The Plastic Wizard Behind Hobby Discs
A disc’s journey to the chains begins long before it reaches the course.
Before the flight, before the stamp, before the first throw — there is plastic.
And in the world of disc golf manufacturing, plastic is where experience matters most.
Behind the scenes at Gateway Disc Sports, founder David McCormack has spent decades refining the materials and processes that shape modern disc golf discs. Through more than 30 years of experimentation with molding temperatures, material blends, and production techniques, Dave has developed a reputation among manufacturers as something of a plastic wizard. He’s generous with his knowledge and you can find his influence through most of the top brands in the industry today.
Creating the right blend isn’t simply a formula. Each mold behaves a little differently. It’s a process of testing, adjusting, and learning how subtle changes in materials affect the feel of a particular disc in the hand and the way it performs in the air. Plastic can have a major impact on stability, grip, and durability.
For the inventor in Dave, it has always been a kind of lifelong experiment – refining blends, testing new ideas, and occasionally discovering something special along the way.
And sometimes, when the right balance finally comes together, the process feels a little like alchemy.
Experimentation and Development
Plastic development is rarely a straight line. New blends are tested, tweaked, and sometimes completely reimagined before they ever become a staple in a manufacturer’s lineup.
One example of this process is the development of Gateway’s NXT plastic, a blend created through extensive testing and refinement to achieve a balance of durability, grip, and consistency.
Players interested in the deeper story behind that blend can read about its development here:
https://gatewaydiscsports.com/blogs/news/nxt-plastic-development-and-initial-release
Stories like this highlight something many players never see — the amount of experimentation that happens behind the scenes before a disc ever reaches the course.
A nod to nylon
Curious where nylon’s story started? This classic clip shows the spark behind a material that changed manufacturing:
Watch: How Nylon Was Discovered — Christmas Lectures with George Porter
The Plastic Behind Hobby Discs
Hobby Discs are manufactured in the United States using proven Gateway plastic blends developed through decades of disc production.
These materials have been refined to provide:
- dependable grip
- consistent molding
- reliable flight characteristics
- durability round after round
Because Gateway produces discs for a number of brands, their manufacturing process has become one of the most experienced plastic development environments in disc golf.
Players who want to explore the different Gateway plastic types and blends can learn more here:
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