Amateur Challenge Tournament
Tips & Tricks
General tips & tricks meant for the newer disc golf player or tournament player. Some nuggets of information may even help the more seasoned players out there!
Discs Change in the Cold
Jan 31st
Did you know that the flight characteristics of your discs change based on how hot or cold they are? And how hot or cold the temperature outside is? (there’s an important distinction between those two points, which we’ll get to in a minute)
If a disc is warm, it will tend to flex a little more in your hand. The plastic (or rubber, if you’re holding a Vibram disc) will soften up and will probably feel like it has a little more grip to it. The disc will also be more apt to flying flat or turning over out of your hand. A cold disc however is going to stiffen up, in some extreme cases becoming so brittle in the cold you may even be able to crack or shatter the disc if you hit a tree or another obstacle with too much force (or hit it in just the right [wrong] way). A cold disc is going to lose some of that grippiness, which may make it more difficult to throw as well.
In the cold, you also will not likely have as much moisture on your hand. While it is probably obvious that you don’t want your hand to be out-and-out sweating when you go to throw, you also generally want some moisture on your hand to contribute to the grip. ‘No moisture’ means the disc will be more apt to slide right out from between your fingers, which may mean a lack of control when you go to throw.
In the winter, the colder weather brings a much more “dead” air with it. Discs do not like to stay aloft without warm pockets of air to float on, and so discs will usually seem like they start dropping sooner than you may be used to. The disc hyzering out (hooking) early is the product of that effect, which means you can consider ALL of the discs in your bag to be more overstable during the winter months. Conversely, once warmer weather comes you will probably notice the same discs thrown the same way will fly further before dropping out of their flight. You can also usually contribute some of that to wearing less clothing, since the lack of bulk around your body means your can create a much more efficient throw and generate more power – but for the most part, the difference is simply in the air.
Many players like to throw softer plastic in the winter, like Innova Pro plastic and Discraft FLX plastic, since the softer plastic has a more natural grip for the cold weather (not to mention it’s easier to dry off than much of the “candy” champion/z-type plastic out there). Other players may throw lighter discs to compensate for the “overstability” of the discs they normally carry in their bag.
What you choose to do is up to you. Get out there, experiment, and remember to keep watching how your discs fly as the weather starts to get warm again. Not only will your discs be changing their flight pattern as you break them in, but those rising temps may make your “new favorite driver” something you retire quickly when April comes. Keep throwing, and have fun doing it!
Keeping Warm While Playing In the Cold
Jan 24th
This week we’re going to address a critical piece of playing disc golf, and especially tournaments, in the winter weather – staying warm. Keeping feeling in your hands is a critical piece of throwing to the best of your ability. When your hands freeze up you can lose a lot of moisture in your skin, which affects how well the disc “grips” in your hand compared to nicer weather; you will probably feel like your hand in general is not as dexterous (if you can even “feel” the disc well at all, depending on how cold you are); and overall you’ll just be fighting the discomfort throughout the day.
Staying warm starts, of course, by dressing properly. You shouldn’t go out on a 10-degree day in your mesh-top trail running shoes, a pair of jeans, and a hooded sweatshirt. Dress in layers and try to be mindful of what you may be able to shed during the day if you happen to get too warm during a round. Just as being too COLD can hinder your play, getting overheated can also have adverse effects on your game. Waterproof boots, gaiters, thermal/UnderArmor style layers, merino wool socks, gloves, etc: just plan for what you may encounter and try to dress accordingly.
Hand/foot warmers are a great way to keep the chill out of your extremities, especially your throwing hand. You can often buy hand warmers at your local pharmacy or home improvement store in 2-packs for around $1 each, with many brands advertising 8-10 hours of warmth. They don’t get so hot as to burn you, even if they sit right on your skin all day, they can mean a world of difference.
As far as gloves go, the decision seems to boil down to personal preference. Many players prefer to keep a glove on their non-throwing hand all day, and either keep taking the glove off their throwing hand whenever it’s their turn to play or opt to keep their throwing hand in a pocket. Sometimes you may find that if your throwing hand starts to sweat in your glove, it’s going to feel that much colder when you take it out and expose it to the elements. Do that 50+ times in one round, perhaps over more than 1 round in a day, and it can get fairly uncomfortable. Plus, every time you take the glove off you risk losing it or accidentally dropping it into the snow. This is where if you DO opt to keep your throwing hand out of a glove all day, the afore-mentioned hand warmers may be a great idea to stick in your pocket.
At all costs, avoid sticking your throwing hand into snow! Players not used to playing in snow often find themselves constantly picking up their discs out of the snow, to then find their hand cold and/or wet. Focus on picking up discs with your non-throwing hand, and you will reduce the number of factors you have to battle during the day. If you’ve made it a good deal of the day keeping your throwing hand warm and comfortable before sticking it in a snowbank, you could find the sudden cold and excess moisture extremely difficult to content with as you try and take your next shot(s).
All of the above are just a few simple tips, and obviously this is by no means a comprehensive list. Most players develop their own strategies for playing in different conditions whether it’s rain, snow, sub-zero temperatures, wind, or blisteringly hot days. Through trial and error, and listening to the advice of others, you will slowly develop and realize your own preferences for playing in different conditions as well.
Got any tips of your own that you’d like to share? Want to expand on something touched upon here? Feel free to leave a comment on this post! Tune in next week for more tournament Tips & Tricks… see you then!
