Plastic addiction versus skill level

I recognize that we are all plastic geeks here but how many of you find discussions of how well this or that disc will help your game some what misguided? Climo is a x-time world champ, but do you really believe its due to his disc selection? Cale can turn over a predator like no ones business, but that doesn't mean I can! These guys could beat me throwing 15 year old plastic and garbage can lids.

Nothing makes a disc fly better than the skill you put into it, whatever it be. And considering how much power you can use in a shot dictates its stability I also find general statements like "this is the best turn over disc" terribly misguided as well. Whats your take?

[Swan]

Not to put to fine a point on this, and I hope its a joke, but this is the exact kind of garbage I'm talking about.

*does a facepalm*

[Essential Discs]

It is Donny, Of course it is a joke.

[Josh Webster]

I agreed completely that disc reviews can be misguided...it definitely has to do with the skill level. I recommend understable disc for beginners for a reason...so they can enjoy disc golf a lot quicker. I constantly see people throwing plastic they can't throw yet and get confused as to why it doesn't fly like they said it would. I am currently working on a NEW disc reviewing site where we are going to video tape 4 skill level players all throwing the exact same disc on the exact same hole and let the players make a judgement as to how he or she throws and which skill level matches them better. That way they can get a better idea of how the disc will fly for them. I thought this would help take care of the problem you are speaking of. As for plastic addiction well to each his own. I carry 23 disc in my bag every round and depending on where I am playing I will pull some out and put others in. Each disc has a purpose for me. I let the disc do it for me and concentrate on keeping my same throwing motion. I have found it works better for me.

[Brandon Swanson]

Sounds like a good idea for a site Josh. Keep us informed as to your progress. Sounds pretty labor intensive, not to discourage you. Even if you only did a few of the main discs in golf, a beginner especially could really benefit from that.

[Swan]

This is far better than vague assertions as cited by Don, hehe. Its quite a project and sounds pretty useful. In fact I might just steal the idea, plagiarize it and tape it myself!

Wait, Nah, sounds like too much work. Nevermind.

Good luck Josh =p

[Jim Coonradt]

I think that the most important thing for a beginner is someone who is willing to teach them some proper technique. How many times have I seen a newbie with a skip step and a disc going around the body instead of straight through. The disc goes up in the air and straight left (RHBH). The other day we played with a guy on his first day out and by the end of the round he he made some pretty good shots. Explained the X-step and how to slow things down. Keep it flat, etc. You don't want to overload a newbie with info, but at the same time it is easier to avoid bad habits when you start instead of trying to unlearn them later. With good technique you can throw anything. That being said, I wouldn't give a newbie a Destroyer.

[Senior]

Bought a new champ Katana today.... I feel better already.... Ahh the look and smell of new plastic and hot stamps....

[Jim Coonradt]

People keep saying that the Katana is flippy, but for a weenie arm like me it works well. Not sure but I threw a more domey one later and it seemed more overstable. About the only thing I want to experiment with this year.

[ColonelDracula]

Hey

This interview with Feldberg, and about Climo, is awesomely about this subject:


"So I get to 2002 and I go up against Climo back in his town at the Sarasota Super Tour - I’m playing against Kenny - and I’ve got him beat going into the final round. Of course, with my new push putt he’s taught me. I’m feeling pretty confident. But, it’s really windy - all of the holes go left a little bit and I’m throwing Banshees and Firebirds and nothing will go left. He’s throwing TL’s and Leopards and they’re all hyzering right to the pin on every hole. I’m just losing my mind, and I almost want to quit the sport - I’m never going to beat this guy - I’m just not good enough. I sit down after taking second place - Champ walks by me at the end of the event and says, “Keep your head up.” I say, “Champ, man, I’m out there throwing Banshees and Firebirds and I can’t even get them left enough. You’re throwing TL’s and your getting left of the basket. I just can’t do it.” And he says, “you’re not doing it right.” My ears kind of poked up - I always like an opportunity to learn something. And he said, “You’re throwing stalls, not hyzers. When you learn to thrown hyzer, it’ll go left for you - I promise.”

What he was saying to me was that I was doing what most players do when they’re learning. I was taking a stable disc out and trying to throw it out to the right and make it hyzer in. What does a disc want to do when it’s overstable? It’s mission is to go out and find the ground - so the reason it hyzers is because it’s going out and then the nose dips and it wants to hit the ground. If it’s windy, you’ll throw it out and it won’t go to the right because it’s stable, but the wind will just keep it there and it will just drop out left. It will be good; it didn’t turn OB or anything, but it didn’t really go in there like you would want it to do when it’s not windy. When you take a Tee-bird like disc or an Eagle that’s mid-stability, you throw it with hyzer, and what happens is it goes through the wind and it’s TRYING to hyzer - as it tries to flatten up because it’s less stable - the stuff that most people throw - it goes forward and as along you give enough hyzer where it never gets past flat, the disc will then try to go forward as it finishes instead of just hitting the ground, and it will dramatically hyzer further.

I started teaching this in my class - I would stand at the top of this hill and I would ask someone to give me their most stable disc. Someone would give me their Firebird out of their bag - I’d throw it on that exact same line and it would hyzer pretty hard left. Then, with a DX Valkyrie - I’d throw it with the same line - it looks the same in the air, but finishes 75 feet left of the Firebird. It doesn’t seem to make sense to the class, but it’s what I call understanding stability. There’s no way you can get to the top of the game with a 1030 rating unless you understand stability."




http://www.1000rated.com/2008/08/spotlight-2008-dave-feldberg/

[Rescue]

Huh?

[J.D.Guy]

that video is about left to right wind and understanding stability, which is actually counter-intuitive to Climo's godliness, and actually favors the idea of selecting the "Right Disc" for the right situation.

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

My Take? While it does boil down to the Indian not the Arrow...It can't be denied that as disc technology has increased/improved/expanded.....so has the average players ability....especially when it comes to driving distance.

I'm not one to jump on the new disc bandwagon either...to me, it's not how fast and far a disc will fly...it's about how long will it last...Reliability/Predictability. But hey, Big D is cool too!!!! ; ) ...just want to see if it's durable first.

Bottom line....(here's my staple response) "It's All Relative to Your Ability"