Blog Category: Flight

Mastering a diverse range of throws is essential to take your game to the next level. With every course offering various obstacles, terrain, and wind conditions, having an arsenal of throws at your disposal can give you a significant edge. Here are 5 essential throws every disc golfer needs to master to improve their game and tackle any challenge on the course.

If you’re playing tournaments, one area that you can likely improve your game and focus is with a solid pre-shot routine. Routines can help you sharpen your focus by eliminating distractions, and helping you stay or get into a flow state.

I’ve been loving Gatekeeper Media’s slow motion “Form Check” replay videos. Here’s a few that I’m using to keep my own form in check. I’ll be adding more here as I come across them, and by all means check out Gatekeeper Media, they’re doing great things to support the sport.

Disc golf is great way to get out in nature, get your steps in and heart up, meet new people, and the sport is growing like crazy! I’m constantly running into new players every time I hit the course, from all walks of life. If you’re just starting out and want to improve your game, or know someone that is, let’s get started with our beginners guide to disc golf! 

Disc golf terms seem to be many and there are lots of new concepts take some getting used to. The hyzer flip is one of those terms beginners have a hard time grasping and the definitions are wide ranging and so are the explanations. Learning how to throw the hyzer flip is a great addition to your game. If you’re a beginning disc golfer and looking to expand your shot selection start here. Most importantly, you can really learn to master those understable discs in your bag and put them to work for you. So if you are getting good rip on your discs and ready for something new, then I recommend getting to know the hyzer flip.

What is a Hyzer Flip & When to Use It

A correctly thrown hyzer flip will make an understable disc (a disc with a negative “Turn” rating) fly straight-ish. The hyzer flip can come in handy for long narrow shots. You usually get more distance out a straight hyzer flip, because you are using fast understable distance drivers.

Hyzer Angle

How to Throw The Hyzer Flip

First, you’ll need an understable disc. I prefer the Prodigy D3 or the Innova Leopard, or a beat-up or well-worn disc (see below for more recommendations). You’ll want to be aiming for a basket 300-400 feet away, straight out.

A hyzer throw is with the nose of the disc pointed down (see illustration). So a “hyzer flip” is basically a hyzered throw with an understable disc — which is where the “flip” comes in. You’ll want to keep the disc low to the ground — maybe 8 to 10 feet off the ground or so. Any higher and the glide might become a factor causing the flip to either turnover completely, or to activate the fade of the disc and sail off to the other direction. Keep it low. Remember the more understable the disc, the more you’ll adjust the release angle of the hyzer. Below, I’ve compiled another slideshow of videos on Youtube, explaining in different ways how to throw the hyzer flip — each with their own take on it.

Best Discs for the Hyzer Flip

This is by no means an extensive list, it’s just a small list to give you an idea of the best discs for the hyzer flip throw. I like beat up DX (Innova) or any baseline plastics with an understable disc, and discs that have just a mild to medium fade. Try the disc finder and look for drivers with a negative turn rating.

• Prodigy D3
• Discraft Crank
• Innova Sidewinder
• Innova Leopard
• Discraft Heat
• Discraft Flash
• MVP Impulse
• Innova Valkyrie
• Beat-up dx discs

More Resources

• • Reddit post about the Hyzer flip. Also a nice comment in here describing snap.
  • Forum conversation about the best hyzer flip discs.
  • Good argument about discussing the types of discs people like to use for this shot.

Disc golf flight numbers have widely been adopted by most disc golf manufacturers. The Speed, Glide, Turn, and Fade of a disc help disc golfers understand the flight path that a disc will have in the air. After all, not all discs will fly the same! Learning what each number represents can help you anticipate how you should throw and expect it to fly, making more accurate shots.

When I first started I pretty much just threw whatever plastic disc was available to me. Friends would throw out words like “overstable,” understable,” “hyzer,” and “anhyzer,” but I had trouble remembering and understanding, what each of those terms meant. As I progressed in the game, I began to understand that each disc has a different flight path — from the speed, glide, turn, and fade — and knowing what each disc can do well, and not so well, can really propel your game to the next level.

An important thing to remember with flight numbers is that they are just guidelines. Other factors will play into a disc and change their flight numbers. Some of these factors include plastic type, run of the disc (year), amount of wear, elevation, and weather.

Here’s what each disc flight rating represents:

Speed

Speed indicates how fast or slow the disc will fly, and how much power is needed to perform it’s designed flight path. The rating has a lot to do with the width of the rim of the disc. The wider the rim, the faster typically. If you need distance, then you need speed, but it can be harder to control. Typically, the faster you throw a disc the less it will fade and the more it will turn, but the speed of a disc can dictate how much fade and how much turn it will allow.

Glide

Glide is the ability to stay afloat in the air — which can affect the flight differently in different winds. As a measure of loft, a disc with a high glide number will maintain more time in the air. Low fading discs will drop faster to the ground.

Turn

Turn is the “stability” of the disc. The lower the negative number, the more a disc will “flip,” or “turn over.” Majority of discs will have a natural finish to one side. For a right backhanded shot a disc will naturally fade to the left at the end of flight. The turn indicates how much it will go in the opposite direction before it begins it’s low speed fade. The more negative the turn number, the more the disc will “flip” to the right (or left for a left handed backhand throw). A disc with a negative number is also referred to as “understable.” Discs with a higher negative number are also good to learn how to throw a backhand roller.

Fade

Fade is the finish of the disc after the inertia slows down — most discs will have natural fade to the left (for a right handed backhand throw) and some will have more than others. A higher fade number and the sharper the cut.

Disc Flight Ratings – Video Playlist (4)

via BestDiscGolfDiscs.com

I found a great 4 part video series from Best Disc Golf Discs, breaking down each rating, all are worth a watch: