🥏 Disc Flight Numbers Reference Chart

A quick reference explaining the four flight numbers printed on most disc golf discs and how each affects flight.

The four numbers and the sum that matters

Discs are stamped in a fixed order - speed, glide, turn, fade - over the ranges this chart lists: speed 1–14, glide 1–7, turn +1 to −5 and fade 0–5. Add the last two together and you get the figure players argue about:

stability = turn + fade
below 0 = understable    0 = straight    above 0 = overstable

A Buzzz at 5, 4, −1, 1 sums to 0, which is why it holds a line. A Destroyer at 12, 5, −1, 3 sums to +2 and finishes hard left for a right-handed backhand. Two discs can share a speed and behave nothing alike if that sum differs.

Reading the chart by disc class

Class	Speed	Behaviour
Putters	1–4	Low turn and fade, controlled and short
Midranges	4–6	Moderate glide, gentle fade
Fairway drivers	6–9	More turn potential, controlled distance
Distance drivers	9–14	Need high arm speed to fly as designed

Turn and fade are both written for a right-handed backhand throw. A left-handed backhand, or a right-handed forehand, mirrors them: negative turn means the disc drifts left early, and fade pulls it right at the end.

The numbers assume the disc is thrown at its rated speed. An arm that cannot reach speed 12 will see almost none of the turn and all of the fade, so a 12-speed driver behaves like a hard left hook rather than a long S.

Frequently asked questions

What do the four numbers on a disc golf disc mean?

In order: speed, how fast you must throw it; glide, how long it stays aloft; turn, its high-speed drift to the right for a right-handed backhand; and fade, the leftward hook as it slows.

What does a turn of −3 mean?

A strong tendency to bank right early in the flight for a right-handed backhand. It makes a disc easier for a slower arm to keep in the air, and harder to trust in a headwind.

Which flight numbers suit a beginner?

Speeds of 7 or under with turn around −2 to −3 and fade of 1 or 2. Those fly close to their rating at modest arm speeds, where a 13-speed driver simply dumps to the left.