A turnover shot is a throw where the disc turns over to the right during the fast part of its flight (for a right-handed backhand thrower) and keeps traveling on that rightward line instead of fading left.
What is a turnover shot in disc golf?
In a turnover the disc banks right early, flattens out, and glides on a line that bends toward the right side of the fairway instead of finishing left. Players use it to reach holes that curve right, to ride a tailwind, and to get distance without a hard arm.
The word is easy to mix up with two neighbors. A hyzer flip starts with the disc tilted left, flips up to flat, and then flies straight. A turnover goes a step further: the disc keeps turning right after it flattens. Both rely on the same property, which is a disc's turn rating, but the turnover is the one where the rightward drift is the whole point of the shot.
How does a turnover shot work?
A turnover works because a disc with negative turn banks right while it is moving fast, and an understable disc has so little fade that it never swings back hard to the left at the end. Turn is the third flight number, and the more negative it is, the more readily the disc rolls right under power.
The release matters as much as the disc. Thrown flat or tipped slightly onto its right edge (an anhyzer angle), an understable disc starts turning almost immediately. Thrown on a hard hyzer, the same disc will flip up first and then turn, which is the hyzer flip described above. An overstable disc does neither, because its turn rating is near zero and its fade takes over.
As always, the directions are written for a right-handed backhand throw. For a left-handed backhand or a right-handed forehand, the turnover curves left instead, and the rest of the logic is the same.
Which discs turn over?
The discs that turn over reliably are the ones with a turn rating of -3 or lower and a fade of 1 or less. These are the published ratings from Discpedia's disc pages:
| Disc | Type | Flight numbers | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innova Mamba | Distance driver | 11 / 6 / -5 / 1 | Very Understable |
| Innova Roadrunner | Fairway driver | 9 / 5 / -4 / 1 | Very Understable |
| Innova Archangel | Fairway driver | 8 / 6 / -4 / 1 | Very Understable |
| Innova Sidewinder | Distance driver | 9 / 5 / -3 / 1 | Very Understable |
| Discraft Avenger SS | Distance driver | 10 / 5 / -3 / 1 | Very Understable |
| Innova Stingray | Midrange | 4 / 5 / -3 / 1 | Very Understable |
| Innova Leopard3 | Fairway driver | 7 / 5 / -2 / 1 | Understable |
For contrast, the Teebird (7 / 5 / 0 / 2) and the Destroyer (12 / 5 / -1 / 3) are the kind of discs that do not turn over for most throwers. Their turn is at or near zero and their fade is strong, so they finish left however flat you release them.
Innova bills the Roadrunner as its best distance driver for turnover shots, and the Archangel is listed in Discpedia's data as a beginner disc, with DX as its only plastic. The Stingray is the one to know if you want the same shot from a midrange. Its entry lists mid-to-long-range rollers and turnovers among its uses.
How do you throw a turnover?
You throw a turnover by picking a very understable disc and releasing it flat or on a slight anhyzer, with a smooth throw rather than a maximum-effort one. The disc supplies the turn, so forcing extra power or adding a hard hyzer angle works against the shot. Start with a disc from the table, such as the Sidewinder or Archangel, and watch where it settles before you change anything else.
When should you throw a turnover?
A turnover is the right shot when the hole bends right, when the wind is behind you, or when you want distance and your arm is not fast enough to make a stable driver last. Each of the discs above lists some version of these uses on its disc page:
- Tailwind drives. The Mamba, Roadrunner, Sidewinder and Avenger SS all list tailwind drives among their uses.
- Right-curving holes. The turnover draws a line around a corner that a straight or fading disc cannot follow without help.
- Distance for slower arms. The Archangel's entry describes it as a way to get maximum distance for new players and slower arm speeds.
- Rollers. A disc that turns over this easily also tips onto its edge and rolls when thrown on a steep angle. The Roadrunner's entry says it was designed for exactly that.
Why does my disc turn over when I don't want it to?
A disc turns over by accident when it is too understable for how hard you throw it, or when it has beaten in. The stability guide covers both causes: a faster arm makes any disc play more understable than its numbers suggest, and wear rounds the edges and lowers a disc's resistance to turn over time.
If a disc that used to fly straight now carries to the right, the fix is usually a more overstable mold rather than a change in your form. The reverse problem, a disc that finishes hard left, is covered in why does my disc fade left.
Where does the turnover shot break down?
The turnover works poorly into a headwind. Wind in your face adds speed over the disc and pushes it toward a flip, so a very understable disc can roll over and dive. Discpedia's Roadrunner entry, citing a reviewer, calls it a tailwind, no-wind and power-roller disc rather than a disc for fighting wind.
It also depends on the plastic. Champion holds its turn the longest, while DX beats in fastest and is the one preferred for rollers, according to the Sidewinder's entry. The same mold can turn over very differently depending on how worn it is.
Related concepts
- The complete flight numbers guide
- What is turn in disc golf?
- What is fade in disc golf?
- Understable vs overstable explained
- Sidewinder vs Leopard3
To compare any two of these discs side by side, use the comparison tool or browse the disc index.