question from a new golfer

[scab]

i have just started playing disc golf this week and i am overwhealmed by all of the different disc brands.

I read an article on this sight that was very helpful on what discs would be good for a beginner like me. my question is about the wieght of the disks.

does the name of the disks have to do with the wieght? for example: are all "Buzzz" (midrange) going to be 176g? or can you find a "Buzzz" (midrange) that is lighter or heavier...

I notice that the name seems to always stay consistent with what type it is. example: All "Valkyrie's" are long distance drivers... As a new consumer of this sport I would find it comforting when making a choice if this consistency was the same as far as the wieght goes...

sorry if this is a dumb question... keep in mind that I am a newbie to this sport...

thank you

[garublador]

Welcome to disc golf! While the sheer number of different discs out there my be intimidating at first, many people find a lot of enjoyment in trying all of them out. I highly recommend following Blake's suggestions for starting out, though.

Every disc name (e.g. Buzzz, Valkyrie, Sabre, Roc, Aviar, etc.) is a different disc. The discs are injection molded and the different manufacturers give most molds a unique name. There are exceptions, like if they retool a mold but keep the name of the disc, but they aren't important now and those exceptions cause confusion for most golfers. So, any two Buzzzes will come from the same mold. Not only will they all be called "midrange" drivers, but they will all be very close to the same shape. Injection molding isn't an exact science so many times there will be small variances from run to run but they are normally minor. In other words, any specific name you find, like Valkyrie, Leopard or Roc refers to a specific mold, not an entire class of discs. That's the long answer to your second question. The short answer is "yes." All Valkyries are long distance drivers because they all come from the same mold.

To answer your first question, most all discs come in a range of weights. The PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) has rules governing how heavy a disc can be given it's size. Theoretically, discs can be as light as the manufacturers want and remain legal, but realistically, they can only get so light before they're unuseable. Normally you can go to a manufacturer's website and find the range of weights each disc comes in for any given plastic. You'll probably find that most discs will come in a range from 160g up to the maximum and many discs are also offered in "150g class" which means they are somewhere around 150g. Most people tend to like heavier midrange discs, so chances are you'll find a lot of heavy Buzzzs.

Hopefully those long-winded answers help.

[Blake_T]

does the name of the disks have to do with the wieght? for example: are all "Buzzz" (midrange) going to be 176g? or can you find a "Buzzz" (midrange) that is lighter or heavier...

garu pretty much summed it up, but as for this line, to expand on it more.

each name (mold) has its own physical properties which govern the maximum legal weight (although there is no minimum). for a buzz, (~21.5cm diameter or so) will carry a maximum legal weight of 178g. also, discraft produces the buzz and very rarely produces discs lighter than 164g (and rarely below 167g in Z plastic). i have seen buzzes (in various plastics) ranging from 160 to 178g.

recently, more and more manufacturers are producing plastic in the 145-165g range, but these still aren't as common as discs in the 169-175+ range.

discraft elite x and pro d discs (as well as DGA discs which are also produced by them) will have a weight range printed on them that follows a 160-164, 164-166, 167-169, 170-172, 173-174, 175-176, and 177+ labelling system (although if you find old back stock they may be of the original 165-169 and 170-174 system from when they first started using stickers). in z plastic the individual weight should be handwritten on the rim.

most other companies will have it written on the bottom of the disc (or inner rim in some cases) and be in 1g increments. ching takes this to the extreme and has them weighed within 1/10th of a gram.

one thing that should be of note when talking about the written weights is that discs that are labelled at the maximum legal weight are often heavier than they are marked so it's often more accurate if you buy discs that are marked 1-2 grams below the legal max.

[scab]

thank you guys for the great feedback. i couldnt of asked for more clear answers. all of the backround information of what goes into making certain disks made my concern extremely clear.

as a beginner, it is nice to know there is a place to go to get in-depth answers on my many disc golf questions.

nick

[1521]

I am new to posting so be patient with me please. I am a woman that throws 150 class plastic for drives and most approach/upshots. I come from the old school of making the disc fly the way you want it to go so I prefer understable plastic (comparatively speaking) . I use a special edition first run 148gram valkrie tye dye color for my main driver. If I need something a little more stable I use the same only In a Cheetah. For midrange, I used to have a nice 150gr Puma (yes bring it back), now I use a 155gr classic Roc, 172gr classic roc, an 11 time Ken Climo 168 gram multi purpose Roc, and the newest additon to the bag - a #2 driver by lightning 164 gr. My drives only go about 200+ feet so my approach is almost a second drive for me so I have a lot of variance in my 2nd shot. I also use a 147 gram aviar for sidearm approach as well as a 170gr Aviar X. Because for the lighter weight, the aviar has more float to it so when needed I use it. I heave nailed the basket from 80 to 100ft+ out with this disc. MY putting game has a lot of work to be done but I do have quite a bit a variety there also. I use 170 gr aviar, 172 Xputter , and 174 gr champion aviar, all depending on the obstacles in my way and distance from the basket. ADDICTED TO ZZZZZZ Marygrace

[TexasOutlaw]

Don't be afraid to ask questions. I ask dumb questions all the time.

When I first saw a 150 class disc, I asked the guy about it (it was somewhere in Austin), and he told me they were women discs. I'm not sure thats true, but my gf was using a 150 class gazelle and getting some good D out of it.

I used to use a 150 banshee to "drop" the disc over stuff (maybe a thumber or grenade, I still don't know all my terminology).

One of the furthest throws I've ever had was with a 150 valkerie, some signature edition. I have never been able to control a disc this light. In fact, the lightest I can control is about 163 or so. I carry 2 x avengers that are 165 for distance.

Also, I like them for kids.

[drunkentroubadour]

a great guide on discs can be found at:

http://www.marshallstreetdiscgolf.com/d ... guide.html