SPEED In Disc Golf: Why Beginners Should Choose a Slower Disc
by Celavirgie Bautista JUN 04, 2021
Flight Ratings are designed to give disc golfers an idea of a disc’s intended flight. They are very helpful but sometimes they can also be hurtful to newer players.
They are useful in comparing discs and getting a general idea of what a disc should do, but at the same time, a lot of newer players get caught up in the numbers that they think the higher the numbers the better.
To avoid making this mistake, today, you’re going to learn more about one of the four main categories of flight ratings –Speed.
To gain a better understanding, we need to answer these two questions:
1. What exactly is Speed?
2. What is the key metric by which high speed is determined?
To answer the first question, Speed is the amount of initial velocity needed to achieve a disc’s intended flight path. It’s the ability of the disc to cut through the air.
And there are two key facts about Speed:
1. Disc manufacturers do not use an industry standardized scale for Speed
(one brand’s “10” is not necessarily equal to another brand’s“10”)
2. Within each brand higher numbers equal higher relative Speed
(one brand’s “10” has higher Speed than that same brand’s “9”)
Source: Best Disc Golf Discs
For the second question, let’s take a look at the specification made by the PDGA.
Source: Best Disc Golf Discs
In the figure above, you’ll see the one disc characteristic that has the most impact on Speed – the rim width (the measurement from the leading edge to the inner rim of the disc).
Now that we understand that wide-rim discs will have higher speed compared to narrow-rim discs, it’s also helpful to know why it’s important to the flight of the disc.
Here’s the photo made by Best Disc Golf Discs to explain it using “Moment of Inertia”.
First, let’s define “Moment of Inertia”. Moment of inertia is the inertia of a rotating body with respect to its rotation.
It tells us that the more mass an object has at its edges, the more moment of inertia it has.
Sounds complicated? Don’t worry, we’re going to make it easier for you to understand.
In the picture above, there are 2 discs that both weigh 165g. The only difference is the mass concentration.
The disc on the left has more mass around the perimeter, while the disc on the right has its mass concentrated near the center, marked by the orange x’s.
As mentioned earlier, the more mass concentration an object has at its edges, the more moment of inertia it has. Simply put, the more difficult it is to rotate.
As Best Disc Golf Discs said:
“The disc on the left requires more energy to begin the spinning motion, but because of that inertia, it means that it will continue to spin longer once it is in motion. Conversely, the disc on the right will require less energy to begin the spinning process, but will lose spin more quickly because it has less inertia, less momentum built into the spinning motion.”
To summarize, a higher speed rating:
- means a wider rim
- requires more energy to spin
- maintains spin longer
- means more difficult to snap – transferring all your body’s motion into the disc
In conclusion, since higher-speed discs are more difficult to snap, it is not advisable for new players to go buy a high-speed disc. Because high-speed discs are for players with higher skill levels. In fact, according to some sources, beginners should not throw any disc with Speed higher than 6 for the first few months.
If you want to achieve maximum distance, check this guide.
Source:
https://www.ck12.org/physics/moment-of-inertia/lesson/Moment-of-Inertia-PPC/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia
https://interestingengineering.com/what-gyroscopes-are-how-they-work-and-their-importance