Disc Golf Flight Numbers Chart

All four describe a right-hand backhand throw at or above the disc’s speed threshold. Left-handers should reverse the directions: turn becomes a leftward bank and fade a rightward hook. A forehand reverses them too, which is why forehand throwers need more overstable discs.

If any of that is unfamiliar, read flight numbers explained first, then how to read a flight chart for turning numbers into an expected flight path.

Speed 1 to 4, the narrowest rims, and the most accurate discs you can throw. Keep fade at 0 or 1 for a putting disc; higher fade belongs on an approach disc. More at the putter category page.

Speed 4 to 6, covering roughly 120 to 300 feet with far more control than a driver. Most bags want two: one straight, one overstable. More at the midrange page.

Speed 6 to 9, and where most players should do most of their driving. Accurate enough to thread a gap, fast enough to add real distance, and reachable by a developing arm. More at the fairway driver page.

Speed 10 and up, with the widest rims and a hard power threshold. Below roughly 350 feet of arm speed these go shorter than a midrange. More at the distance driver page.

Low speed, negative turn, modest fade. These are the discs that actually fly at a developing arm speed, which is the single most important specification for a new player.

See the beginner section for what to buy in which order.

Zero or positive turn with heavy fade: these resist flipping and finish left dependably, which is what a headwind, a forehand or a forced hyzer needs. Every bag should contain at least one.

Negative turn, usually with low fade. For a beginner these fly straight; for a stronger arm they are deliberate right-hand lines and rollers. None of them work into a headwind.

Stability is relative to the thrower. These numbers describe a disc thrown at or above its speed threshold. The same Teebird is a dead-straight control driver at 350 feet and an early-fading hyzer disc at 220. The chart is a specification, not a prediction of what will happen when you throw it.

Plastic changes the flight over time. Base plastics beat in and become progressively more understable; premium blends hold their numbers for years. A base-plastic disc that matches this chart today will not in a year — see plastic types.

Numbers also vary slightly between plastics of the same mold. Innova publish the DX Roc at 4/5/0/2 and the KC Pro Roc at 4/4/0/3, for example, which is why we list the plastic each figure came from.