So this week I want to look at another innovative disc design.
The Wheel from Quest Technologies is designed as a roller disc.
Now the roll is a viable shot at times in disc golf, in particular if you need to get through some trees and the canopy is very thick. Throwing a disc so it hits the ground and then rolls can be an option. The roll does risk hitting tree roots or stones and thus going off course, so it is rarely the first choice for a shot, but at times it may still be the best choice too.
A number of discs are suited to rolling, tending to be the thin profiled discs which have a centred weight distribution.
The Wheel is designed to be a specialty disc just for rolling. It looks like two discs melded together so that it looks very much like a wheel.
The design takes a bit to master when throwing, largely because it is such a departure from other discs.
That departure is apparently too great in terms of design for the Professional Disc Golf Association to certify the disc. That is obviously a pint of contention as Quest has the disc stamped as a 'PDGA conforming golf disc' an indication they think they met the Association's criteria.
The Wheel is what disc golf could use more of, specialty discs which push design in order to fill a very specific shot needed on the course.
But the radical design is a scary path for the PDGA because one step down that road may lead to designs they have not imagined but would radically impact the game.
The Wheel is not a game changer in terms of suddenly letting average golfers score birdies on every hole.
It is a disc with potential to help a score in a given situation, and then only in the hands of someone with some experience using it.
Since it lacks PDGA approval most disc golfers won't spend the time needed to master using The Wheel well. But for casual players it can be a tool worth a look.
Check it out at www.questat.com
