The general flight paths of golf discs are pretty simple.
On a right-hand, backhand line, you can expect the following:
- Flight Path No. 1 – Overstable discs will finish to the left.
- Flight Path No. 2 – Stable discs will push straight ahead.
- Flight Path No. 3 – Understable discs will flip right.
Obviously, should you opt for a right-hand, forehand throw, the inverse is what’ll likely be the end result. And if you’re a lefty, sorry – you’ll just have to engage in some mental gymnastics.
Conventional wisdom doesn’t ALWAYS yield the best results, though …
This is often the case with understable discs.
Following along with coverage on the Disc Golf Network, if you’ve ever questioned the laws of physics after watching Ricky Wysocki pipe a Lucid Evader down an impossible fairway, it’s because he was throwing an understable disc – in the right hands, they’re pure magic.
Starting out on a sharp hyzer angle, seasoned Sphinxes, Leopards and Mavericks are capable of flipping to flat and then drifting gently to the right – they might fight out of it, they might not.
Even with the right disc, that’s tough to do.
For most amateurs, a WAY more common golf line you’ll encounter can be achieved with an understable disc, as well. The problem? Most of us “mortals” choose the WRONG frisbee …
Here’s the hole:
- From the tee, the fairway pushes relatively straight.
- Instead of a sharp dog-leg to the left, it fades gently left.
- Both sides of the fairway are heavily wooded – natural OB.
The amateur in me takes one look at the tee sign, one look at the fairway, one look at my bag and immediately opts for a Teebird. It’s controllable. It’s overstable. It’ll match the fairway’s shape.
Right?
Wrong.
The smarter option would be a Sail, Diamond or Roadrunner – whatever similar-flying disc you have in your bag. Yes, you’re still looking for a finish to the left, but you’re wanting that finish to be gradual. You’re wanting a steady, left-working fade. Thrown on a SEVERELY exaggerated hyzer angle so as to combat any “squirreliness,” an understable disc will get the job done.
Eagles, Shocks and Stalkers: Yes, they finish to the left like you’d think the fairway in question would call for, but theirs is a sharp, prompt hook – that won’t work. Bypass generics to focus on how the flight of your discs will finish. In tight, wooded fairways, that’s the important part.
I first learned about this watching a backhand-dominant Simon Lizotte on YouTube.
You’ve seen his “Frozen” S-Line FD, right?
He uses it for this shot on the regular.
This trick is great for forehands, too. As you’re dealing with understable plastic, you do need to be mindful of keeping your wrist upright on the follow-through. Putters and midranges? More of the same – with a shorter flight, obviously. This last “nugget” will be BIG for you, as well…
Regardless of whether or not you’re in the woods, when trying to generate power and distance from a standstill, the understable stuff will make achieving this outcome MUCH easier.
You might think your mega-flippy frisbees are of the “utility” variety …
But if you know how to use them, you’ll find yourself leaning on ‘em constantly.
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