Category: Polls

A common experience shared among jammers is packing one’s jam equipment into a bag before heading to the jam. The bag the holds the equipment can be integral to the process. It must hold everything; the discs, whiz rings, nails, glue, slick, shoes, etc. It must be easy to pack and unpack and easy to carry without being too bulky or heavy. Sometimes it must also protect the gear from wet grass or rain or possible worse…the sweat from the dirty clothes after the jam.

When Charles Kuske recommended this poll to me, I took a moment to reflect on the history of my jam bags. I used to use a duffel bag but switched to a backpack long ago for the ease of carrying. At one point I had a special backpack with a Sky-Styler sized disc pouch. I found that I carried more discs than would fit in the special pouch and so moved on to a water-proof backpack so my clean clothes would stay dry. Still, I am not convinced that my bag is the best. It doesn’t quite fit all my stuff, especially on a cold day where I need warmer jam clothes. I’ve seen people use rolling suitcases, and other custom bags that are tailored for Sky-Stylers. So now, Charles and I want to know:

What is the Best Type of Bag for the Jam?

[poll id=”42″]

If you have a favorite bag, please leave a comment and let us know.

This poll comes from Jan Müller. Jan runs the site doubledisccourt.de and is trying to establish both DDC and Overall a bit more in Germany. Jan is considering hosting an Overall Frisbee event that would include 7 disciplines: Freestyle, Discgolf, DDC, Discathon, Accuracy, Self Caught Flight, Distance. He wants to determine if there is interest among the freestyle community to attend such an event. Though hosted in Germany, anyone from any country is welcome to attend. Players must compete in at least 4 disciplines. So, for those who enjoy Freestyle and are interested in trying other disc sports this is a great opportunity. This weeks poll aims to find out how many people are interested in such an event.

Since Jan wants to hold this event in Germany, answers are broken into 2 sections; German residents and all others. Don’t worry if you could not attend for other reasons such as living far away. This poll is about learning if freestylers are interested in trying other events.

If there was an overall event where you had to compete in at least 4 disciplines, would you be interested?

[poll id=”41″]

Photo by Anne Gabriel

Many performance based sports like figure skating and freestyle skiing as well as most dance styles incorporate spinning. Freestyle Frisbee is no different. Adding spins to any trick ups the difficulty and adds to the artistic value. I came across an interesting article about different disciplines and the performers prefered spin direction. According to the article it seems that few, if any performers will rotate both ways. It also seems that many “athletes” spin counter clockwise while many “dancers” spin clockwise. Of course there is no rule that says one must spin in a given direction and every discipline has exceptions. The article doesn’t really conclude why one spin direction is prefered over the other, but preferences are quite clear.

This left me wondering about spin direction in Freestyle Frisbee. Perhaps our preference will reveal whether we are athletes or dancers. This Poll asks, when you go for a spinning trick, which rotation direction are you strongest? Note that this not asking if you can do both. Yes, I can catch either direction, but percentage wise I have a much higher chance of catching if I spin counter clockwise. 

When You Go for a Spinning Trick, Which Rotation Direction Are You Strongest?

[poll id=”40″]

I pride myself on being able to jam under any conditions. I have jammed with 5 people in a small classroom with a 3 meter (10 foot) ceiling. I have jammed in a torrential downpour. I have jammed in the snow and ice. 40KPH (25 MPH) wind? Bring it on. Night time? No problem.

Despite all that, there really is nothing like jamming in the perfect conditions. You know when the wind is right, the surface is to your liking, you have the right number of people, and your favorite colored disc that the jam is going to be amazing.

But wait, there’s another factor to consider for the perfect jam. That is temperature. When it’s hot you can wear lose clothes and the sweat is great for cuffing. Too hot, though, and it drains your energy. Cold can be nice because you don’t feel drained, and don’t need as much water. But too cold and it’s becomes difficult to move with all the layers of clothing. This poll asks:

What is the ideal temperature for a jam?

[poll id=”39″]

Photo by Kristýna Landová

Freestyle Frisbee is all about personal expression. Every player has their own style, their own take on the game. This personal expression even extends to how we slick our discs. Some people like the entire disc soaked in slick, and then lightly wiped off. Others spray a small amount on the underside and use it as more of a cleaner than a lubricant. When I was a newer player, I was getting a disc ready for a jam. One of my heros was waiting for me. As I began to spray, I was instructed not to spray the outer rim. Yes, we all have our preferences. So now it’s time to share yours.

When you slick your disc, which parts do you slick?

[poll id=”38″]

Please share your favorite slicking technique in the comments.

This is part 2 in a poll series about people’s fastest throws. Last week I asked about clock throws. Of course, any frisbee throw that comes out clock must be thrown with the opposite hand for it to be counter. For example, a backhand with the right hand is clock, while a backhand with the left hand is counter. Given people’s handedness, my guess is there will be very different answers for counter than there were for clock. This week’s poll:

Which of Your Throws Has the Most Counter Clockwise Spin?

[poll id=”35″]

A while back, I asked the question, which of your throws has the most spin? The answers were pretty much what I expected, a good cross section of throws with backhand being the leader. Now I want to dive a little deeper. This will be a two part poll with this one focussed on clock and next weeks focused on counter. Since roughly 90% of human beings are right handed I’m guessing that the results will be quite different between the two spins. My hope is the results can help new players decide which throws to focus on when they are learning. This weeks poll:

Which of your throws has the most clockwise spin?
[poll id=”36″]
If you answered other, please let me know what I missed in the comments. 

A wise person once told me, “what you emphasize in your life will grow.” When I look at the boxes and shelves full of flying discs in my house, I certainly believe this statement to be true. I have discs from events, from being an FPA member, playing stock, a collection of antiques, experimental discs, and more. It’s clear that flying discs are a major focus for me. So now I’m turning to you:

How Many Flying Discs Do You Own?

[poll id=”34″]

Thanks, Lusti, for the poll idea. If anyone else has poll ideas, leave them in the comments below or send me a message on Facebook.

Jamming can be quite a workout for the body. It involves running, jumping, bending, changing directions, and extending to the max as players try to push the envelope of their games. So it makes sense for players to engage in some sort of warmup activity before going full speed into the jam. I have observed that people seem to have a different take on exactly how to warm up. So this poll asks:

How Do You Warm Up For a Jam? Select All That Apply.

[poll id=”33″]

In the comments, add some details on how you like to warm up.

The weather is warm, the breeze is perfect, it’s jam time. You and your cohorts arrive at the field with nails and discs and you’re ready to shred. But wait, there’s still a discussion to be had before the jam can begin. What music will you play to?

The music can dictate how hot the jam will be, how fired up the players will feel, how much fun will be had. Slow music might lead to more relaxed and controlled play. Upbeat music might cause people to play harder and go bigger. Music with changing tempos might bring out more creativity. The jam becomes a dance, and the music can be what drives it. Its such a personal choice and everyone has their opinions. In this poll, let’s find out what type of music you live to jam to.

What Are Your Top 3 Music Genres to Jam Too?

[poll id=”32″]