How is it possible to throw a disc farther than a baseball? A ball is hardly a wing, however, much to the surprise of a lot of would-be-aero dynamists, it is an aerodynamic device. An overhand pitch with the fingers on top of the ball can actually climb above its natural gravitational flight. This little known fact was something utilized by the Chinese and later by a gentleman named Magnus in 1853. The ball is spinning with a back-spin and the air pressure on the bottom of the ball is higher than the pressure on the top, as is the case with a wing in flight. This pressure differential causes the ball to rise. It is also what causes the curve to curve, and the crazy flight of the no spin spit ball, hence, The Magnus Effect (force).

The Magnus Effect:

A properly thrown disc can easily outdistance a thrown ball because of its wing-like characteristic. As the forward speed slows, the pull of gravity actually provides most of the energy for the last quarter of the flight. The disc "glides" to earth. The baseball conversely is in effect falling from the time it leaves the throwers hand, at a rate of approximately 32 fps/ps. Even the Magnus effect only partially slows it's rate of descent. The disc thrown backhand with the wind from left to right is also assisted by the Magnus force which in this case actually pushes the disc as it's forward motion slows. (Try it with a foam cup without a bottom).

Figure 20. magnus effect and flight.

Life would indeed be simple if all the distance players and disc designers had to worry about was the Magnus effect. A disc flies something like a wing of an airplane and is stabilized by its gyroscopic characteristics. The conditions and forces that combine to cause this free flying wing, that is only 8 to 12 inches in diameter, to fly directly to its target 100 yards away are so compound that modern science has, as yet, failed to explain this phenomenon of flight. Every effect described on subsonic aerodynamics apply's to the disc High speed stall, low speed stall, Bernoulli effect, Magnus, etc., and one more that airplanes don't usually have to worry about, Precession. This is the effect that causes one of the poles of a gyroscope to move 90 degrees in the direction of the spin away from a force applied to the pole.

Figure 21. Magnus effect and the flight of a disc.

When a disc is launched its shape presents an airfoil to the passing air - a center of lift is quickly established. The catch is, the center of lift is not the center of the disc. In fact, it isn't even on the center line of the disc. On a right hand backhand throw it is to the left of the center line and behind the center of the disc. This astable lift is felt by the gyroscope as being a force attempting to raise the rear of the disc which causes the left edges to try to raise. Impact lift strikes the underneath side of the flight plate and coupled with an apparent high speed stall on the lifting surface, balances the precession force. Note: This phenomenon is the prime reason for increasing the tilt to the left as launch velocity is increased. The disc is momentarily stable, in balance, and the flight appears to be controlled. The dynamics affecting the flight of the disc are far from static and are, in fact, in a state of constant change. The disc slows dramatically in the first 20 feet and as it slows, the center of lift changes. As it changes, the precession force changes. Without pursuing the continuing fluid change to infinity, lets go ahead to the point where the disc has lost most of its forward speed (aerodynamic lift), but is still spinning. At this point most stable discs begin to drop like a parachute and land flat or tail first.

Figure 22. How a disc fly's - lift and the angle of the disc.

Some discs, the ones best for distance, fly in a soft "S" curve, flat with a slow curve to the right, then a slow recovery to the left. These discs are astable, because of the shifting center of lift, and instead of parachuting to a landing, usually land in a glide with the leading edge striking the ground first. This glide can improve the distance by 5 or 10%. If all of this sounds complicated, imagine the complexity of a throw or launch that compensates for all the flight characteristics of the discs, the wind, air temperature and altitude, etc., and propels the disc 100 yards, or more, accurately! Distance throwers practice their form and technique for hours every day and have usually worked for several years before they break the 100 yard barrier. A good form, the correct disc and practice, practice, practice! Note: All spins are reversed if thrown left handed.

Figure 23. Astable (Unstable) and stable disc flight distance characteristics.

A 40 mold manufactured between 1978 and 1982 will normally strike the ground at the same angle it was launched. This disc is called a "stable" disc and has no equal. A 41 mold made during the same period will, when launched at the same angle as a 40 mold, come up to a flat angle at mid flight and 'turn slightly to the right. At a point approximately 20% from landing it will turn back to the left with an increased glide angle. This is an "astable", or unstable disc. The 70 mold has a similar but more gradual unstable flight characteristic.

An over-stable disc is one which, after launched, continues to turn to the left. Some good M.T.A. (maximum time aloft) and T.R.C. (throw, run and catch) Fast-backs have this characteristic. The more it slows the more it turns. The self-caught flight disc follows a glide-pattern after it has reversed direction much the same as the down hill test glide. Once you have mastered the proper launch you will be able to easily observe your disc in a flight pattern that closely resembles the last half of a distant throw.

The weight can also be tested in this manner and may surprise you; a light 41 mold will often out-distance a 40 mold that is 20 or 30 grams heavier. Conversely, a heavy 41 mold thrown downwind may not be the best choice.

Take your throwing stock on a hill and learn how they fly. Then apply this knowledge to your game. The right disc at the right time can make all the difference. Before you throw any disc in test be sure you adjust it to "dead flat." Check it on a flat piece of plywood or something that is convenient and flat. Throw the disc a few times until you have recorded its flight characteristics, then twist it into a slight warp. Now throw it again. Different flight? That is why you should always check your disc for "flat" before you throw it in competition; surprises lose tournaments!

Psychology:

Now that you have mastered putting, approach, grip, distance, and disc selection, let's get into a little armpit sweating competition. There are as many schools of thought on this subject as there are competitors. There is no question that the adrenalin that makes you sweat also makes you sharper. Unfortunately, it can also make your hands shake and your vision blur. It can also turn a generally mild-mannered person into a raving maniac!

The trick is to learn to control the amount of adrenalin that your adrenal glands secrete, ie., psyche yourself up, but not over the top. Learn to relax whenever you feel you are losing it. Practice this ability as much as you practice your throws.

Muscles tend to contract and become over tense when too much adrenaline is present. Hang your arms loosely at your side and shake them from the shoulders down, much like a dog shaking off water. Concentrate positively on your next throw and eliminate any doubt from your mind. Fear and anger will cause more adrenaline to flow than you can control, so control fear and anger before they get loose. An angry uncontrolled explosion will cost you the game. Have you ever seen a champion lose control and still win? Not very often.

Figure 27. Psychology and the game of Disc Golf.

Psychologist claim that an active mind talks to itself at the amazing rate of 800 plus words per minute. That is approximately the equivalent of two pages of single spaced typing bombarding an already busy mind every minute. What is even more amazing is that we can selectively control the subject matter, screen out negative thoughts and concentrate on specific problems.

It seems reasonable that 800 W.P.M. of positive thoughts could help any game including Disc Golf. It is equally reasonable to assume that 800 W.P.M. of negative thoughts could literally destroy your game. Try listening to your mind for a minute - just stop reading and relax.

Now come back - do you remember the subjects? Incredible right? This time, before you relax, make up your mind to only have complimentary positive thoughts. Only relax enough to keep the filters up and let the good thoughts through. If it didn't work the first time try it again, and again. Soon, as if by magic, you will hear a torrent of positive thoughts.

Figure 28. Throw with focus and concentration.

Now practice with a disc. Think out the shot, store all the information you need, then turn on the positive words. It has to help relieve the tensions caused by negative thoughts. In fact, negative thoughts can't cause tension, (choke) if they don't occur. Each of us has a different level of self esteem. It really is easier to smile than to frown but most of us frown many times more than we smile. It really is easier to compliment ourselves than to administer a severe tongue lashing to our already frustrated brain. Those words we mutter after a missed putt injure our self confidence so painfully that a complimentary or positive though is almost unrecognizable. Try laughing at yourself; smile if you blow an easy shot; it is almost impossible to stay angry or frightened when you smile. Remember, stay loose and in control. If we had just smiled and complimented ourselves on a good try instead of kicking our brain in the golf bag, we would approach the next problem with more confidence and less pain.

We are what we tell ourselves we are, if we say it often enough. Eight hundred words per minute can be overwhelming and is certainly enough to make you a confident champion or a nervous wreck (almost champion). Think good about yourself. You are the most important person you know. Smile if you want to be a winner.

Figure 29. Smile if you want to be a winner.

Predestination:

Do you remember the first time you saw a disc thrown in a direction so far from the catcher that your mind concluded it was a bad throw, only to have the disc follow an erratic path directly to the catcher's hand? Amazing, incredible, incredulous - what was the feeling? The word is predestination. The thrower predestined its final landing place and somehow communicated that information to the inanimate disc. The disc did the rest.

Supernatural? I don't think so, but sometimes it looks and feels like it. Perhaps the closest answer is total concentration. Every fiber in your body can be tuned into one objective with awesome accuracy. Trick shot artists watch their bullet leave the barrel and strike the target! They actually have the total concentration required to speed up their reflexes enough to see the bullet.

Once you have mastered every throw or even got to the point where you are a qualified master player, try predestination. Visualize the flight all the way into the hole; picture each segment, the reaction to the spin, the wind, the angle of attack, type of disc and anything else you can think of that will affect the flight, then throw. Each time you do this exercise, your predestination instructions will improve and become more automatic. There may be a time when you will say to your mind "Throw an M.T.A. shot 50 yards out over the crowd and bring it back through the hoop on the basketball back stop in the center of the arena." Victor Malafronte and John Kirkland both accomplished this truly amazing throw several times while on tour with the Harlem Globe Trotters. Just skill? I don't think so. Chance? Once perhaps, twice - no way. Predestination?

I believe we all have untapped abilities that really are not too difficult to utilize in our everyday activities. All we need is to exercise that little used portion of our brain. Then perhaps the toy disc, we all love and enjoy, will truly become an extension of ourselves.

Figure 30. Throw an M.T.A. shot 50 yards out over the crowd and bring it back through the hoop on the basketball back stop in the center of the arena." Victor Malafronte and John Kirkland both accomplished this truly amazing throw several times while on tour with the Harlem Globe Trotters. Just skill? I don't think so. Chance? Once perhaps, twice - no way. Predestination?

I believe we all have untapped abilities that really are not too difficult to utilize in our everyday activities. All we need is to exercise that little used portion of our brain. Then perhaps the toy disc, we all love and enjoy, will truly become an extension of ourselves.

Next Up: Conclusion - Throws & Strategy of Tournament Play by "Steady" Ed Headrick.