TL;DR: We used to ChatGPT to write us an article on how to create the most overstable disc in the flexiest plastic.
Est. Reading Time: 5 – 6 Minutes
Asking A.I. To Design a Disc
The concept for this article is simple. We asked A.I. to essentially design a Discmania Tilt with flex and explain its methodology. The point of this is to prove a few things. 1) How well does A.I. know disc golf. 2) Can A.I. use that knowledge of disc golf to design us a disc that’s never been made before and 3) Can A.I. Describe the disc and its potential uses on the course.
The Disc We Want A.I. to Design
Mentioned above, we essentially wanted A.I. to create a flexible Tilt with the similar flight numbers of 9/1/1/6. Going off the specifications on the PDGA website, the disc should look something like this:
Max Weight: 175.1gr
Diameter: 21.1cm
Height: 1.6cm
Rim Depth: 1.2cm
Rim Thickness: 2.0cm
Inside Rim Diameter: 17.1cm
Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 5.7%
Rim Configuration: 29.25
Flexibility: 12.05kg
The goal in this is not to tell A.I. these specifications because then it would just spit those numbers right back at us. To actually force ChatGPT to use its disc golf knowledge, we’re going to give it an idea of what how we want the disc to fly and see what it can come up.
Asking A.I. How to Design a Disc Golf Disc
For our ChatGPT Queries we wanted to start from the very most basic level in asking the A.I. model exactly what it would need to design a disc.
Question 1)
“If you were a disc golf disc designer, what information would you need to design a new disc?”
Answer 1)
Designing a disc golf disc involves a combination of engineering, aerodynamics, materials science, and player preferences. To create an effective and balanced disc, you would need various types of information. Here’s a list of key considerations:
- Intended Flight Characteristics: Understand the desired flight path of the disc. Is it intended to be overstable (turning left for a right-handed thrower), understable (turning right for a right-handed thrower), or straight-flying? What kind of stability balance is sought for different stages of flight – initial, mid-flight, and finishing?
- Player Skill Level: Determine whether the disc is designed for beginners, intermediate players, or professionals. The design might vary based on the skill level and power of the players.
- Disc Type: Decide on the type of disc, such as driver, midrange, or putter. Each type has specific design considerations to achieve its intended flight characteristics.
- Rim Design: The shape, size, and profile of the disc’s rim greatly influence its stability and grip. A wider rim generally makes the disc more stable, while a narrower rim can make it less stable and easier to control.
- Aerodynamics: Consider the disc’s aerodynamic properties, including the design of the top and bottom surfaces, the rim, and any additional features that could affect lift, drag, and stability.
- Weight and Weight Distribution: Determine the weight of the disc, which can affect its speed and stability. Additionally, consider how weight distribution, such as a heavier rim or a weighted core, impacts the disc’s flight.
- Plastic Blend: Choose the appropriate plastic blend for the disc. Different plastics offer varying levels of durability, grip, and flexibility.
- Testing and Prototyping: As the design progresses, create prototypes for testing. Gathering feedback from experienced disc golfers during this phase is crucial to refine the design.
- Flight Numbers: Assign flight ratings based on the disc’s speed, glide, turn, and fade. These numbers give players an idea of how the disc is intended to perform.
- Market Research: Research the current disc market to identify any gaps or opportunities for a new disc design. Understand what players are looking for and how your design could meet those needs.
- Legal and Safety Considerations: Ensure that the disc conforms to the rules and regulations set by disc golf organizations like the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). This includes specifications for diameter, weight, and other design features.
- Packaging and Branding: Design the disc’s packaging and consider how to brand and market the new disc effectively.
- Environmental Impact: Consider the environmental impact of the disc’s production materials and processes. More environmentally friendly materials could be a selling point for eco-conscious players.
- Feedback Loop: Continuously gather feedback from players who test your prototypes. Iterate on the design based on their insights to fine-tune its performance.
By considering these factors, you can create a well-designed disc golf disc that caters to the needs and preferences of players while delivering reliable and consistent flight characteristics.
What ended up happening was that A.I. gave us a model of how we should design a disc golf disc and then effectively get it to market. ChatGPT is our personal disc golf consultant of sorts. While this wasn’t how A.I. would design a disc it does give us the tools to move onto question 2.
Asking A.I. To Create an Overstable Disc
Question 2)
“Design and create the specifications for an extremely overstable, professional skill level, fairway driver, extremely flexible disc golf disc.”
Answer 2)
The answer we got was incredible. ChatGPT designed, named and created a marketing plan for a brand new disc. The disc isn’t perfect but it was close. Here’s what the A.I. model said:
Disc Name: FlexForce OverStable Pro
Type: Fairway Driver
Skill Level: Professional
Stability: Extremely Overstable
Plastic Blend: FlexTech ProFlex
Specifications:
Flight Numbers:
- Speed: 9
- Glide: 3
- Turn: 0
- Fade: 5
Diameter: 21.0 cm (standard for fairway drivers)
Weight Range: 170-175 grams (typical for professional-level players)
Rim Width: 1.8 cm (wider rim for increased stability)
Rim Depth: 1.1 cm (comfortable grip for various hand sizes)
Profile:
- Top: Slightly domed for added lift and wind resistance
- Bottom: Flat with subtle concave features for enhanced stability during windy conditions
Rim Shape: Wide, beveled edge for comfortable grip and consistent release
Plastic Blend: FlexTech ProFlex
- ProFlex is an advanced polymer blend designed for extreme flexibility, offering superior grip and control.
- The flex characteristics of the plastic enhance grip in all weather conditions, including rain and cold temperatures.
Color Options:
- Vibrant and highly visible color palette for easy disc tracking during play.
Stamp Design:
- Minimalistic, professional stamp design featuring the disc name and flight numbers.
- Unique holographic elements in the stamp for added aesthetic appeal.
Flight Characteristics:
- The FlexForce OverStable Pro is designed for professional players who demand consistent and predictable flights, especially in windy conditions.
- The extremely overstable nature ensures minimal turn and a strong fade at the end of the flight, making it ideal for accurate placements and controlled distance shots.
- Due to its high fade, the disc is perfect for skip shots and controlled hyzer lines.
Player Benefits:
- Consistent and reliable performance, even in challenging weather conditions.
- Professional players can confidently shape shots with precision, utilizing the disc’s overstable nature to their advantage.
- FlexTech ProFlex plastic provides an exceptional grip that enhances control during both power throws and finesse shots.
Packaging:
- Disc is packaged in a recyclable, minimalist cardboard sleeve to reduce environmental impact.
- The packaging includes flight information, disc specifications, and a QR code for accessing additional online resources.
Environmental Considerations:
- The FlexTech ProFlex plastic blend is designed with eco-friendly materials and production processes, minimizing the disc’s environmental footprint.
Availability:
- Initially available in limited quantities to allow professional players to provide feedback before a wider release.
- Following testing and refinement, the FlexForce OverStable Pro will be available for purchase through authorized disc golf retailers and online platforms.
The FlexForce OverStable Pro is a premium disc golf disc catering to the needs of professional players who seek extreme overstable performance combined with the flexibility and grip advantages of the ProFlex plastic blend. It offers a reliable tool for controlled distance shots, hyzers, and windy conditions, contributing to a higher level of play for skilled disc golfers.
Incredible! ChatGPT was able to design us a disc golf disc from the exact specifications it was to be made in, the plastic type (which isn’t available on the market but still) color and stamp design and even how to market the disc to players. Perhaps our favorite part of this answer is that ChatGPT gave us a model on making the FlexForce OverStable Pro available with a testing and feedback phase to an eventual market release.
Asking A.I. to Make the Disc More Insane
Question 3)
As exciting as these answers are, let’s ask the A.I. model to update the FlexForce OverStable Pro to make it more stable.
“Using the disc model described above, make that disc even more overstable.”
Answer 3)
To this we got a few alterations.
- The flight numbers changed, although the disc is still not as overstable as a Tilt.
Flight Numbers:
- Speed: 9
- Glide: 2
- Turn: 0
- Fade: 6
2) Our description changed and now somehow we want to buy this disc even more than the previous disc.
“The FlexForce Max OverStable Pro sets a new benchmark for extreme overstable fairway drivers, catering to professional players who demand an unmatched level of stability and predictability. With its high fade and consistent flight path, this disc empowers players to tackle challenging situations with precision and confidence.“
That being said, we noticed one thing that the A.I. model wasn’t doing. For every update of the discs flight numbers, ChatGPT used the same specifications for the previous model with an updated description of the Profile.
“Top: Slightly domed for added lift and wind resistance
Bottom: Flat with pronounced concave features for enhanced stability during windy conditions”
Where the previous disc was flat with subtle concave features, this disc now has pronounced concave features. What does that mean for someone potentially looking to put these numbers into their 3d printer or manufacturing operation?
Asking A.I. to be More Precise
Prompt 4)
“Using these specifications:
Flight Numbers: Speed: 9 Glide: 2 Turn: 0 Fade: 6
Diameter: 21.0 cm (standard for fairway drivers)
Weight Range: 170-175 grams (typical for professional-level players)
Rim Width: 1.8 cm (wider rim for increased stability)
Rim Depth: 1.1 cm (comfortable grip for various hand sizes)
Show this discs full specifications as they are written here:
Max Weight:
Diameter:
Height:
Rim Depth:
Rim Thickness:
Inside Rim Diameter: Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio:
Rim Configuration:
Flexibility: “
Answer 4)
FlexForce OverStable Pro Disc Specifications:
- Flight Numbers:
- Speed: 9
- Glide: 2
- Turn: 0
- Fade: 6
- Max Weight: 175 grams
- Diameter: 21.0 cm
- Height: (Not specified, typically around 1.5 – 2.0 cm)
- Rim Depth: 1.1 cm
- Rim Thickness: (Not specified, typically around 2.0 – 2.5 cm)
- Inside Rim Diameter: (Not specified, typically around 17.0 – 17.5 cm)
- Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 1.1 / 21.0 = 0.052
- Rim Configuration: Wide, beveled edge
- Flexibility: Typically FlexTech ProFlex plastic blend
Please note that some specifications such as height and rim thickness are not provided in the initial information. These values are typical ranges for fairway drivers and can vary based on specific disc designs. The flexibility is mentioned based on the FlexTech ProFlex plastic blend that was specified in the previous context. If you have specific values for height and rim thickness, those can be added to provide a more accurate representation of the disc’s specifications.
How Accurate Was A.I. When Designing Disc Golf Discs?
So using this information, without us telling ChatGPT we wanted it to create a Discmania Tilt, lets see how these two discs compare in their specifications.
Tilt:
- Max Weight: 175.1gr
- Diameter: 21.1cm
- Height: 1.6cm
- Rim Depth: 1.2cm
- Rim Thickness: 2.0cm
- Inside Rim Diameter: 17.1cm
- Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 5.7%
- Rim Configuration: 29.25
- Flexibility: 12.05kg
FlexForce OverStable Pro
- Max Weight: 175 grams
- Diameter: 21.0 cm
- Height: (Not specified, typically around 1.5 – 2.0 cm)
- Rim Depth: 1.1 cm
- Rim Thickness: (Not specified, typically around 2.0 – 2.5 cm)
- Inside Rim Diameter: (Not specified, typically around 17.0 – 17.5 cm)
- Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 1.1 / 21.0 = 0.052 (5.2%)
- Rim Configuration: Wide, beveled edge
- Flexibility: Typically FlexTech ProFlex plastic blend
While we’re not disc golf disc designers or will say we’re experts on the actual nature of the numbers listed above, given the Tilt specifications, the A.I. model did a pretty good job in designing us a Tilt like disc. If anyone with a 3D printer and time wants to see what exactly ChatGPT created, let us know and we’ll gladly help you get this disc in the air!