Disc Flight Ratings

I know that each disc manufacturer has it's own flight rating system. I have also seen disc stores that have made their own flight ratings charts to compile all the manufacturers onto one list. I have learned to read manufacturers and stores charts help me make well informed purchases of discs to go with my game. For the most part this has gone well, and any variences I have chocked up to the charts being general info in nature and ratings may not fit all throwing styles.

 

My question is this: Outside of normal flight rating , measurements, and weights, there always seems to be other things that contribute to a discs flight patern and speed that don't have anything to do with wing design and weight. What are these contributing factors?

 

Example: I have a 175g Star Beast that fits my hand nice and I can throw it 350-375' with accuracy. I also have a 175g Star TL that feels nice in the hand and I can throw it about the same distance. They are both soft and domey and look very similar, other than the rim on the Beast being wider, they look alike. The Beast is a 10 speed disc, and the TL is rated at 7; it just doest seem that I should be throwing them similar distances.

 

Thoughts on why this is?

[Eric Day]

couple of guess answers is that the TL has less low speed stability. So when the beast get out there at max flight it just dies out quicker. Or the rim of the beast is beat up enough that it has effected the speed of the disc cutting through the air. Other then that I don't know. I also have given up on innova flight charts, I understand the concept of it but it is nowhere near correct on some disc.

[Adam Briggs]

Yeah  I agree with Eric I dont think the charts are always accurate as far as speed goes.  You can get an idea from what the charts say, but ultimately I feel it comes down to the way you throw the disc or maybe how beat in the disc is.  Dookville I know what your talking about though because my TL (my absolute favorite driver) will go really far and fast.  And only a speed of 7? weird???

[Eric Day]

Aslo what about the flight plate, if the TL is a flat top its going to be a little faster, and if the Beast is domey then it would be slower. That could equal out the distance some too.   

 

Edit.... maybe I should read the post before, a silly comment lol. Never mind about the flight plate.... 

[AK Discer]

How are they compared to each other for stability?  My guess is that you're throwing both discs near the same speed overall and depending on stabilty of the Beast it is finishing similar to the TL.  A TL is a long disc though.

[Eric Day]

Beast is 10-5-(-2)-2

TL is      7-5-0-1

 

So all in all they fly pretty much the same. Also the L in TL stands for leopard. Tbird Top, Leopard bottom. Kinda like the Surge and Surge SS, one is not ment to fly farther but for slower arm to throw it/ bigger arm turn overs.

 

[AK Discer]

I'm pretty sure it is "long" and not "leopard"  it is just like the SL - it is a Starfire Long.

[Ghost]

The L stands for Longer and Less Stable.  It's been used by innova for quite some time as when they moved some discs up to the newer plastics (SE and CE in this case) they became much more stable.  So, a new less stable version of the disc was cooked up to balance out the higher end plastics' over stability.

[HENRY "MENACE" REID]

If it is long, why would the two discs (Teebird and TL) have the same speed and glide?

[AK Discer]

LSS can make the difference in distance between two discs.  The Teebird is more stable than the TL.

[Ghost]

It's also possible that you're not getting the nose down on the Beast.  You're throwing it plenty far but it should outdfistance the TL by a fair margin.  The faster the disc is, the more nose angle sensitive it is.

 

 

[Mark Cuban]

I would have to agree with the "L" standing for Leopard and not long. I remember this discussion coming up a few years back. There is a misconception in regards to this , I may be wrong but I am pretty sure it is Leopard.

[Ric Roc]

http://innovadiscs.com/discs/fairway-drivers/tl.html

 

The TL is the brother of the reliable Teebird. The “L” stands for “Less Overstable” and “Longer”. This disc has the same great speed and glide as the Teebird, but is straighter flying with less fade at the end of the flight. If you are looking for a straight flying maximum fairway driver, the TL is the answer.

 

In your case I would say its that you don't have the snap or form to throw a 10 speed disc its maximum distance, but on the other hand you may have enough for a 7 speed to reach its max.

I also have this problem and have considered taking higher speed discs out of my bag, (Beast is my fastest disc)  I believe this gives me much more accuracy and consistency. I will gradually move to faster discs as I get into summer shape.