I've been playing around with an extremely beat up DX Firebird and have it rolling beautifully (RHBH with a touch of anhyzer). However, it doesn't seem to go that far vs. my air shots (about the same 300ft-350ft distance). Is this typical or should I work on my technique? The pros I see tend to start with a high disc position and then snap the disc over and down into the ground. I throw a normal shot (with a bit of anny) and the disc touches down after ~100ft. Should I use a slightly more stable disc and try and add more spin to the disc (for longer rolls?)? Thanks!

if you are trying to throw a distance roller, you will want to get more air under the disc. when i throw a "long" distance roller, the disc generally goes ~310-330' in the air before catching edge and carries decent speed on it for the next 50'... after that it just keeps trickling forward...

the disc has much less drag force when it is in the air than when it is rolling, thus you want to keep it in the air as long as possible before taking advantage of the fact that your disc still has forward speed on it, just not enough speed/spin to keep it flying.

when i am throwing max D rollers i generally throw a super beat disc with hyzer and then get over on it resulting in a late turn and eventual roll.

Thanks Blake!

So I should be throwing as far as possible before the edge touches down? Should I try and put more spin on the disc or just throw normally (let the disc do the work)?

So I should be throwing as far as possible before the edge touches down?



to achieve a max D roller, correct.


Should I try and put more spin on the disc or just throw normally (let the disc do the work)?



assuming you have something flippy enough to throw 300+ in the air before it turns over and rolls, yes, just throw normally. keep in mind that if your disc lands with more RPM's than velocity it will spin on contact. however, if the disc lands with less RPM's than velocity, it will immediately begin to roll at its forward speed. read as: the disc will be running out of gas when it hits the ground and will continue rolling until it is no longer moving fast enough to stay up.

I hear when Lightning Disc's roll towards the water , they float.

keep in mind that if your disc lands with more RPM's than velocity it will spin on contact.

<font color="blue">So, it will roll... </font>
however, if the disc lands with less RPM's than velocity, it will immediately begin to roll at its forward speed.

<font color="blue">So, it will roll... </font>

Blake, you're descriptions are usually clear and easy to follow, but you lost me on this one. One will spin and the other roll? :confused: Are you trying to say that if the disc has more RPM than velocity (at impact) it will increase speed and less RPM slow down? Or, one turn right and the other left?

EDIT: I re-read it again a few times and I think I get it. If your rpm is slower than the velocity the disc will take on the rpms equal to the velocity at impact, otherwise it will slightly increase and roll more true??

heh, i just realized why my wording was confusing.

when i said a disc with very high rpm's will often "hit and spin" i meant, hit, spin and slip (decreasing RPM's and velocity) in a manner similar to a car spinning its tires in place.

there's a lot of terrain that likes to promote this kind of behavior.

overall, i'm just saying not to worry too much about spin and not really try to manipulate it for more/less when throwing a distance roller.

we don't have a lot of people who roll out in my neighbohood, but if and when i roll (to avoid trees, looooooooong downhill, etc.) i only throw 50-100 feet in front of me and watch it go, this gets me a reliable 450 - 500, also i throw an express as my roller. Everyone on the boards talks about beat up firebirds and predators. None of which will roll with any consistancy for me. I guess my question is: Why is everyone throwing overstable drivers, and why do you suggest the 300ft throw into a roller?

throwing with something overstable, to me, is just a different roller. I find it more consistent becuase you don't have to worry as much about what it does int he air.. I usually throw a monster and put it on the ground very early.

For longer distance rollers i throw a beat up gazelle(just lost it so i'll ahve to beat something else in).

They say to throw 300 in the air first because they say youc an get mucho distance that way. If you can get a big 300ft turnover to hit and roll then your probably looking at over 400 wherease getting something ont he ground early has a chance of curling off early or hitting more ground debris.. Beats me.

-Scott Lewis

The gazelle is gone?? :eek: :eek:

Air has less friction than ground. If the disc goes 100ft in the air then 200ft on the ground, for a total of 300 ft, it has encountering alot more friction than it would if it went 300ft in the air and then hits the ground and starts rolling.

i don't roll overstable discs ever, but for people using them for controlled rollers it is because they turn towards the top later in the roll.

first off, as for the 300' (or longer) in the air first is that it takes a lot of conditions out of play. unless the grass is cut like a putting green or hard packed dirt, the disc will slow down much faster on the ground than in the air. there are also a lot of random things you'll find on the ground... a divot, stick, etc. that can deflect your roller off line. secondly, speed is the most important factor when determining whether or not the disc will stand up all the way and how quickly it turns towards the top. ideally, when your disc lands on a distance roller, the disc will have lost a lot of its speed... therefore, it is less apt to turn towards the top. often, discs will travel a long ways rolling without a lot of power on them... in these cases they are more apt to roll straighter, assuming you land them with the correct angle.

basically, for distance rollers the roll will almost always outdistance the flex distance you would get on an air shot with the similar initial turnover line.

also, methodless, you have a lot more power than "most people" and what you are able to do does not mirror what a lot of us are capable of.

i have 360-380'ish power on golf shots and generally i will adjust the type of roll i use for the D i need.
controlled roller (hits ground less than 100' away) ~175-310'
sky roller (hits ground 200-300' away) ~320-370'
distance roller (hits ground > 275' away) ~380-420'

as always, thanx for the explanation gentlemen