There are a few things disc golfers love to bash on:
- Slam No. 1 – Joel Freeman.
- Slam No. 2 – Paywalls of any kind.
- Slam No. 3 – Niko Locastro’s putting routine.
- Slam No. 4 – The Disc Golf Network commentary team.
- Slam No. 5 – The godless heathen who came up with this monstrosity.
And one more for good measure …
Flight numbers.
Speed | Glide | Turn | Fade
The main complaint here is that they frequently misrepresent how a disc actually flies. Naturally, the consequence of faulty flight numbers is buyer’s remorse. When somebody buys a Star Roadrunner, they’re not looking for a Star Thunderbird – not at all a good look.
I get it.
But let’s examine the hypothetical annihilation of flight numbers …
If looking to fill a specific slot in your bag, you could buy used, borrow a buddy’s potential suitor or research reviews online to see what might fit the bill. Back to reality: Even with the apparent oppression that is flight digits, you should STILL do all of that stuff …
Nothing changes.
First, because flight numbers (clearly) aren’t perfect. Disc manufacturers don’t onboard teams of ex-NASA scientists to come up with ‘em. It’s trial-and-error; it’s best-guess approximations.
And second, flight numbers can’t account for everything that goes into determining how a disc flies: Form, weather, arm speed, hand size, level of skill, zodiac sign – they ALL play a role.
For me, flight numbers serve as a tool for basic disc categorization: overstable, stable and understandable – you know the drill. They give me loose suggestions. From there, I take it upon myself to “do my own research” and figure out what’ll work for me and my own D.G. game.
Yes, there are some serial offenders out there: The Luna, Grym, Malta, Origin and Sidewinder, all come to mind. Heck, the illustrious Star Destroyer is all over the stability map. But even with all of their flaws, flight numbers are WAY better than blindly trusting what the internet says …
R.I.P. Rowan Atkinson: January 1955 – May 2021
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