Gummy Discs !?!?

[Swampthing]

Hey guys, I have only been playing about a year and have heard a lot about "Gummy Discs". I know what they are but can someone give me some insight on specific uses for them. The gummy plastic just seems understable, like for easy turnover shots, and resists denting against trees. What do you guys like gummy plastic for?

[Adam Schneider]

Discs that come out of the mold with a "gummy" texture aren't more overstable or understable, they're just desirable because they give you better grip in cold or wet weather, and -- in the case of putters -- sometimes stick to the chains a little better.

[Swampthing]

Originally Posted by Adam Schneider

Discs that come out of the mold with a "gummy" texture aren't more overstable or understable, they're just desirable because they give you better grip in cold or wet weather, and -- in the case of putters -- sometimes stick to the chains a little better.

oh cool, that makes sense. Thanks for the reply.

[REDFIVE]

a gummy putter may grip the chains a little better but the flexing of the plastic in your hand may decrease accuracy. give and take.

[PDXDuck]

Originally Posted by REDFIVE

a gummy putter may grip the chains a little better but the flexing of the plastic in your hand may decrease accuracy. give and take.

Another benefit of that flex would be the disc absorbing more of the shock of impact and more likely to finish closer to where the impact occurs. At least that's what I like about my gummy spider compared to my non-gummy one.

[Brian]

Is it a random feature of a disc to be gummy? Or is it an intended variation of the plastic mix?

[REDFIVE]

intended.

[Adam Schneider]

Originally Posted by REDFIVE

intended.

Sure, they SAY it's intended.

[Brian]

Then you would think they would just make them all gummy. I haven't found anyone (yet) who likes a slick disc over a gummy one.

[jevon]

Originally Posted by Brian

I haven't found anyone (yet) who likes a slick disc over a gummy one.

Except for everyone that chooses KC Pro over JK Pro...

[PDXDuck]

I prefer slick plastic when throwing with a power grip. Just the grip pressure i use I guess. Unless it's a horribly wet day, the plastic doesn't make much difference with my control grip.

[Swampthing]

Sometimes, i wonder if all these different discs and variations just distract me from the game of golf. I find that the more discs I try out, the more I am convinced that I need to find a few discs and just stick with them. After all isn't the world record held by like an XL or a Valkyrie?

[Ol' Bob]

Finding what you like is good. Of course, what you like can, and likely will, change (sometimes minute to minute). Start to finish, good weather or bad, newbie or bagger, young buck or old fart, expect things to change. I find the game doesn't get boring. Always, playing within your game is key. The damned thing about all these kinds of plastic is, I can't carry a bag like Lowell's with my back. I see others using the gummy putters and think about the three putters I'm carrying already. I already like too many discs.

[Tim]

Originally Posted by Swampthing

Sometimes, i wonder if all these different discs and variations just distract me from the game of golf. I find that the more discs I try out, the more I am convinced that I need to find a few discs and just stick with them. After all isn't the world record held by like an XL or a Valkyrie?

Excellent revelation, especially for someone just getting into the sport. I wish I'd had the same forethought when I got started. If you can limit yourself to just a few different molds, and more beginner friendly ones at that, you'll grasp the fundamentals much better than if you go out and buy the latest super fast drivers and such.

I'd recommend having a putter, midrange, fairway driver, distance driver, and maybe add 1 super stable disc and 1 super flippy disc. Really, for pure fundamentals, I'd say just a putter, mid, and fairway driver would be best to learn with, but having a few other discs in the bag is more fun.

Here's a short list of discs I'd recommend for each category:
Putters: Aviar (there are several variations, but all are good), Challenger, Magnet, Wizard, Magic
Mids: Roc, Shark, Buzz, Impact
Fairway: Leopard, Gazelle, Cyclone, XL
Distance: Valkyrie, Teebird, Teebird-L (aka TL)
Super overstable: Firebird, Predator
Super flippy: Sidewinder, Roadrunner, Avenger SS

Discs like the Valk and Teebird I think might be labeled as "fairway drivers" these days, but they're still really distance drivers in the scheme of things. Stick with those until you feel really comfortable with them, and move up from there.

Edit: Ahh yeah, and back to the topic of gummy discs--I say just get the baseline plastic (DX, D, S--a.k.a the cheap stuff) for now. It's easier to grip, is less of an investment for trying things out, and can wear in to be a sweet sweet disc (especially so for mids and putters).

[REDFIVE]

putter- aviar
mid- shark
fairway- leopard
driver-valkyrie or roadrunner
learn these and then move on.

i throw innova so i am uneducated about discraft discs. there are discraft discs that are equal to these but i am unsure what they are. find a disc you like and stick with it. it is easier to learn a new disc when you have something to compare it to. i compare all new discs to a disc i already know and make the proper adjustments to learn that disc in a short time after a few throws. if you do not have a go to disc i recommend finding one. if you lose it buy the same mold. stay away from a revolving bag. throw in the field more than on the course when learning a disc. have fun.

[Adam Schneider]

Originally Posted by REDFIVE

i throw innova so i am uneducated about discraft discs. there are discraft discs that are equal to these but i am unsure what they are.

Putter - Magnet
Mid - Buzzz
Fairway - Cyclone, maybe Impact
Driver - XL

[JMan]

Sometimes, i wonder if all these different discs and variations just distract me from the game of golf. I find that the more discs I try out, the more I am convinced that I need to find a few discs and just stick with them. After all isn't the world record held by like an XL or a Valkyrie?

Like Tim said, you are on the right track! Don't buy into the corporate hype, the "holy Grail" of discs is always going to be that next one coming soon, never the ones you own. Innova and Discraft both survive by bringing out the next best thing, and convincing a large population that they can't live without it. Well ... bullshit. I carry 7 discs, 5 molds, and they have been the same for years. Find a few you love and throw well, and then become their master. Move on when you have exhausted the possibilities of that mold and your skill. It's that, or start spending larger and larger amounts of cash on discs that collect dust, are sold off at a considerable loss, or traded for the molds I mentioned above.

[Brian]

It's funny you guys mention those particular discs. He already throws a good portion of what you have listed. He is a very fast learner. He is way better than I was my first year.. but that was back in the 80's and I wasn't serious about it. Swampthing goes out and plays alot and is VERY advanced for his time played. When I started I lacked any guidance and really any decent discs. He has a lot more instruction at his disposal and he is doing very well.

He throws right now:

Putter: Wizard
Approach: XL/Buzzz/Roc and seems to lean towards the XL (this week at least hehe)
Fairway: Leopard
Regular driver: too many various discs I think
Flippy: Avenger SS in the past not sure if he has decided to move on
Hyzer: Wraith I believe


For a new player I would recommend:

Putter/Approach/Midrange: Buzzz or a KC Pro Roc
fairway/Distance driver: TL (because most people have a tendency to hyzer super hard when they first start.)

With those 2 discs most of us could par any course that we could par with multiple discs. if you throw really hard you could sub the TL for a wraith.

[RonTheWhip]

Gummy Innova discs aren't distinguished from the regular stuff, but usually is made that way to accomodate light weights.

Discraft has a specific line of plastic called FLX (Flex) that specializes in grip and absorbtion of tree and basket hits.

In either case, gummy plastic is grippier and has a tendancy to hit and stop as oppossed to hit and roll (or nick a tree and keep flying). It also has a tendancy to "collapse" in one's grip, resulting in slightly less accurate throws. Depending on how gumy a disc is, the outside edge of the disc that is not being held onto can droop away from the thrower, resulting in extra hyzer, or oddly enough, turn over quicker as the outside edge rebounds upward during the release of the disc.

[Swampthing]

Well, thanks for the compliment Brian!
Putter: Wizard
Approach: ROC
Fairway: XL / Leopard
Distance: Star Valkyrie/ Beast
Hyzer: Star Tee Rex
Flippy: ESP Avenger SS

I play about 4-5 times a week, and think about disc golf about 4 times every 4th minute (if that make sense). Anyway thanks for everyones sentiments. I would like to start playing with different guys, and also play some lower level tournaments. Any recommendations?