I was just wondering if anyone experiences this...

Anyone else think choosing a disc is a difficult decision. I mean with all the different molds and companies how do you know you are throwing the disc that will best suit you? even if you have a high rating and are not sponsored how do you know there isnt something better out there. better is used relatively. i think people get so infatuated or hung up with brand names they limit themselves on what they throw. for example, i like innova so i throw innova only. i am not sponsored but i think i like innova so i only throw innova. this is just an example...

Anyone think this claim is legitimate? what do you think?

Well I began the sport throwing Innova as well, and the way I chose my discs was by looking at the flight guide, and the disc description. If the description said understable and suitable for beginners then that was the disc I got. I pretty much bought every beginner friendly Innova disc that way I could experiment around and see what worked for me.

As my technique developed I looked at more stable discs and even looked into Discraft discs. I mixed up my bag, and with both brands by throwing what worked for me at the time. Although a little over a year ago I decided to switch to Gateway and Quest discs exclusively out of both curiousity and because the mixed Innova and Discraft bag simply wasnt working for me in the way I had hoped. I still throw Gateway and Quest discs today, but I have no problem checking out the latest Innova and Discraft discs whenever they are released. For example, I tried both the Destroyer and Force, and while they were neat discs I simply did not like them, nor could I find a purpose for them that my current bag already served. Now whenever I can find the Zone, that disc will more than likely be put in the bag because I LOVED IT!!! Great feel, speed, glide, and stability.

But I agree with you that a player, mainly a new player is only hurting themselves if they stick to simply one brand name. Some may not necessarily have a choice because the store may carry only one brand. But if they havent at least tried several molds from the various companies then they're severely missing out. I remember when I made the switch to Gateway/Quest I was mocked and ridiculed. Seriously, it was like being persecuted. But players dont think about the disc now. They think of the brand, and automatically assume the brand will make them a better player. They're out there only have been playing a few months desperately trying to throw a Surge, Destroyer, etc. and wondering why they cant huck it past 300 ft.

One problem is the male masculinity concept of "bigger is better." The guys have this need to throw wide rimmed drivers like their more experienced buddies to feel they adequate next to them. It's as if they see lightweight understable drivers as "girly discs." And yes, I've heard this excuse before several times.

Probably the biggest WTF moment I've ever had was playing in a tournament last year. I pulled out a Diablo DT getting ready for my drive. One dude on the card asked "You actually throw that Gateway dimpled POS?" I responded yes, and asked if he had a problem with it. He answered he had a big problem with it, but never explained why. So I asked him if Innova came out with this disc, and Climo said it was the greatest driver ever made would he then throw it. The guy responded to me "Sure, why not." As I said before...WTF!?

People dont realize that a disc is a disc, and a name is name. Neither will do anything for you except what you make it do for you. It's about getting a feel, and familiarity and confidence that the disc will do what you want it to.

Having your entire bag be filled with one brand should only exist, IMO, AFTER you've experimented with at least a majority of all other brands discs. When people mock me for throwing Gateway discs I respond with 2 answers...

1. A disc is a disc. It's just coincidence that Gateway makes discs that work best for me.

Or...

2. Aren't I beating you?

Granted, it's always the player more than it is the disc. But having a disc you know you feel confident throwing on a particular hole because you know its right for you, not because Climo, Doss, or Feldberg would throw that disc, is more important.

Just because you see a pro, or your more experienced buddies throwing a certain disc 400 ft.+ doesnt mean that same disc will go that far for you.

There is no shame whatsoever in throwing lightweight, understable discs, or discs from the non-popular brands.

One quote I live by when playing disc golf is what the guy who taught me how to play said to me.

"It's not what the disc is supposed to do. It's what you can get the disc to do for you."

Gateway sucks, everything they have is super flippy. Plus Innova would never put out a pimpled POS.

Ok evidentally you've only ever thrown a beat Diablo DT cause 90% of Gateway's drivers are super overstable. Anyways...

My synopsis...I too started with Innova 6 years ago. The times of CE plastic, and amazing other discs. We didn't have so much to choose from back then. Valkyrie, Eagle, Teebird, Firebird, Leopard, Roc,Aviar, and a couple others. That's all one needed. That's all I ever played with. I mean there where others but as a beginner I liked em and had no clue what I was doing. I was a REC player.

I've been headstrong into the sport for 2 years now. ( by no means does this mean I have expertise on the subject but...) I was fortunate enough to have enough money to buy a bags worth of all champion drivers and a bags worth of star drivers.

Time after time I always pulled out "old faithful" It works...about a little over a year ago I switched over to Gateway. Didn't know a lot about them, but figured I'd give em a try. LOVE the putters ( mainly Wizard) and love both of their mid-ranges. They're PERFECT! Their drivers on the other hand we're not too much to my liking. I ended up having about 7 diablo's in my bag and a couple of their illusions. All of the Diablo's flew different. But because I played with them often, I knew how the flew and was able to use them as I'd like. I felt personally as though they were affecting my game. I felt like there was a 350' wall in my drives and wasn't getting passed it. So this past week, I switched my gateway drivers out and went back to the drivers I knew all along. That's where I stand now...

Continue on...

I would ask buddies to toss their plasic, or if you play in a league as them. thats the chepest way. You can also trade your plasti on this site, discgolfreview.com (my fave), or discaroo.com that way you only pay $2 for shipping instead of 15-20 for a new disc shipped.

Dont limit yourself. If you end up tossing all innova, thats cool. If you toss all innova because thats what your friends throw, you may be missing out on something.

in the end, remember, its the indian not the arrow

Cardnal,

Go toss a spirit or a speed demon. How do you feel about the monarch?

Dont limit yourself. you may be missing out on something.

in the end, remember, its the indian not the arrow



That is the best advice any new player will hear when starting out. When I began I was buying 2 or 3 discs a week to find out what worked for me, and what didnt.

Just keep searching through the bins until you find something you're interested in and go out and toss it in a field.

Limiting your disc selection (esp. by brand) only limits yourself.

True, but keep it sane. Keep a limit, don't buy superfluous discs. If you've already got a high speed overstable or a stable midrange or something... don't go buying new plastic that does the same thing. You don't need an XCaliber and an ESP Force both. Define roles within your bag and make sure to fill them. Here's my suggested set:

High Speed Overstable, Stable, Understable
Low Speed Overstable, Stable, Understable (super understable roller if you throw them)
Midrange Overstable, Stable, Understable
2 identical putters

By covering each of those things I've managed to trim my bag down to 12 discs and I'm never left in a situation where I can't find a disc to do what I want. Here's my exact bag as an example:

Ch Monster, St XCaliber, St Destroyer
Ch Firebird, St Teebird, St Valkyrie, St Roadrunner
D Zone, Cryz Buzzz, ESP Meteor
D Challenger x2

I haven't found a situation yet where I'm really left wishing I had something else in my bag.

You have to throw the discs yourself before deciding whether or not they're any good for you - only YOU throw like you. My son and I throw completely different discs - he has fast arm speed and can throw Destroyers, Wraiths, etc. My arm speed is slower, so I throw what most consider super-flippy plastic. One of my mainstay drivers is a 150g Sidewinder, which I can throw super straight farther than anything else. I can't keep a Destroyer in the air.

If you can, borrow a disc from a friend for a few throws to see how it flies for you. Learn where your favorite drivers and mids are on the various flight charts and use that information when considering new plastic.

But don't let anyone hassle you about what you throw - it's your game, after all. I beat lots of guys throwing Destroyers and heavyweight Rocs or Buzzzes...with my 150g Sidewinder and 164g QMS. As long as it takes me fewer throws to get in the basket, I don't care what they think about my discs.

Rizbee makes a good point. Don't listen to what other people say should fill certain roles for you. A teebird might be an overstable driver for you, not a straight one and a valk might be a stable driver for you, roadrunner flippy driver and not a roller disc like it is for me.

My main point with my post is to fill niches. But don't fill them with what other people say SHOULD fill those niches. Find which disc is the low speed overstable, stable, understable for you. But I will maintain that you should attempt to avoid superfluous discs. Adding discs that do very similar things (say, having both a max weight champ firebird and a max weight champ banshee) is going to just create indecision when you go to throw.

Fill a role with the right disc for you.

I think we can all agree on the following...

Experiment around and find what works for you. Not what works for your buddy. Not what works for the pro's. Just simply what works for you regardless of brand, and regardless of what everyone else throws.

Actually I do think that one should listen to advice given by intelligent players. If you know a solid player who others will vouch for as knowing what discs do, listen to him. Ask for some advice, play a round or two with him. Once he has seen you throw and understands where you stand you can get some very intelligent advice concerning what discs are good for you. Those players can steer you away from choosing inferior discs and help you avoid needlessly spending money on crap.

And I can honestly say: some discs ARE crap, no matter what your arm does they're touchy or lack any glide, etc. Some have their roles as niche discs for specialty throws and are a waste of money otherwise.

Find someone who knows what they're talking about, that can watch you and give you advice based on your game. I merely say to avoid doing what other people are doing, or doing things based on what discs are doing for other people. If you can get help from someone willing to make recommendations based on your own game take it.

I agree with finding what works for you. I have tried an assortment of disc (Innova, Discraft, Gateway, Lat 64 & a few others) but have settled on Innova because they seem to work best for me. I do agree that the Gateway putters are good but I also like the JK Aviars, so I go with what is easiest to acquire when all else seems equal. TeeBirds, Firebirds & Whippets just seem much more consistent to me than comparable discs I've tried. You just gotta go with what works.

Ryan -

From your player rating, you seem to have a pretty decent game. If you find a disc you like, stick with it. If your buddies are out-scoring you or throwing a disc that does something unique, ask them if you can try the disc. It may or may not perform the same for you. If you buy a disc that doesn't work for your game, you may be able to trade it with other players or donate it to a new player.

Something you can do when deciding whether to take advice from people on this message board is to click on their screen name and then click on their PDGA number. This will take you to their Player Page. Here you can see their PDGA player rating and tournament stats. Consider whether you want to take equipment advice from a Professional level player rated higher than you with a lot of tournament experience or take advice from a sub 900 Recreational level player that doesn't play far from home. Also, once on the Player Page you can also look at a player's "Ratings History" to see how long a player has been in the game and if they are improving. Someone who has been around for 10 or 20 years may provide valuable advice even if they are not rated higher than you.

Just my two cents.

(BTW, I am an 880 rated female who has been only been playing for 12 years.)

She knows what she's talking about.

Another tip: Keep your selection of discs simple until you have more experience. Most beginners have too many molds in their bag to choose from, and haven't spent enough time to master any of them. Minimize your disc selection and learn five to seven molds inside and out.

good responses here....

i have been playing for eight years, seriously for about three. never had a bag or anything like that until 04. to cut to the chase i am looking for some feedback about long range drivers that are stable with smaller rims than a teerex or wraith. i dont have big hands and for whatever reason a can throw a teebird almost just as far as a wraith cuz it fits my hand better. any discs (brand unimportant) out there that are long flyers with small rims. i can throw consistently 400 or a little farther with pretty much any driver. Putting is another story....

Any thoughts on something I can try?

to cut to the chase i am looking for some feedback about long range drivers that are stable with smaller rims than a teerex or wraith



So many people use stable incorrectly too. What's your definition?

Assuming you throw right handed and back hand, to me the definitions are:

Overstable = left
Stable = straight
Understable = right

Have you tried the discs in the generation between the Teebird/Eagle/Firebird and the Rex/Wraith? The Starfire/Orc/SL/Beast... They're about halfway in rim width between the two...

The based on measured numbers on the approval list, the Discraft Crush/Flick/Flash were a little wider in rim thickness...

Part of the difference may be sensitivity to release... the faster the disc, the better your nose angle on release needs to be. No matter how you release a Rhyno (within reason), it flies the same... like a brick. A Destroyer is a little more touchy...

I believe that an old-mold Beast or an Orc might be what you're looking for. They have smaller rims than the Tee-Rex/Wraith set but they also fly faster than the Teebird/Valkyrie set. If you haven't thrown Valkyries I also recommend those as they're the furthest fliers in that width from Innova.

Wish I could espouse the benefits of the discs of some other companies but I haven't done much with their drivers. I've heard good things about both the XS and the XL from Discraft, which are both former world distance record holders pre-wide rim era.


-Chris.

Avenger. Slighly more stable than a Teebird and a bit faster. Aother good choice would be a Millenium Orion LF. The Q and S plastic would be closer to a teebird. for innova, a starfire would work. And for Gateway, a Blurr woud work, the domier the better

I disagree... the Sirius Orion LF by Millenium is VERY Wraithlike, definitely not what he wants. Your other suggestions though I agree with 100%.

I disagree... the Sirius Orion LF by Millenium is VERY Wraithlike, definitely not what he wants. Your other suggestions though I agree with 100%.



Except if the problem is actually the RIM WIDTH... Orion LF 1.9 cm, Wraith 2.1 cm... Teebird 1.7, Orc 2.0, Valk 1.9, TeeRex 2.2.

Not the MOST stable disc, but the z-tracker is a very long flying small rimmed disc. I can throw it almost as far as my pulse/force shots. Perhaps you could even step it up to the ESP version for more stability. My friend has small hands and throws the ESP tracker very far (and accuratelly). I stick with the Z cuz it flies very true for me...

Orion LF, any version. Sacrifice a little D compared to the Wraith, but gain a lot more accuracy and it's easier to grip.

If you want Wraith/TeeRex like stability I would say go with the Orc or Starfire. Not the Starfire-L (Pro Starfire).

i would say try the diablo dt, raging inferno,inferno dt,inferno, or illusion. all by gateway. the illusion and diablo has been my go to long range for a while now