Teebird question

[Kingbee]

I got a 173g DX Teebird about a month ago. I have probably only 20 rounds of golf with this disc. It was turning into my favorite disc. Great glide, super strait and long disc. Just in the past couple days I have noticed its flight patterns have totaly changed. Ill throw it back hand with a little anhyzer. It takes off going to the right slightly, then all the sudden it goes way right. I used to be able to count on it returning to the left. Or if I throw it with a little hyzer it will turn real hard to the left. It will do the same things when thrown side arm. It was a really predictable long, strait, easy disc to throw. It seems like its got really touchy. Its turning harder and faster than my orc or when i throw my buddies Wraith.

Is this the way teebirds are supposed to fly once they get worn in?

[krusen]

For me they fly pretty straight when thrown with a bit of hyzer. Were you throwing into a headwind? If not, it sounds like you need to work on your technique.
If you're flipping it over from a flat release, and it won't flatten from a hyzer realease, something is wrong with you throw.

[Kingbee]

I havnt changed anything with my throw. I can throw my orc and even my champ Teebird rite after throwing the DX teebird and they fly the rite way. I dont know...

[Blake_T]

seems you have discovered the nature of dx plastic.

it loses its fade characteristics before it loses its high speed stability whereas champ/pro plastic will lose its high speed stability before it loses its fade.

imo, staying high speed stable while fading less is better.

dx teebirds and 9x/10x kc teebirds have never been good straight flyers if you start them anhyzer. the fade on them is just not strong enough to pull it out of an anhyzer.

as for idealized behavior of dx teebirds:
when new: thrown flat they fly straight (no turn) and fade slight left left.
when broken in: thrown slight hyzer they flip up, fly straight (no turn) and fade slight left.
when very broken in: thrown moderate hyzer they flip up, fly straight and land flat (no fade).

chances are the one you bought was a bit too heavy for you, as ideally you shouldn't need an anhyzer to make them fly straight for 75%+ of their flight even when new. if you aren't able to flip them up from a slight hyzer, may want to work on hyzer flips.

[Kingbee]

Before I continue this conversation I just need to clarify something. I have been playing for a while but am new to talking about disc golf this technicaly. So Im not familiar with all the terms yet. I see the term "flip" used a lot. What do you mean by "flip"?

[trogdor]

"then all the sudden it goes way right. " = flip from a flat release
Flip from a hyzer release would be "all of a sudden, it flattens out."

I agree, w/ Blake on Tee-Birds. They like to be thrown slightly hyzer to flat for a good straight flight.

As far as this happening all of a sudden, the wear of the disc could do it, but I'm guessing it's been getting hotter and more humid fairly rapidly in Ohio hasn't it? I don't understand disc physics too much, but it seems warm, humid air will augment whatever flight characteristics a disc has. If it will turn slightly in the high speed portion of the flight, it should turn even more in this weather. <-- Personal experience, no science to back that up!

If it flips on a flat release, but won't flatten from hyzer, it sounds like you may not be getting as much power on the hyzer release as you are from your flat release. (Try pulling straight through on your flat release, making sure not to swing your arm out away from your body. My guess is the Tee-Bird won't flip as much with that toss.)

[Kingbee]

It is getting warmer. I was throwing it today, first time throwing in in 85 deg weather. I might be getting sloppy with my form. I know I have the power to throw the disc. I have never had a disc that I could throw hyzer and it would flatten out. Usualy when I throw a disc hyzer its goign to go left and not flatten out.

Ill keep throwing it, sounds like this disc can do more than I thought it could.

So "flipping" a disc is when it goes from flat to left or right? So a Hyzer flip would be going from flat to left for BHRH and visa versa for anhyzer flip? If thats the case, how does the disc "flip up" like blake mentioned above?

[krusen]

It is getting warmer. I was throwing it today, first time throwing in in 85 deg weather. I might be getting sloppy with my form. I know I have the power to throw the disc. I have never had a disc that I could throw hyzer and it would flatten out. Usualy when I throw a disc hyzer its goign to go left and not flatten out.

Ill keep throwing it, sounds like this disc can do more than I thought it could.

So "flipping" a disc is when it goes from flat to left or right? So a Hyzer flip would be going from flat to left for BHRH and visa versa for anhyzer flip? If thats the case, how does the disc "flip up" like blake mentioned above?

Flipping a disc is when it goes from flat to right (RHBH) or from hyzer to flat. Hyzer to flat is called a hyzer flip. I don't believe there is a shot called an anhyzer flip. A flex shot is when you release an overstable disc anhyzer and it eventually comes back to the left.

Sorry for busting on your form right away..I misread you post. I agree tho that you should learn the hyzer flip... it will give you more distance than you are getting now with a fairly reliable flight pattern. Just throw the teebird with a slight hyzer release and a full rip, and it should flip to flat. You need to experiment with the right amount of hyzer angle. The more the disc gets beat up, the more angle you need. I learned this shot w/ a beat up Teebird, and my love of the game grew immensly at that moment.

[Kingbee]

Ill work on the hyzer flip. I gota be honest though, I dont see the disc being thrown back hand with a hyzer angle going back flat. If its not doing that is it a power thing? Is a Hyzer flip something you can practice or does it have more to do with having a really understable disc?

[Blake_T]

hyzer flip describes any shot that begins hyzer and shifts to flat or turned.

teebirds are more apt to flatten and stay flat whereas a disc like a sidewinder will flatten and turn (that is what makes teebirds great, not a lot of discs do this).

flattening a hyzer is a factor of speed, trajectory, and nose angles.

if you pull a hyzer to the right of center (even 1 degree) it becomes much more difficult to flatten (unless the disc is severely beaten).

if you push a hyzer to the left it becomes easier to flatten.

[Kingbee]

Thanks for all your help!

[trogdor]

I don't believe there is a shot called an anhyzer flip.

Sure there is, but most of us call it a roller

[Kingbee]

ahhh, good point.

[MrTasses]

Is is possible that you are throwing the disc nose-up? If you throw it RHBH nose-up anny, it will tend to turn right, nose-up hyzer will turn left. If it was simply a wear issue, I would expect the disc would not fade as hard when thrown hyzer.

Check Blake's technique repair articles to see if those help.

[Bradley Walker]

As for T-Bird wear, please see my thread on break in.

I believe the greatest amount of break in is occurring at the base of the bottom stabilizer ring where the height of the ring is actually changed over time.

The T-Bird and the Eagle are the two discs that really seem to get better as the stabilizer wears down and smooths, becoming the beloved heyser "flip up" disc that everyone talks about wanting. The Cyclone is another. These are discs that have true "stabilizer" bottoms, and just slight amount of wear on the bottom can result in a much more self flattening flight, and more speed.

I believe the more "pointy" the stabilizer ring (in the vertical), the faster it wears. Also, the cheaper the plastic the faster it wears. There also seems to be some evidence that the wear slows after the initial "flash"wears off. The wear becomes more gradual because of the taper of the ring. So, there is more material to wear, the more the rings erodes.

Please feel free to measure your beloved "broken in" T-Bird against a new one. Chances are that there is a very visible difference in the bottom stabilizer heights.