Are we headed towards PGA style equipement rules?

I was thinking about this the other day. Over the past few months with companies coming out with "long range" drivers a noddle arm such as myself can throw (Flow, Katana, Nuke, Vulcan etc...). I've been able to birdie holes that were a jump putt or upshot. So, a hard faught "2", but normally a solid "3". Now, they are pick up your disc and slap the chains birdies. Don't get me wrong, I'm kind of digging it and I also know accuracy and solid putting still plays a roll.

Look at the PGA when they had to start "Tiger proofing" courses and I'm not talking about hiding the women lol! Also they started restricting makes/styles of clubs. I've already started to see "insert pro name" proofing of courses. Ya, know, with crime scene tape all over the place for "OB's" and what not. My home course has also extended some holes with new pin placements, but you can only go so far before you run out of property.

So what's next? Are we headed towards restricting what companies can do? Yes, I know they (PDGA) already do to some degree, but will the powers that be. Have to become even more restrictive? Or can you only push disc tech so far before it's self limiting?

Would love to hear what Chuck, Dave D, Mark and the rest of you all have to say!

 

Peace!

 

[Ghost]

They did limit rim width apparently for safety purposes.  No one's made one big enough to break that limit unless you count the epic which is an odd duck.  These faster discs aren't really good for the game in my opinion.  You don't have to be as good at the game in order to throw far.  It also breeds bad habits in noobs who come in and throw Destroyers and Nukes and such before they're really capable fo throwing them properly.  Also, these longer discs are necessitating longer courses to contain them.  Disc Golf has always been a financially poor sport so acquiring the land for the longer holes is difficult in many areas.

 

Much the same thing has happened in ball golf in my opinion.  Modern 'woods' have heads so big that if there's a ball in the same state as your swing path, you're going to hit it and fairly solidly. 

[Shawn Boucké]

I think the Gateway Ninja broke the rim width limit.  I would love to use one in tournament play though.  I say if you get hit with my disc.... It is my jobs fault for not letting me play all day everyday

[The FORCE]

Which is NOT PDGA legal. It is pretty silly to make a disc that won't be thrown by the serious golfers in our sport.

[The FORCE]

Discs can only go as far as one can spin it. They can throw a Nuke/Katana 350 wide open but put a noob in a hallway and good luck! Besides, 350-400' sometimes is not long enough for most difficult courses. Of course disc golf courses are getting bigger better. That's because there are more disc golfers getting better and dreaming big. Bless those courses. 

 Bottom line is you have to shoot better than the other people who show up. Distance is what everyone wants but under the gun its about execution. Take any big bad park and give everyone the same discs or equivalent to sponsored company.. whatever. I bet the scores tell the truth. It all comes down to skill. 

 Also, yes. I think the disc tech may have run its course. Nothing will ever be as stable as an Xtreme and nothing will have a rim larger than a Katana or Nuke. Different variations will occur. I think theres only so many discs that can be made. A friend once told me in reference to all the different putters 'You can only re-invent the wheel a certain amount of different ways'.

 I think the basket is next. Maybe use something I would call a 'tournament wrap'. Something that goes around the baskets so there can be no wedgies. Witnessed or not. If I get a wedgie while putting and mine doesn't count just because someone saw it and someone else gets a 'silent ace' on a blind hole with a beat up disc that could possibly have been a wedgie isn't really fair. Tournament wrap. Use velcro with banner material it could have sponsors on it who knows. It would be pretty cool I think. 

[Chuck Kennedy]

So far, SSA course ratings (which really is the bottom line measuring stick to see if there's a problem with longer distance throwing) do not seem to be coming down due to increases in throwing distance. There's no indication that overall scoring has changed to impact the sport. It's possible that the longer par 4s and 5s might be playing easier but they are still a small percentage of all holes. There are also enough holes thru the woods that being able to throw a disc farther doesn't mean players are any more accurate. They just might kick farther into the schule when they regularly miss the line. I also think that accuracy on holes that could be reached with narrower rimmed discs from 10 years ago has suffered somewhat. Players who unnecessarily use wider rimmed discs when they don't need to are more likely to skip farther away and have a tougher putt than they would using a more controllable disc that could still reach the hole.

[Rescue]

Very good point. I do find myself breaking out my "old school" discs when I play very tight holes with no skip room. I guess I got on this, because I've been able to birdie holes I've never had the chance to. So if an OK player can do this (me). What would happen in the hands of a pro? I guess I look at the score to much. I see rounds of 10 to 15 under ( in tournaments) and I think that's kind of crazy.

To: Force

I think that's a GREAT idea with the baskets. Break out a patent # before it's to late!

[The FORCE]

What? You don't like the tournament wrap idea?

[Dookville]

I played at the La Mirada lake course in Calif last weekend. They had a monthly tournament going on and me and my daughters where following the last group. A pro out from Missouri was playing in the group and three other experienced players. The hole (#7) played dog leg right down the hill 385'. The pro hucked the biggest skying ahyzer I have ever seen in person and the three others followed suit. They all par'd the hole.

 

I threw my usaul 'S' down the hill through the trees that the pro and his partners where obviously trying to avoid. I par'd the hole just like they did with a lot less effort off the tee and our second shots and putts where about the same.

 

All this to say that I feel course design and shot selection does a lot for keeping a big arm from taming a course. I also don't feel that we even have the best athletes in the world playing disc golf yet. Not to say my game is anywhere near the pro I mentioned; I'm just saying that the recruiting classes coming out of college haven't come to conquer disc golf yet. When that happens, maybe new regs will have to be put into place. Until then, I hope advances keep coming that can improve my game with a purchase, but nothing beats old fashioned hard work and shot selection for now.

[Rescue]

No, I DO! I wasn't joking or trying to be a smart a$$. I really do think it's a great idea. Since the rules have changed and advertising brings in more cash. I think it's a cheap effective and a smart way to do it.

[The FORCE]

Haha. I didn't see your response before I posted my response. I meant to reply to Chuck haha. We must have posted at the exact same time! I will look into it as an invention idea.

[Disc Player Sports]

Golf discs have to be PDGA approved for tournament play.

Don't believe that disc golf courses "have to" be PDGA approved. (There are some rules here, but in general it is still almost wide open to judgement).

If you consider the way things are, still in a grass roots (ground up) growth sports, bring on the new plastic.

Some have the advantage with the 'stable discs' and some the 'understable discs.'

Who is to say, who should benefit. If the manufacturers in other sports did not push the envelope on every product from clothing to balls, bats, sticks, clubs, shoes, carbon fiber bikes, sleds, skis, skates & discs anysport would not be where they are today.

What about the other stabilizers food, health, exercise, weight training, cross training; athletes will always try to get a better advantage in one way or another.

 

[Rescue]

I hear ya, but all of the above equipement you mentioned. Is regulated to some degree. Heck there was even talk about raising the basket height in basketball. Also to some degree there are regulations in regards to what a person can ingest.

If I can blow up a couse, because of a new disc. The pros can destroy it. So were is the challenge? I'm sure we can all name some course we don't play because they are to easy and not worth playing. Look at golf courses for the pros. They've had to spend millions to keep up with the current tech and abillity, but the PGA aslo had to step in and say enough when it comes to clubs and balls.

Disc golf doesn't have that luxury. I know it's alot easier to move a basket or change a hole, but you can still only go so far with courses. Just wondering if the PDGA will have to put there foot down even more at some point?