Semantics: Stable vs. Overstable

I always thought a stable disc was one that flies straight.

I always thought an overstable disc was one that has a tendency to turn left, RHBH.

I always thought an understable disc was one that has a tendency to turn right, RHBH.

 

I've seen a lot of people throw a disc RHBH that goes hard left, then come up with a comment like, "Man, that thing is super stable!" or "Man, that thing is ultra stable!" or "Man, that thing is extra stable!"

 

Am I the one that's confused or is it them?  If it turns hard left RHBH, shouldn't it be super-, ultra-, extra-OVERstable?  Doesn't what they're saying effectively mean that the disc flies super-, ultra-, extra-straight, which isn't true?

[David Ledford]

I think you are exactly correct and agree with your thoughts. Furthermore, 

People confuse and/or misuse terminology all the time. This happens in many sports. I blame it on a person's laziness to understand the game.

Dictionary - Stable: not likely to fall or give way, as a structure, support, foundation, etc.; firm; steady.

A noob would think "overstable" would be the best disc for all applications and wonder why would they even make an understable disc, based on the "dictionary definition" of stable.

 

I just tend to ignore these folks that prove themselves to be idiots by not understanding the rules and terminology of the game. There are many folks that play this sport of ours that consider it just a silly game and couldn't care less of the rules and regulations, If I am playing with folks that truly want to learn and advance their game, then I will offer my opinion for discussion. Hey, we all had to learn somewhere.

[Donny Olow]

Disc's do different things for different folks. If you have a Arm , a disc may seem understable ( Flippy ).

[Nick]

Donny, that's not what this discussion is about.

[Andrew Sanders]

What we have here are two different camps. One adheres to the three terms solidly. They call overstable discs overstable, understable discs understable, and stable discs stable. Saying very, really, or ultra doesn't change the category a disc is in. A super stable disc for them goes straight incredibly reliably. The other group sees stability as a sliding scale. A very stable disc is overstable, and a disc that isn't very stable is understable.

The real problem is that neither of these are wrong. Will we ever see a standard way to address this issue? maybe........probably not. It is very confusing to be sure.

[Jim Coonradt]

You nailed it!

[Donny Olow]

" Old Disc's never die , they just turn over"  Frisbee lore from the 1960's !

[jimbosprint]

This is a common misunderstanding. Stable does not mean straight. It is a description of resistance to turn, relative to other discs. Stability is a range from overstable to understable, with neutral stability in the middle. All discs are in that range, and there just aren't three neat categories. Call a straight disc straight, and use stability when comparing discs to each other.

Example: A Sidewinder is more stable than a Roadrunner, but it isn't overstable (both discs are understable)

[Andrew Sanders]

While I can respect this definition, you by no means have the rights to the term stability. It is quite well established among a large portion of the community that stable is a description of a straight disc. Neither camp can tell the other that they are wrong.

Your definition has a strange flaw in it. You say that there are over(more than)-stable discs and under(less than)-stable discs, but you deny that stable means anything in itself. What are they more or less than? Straight. Stable.

[jimbosprint]

Overstable is a term used to describe discs that are more stable than other discs. Understable is a term used to describe discs that are less stable than other discs. Has nothing to do with straight.

[Andrew Sanders]

so, overstable discs are more than stable. Understable discs are less so. What does stable mean?

[jimbosprint]

I give up. You are confused. And I was just trying to help.

[Andrew Sanders]

Hmm.... Before, I mentioned there are two camps, the sliding stability scale and the concrete terms camp. Both can agree that for an individual, a stable disc is straight. You are the only person in this discussion to disagree with that. You are the minority.