Understanding disc golf flight numbers is crucial for every player aiming to improve their game. These numbers—Speed, Glide, Turn, and Fade— serve to communicate how a disc is intended to fly. They are an especially helpful tool to help players know what to expect out of a disc before throwing it. Understanding these numbers can effect your disc selection strategy and on-course performance. This guide simplifies the concept of flight numbers, providing you with the knowledge to choose the right disc confidently. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, mastering these fundamentals is key to elevating your disc golf game. Let’s delve into the world of flight numbers and unlock the potential of your disc golf arsenal.
Understanding Flight Numbers
Speed / Glide / Turn / Fade
The majority of stock run discs come with a series of 4 boxed-in numbers, called “flight numbers”. Flight numbers were initially created and implemented by Innova Discs. Innova wanted players to be able to determine a disc’s intended purpose without having to throw it. They settled on the 4 number system that is still in use today. It took a while for other companies to follow suit, but now almost every disc golf manufacturer uses the same four number system.
The four numbers represent four flight attributes: speed, glide, turn, and fade (in that order). The numbers can tell you generally if the disc is a putter, midrange, fairway driver, or distance driver. They can also tell you how much a disc is intended to turn during its flight, how long it’ll glide in the air, and how hard it will fade at the end. A quick look at a disc’s flight numbers, and you can know exactly what it was designed to do!
Let’s dive into each attribute, and unlock the secrets of flight numbers.
Speed: The Launchpad
The first of the flight numbers, and arguably the most important one, is speed. Speed can range anywhere from 1 to 15. 1-speed discs are the lowest speed putters, and 15-speed discs are the fastest distance drivers. Typically, discs that range from 1-3 are putters, 4 and 5 are midranges, 6-8 fairway drivers, and 9 and above are distance drivers.
Speed tells you what kind of disc you’re holding, but that’s not all!
The easiest way to understand speed’s purpose is to assign the same 1-15 speed spectrum to your own arm-speed. If you throw a 12-speed disc at an arm speed of only 9, the disc isn’t going to fly as intended, and will fade harder than the numbers would indicate. The same is true if you throw a 12-Speed disc at an arm speed of 15, you’ll get more turn and possibly less fade than the flight numbers say.
The values for glide, turn, and fade are all relative to the speed in which a disc is thrown. In other words, if you don’t throw a disc at the speed it wants, the other flight numbers will not accurately describe its flight. The speed of a disc is basically the serving size for a recipe.
Glide: Sustaining Flight
The second flight number represents the glide of the disc and ranges from 1 to 7. A disc with 1 glide doesn’t want to hold a line, it just wants to get to the ground. A disc with 7 glide has the highest glide imaginable, and will want to float on forever.
A huge misconception with flight numbers is how they relate to overstability and understability. No one individual number tells you the stability of a disc, but the combination of glide, turn, and fade do. Speed doesn’t really indicate anything about the stability.
A high glide can be an indicator that a disc will hold a straight line, or be very stable. Most understable discs also have a higher glide. A low glide can indicate that a disc is more overstable, but you’ll only get the full picture after looking at the turn and fade.
Turn: Changing Course
If you’ve ever thrown an understable disc, then you’ve seen turn first-hand! Turn describes the part of the flight when the disc angle changes from the angle you threw it on. This usually this happens pretty early in the flight, but there are also discs that have “late-turn”. The range for turn goes from +1 to -5. The closer you get to -5, the more a disc will turn to the right, indicating understability. Discs with +1 turn will actually turn to the left, but this kind of overstable disc is uncommon.
Fade: The Final Arc
Fade, the final flight number, describes the last part of a disc’s flight. Once a spinning disc runs out of steam, it only has one thing left to do: get to the ground. Some discs will maintain a straight flight throughout. These seemingly “fadeless” discs have a fade of 0. A disc that angles hard to the left and spikes down into the ground would be rated a 6, the highest fade possible.
Discs with higher fade are generally overstable. Discs with extremely high fade usually have very low glide, because all these discs want to do is fight left and down. Starting out, it can seem like all discs have a very high fade, because beginners typically lack the arm-speed and form to keep discs adrift.
Different Manufacturers: Different Flight Numbers
While (almost*) all manufacturers use the same four number system in the same order, it’s important to note that each company is in charge of rating its own discs. This means that two discs with the same flight numbers may not fly exactly the same if different companies produced them. There are no standardized measurements, testing methods, or oversight for the creation of flight numbers. Armed with flight numbers, manufacturers can easily communicate what the intended purpose is of any disc. You can trust them, but keep in mind that it is not an exact science, and sometimes a flight number selection can be more about branding a disc than accurately describing its flight.
*Note: Discraft has a 5 number system. The first 4 are the traditional speed, glide, turn and fade. Before they adopted the 4 number system, Discraft used their own 1 number system to describe the flights. They’ve since conformed to the traditional 4 number system, but still include their 1 number today as the 5th flight number.
Beyond Flight Numbers: Other Factors to Consider
There are many factors that can lead to differences in a disc’s flight, such as weight, plastic blend, and amount of dome on the flight plate. A super domey 157g Star Teebird has the same flight numbers as a very flat 175g Champion Teebird, but those two discs will fly worlds differently. Here are the other things to consider when trying to determine how a disc flies:
- Dome: A disc with more dome will have more glide, and a disc with less dome will have less glide. This difference can effect stability differently based on the mold.
- Weight: Generally, lighter discs will turn easier. They may also glide more. They may fade more or less depending on the mold and the weight.
- Plastic: As a rule of thumb, premium plastic blends will always be more overstable than the same mold in a base plastic blend. In any case, a different plastic could mean a different flight for any mold.
- Color: Believe it or not, color can definitely effect stability. These differences are usually minor, and sometimes undistinguishable, but for some molds it’s very obvious.
Conclusion
As we wrap up our exploration of disc golf flight numbers, it’s clear that these metrics are more than just numbers on a disc; they’re essential tools for strategic selection and improved play. Understanding the intricacies of Speed, Glide, Turn, and Fade empowers you to make informed choices, tailor your disc collection to your unique style, and tackle the course with newfound confidence. Remember, the journey to mastery is ongoing—experimentation and experience are your best teachers. Armed with the knowledge of flight numbers, you’re now better equipped to navigate the diverse landscapes of disc golf, enhance your performance, and enjoy the game to its fullest. Keep exploring, keep learning, and let your discs fly true!