Why ‘stable’ is such a complex term in disc golf

By: Taylor Larsen

The term “stable” is one of the most complex in all of disc golf.

Used to describe the flight of a disc, here’s how my brain understands it …

And many others’ brains, as well.

From the perspective of a right-hand, backhand throw:

  • Overstable discs fade left.
  • Understable discs turn right.
  • And stable discs fly straight.

In short, stable means straight.

DGPT: Andrew Marwede

So when somebody drops a disc review on YouTube and uses terms like “more stable” or “less stable,” like-minded (and overly sensitive) golfers lose their minds in the comments section. If stable really means straight, you can’t do more of it – straight is straight, and that’s the end of it.

Simple enough, right?

As clear-cut as the above might seem, not everybody thinks like me or you or whomever …

Shocking.

For others, “stable” is NOT a stand-alone term.

Instead, “stability” is a spectrum – it refers to a disc’s resistance to turn. Discs are either “more stable” (not overstable) or “less stable” (not understable). Straight discs are in the middle.

For example, think back to that environmental science class you took in eighth grade. In it, you likely learned there’s no such thing as cold – just the absence of heat. Still, normal people say the weather’s hot, pleasant or cold. Smart people, however, think in terms of more heat vs. less heat.

Semantics.

DGPT: Isaac Robinson

So, which one’s right?

I’m gonna be honest with you …

Though I prefer the former, I have no earthly idea.

But it’d be nice if we could all get on the same page.

Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.

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Photo of author

Taylor Larsen

Taylor Larsen is a staff writer for Green Splatter. He uses disc golf to self-reflect, pondering questions like, "Where the heck did I throw that?" and "What happens if the disc lands on top of the basket?" He resides in Utah with his dog, Banks, who loves to chase frisbees of all sorts.

9 thoughts on “Why ‘stable’ is such a complex term in disc golf”

  1. Perhaps I misunderstood the article–or my understanding of “stable” in the context of disc golf is incorrect–but stable originally referred to an overstable disc (before transitioning to its current meaning of a straight disc).

    When someone says, “that disc is really STABLE!” they typically mean that it’s an overstable disc. A “more stable” disc is overstable; a “less stable” disc is understable. Your article has these definitions reversed.

    Keep up the good work. I enjoy reading your guys’ takes.

    Best,
    James

    Reply

    • Thanks for reading, James!

      The topic’s a bit confusing, for sure …

      So the article doesn’t actually assert that one is more correct than the other.

      The idea that a “stable” disc is a “straight” disc is the initial definition presented in this article.

      It’s also the one the author (Taylor) agrees with most.

      The second definition presented is that “stabilitiy” is a spectrum of a disc’s ability to resist turn.

      And because of it, “stable” isn’t really a thing, if that makes sense …

      It’s simply what exists between “more stable” and “less stable.”

      Again, neither is correct or incorrect – just two different ways of thinking of virtually the same thing.

      Hope that helps!

      Reply

  2. I prefer to think of it as the spectrum of stability, with straight flying discs being labeled as neutral. But I totally get the confusion because of the over/under terms combined with the very definition of “stable” outside of disc golf. But I feel like more often than not when someone says that disc is stable, they mean over stable and not neutral. Words are hard.

    Reply

  3. I’m very much in the same boat with you where misusing words annoys the crap out of me, but for some reason this topic is an exception.

    I just find saying “more over stable” very clunky when “more stable” gets the point through just the same.

    In general for me the stability ranges from under to over stable with stable lying somewhere in between. Stable as such doesn’t really mean much to me as it depends on so many factors like arm speed, nose angle, wind, etc. For a specific shot I may try to pick a straight disc, but that’s about it.

    Reply

  4. Love the Green Splatter…I started disc golf about 5 years ago. Everyone always was talking about stable disc’s, overstable and understable etc…Didn’t really know what all that meant until this article cleared things up. So, thanks. Keep the blog articles coming.

    Reply

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