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?

[JC]

The misconception is the myth of it standing for Leopard.  Ric Roc has it right.

 

Back when the first TLs came out, the understable disc of choice for that family of discs (Eagle/Teebird/Leopard...similar speeds, all came out around the same time) was the Leopard.  People described their TLs as a Teebird that flew more like a Leopard (more understable).  Hence the urban legend of "L" standing for Leopard or Leopard-bottom was born.

 

If "L" really stood for Leopard-bottom, how did they fit it on the Starfire and Firebird molds (SL and FL), which have wider rims than the Leopard/Teebird?  Innova simply tweaked the molds a tiny bit to counter-act the overstablity that the newer plastics were adding to the discs.  Nothing more.

[Dookville]

So what is it about the TL that just makes it so long, or am I just throwing the beast too short at 375'.

[JC]

I would think it's more that you're not maxing out the Beast than the TL being "longer" than it should be.

 

Keep in mind that a higher speed number doesn't mean it automatically flies further than a lower speed disc if all things are equal.  The higher the speed rating on a disc, the <i>harder</i> you have to throw it to achieve maximum performance.  So if you throw the Teebird and Beast the exact same way with the exact same strength and the Teebird is performing beautifully, the Beast is going to underperform.

[Dookville]

If I where to throw the TL with the power and snap that I put on the Beast it will turn way too much. I can get the Beast out further, probably above 400', but ut starts to get flippy at that point.

[AK Discer]

 @JC, I assume that you mean faster and not harder? Semantics...probably, I just want the nomenclature to be correct for newbies trying to learn the game is all.

 

@Dookville

You'll have to experiment with higher lines to increase your distance potential with the Beast. Check out Blake’s instructional article on distance lines for more details. You should be able to throw the Beast a much further distance than the TL. It is very easy to get that Beast over 400' if you hit the correct D-line and obviously have great form.

 

@those who still believe in the leopard bottom myth....Innova created these discs, they'd know and they don't say anywhere on their site it was ever a leopard bottom.

[Dookville]

I can hyzer flip the Beast out to 400' but it starts to get flippy if I try and put it out further with that line. I have brought it out a few times on a big helix but didn't pay much attention to the distance as the shot took so much space to be useful on the course.

 

If some one can tell me that there is just something unusual about the TL, that it seems to be a freak of nature in the disc world, or with my throwing style I'll be happy with that.

[Ghost]

I've never thrown the Beast but my record with the TL is 375 and the SL (a bit more stable than the Beast) I've gotten out to about 405'.  Lower speed drivers are much more forgiving in nose angle and need far less snap or arm speed to fly well.  Jumping up to anything faster than speed 7 is tricky and you tend to learn alot about getting the nose down and hitting it harder when you do.

[Dookville]

I don't have a problem with nose angle or faster speed drivers, I have those as well and throw them just fine. I'm just interested in what it is about the TL that allows it fly so far. My thoughts are the flight numbers, which are similar to a disc you mention Shark, the SL, I've been eyeing that disc as well. I have a feeling that that disc is going to have great control for me and some really good distance as well.

 

The rim width on a 10 speed disc is an easy fit in my hand, it should probably havee some depth to it as well based on the stability rating and is probably a little on the domey side. Does this sound correct?

[Ghost]

Yep, that's correct.  It's a fair bit more stable than a TL.  You can get a good rip on one and it's not gonna turn over badly unless you do something horrible.  The TL has really good glide and a negligible fade out so  it tends to hang in the air for quite a while.