We are All Just Discs in the Wind

[Super Deluxe]

Hey All
Another question and observation for you .
First off the wind kicked up hard today. I went to throw after work and watched the wind knock my drivers and mids around. I threw at various angles to the wind as well to try to get a feel for the effects. Is this where you all would use a roller shot to drive or is there a trick to wind throwing? I do know that the lower the shot the better it flew.
My unscientific observation is as follows. I recently bought and started throwing a Buzz midrange. After some help from you all it is starting to fly right. I also decided to buy a Roc and give it a try as well. While I like both I noticed that in the strong wind today the Roc was hands down the better flying disc.
Thanks
Super Deluxe

[Ol' Bob]

The Roc has a smaller diameter/less surface area, so that would make sense. While my usual experience with my FLX Buzzzes is mostly positive, I've never really gotten a handle on the Roc. I'm more likely to use a predictable driver to approach in the wind. My FLX surge is my usual choice. I'll even use it instead of the Buzzz when my shot is too short for a good Buzzz shot, as the Buzzz becomes extremely overstable at less than a full pull. Taking off some speed with the FLX Surge gives me a shot that I find more predictable. It blew hard here today, so this is fresh in my mind. My 23 holes were one stroke over my average. Keeping my shots low is pretty much a way of life for me, wind or not.

[Bullseye]

Hey All
Another question and observation for you .
First off the wind kicked up hard today. I went to throw after work and watched the wind knock my drivers and mids around. I threw at various angles to the wind as well to try to get a feel for the effects. Is this where you all would use a roller shot to drive or is there a trick to wind throwing? I do know that the lower the shot the better it flew.
My unscientific observation is as follows. I recently bought and started throwing a Buzz midrange. After some help from you all it is starting to fly right. I also decided to buy a Roc and give it a try as well. While I like both I noticed that in the strong wind today the Roc was hands down the better flying disc.
Thanks
Super Deluxe

It may have been due to the Roc being slightly more stable than the buzz. I've found using more overstable plastic helps me out in the wind. Throwing understable plastic requires finesse that is nearly impossible for me to achieve in heavy wind.

[olydiscgolf]

headwind = throw a stable disc
tailwind = throw something flippy

[Adam Schneider]

headwind = throw a stable disc
tailwind = throw something flippy
crosswind = cross your fingers

[Ol' Bob]

Crosswind - low and flat.

I find with my RHBH, a right to left crosswind to be a flipping wind, and the left to right, not so much. If the leading edge is spinning into the wind, it's more like a headwind.

[erp]

Agreed - although I would say, tailwind - flippy, all other angles (in heavy wind) throw something overstable.

headwind = throw a stable disc
tailwind = throw something flippy

[Ol' Bob]

Now admittedly, I don't have a strong throw, but if I toss something too overstable in a right-to-left crosswind, it's going to the stable side soon. I have to find a disc that won't break into its fade, because as soon as it does, that right-to-left wind gets under it and, bye bye disc. I think I'll learn everything there is to know about playing in wind in another twenty years or so.

[ChUcK]

Crosswind= be damn careful with a roller.

Getting the flight plate perpendicular to the ground, no matter the direction of the wind, usually produces seriously undesirable side effects that make rolling too dangerous an option on a breezy day.

Which is too bad, because I think rollers are fun to watch and throw.

[Scott]

Crosswind= be damn careful with a roller.

Getting the flight plate perpendicular to the ground, no matter the direction of the wind, usually produces seriously undesirable side effects that make rolling too dangerous an option on a breezy day.

Which is too bad, because I think rollers are fun to watch and throw.

I love watching somebody else's roller go skipping from side to side as it rolls down the fairway.


Notice I said "somebody else's". :biggrin2:

[JMan]

I still find it amazing that so many DGers struggle with the wind. Being an old schooler used to getting a huge ultimate or freestyle disc to use the wind, it was an easy transition to dg. That is not to say I have tons of control at times, it means I don't dread a windy day. Take today, I'm headed to Pier and I can't wait to fly the gusts.

[The Ombudsman]

Well said JMan.
Back in the olden days, we had no concept of 'stable' or 'flippy' In the wind, everything is flippy. The only answer to truly conquering the wind is to throw with hell'a extra spin and a ton more hyzer than you know.
For most folks, throwing with extra spin immediately equates to throwing with more velocity. Throwing a blunt edge disc such as a roc or buzz will allow a thrower to manually impart spin on a disc using hypersupination of the wrist, while controlling velocity with arm speed. This is the way we used to throw old school plastic. The new beveled edge discs cause the thrower to use more of a slingshot type of release. This causes more of a one to one relationship between arm speed and spin.
My advice here is to simply work on increasing the amount of spin on your throws without increasing the velocity and then increase the Hyzer accordingly. That is where true control comes from. Once you get this down, you will be amazed at the insane anhyzers you will be capable of throwing when there is no wind!

[LakeStevensBA]

Being an old schooler used to getting a huge ultimate or freestyle disc to use the wind, it was an easy transition to dg.

True Dat! On an extremely windy day, gather a few friends, find an open field, and play a couple hours of Ultimate!

It may not help your disc golf game, but it will remind you what your quads and hamstrings are for.
:cheers:

[DexterHawk]

In the wind you'll find out if you know how to throw a true hyzer that's for sure. I actually like playing in moderate wind. Not that it helps my score but it's a different challenge for sure.

[Super Deluxe]

Hey All
Thanks for all your input. It sounds like a roller would not be a good option in heavy wind. I play Vance a fair amount and it is not a real long course. However when that famous eastside wind kicks in I imagine it could make it seem long and tough. I am looking forward to the challenge.
When I was throwing the other day in the wind I tried to hyzer or anhyzer it depending on the wind trying to make the disc hold a straight line. I found the wind would just push the down side of the disc down and ground it.
It sounds like throwing with extra spin is the way to go? How about compensating for crosswinds. Would you throw a low shot with extra spin but just aim it into the wind a given amount to account for the winds push?
Last but not least I did not mean to start a Buzz/Roc thing, I just thought it was kind of interesting how different they flew given the conditions.
Super Deluxe

[captain jack]

Tailwind, kept the trailing edge up so the wind lifts the disc.
Headwind throw low and flat.

I have my own ideas on how to utilize cross winds to increase distance.
Like with a tailwind, I think the disc flies farther with the rim tipped up into the flow, creating lift.

I think the general curve of the disc flight should end with the wind helping the disc, not pushing it down.
So, for a right hand back hand, a wind coming from right to left should help.
If the wind is the opposite,left to right, then throw a forehand drive for the best carry.
Reverse this for lefties.

[Bruce]

Captain Jack, I tend to disagree slightly. A left to right crosswind will add more distance (generally speaking) for a RHBH. If you are going for true distance, if you throw a disc that turns over it will help create lift and hold the turn, the tail wind helping add stability as the disc loses speed and comes out of the turn. At least this is the case for me when I am working on pure distance and not accuracy while practicing.

[olydiscgolf]

IMO wind is the toughest element to golf in. I don't mind the cold and wet so much, but 10 foot putts seem like a mile to me in a strong wind.

[The Ombudsman]

One thing that I agree with is the Cap'n's advice about keeping it low into the wind.

Remember, the natural behavior of a spinning object in the air is for it to hit the ground and roll.

The more spin an object has, the faster it wants to roll. Compensate by increasing Hyzer.

Golf discs are designed to actually defy gravity - that is, they go to the ground at a skip angle (Hyzer, or overstable rather than a roll angle (Understable, or 'anHyzer') (I hate that bastardized word) To get these discs to flip, it takes an incredible amount of spin.

Hence, the laws of physics tell us that more spin and more hyzer = more distance/stability

I always tell newbs that true power comes from massive Hyzer

[Ol' Bob]

I wish I had the arm speed to apply that.

[The Ombudsman]

A great way to develop arm speed is to throw as hard as you can at extremely close range, i.e. Guts. The deal here is not accuracy. When you throw with wild abandon, you will be very wild. Big arms make big mistakes. My old piano teacher Jack Wheaton used to say that you will never learn to play fast unless you practice playing fast. Forget about making mistakes, he would tell me. just let'er rip!
I suggest throwing at a soccer net to save you having to chase down all those wild throws. Pretend you are trying to break glass or dent metal.

[Ol' Bob]

Or go out to the parking lot and play fer realz.

[The Ombudsman]

And I would certainly neither advocate destruction of property nor violence against another person. That is why I didn't suggest the OddJob throw....

[Ol' Bob]

Did Odd Job play 150 class?
http://www.straighttothebar.com/images/posts/070102_oddjob.jpg

[Getty]

Did Odd Job play 150 class?
http://www.straighttothebar.com/images/posts/070102_oddjob.jpg

I dunno but he had horrible throwing form even though you can't argue with the results.

[Ol' Bob]

Who makes the Hat? Just doesn't look like a good wind disc.

[Weatherman]

I dunno but he had horrible throwing form even though you can't argue with the results.

I think he had a cameo on a 1979 pre-make of Deep Impact. So maybe throws a bit larger hat...

[Getty]

Who makes the Hat? Just doesn't look like a good wind disc.

Gilette

[T-what?]

Who makes the Hat? Just doesn't look like a good wind disc.
Probably Quest AT.

[The Ombudsman]

Probably Quest AT.

and once it is perfected, Discrap will come up with a cheap knock off

[JMan]

and once it is perfected, Discrap will come up with a cheap knock off

A cheap knock off that throws the same, disc after disc after disc...