a good reference. Some of my buddies wanna create a scientific system for describing and qualifying disc flight. Unfortunately, there're some baskets sitting empty at the moment, and we have a standing pickup round that takes our Science-y time away, so it'll never happen...

 

[@iDiscGolf]

flightanalyzer allows you to choose among four different power ratings. If you change the rating for a given disc, the estimated distance changes.

Very interesting. This seems to be pretty accurate... Fun to play around with, I had never heard of this.