I had a chance to throw these last weekend and was really impressed. They look like a challenger with a bigger bead and of course a funky top. I threw a couple in a field and they were really straight with much less fade at the end than the challenger. I also got to putt with them and they were awesome. After a while my putters get slightly concaved so these felt sweet right outta the box.

Just wondering what other people think about this putter...

Keith, when can we expect a "Soft Banger"? :D:eek:

got any pics of this disc

http://images.customwebcart.com/big/big-43316-24978.gif

Hmm. Interesting looking disc. Thanks for the review.
They seem to be priced right at under $7 (at most of the sites I seen it for sale at)

How does it compare to the champion aviar? (another fat rimmed, stable putter)

More like a Rhyno than an Aviar.

OK, thanks, more overstable than the champ aviar.

talk about a thumbtrack

What is the purpose of a thumbtrack?

What is the purpose of a thumbtrack?



As far as I know, its a comfort thing...although I'm fairly sure it effects flight a bit too.

Wasn't the birdie advertised as having a thumbtrack?

More like a Rhyno than an Aviar.



I took that to mean looks, not flight characteristics...

The new Birdie has a thumbtrack, the old ones don't.
The banger looks to have a significantly bigger thumbtrack. I ordered a couple to check out, will post when I get them.

What is the purpose of a thumbtrack?



As far as I know, its a comfort thing...although I'm fairly sure it effects flight a bit too.



It does effect the flight...it makes it go dead nuts straight. :D/msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

the track appears to closely resemble the top view pictures of the ching juju/mojo spinning at high speeds and approximates the same groove that exists virtually with the juju/velocity.

i believe the theory of this design is to increase the speed of the air flow over the top of the disc. after throwing a lot of the proto ching dimpled discs i can say that the dimples did have an effect on the disc stability, especially to stabilize after some off axis torque.

i believe this is a different aerodynamic concept than the thumtrac on the innova discs as i remember reading that it was supposed to disturb air passing over the top and help the disc fly stable longer... (which is the same concept behind the aerobie sharpshooters).

What is the bead thickness like or similar to? How rigid are they?

Bead is similar to a wizard and they are made in the new blend of pro d plastic which is ultra tacky and stiff. Since I have a power grip, the groove top didn't feel awkward at all. I could see how people who throw with a fan grip would have trouble with this disc.

More like a Rhyno than an Aviar.



I took that to mean looks, not flight characteristics...



Feels & flys like a soft Rhyno. Not my cup of tea (I'm an Aviar guy), but good to see Discraft try something new.

Discraft makes the best putters, I've always been a firm believer of that.

Magnet
Challenger
and now the BANGER!!

Can't wait to try it out.

I have heard that some of the first ones have a "popped-up" dome and are quite overstable, whereas most have a dropped dome and are straight/stable.
If it's made in a Z version, I might just be in heaven. I've been waiting for Discraft to replace my first run Q Omega's and this might be it. I'm tired of burning through a D Challenger every other month.
As a full-on putter thrower who throws putters at any chance, I'll let you all know what I think when I get mine next week.

where are these for sale at? ?? someone said $7 can't find them for sale anywhere.

Sun King Discs has them.

Marshall Street (http://www.marshallstreetdiscgolf.com) has them.

Here they are for $6.49. (http://www.discndatonline.com/item.cfm?itemid=43316)

OK there is all this talk about the banger but nobody has mentioned the slipstream GT. It is only currently out as the 2005 ace race disc but it was pdga approved and it really flies. Oh, it is a driver. I would say -2, +2. I have never thrown anything as far as I can throw this disc. It has the same groove as the Banger. GT stands for "groove top".

Discndatonline is the place that's hosting that picture for us :D
That's where I came up with the "under $7" price, but other sites I visited were also under $7.
As far as sunking goes......$6.50 shipping on ALL orders is outrageous. I think they are members here. I'd like to know why.

OK there is all this talk about the banger but nobody has mentioned the slipstream GT. It is only currently out as the 2005 ace race disc but it was pdga approved and it really flies. Oh, it is a driver. I would say -2, +2. I have never thrown anything as far as I can throw this disc. It has the same groove as the Banger. GT stands for "groove top".


Well, this is the Banger GT thread ... I think there is another one called Ace Race Disc, discussing the Slipstream?

As far as sunking goes......$6.50 shipping on ALL orders is outrageous. I think they are members here. I'd like to know why.



Actually it's pretty cheap if you order a bunch at a time. I've ordered from them a few times. Mike is great to deal with and they have a pretty good selection.

Sorry about that.

how does the stability compare to a challenger

how does the stability compare to a challenger


my experiences were that it had similar high speed stability (slightly less high speed stable possibly) with less fade that happened slightly later in its flight (~90% mark vs. ~85% from my time with the challenger).


What is the bead thickness like or similar to? How rigid are they?



bead reminds me of an original mold wizard (G stamp era). depth is nearly identical to a #2 upshot... for those that haven't held a lightning disc read as: slightly deeper than a classic roc and a bit shallower than an aviar.

rigidity reminded me of proto wizards... soft on the outside but with good structural stability. is softer than a d challenger but firmer than a soft magnet. overall stiffness reminded me of an aviar putter but with a key difference: as you dig into the banger it will feel stiffer as your fingers press in whereas the aviar putter will feel softer. have found this with a few other discs (drone, s soft wizard, etc.)

Definately sounds interesting, and for the price, definately worth a try.

I got a stack of these yesterday, and threw several rounds with them on our short putting course. I'm very impressed. The new D plastic is nice, grippy, but not soft. The disc feels beefy, and I got good results throwing it backhand, and sidearm. Holds a line really well, I would venture to say, even better than my soft-challengers. Minimal fade, but enough to give you some contol on difficult approaches.
The thumbtrack did not effect my fan grip at all, and I could barely tell it was there [on the bottom of the disc]. You can feel it on the top, and it feels good, improving my grip really well.
On shorter putts, it flies a lot like my Challenger. On longer shots, I think it is easier to control, and has as good or better glide than the Challenger. I think I can safely say that the Banger GT is going to give my Challenger a run for #1 spot as my putter of choice.
I would love to see this mold run in EliteX, to give it more durability. But after some serious chain banging yesterday, the discs looked great, and didn't have any dings or give me cause to worry about the durability of the new D plastic.
I think this is going to be a great putter/approach disc that a lot of players are going to love.

Just plugging the Piney Woods Pro-Am, in Tyler, Dec. 10-11. I will have a set of these for sale and payout. Another reason to play my tourney!

Just shot an Ace with the Banger [hole 2 Carbondale, CO Gianinetti Park, witnessed by Matt S. and ZR] ... saweet! :D