Players with slower arm speed run in to some very common struggles on the course. The main one being that discs do not fly as expected on the course. Discs have to be thrown at a certain speed to act the way that the manufacturer intended and when they are thrown slower than that, they tend to not turn and fade to the grown earlier in the flight.
If you find yourself struggling with that, then this article will not only cover what to look for in a disc to solve your problem, but also specific discs that can solve them right now. This is a very common issue on the course and with the right disc in hand, you will enjoy your next round out way more!
Let's first take a look at what you should be looking into when making your next purchase.
Find Your Max Arm Speed
This trick is going to be crucial for you all throughout your disc golf journey. There is a certain disc that you might already know of that you throw and it actually does what it claims it is going to do. Is that disc just magic? No! Chances are that disc matches your arm speed.
Lets say for instance that you find that the 7 speed River flies really well and true to flight numbers for you but the 9 speed Valkyrie is overstable. What could be going on here is that the 7 speed of the River is your max speed. What I mean by that is that 7 speed discs are the fastest discs on the market that you can actually get up to speed. Everything 7 speed and under will fly true to their flight numbers and everything faster than that will fly more overstable.
This stays true for you throughout your disc golf journey and what can begin to happen is as your arm speed increases to where you can handle 11 and 12 speed discs, you might start to notice the 7 speed discs become a bit more understable. This is because when you throw them hard you actually overpower them and throw them beyond the speed they are designed for which makes them more understable.
A great example of this is when we filmed a video with distance world record holder, David Wiggins, and he was throwing a brand new Teebird (7,5,0,2) on extreme hyzer up into the sky and it was still flipping over and holding turn. For us, that same Teebird was very overstable. He just had a fast enough arm speed to overpower the disc.
Develop Personal Flight Numbers
Once you dial in your max arm speed in correlation to disc golf speed, you can begin to develop personal flight numbers. This allows you to begin to shop any disc and know roughly what it is going to do for you before you throw it. If you know your max arm speed is a 7 like the example above, then you know that a 9 speed is going to be more overstable for you then what the flight numbers suggest. So if you see a disc that is 9,5,-2,2 you can go ahead and plan it in your head to be closer to a 9,5,0,2.
This means that as you look into faster discs, you are going to want the turn to be higher (more negative) and the fade to be lower for it to work for you.
A player who locks in 7 as their fastest speed might find that an Innova Mamba (11,6,-5,1) will fly close to what other people expect a Wraith (11,5,-1,3) to fly like! As you get to know your skill level and what discs work best for you personally, you can develop a sense for what discs will fly like for you based on their flight numbers. It won't be perfect but it should help ease the frustration of buying a disc with -2 or -3 turn and wondering why it isn't turning for you out on the course.
Check the Weight
The final tip for players with slower arms before diving in to some general disc recommendations is to check the weight of the disc. This is one of the most misunderstood points in disc golf but hopefully I can break it down here. The lighter the disc, the faster you will be able to translate your arm speed to it.
If you are able to get a max weight 7 speed to turn, you will probably be able to get a lightweight -2 turn 9 speed to turn as well.
This is where people get confused. This does not mean that the 9 speed disc is more understable just because it is lighter weight. What it does mean is that you were able to throw the 9 speed faster than you can with a max weight one. Some of the most overstable Destroyers (12 speed) we have ever thrown have been 150 class weights. This is because the Destroyer is a disc that very few people are overpowering with the 12 speed.
Lightweight discs in general will fly less stable due to the fact that you can throw them faster which leads to them being overpowered. So in most cases the lightweight disc being understable line of thought will be true, but don't trust it as a blanked statement because you might get burned if you expect a disc to turn just because it is light.
Discs We Recommend
Latitude 64 Diamond
The Diamond is always the gold standard in easy to throw discs. If you max out around 250-280ft on your throw, the Diamond could be a game changer for you. It is typically made in lightweight plastic making it easier to get up to speed and the flight is extremely understable meaning that it is very easy for players to get full and turning flights out of it!
Discraft Sol
One of the main things that I like about the Sol for this list is that it perfectly fits the slot between a putter and a midrange. I think it gives you the confidence that you have on the course in your putters and their reliably straight flight but with midrange level distance. For a lot of people, the Sol will be the first disc you learn to hyzer-flip which can unlock a whole new aspect of the game for you!
Discraft Heat
The Heat is one of the most recommended drivers for beginners and low arm speed players. It is very easy for players to get a straight flight out of it even without a lot of spin or higher arm speed. If you are struggling to keep a disc in the air and flying straight down the fairway, the Heat could be the disc you are looking for!
Innova Leopard
The Leopard has become the gold standard for new players due to the fact that it is the feature disc in the Innova starter pack. Innova chose this for a good reason though as the Leopard is an understable 6 speed meaning it requires very little arm speed to achieve a straight flight.
Discraft Archer
The Discraft Archer is very similar to the Innova Leopard. It is another great option for you and available in Discraft plastic in case you prefer that. The Archer sits in between a mid and a fairway similar to how the Sol sits in between a putter and a mid. These gap filling discs are great for lower arm speed players!
DGA Sail
The Sail claims to be an 11 speed but most of us here agree that it is closer to a 9 speed. They also claim it to be a -5,1 which we also disagree with. What we do agree with is that it is a fantastic understable distance driver that is an awesome choice for players with lower arm speeds.
Dynamic Discs Bounty
Last but not least on this list is the Bounty. The disc offers a great choice for players who want something easy to throw straight and hold turn out there on the course. If you are throwing the disc on the line you intend and frustrated that it is not going where you expected it to, the Bounty is a great choice!
Finding the right disc for your arm speed can completely transform your game. By understanding your max arm speed, developing personal flight numbers, and paying attention to weight, you can take the guesswork out of disc selection and enjoy more consistent, predictable flights on the course. The discs we’ve highlighted are excellent starting points for players with slower arms, but the key is experimenting and finding what works best for you. With the right combination of knowledge and discs, you’ll turn those frustrating throws into confident, controlled shots.