Most beginners make the same mistake: they go overstable too fast.
They hear “stable” and think “good.” They see overstable discs fighting the wind and think “powerful.” They buy a bag full of meat hooks and then wonder why everything fades into the same spot.
Meanwhile, understable discs sit on the shelf, ignored. Dismissed as “beginner discs” that you’re supposed to graduate from.
This is backwards. Understable discs aren’t training wheels \u2014 they’re weapons. Some of the most useful shots in disc golf require understable plastic. Let me explain why you need them.
What “Understable” Means
Flight numbers have four components: Speed, Glide, Turn, and Fade. The “Turn” number (third one) tells you about stability:
- Positive turn (0 to +1): Overstable \u2014 resists turning, fades hard
- Zero turn (0): Neutral \u2014 flies mostly straight
- Negative turn (-1 to -5): Understable \u2014 turns right (for RHBH) before fading
When a disc is understable, it wants to turn over \u2014 to move right (for right-handed backhand) during the early part of its flight. With enough speed and/or anhyzer release, it can hold that turn all the way to the ground.
Why Understable Works for Beginners
Here’s the physics: understable discs fly correctly at lower speeds.
When you throw a disc slower than its intended speed, it acts MORE overstable than its numbers suggest. This is why a Destroyer dumps left for most players \u2014 they’re not throwing it fast enough to see the -1 turn.
Understable discs counteract this effect. A disc with -3 turn, thrown at moderate speed, will fly close to neutral. It gives you the straight (or right-turning) flight that overstable discs can’t provide at your arm speed.
This isn’t a crutch. It’s using the right tool for the job.
The Shots Understable Unlocks
The Turnover
A shot that curves right and holds that line. Essential for doglegs right (as a RHBH player), getting around obstacles, and riding wind from the left.
With an overstable disc, you’d need massive anhyzer that’s hard to control. With an understable disc, you release flat or slightly anhyzer and let the disc do the work.
The Hyzer Flip
One of the most useful shots in disc golf. You release on hyzer (angled left), the understable disc “flips” up to flat, then rides straight.
The result: dead straight flight with a controlled release angle. Incredibly accurate for tight fairways because the hyzer release is more consistent than trying to throw flat.
The Roller
Advanced shot, but understable discs are the go-to for rollers. You release on extreme anhyzer, the disc turns over to vertical, hits the ground, and rolls.
Good for distance, getting under obstacles, and showing off at leagues.
The Controlled Flex
Release anhyzer, let it turn, and it fades back at the end. Creates an S-curve flight path. Useful for navigating around obstacles on both sides of the fairway.
Best Understable Discs by Slot
Midranges
- Innova Mako3 \u2014 Dead straight with slight turn. My recommendation for learning how straight flight works.
- Latitude 64 Fuse \u2014 More turn, tons of glide. The “it just floats” disc.
- Discraft Buzzz SS \u2014 The Buzzz’s understable sibling. Familiar hand feel with more turn.
Fairway Drivers
- Innova Leopard \u2014 The classic. Easy to throw, teaches good form. Should be in every beginner’s bag.
- Innova Leopard3 \u2014 Slightly faster, more glide. Great as you progress.
- Latitude 64 River \u2014 Insane glide. Feels like it never wants to come down.
- Dynamic Discs Maverick \u2014 Workable turn, gentle fade. Versatile.
Distance Drivers
- Innova Valkyrie \u2014 The entry point for understable distance. Great first “big” driver.
- Innova Tern \u2014 More turn, good glide. Can bomb if you have some arm speed.
- Discraft Hades \u2014 Paul McBeth’s understable distance driver. Lots of turn, lots of distance.
- Latitude 64 Bolt \u2014 Ridiculous glide, controllable turn. Distance machine.
The “Graduate From Understable” Myth
There’s this idea floating around that understable discs are training wheels. You use them when you’re new, then “graduate” to stable and overstable as you improve.
This is wrong.
Elite players carry understable discs. Simon Lizotte throws impossibly flippy discs for distance. Eagle McMahon uses understable rollers. Every touring pro has turnover discs in their bag.
What changes as you improve isn’t THAT you throw understable discs \u2014 it’s HOW you throw them. Beginners use them for straight shots because overstable is too much. Experts use them for turnovers, hyzer flips, and specialty shots.
You don’t graduate from understable. You expand your use of it.
Why People Avoid Them
Some real talk: understable discs expose bad form.
Off-axis torque? Understable discs wobble and crash. Nose up? They turn and burn. Inconsistent release angle? They fly differently every time.
Overstable discs hide these problems. They fade left regardless of release issues. This feels consistent, but it’s a false consistency \u2014 you’re not actually learning to throw correctly.
Understable discs demand clean form. This is frustrating at first. But it’s how you get better. The disc gives you honest feedback.
Tips for Throwing Understable
Nose Down
Even more important with understable discs. Nose up = immediate turn and burn. Work on that nose angle before blaming the disc.
Start with Hyzer
Releasing flat with understable can turn over too fast. Start with a hyzer angle and let the disc flip up. This gives you more control.
Reduce Power
If a disc is too flippy for your arm speed, try throwing it at 70-80% power. Understable discs thrown smoothly will fly farther than the same disc muscled with bad form.
Accept the Learning Curve
Your first few sessions with understable will feel chaotic. Discs going right when you want straight. Crashes into the ground. This is normal. Your brain is learning new cause-and-effect relationships. Stick with it.
Building an Understable Arsenal
I’d recommend:
- One understable midrange (Mako3 or Fuse)
- One understable fairway (Leopard or River)
- One understable distance driver (Valkyrie or Tern)
That covers turnover shots at every distance. As you improve, you can add more for specific shot shapes \u2014 flippier discs for rollers, straighter ones for hyzer flips.
My Personal Bag
In my bag right now, understable includes:
- Mako3 in Star \u2014 straight to understable midrange for tight lines
- Leopard3 in Star \u2014 hyzer flip fairway driver, point and shoot
- Tern in GStar \u2014 distance driver that actually turns for me
These aren’t “backup” discs. I throw them on purpose, multiple times per round, because the shots they enable can’t be replicated with overstable plastic.
Stop Avoiding Them
Here’s the bottom line: if you don’t have understable discs in your bag, you’re missing shots.
Not “beginner shots” \u2014 shots. Real, useful, course-conquering shots that overstable discs can’t replicate.
Get a Leopard. Or a Valkyrie. Or a Fuse. Throw it. Learn to control it. Watch your game expand.
Understable isn’t a weakness. It’s a weapon. Start using it.