Breaking Down the Flight Ratings System

Video Transcript

expressed as a series of four figures normally found on the front of a disc disolf flight numbers are a representation of a disc's aerodynamic properties four key parameters speed Glide turn and Fade All serve as a guide as to what to expect out of a disc before throwing it let's break down the flight rating system and see how these numbers can assist you in finding a dis that supports your skill level and playing style first we have speed this number is not just about how fast the disc can go but the power you need to unleash its optimal flight a speed five disc by its design requires less power to fly optimally than a speed 12 disc does in a lot of cases a lower speed disc will fly farther and more accurately than a high-speed disc when thrown with lower arm speeds additionally the same disc will follow a different flight depending on a thrower's arm speed just take a look at how different arm speeds affect the same disc if you're interested in seeing how power levels can affect flight shapes MVP's flight feathers do a great job of representing the potential flight shapes across the power Spectrum next we have Glide this parameter represents a disc's ability to maintain lift and extend its Airborne time during flight a disc with a high Glide rating is designed to maximize lift to stay in the air for an extended period of time lower Glide ratings indicate a disc with less inherent lift resulting in a quicker descent and more resistance to the wind discs with higher Glide ratings tend to be easier to throw for newer players the third number brings us to our next characteristic of disc flight turn defined by a negative number turn describes the disc's initial tendency to drift right during flight as a result of Bern's principle exerting more lift on the upper left surface of the disc discs with turn will drift towards the right during this phase of the flight gyro discs will have a more predictable and controllable turn phase of flight because of the enhanced gyroscopic effect knowing the disc's turn can allow for more precise shot shaping of your throw finally we have fade which is represented with a positive number for a right-hand backhand thrower this number determines the disc's tendency to fade...