When making disc selections as someone new to the sport, you definitely have a lot of options to choose from!
Colors, brands, types of discs, discs with seemingly random numbers, and even something you may not be aware of,
Weight.
Of all the things you may see on a disc, the weight may be one of the more subtle characteristics, but is actually one of the more important ones, not only for beginners, but all players new and old.
What is the importance of disc weight?
Disc weight can affect a lot of things, but most noticeably, weight affects the flight behavior of a disc compared to how it is rated, when thrown at maximum power.
Discs that are heavier will fly more closely to their suggested ratings at full speed compared to their lighter counterparts.
Heavier discs also perform better in windy conditions, which is why mid-ranges and putters should always be as heavy as what you can handle.
Since heavy discs perform closely to their rating, you may be wondering how light discs fly comparatively.
And the answer is,
lighter discs will fly more understable than what you would expect.
For example, I carry a heavy weight, 173-175g Champion plastic Innova Valkyrie that is a very stable disc for me, as it should be with a turn of -2 and fade of 2.
I also have a DX Innova Valkyrie (which will be more understable due to the plastic as well) that weighs in at around 162g.
While it my only be a difference of 12 grams, that reduction in weight makes the lighter Valkyrie extremely understable and flippy to the point where it's almost not throwable for a faster arm.
But this very characteristic is what makes a lighter disc PERFECT for a beginner trying to increase distance on their throws.
Lighter discs will also fly farther for beginners because, well, they weigh less.
Lower weight means less effort to get the disc going, similar to throwing any 2 objects with different weight. For example, a baseball is easier to throw than a shot put.
Where can I find the weight of a disc?
Since you now know the basic importance of disc weight, the next step is to figure out where the weight of the disc is marked, if marked at all.
There are a few different "weighs" to find the weight of a disc, and most of the time, how it is marked is specific to the brand of disc you're checking out.
Discraft for instance, will often place a sticker on the rim or bottom of the disc, as shown here:
As you can see, this Buzzz OS is marked "173-174", as in 173-174 grams.
Innova on the other hand will often have the weight hand written on the bottom of the disc right in the center, as shown here with the Champion Valkyrie I talked about earlier:
As you can vaguely see, this disc is marked as 175g.
If you're shopping in a store and don't see a weight anywhere on the disc you're interested in, do not hesitate to ask an employee to help you!
With online shopping, most of the time you will be able to choose your color and disc weight without having to search the disc.
If you're curious to know the weight of some discs that you already bag that are unmarked, you can simply use a kitchen scale to check them out. If you don't have one, they're relatively cheap at your local Walmart or on Amazon.
So, to circle back to the point of this article,
What is the best disc golf weight for beginners?
Simply put,
Beginners should choose disc weights between 150-170 grams, with the sweet spot and good middle ground being in the low 160's.
Discs that are this weight will be much easier to handle for new, slower arms, but also heavy enough for you to grow into as your arm strength inevitably increases.
Discs closer to the 150g range will be easy to throw, but you may out grow them too quickly. Discs that are 170g on the other hand may cause frustration if you cannot throw them well.
This weight recommendation is primarily for fairway and distance drivers, but can apply to putters and mid-ranges as well.
However, we do believe that putters and mid-ranges should be in the 170+ range because they will handle wind much better in putting and approach situations than lighter discs well.
If you're searching for mid-ranges that you plan on throwing for longer distances, then you can opt for one in the 165-175g range.
Advanced players will opt for heavier discs, including drivers, because they have the power to handle them.
Heavier discs fly farther than lighter discs for stronger armed players because once they do get up to speed, they slow down more slowly due to physics concepts of mass, momentum, and inertia that is beyond my comprehension level.
And that's all you need to know about disc weight to get you started!
If you're not sure what drivers, or discs in general are good for beginners, then be sure to check out
where we discuss some of the most popular drivers for beginners.
Have any further questions about disc weight and how it applies to you?
Be sure to shoot us a message and we'll help in any way we can!
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