How would you change your technique for these conditions?

http://www.discgolftv.com/dgtv/391/wmv/newest?channel_id=0&page=1

Move to Florida!

If its snowing I must be on a snowboarding vacation.

First of all, mad props to Fatboys, what a sweet bar! I was not at this tourny, but have played that course. TG made an awsome course. The trick to snow is winter boots that have good grip in snow, a slightly modified putt because of the clothing layers, a slightly modified drive to avoid slipping on the snow if the boots don't grip, and also use discraft FLX so your disc doesn't look like the one on the video. The wind is the same as always when you throw, but its just harder to throw quickly like normal with all the layers of clothes. If you get cold hands, then you are really hurting at the end of the round. HAND WARMERS are key in you gloves. A towel if you really want to be @[email protected], otherwise most leave gloves on. Definately a hat too, otherwise ears are frostbit.

Do discs act more understable in the cold? Discs were flipping on me in about 32 degF weather. I thought I was turning my hand over, but I have talked to someone else who has the same issue in the cold.

Do discs act more understable in the cold? Discs were flipping on me in about 32 degF weather. I thought I was turning my hand over, but I have talked to someone else who has the same issue in the cold.



Yes. The thicker the air the more the disc will flip. Colder air is denser than hot air.

Then why is it that discs fly more overstable in thinner air at higher altitudes?

In all my years of living in Iowa and Minnesota, it was my observation that my discs were more stable in the cold.

Discs are more overstable in the cold and they do not fly as far because of the denser air. I have found that most people are far less smooth in the cold and this causes more off axis tourque.

I believe the cold makes discs less stable. Its hard to tell often in the snow though because of the tradeoffs in release speed due to poor footing, more clothes, etc.

Moving to Florida was my ultimate solution to winter golf(it worked great :D), but before I did that I adapted pretty well to the lake-effect snow ridden wasteland of west MI in winter.

Playing in the snow without losing touch completely is expensive and exhausting, but what else are you going to do up north in the winter? Here are some sure-fire tips experience taught me:

1. Buy under armor base layers. These are very warm, light, comfortable, and do not restrict movement at all.
2. Stock up on pocket warmers--don't buy the small ones, you get ripped off and they don't last as long.
3. Put your discs outside a while before you play so they do not cause condensation (which becomes a layer of ice encasing your disc)
4. Get a nice vest. This will keep your core warm while allowing better arm movement.
5. Microfiber towels--keep your discs clean and make sure your towels are in your bag when you put it outside b4 you play. Any water on your discs will freeze to ice or wet your gloves.
6. Get a good glove for your off hand and a warm pocket for your throwing hand (you CAN'T throw a disc with touch while wearing gloves unless you don't throw very hard to begin with--from Climo's lips-"your grip is the only thing between you and the disc".)
7. Keep your throwing hand warm and dry.
8. Elminate/simplify your run up.
9. Throw brighter, lighter, less stable plastic.
10. Follow through your shot and do not resist the slide--go with it instead. Same is true if you start to slip and fall--go with it and you will reduce risk of injury.
11. You lose a lot of heat through your ears. I played an ice bowl once at around 0 degrees and I put hand warmers in my head ring over my ears and was completely warm the entire time.
12. Gore-tex boots and snowboard pants are extremely helpful to stay warm and dry.

There's probably more, but this is all I can think of. I must mention that I'm a total wuss in the cold and this kept me 100% comfortable enjoying my extreme weather DG. Some people seem totally happy in jeans and a hoody...

Discs are more overstable in the cold and they do not fly as far because of the denser air. I have found that most people are far less smooth in the cold and this causes more off axis tourque.



Denser air = more air resistance = disc turn over at lower speeds. It is the opposite of high altitude.

I think you end up seeing dual effects. The higher resistance of colder, denser air will force the disc more understable off the tee. But since denser air with more friction will reduce the speed and spin faster, the disc will come back sharper and with less overall distance than in lighter air. So what you would see looking down from a birds-eye view would be an S-shaped flight path that's wider and shorter in colder air than the longer, narrower shape in warmer air. If you are already throwing an understable disc not thrown high enough, all you might see is the understable part of the flight before it hits the ground and burns (or snow dives) since the slow down effects producing the overstable part of the flight didn't have time to happen.

I believe the cold makes discs less stable. Its hard to tell often in the snow though because of the tradeoffs in release speed due to poor footing, more clothes, etc.

9. Throw brighter, lighter, less stable plastic.



Did you mean more over-stable plastic to counteract the tendancy of discs to be more understable in the cold?

I think you end up seeing dual effects. The higher resistance of colder, denser air will force the disc more understable off the tee. But since denser air with more friction will reduce the speed and spin faster, the disc will come back sharper and with less overall distance than in lighter air. So what you would see looking down from a birds-eye view would be an S-shaped flight path that's wider and shorter in colder air than the longer, narrower shape in warmer air. If you are already throwing an understable disc not thrown high enough, all you might see is the understable part of the flight before it hits the ground and burns (or snow dives) since the slow down effects producing the overstable part of the flight didn't have time to happen.



Very well stated, I agree completely.

I believe the cold makes discs less stable. Its hard to tell often in the snow though because of the tradeoffs in release speed due to poor footing, more clothes, etc.

9. Throw brighter, lighter, less stable plastic.



Did you mean more over-stable plastic to counteract the tendancy of discs to be more understable in the cold?



Usually the effect of worse footing is more dramatic than the discs being more understable.

1. Buy under armor base layers. These are very warm, light, comfortable, and do not restrict movement at all.
2. Stock up on pocket warmers--don't buy the small ones, you get ripped off and they don't last as long.
3. Put your discs outside a while before you play so they do not cause condensation (which becomes a layer of ice encasing your disc)
4. Get a nice vest. This will keep your core warm while allowing better arm movement.
5. Microfiber towels--keep your discs clean and make sure your towels are in your bag when you put it outside b4 you play. Any water on your discs will freeze to ice or wet your gloves.
6. Get a good glove for your off hand and a warm pocket for your throwing hand (you CAN'T throw a disc with touch while wearing gloves unless you don't throw very hard to begin with--from Climo's lips-"your grip is the only thing between you and the disc".)
7. Keep your throwing hand warm and dry.
8. Elminate/simplify your run up.
9. Throw brighter, lighter, less stable plastic.
10. Follow through your shot and do not resist the slide--go with it instead. Same is true if you start to slip and fall--go with it and you will reduce risk of injury.
11. You lose a lot of heat through your ears. I played an ice bowl once at around 0 degrees and I put hand warmers in my head ring over my ears and was completely warm the entire time.
12. Gore-tex boots and snowboard pants are extremely helpful to stay warm and dry.

Excellent suggestions. Here in Oregon we get cold rain which IMO is worse than snow. I would only add the following:
- Covering your neck and head will hold in incredible amounts of heat. Scarves, baklavas, and good wool / polypro head coverings are the way to go.
- No cotton ANYWHERE on your body (even underwear). Polypro, wool, and silk are all good substitutes.
- Turn a run up into a _slow_ walk-up or single step approach to minimize poor footing issues. Stay on the balls of your feet.
- Goretex socks will keep your feet dry (you'll need insulation under them though).
- When the conditions are really miserable, you can wear a heavy coat and take it off right before you throw each shot. Otherwise wear light layers that are not bulky (so you can keep a nice clean pull through on your shots).

Discs are definately more overstable in Ohio when its below about 40. That and its a real chore to drive a lot of holes that are normally not that difficult. I think another factor is that in the cold you don't have the warm air rising off the ground from solar heating. Some days in the summer you can see the mirage appearance just off the ground, thats warm air rising and refracting light. In the winter its just cold and windy. No lift, dense air, and subsequently less glide. Think of a glider, or bird that rides thermal up drafts. In north east Ohio this is especially true because sometimes I forget what the sun looks, and/or feels like in the winter.

Ah, golfing in the snow. Here in AK if it is above about 10 degress I wear a midweight TNF softshell jacket ( easy to move in and not bulky) as well as a baselayer of Under Armour cold gear mock. Snowboard pants are a must. I wore them in Oregon all the time in the winter. I got some strange looks down there even in the OLE's, but it kept me warm and dry!! I also wear gloves with hand warmers in them. Take the one off to throw and put it back on right after to keep my hand warm. A beanie is crucial for me.

And now to good footing. Yeah good luck with that!! Alaskan Tennis Shoes ( aka Xtra Tuff rubber boots), winter boots, good traction hiking shoes all work well when there is about 2 inches or more of snow on the ground. If there is less you are sliding with anything you wear. My home course is also a temporate rainforest, so the ground is highly uneven with lots of debris, very steep hills. Just be carefull and you only take a couple of falls per round!!!

I try to not throw into the yellow snow...

Usually with a little more hyser...

:cool::) :D

www.discgolfclub.org (http://www.discgolfclub.org)

Absolutely! Cold=Overstable, High Altitude+COLD=insanely Overstable.