In the 51 years since a company called Wham-O made a plastic saucer and named it Frisbee, we've gotten disc golf, a team disc sport called Ultimate and even an annual World Canine Disc Championship, featuring disc-catching dogs performing jaw-dropping aerial gymnastics. Those dogs are on to something. As you twist your body, whip your arm, then run after and catch a flying disc, you stretch your muscles, strengthen your back, build coordination and burn as much as 200 calories an hour, according to www.fitday.com. It's stealth fitness, masquerading as pure fun, that you can do anywhere at any age. Here are four spins on the concept.
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Flying saucers of a different kind
GEAR
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-- Roy M. Wallack
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A heavy, long-range driver
Innova Valkyrie golf disc: A long-distance driver, 5.5 ounces and about 8 1/3 inches across, that has a wind-cutting flat profile and a sharp, dense edge. Owns the disc world distance record of 820 feet.
Likes: Great for teeing off (like a wood club in regular golf), it flies far and straight -- even in bad conditions. My 13-year-old son and I fought over it during a windy 18-hole match last week at the La Mirada Disc Golf Course, the best in the region. Most of the golfers there were teeing off with this disc.
Dislikes: Very golf-specific, it is not comfortable for casual catching. A hard throw hurts your hand, due to the sharp, heavy edge.
It does not hover well, so of course is not a good choice for shorter approach shots and putting.
Price: $8.99. (800) 408-8449; innovadiscs.com.
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No-hole-in-one dog disc
Hyperflite Jawz: This puncture-resistant dog disc, 5.5 ounces and about 9 inches in diameter, is made of a urethane-based polymer. Designed to prevent damage from repeated dog bites.
Likes: Great flight and catch characteristics, soft to the touch but dense enough for straight tracking and good distance. Tough materials; my dog Bruce, untrained in catching a Frisbee, barely marked the disc during a game of tug of war. The company says the disc will last months with aggressive use, versus hours for standard discs, which are made of more brittle, low-density homopolymers. Grippy strips on the top and bottom make for good fingertip control. Cool, see-through material.
Dislikes: None.
Price: $15.95 (includes 90-minute dog-training DVD). (770) 751-3882; www.hyperflite.com.
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Record-breaking ring toss
