I remember staring at my first disc \u2014 an Innova something, I forget what \u2014 trying to make sense of the numbers printed on it. 9/5/-1/2. What did that mean? The guy at the shop explained it but I retained maybe 20% of what he said. Something about speed and fade and turn and I nodded politely while understanding nothing.
It took me probably six months to really internalize what flight numbers meant. And then another year to realize they matter less than I thought they did. The numbers are useful as a starting point, but they’re not gospel \u2014 same disc in different plastics, different wear levels, different throwers will fly different despite having identical numbers.
But you have to start somewhere. Here’s what the numbers actually mean.
The Four Numbers
Every disc has four flight numbers, usually printed somewhere on the top. Different manufacturers use slightly different scales, which is annoying, but the general concept is the same.
The numbers represent: Speed, Glide, Turn, Fade. In that order. So a disc listed as 9/5/-1/2 has speed 9, glide 5, turn -1, fade 2.
Speed
Speed is… not what it sounds like. It’s not how fast the disc goes. It’s more like the minimum arm speed required for the disc to fly correctly.
A speed 6 disc needs moderate arm speed. A speed 12 disc needs serious arm speed. If you throw a speed 12 disc at speed-6 power, it won’t fly like a 12 \u2014 it’ll fly like an overstable brick because you’re not meeting its requirements.
Higher speed discs have sharper edges that cut through air better at high velocity. Lower speed discs have blunter edges that work better at slower speeds. Matching your arm speed to the disc’s speed rating is actually kind of important.
The mistake I made early on \u2014 and I see other beginners make constantly \u2014 is grabbing high-speed drivers because Big Number Go Far. But big number doesn’t go far if you can’t throw it at big number speeds. You’re better off with a disc you can actually throw correctly.
Rough guide: most beginners should stay under speed 9. Maybe speed 7 or 8 to start. Work up to high-speed drivers as your arm develops.
Glide
Glide is how much the disc wants to stay in the air. Higher glide means more float, more carry, more “lift” during flight.
High-glide discs feel like they’re hanging in the air forever. They’re forgiving of power \u2014 even a weak throw gets decent distance because the disc maximizes whatever speed you give it.
Low-glide discs cut through air and come down faster. They’re more predictable in wind because they don’t float around as much.
For beginners, glide is your friend. High-glide discs (5 or 6) help you get distance while you’re still developing arm speed. They’re more forgiving of mistakes.
The Fuse midrange has glide of 6, which is high for a mid, and it floats forever. The first time I threw one I was shocked at how much extra distance I got compared to my lower-glide mids. Felt like cheating.
Turn
Turn is the disc’s tendency to move right (for right-handed backhand) during the high-speed part of flight. It’s represented as a negative number \u2014 more negative means more turn.
A disc with -3 turn is very understable. It wants to bank right during flight. A disc with 0 turn is neutral \u2014 no right movement. A disc with +1 turn is slightly overstable \u2014 it actually resists turning even when thrown fast.
Turn happens when the disc is moving fast. As it slows down, turn decreases and fade takes over. So you’ll see turn early in the flight, fade late in the flight.
For beginners: negative turn numbers are easier. A -2 or -3 turn disc will actually fly the way it’s supposed to at lower arm speeds. A 0 or +1 turn disc won’t turn at all unless you’re throwing hard.
I avoided understable discs (negative turn) for way too long because I thought they were unpredictable. They’re not \u2014 they’re more honest about showing you your release angles.
Fade
Fade is the disc’s tendency to hook left (for right-handed backhand) at the end of flight as it slows down. Every disc fades eventually \u2014 fade rating just tells you how much.
A disc with fade 0 or 1 finishes pretty straight. Maybe a gentle left movement at the end. A disc with fade 3 or 4 hooks hard left, like a meathook.
High fade is predictable. You know the disc is going to hook left at the end, every time. That’s useful for certain shots \u2014 get-out-of-trouble shots, forced turnovers, approaches where you need that left movement.
Low fade is straighter. Good for tunnel shots, controlled approaches, situations where you don’t want the disc doing anything unexpected.
Fade happens regardless of arm speed. Even a weak throw will fade. That’s why overstable (high fade) discs are sometimes recommended for beginners \u2014 they’re predictable. But that predictability can hide form problems, which is why I think understable (low fade, negative turn) is actually better for learning.
Putting It Together
Let’s look at some example discs:
Buzzz (5/4/-1/1): Speed 5 means it’s a midrange, easy to throw. Glide 4 is moderate. Turn -1 is slightly understable. Fade 1 is minimal. This disc goes mostly straight with a tiny bit of movement either direction. Very neutral, very predictable.
Destroyer (12/5/-1/3): Speed 12 is a fast driver \u2014 needs serious arm speed. Glide 5 is good. Turn -1 should give some turn at high speed. Fade 3 is significant hook at the end. This disc is workable for pros but too much for most amateurs.
Leopard (6/5/-2/1): Speed 6 is fairway driver territory. Glide 5 is nice. Turn -2 is understable \u2014 it’ll turn right. Fade 1 is gentle finish. This disc turns and glides. Great for beginners.
See how the numbers tell a story about what the disc does? Speed sets the requirements. Glide tells you float. Turn tells you high-speed movement. Fade tells you low-speed movement.
Why the Numbers Lie (Sort Of)
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: flight numbers are approximations. They’re assigned by manufacturers based on how the disc flies when thrown a certain way by certain people. Your mileage will vary.
Same disc in different plastic flies different. Premium plastic is usually more overstable than base plastic. Same numbers, different flight.
Same disc at different wear levels flies different. New discs are more overstable. Beat-in discs get flipper. A well-worn Buzzz might fly like a -2 turn disc even though it’s printed as -1.
Different manufacturers use different scales. An Innova 9 speed isn’t exactly the same as a Discraft 9 speed isn’t the same as a MVP 9 speed. Close enough, but not identical.
And different throwers with different release angles and arm speeds will get different results from the same disc. My Leopard flies different from your Leopard even if they’re identical molds.
Use the numbers as a starting point, not a guarantee. Throw the disc, see what it does, adjust your expectations based on reality.
The Numbers That Matter Most
If I had to rank them by importance for beginners:
Turn is probably most important. Negative turn = easier to throw correctly at lower arm speeds. Focus on this first.
Speed is second. Stay under speed 9 until you’re consistently throwing 300+ feet. High speed discs punish low arm speed.
Fade is third. Lower fade means straighter finish, which is more versatile for most situations.
Glide is fourth. More glide is nice but it’s the least critical of the four.
Anyway
Flight numbers are a tool, not a bible. They give you a general sense of what a disc will do but they don’t account for plastic type, wear, or your individual throw. The only way to really know how a disc flies is to throw it.
Start with low speed, negative turn, low fade. Those discs will actually fly correctly for you while you’re learning. Once you understand what flight is supposed to look like, you can branch out to more specialized stuff.
And don’t obsess over the numbers too much. I’ve met people who can recite flight ratings for 50 discs but can’t throw any of them well. The numbers don’t throw the disc. You do.