What does the weight of a disc really do? I usually play with a 167.. I also have some heavier discs which i dont throw as good... i dont see much of a difference when throwing them though... can someone help?

The powers that be will say what they say, but for me it's this simple.

If you're not blasting your way around the course, heavier weights create a more overstable effect. I have tried Eagles, Valks, and Cobras in different weights (varying by 13 grams +). Though they are similar (both beat in or both nearly new or ????) in appearance, they do not fly the same. I like my Eagles and Valks on the light side. My light Cobra is for turning right while my heavy Cobra is for flat to hyzer lines.

in general: heavier weight discs will fly more stable/overstable than lighter weight discs and heavier discs will also be less affected by wind.

for drivers: lighter discs hold greater distance potential as they will be less affected by gravity = they have the potential to stay in the air longer.

for midrange/putters: heavier discs have greater distance potential as their low speed flight characteristics are dictated heavily by momentum, which holds mass as a component.

also in general:
1) heavier discs will require more power to achieve the same flight as a lighter disc, and your best combination of distance, accuracy, and consistency will likely occur with disc weights that match the power you are able to generate.
2) discs with greater mass percentage on the rim (vs. the flight plate) will have greater variance in flight characteristics across weight changes due to increased changes in gyroscopics.

for drivers: lighter discs hold greater distance potential as they will be less affected by gravity = they have the potential to stay in the air longer.





Doesn't gravity effect everything the same regardless of weight? Remember Galileo on the tower of Pisa?

for drivers: lighter discs hold greater distance potential as they will be less affected by gravity = they have the potential to stay in the air longer.





Doesn't gravity effect everything the same regardless of weight? Remember Galileo on the tower of Pisa?



You're right that the acceleration due to gravity is the same for all objects regardless of mass, but the force gravity exerts on an object is directly proportional to an object's mass (force = mass * acceleration). To keep a disc in the air the force from the lift caused by the difference in pressure on the top and bottom side of the disc has to be greater than the force gravity is exerting on the disc. Since less mass will mean less force from gravity, the lift needed to keep a disc in the air can be much lower with a lighter disc than it has to be with a heavier disc.

To put it another way, imagine that two objects of different mass, but the same size and shape were simultaneously dropped from the Tower of Pisa onto scales and the weights (forces) were recorded. Even though they hit the ground at the same time do you think the scales would give the same reading? The force on the more massive object would be higher than the force on the less massive object.

I hope that made sense.

Well said G; I was just about to state the force formula.
Blake is exactly right.

I was told when I learned DG to find the lightest driver I could control; this led me to believe that the better I got, the lighter my disc would be, but there are diminishing results. In fact, the better players get, actually the more power they generate, the heavier the disc for stability issues.

My longest driver is my 165 avenger. Also, the lighter the disc the more they flip on you. I will occasionally flip this disc if I'm not careful.

Different discs are affected differently by weight. For midrange, max weights fly the furthest (see Blake's post). I was very surprised when my gf who throws 150 class discs through my max weight stingray for her furthest drive ever, but remember a stingray is almost considered a midrange.