best driver for narrow fairways?

[LegoRules]

What is the best driver for narrow fairways, tight wooded shots. I need something that will hold a staight line.

Thanks,
Cindy :)

[snap7times]

anything under 250 definitely use a midrange... over that, everyone's taste and style varies, I would use a valk or viking..

[Adam Schneider]

Leopard.

[Scott]

What is the best driver for narrow fairways, tight wooded shots. I need something that will hold a staight line.

Thanks,
Cindy :)

Just got back from Waterloo, eh? :biggrin2:

[Discdogs]

Just got back from Waterloo, eh? :biggrin2:

TL

[LegoRules]

Just got back from Waterloo, eh? :biggrin2:

Uh yeah, and I did have some trouble keeping it on the fairway. A lot of that was probally operator error, but maybe I am not throwing the best dics for tha situation. I was throwing my TL, and it just did not seem to be working that great for me.

Cindy :)

[Tim]

Gazelle, ESP Cyclone, Impact, JLS

[Scott]

Keep in mind that many drivers have to be thrown very hard to do what they are advertised to do. For example, Snap suggested a Valk or a Viking which are excellent choices if you have ~300+ feet of power. If not, the disc will act more stable and not be a straight as you were looking for.

If you were having problems with discs that are normally straight for you it means you need some more practice on courses with tight fairways. Throwing a 200' straight shot in a field and a 200' straight shot on a narrow fairway are different. I tend not to throw as hard, which of course makes the disc more stable.

[Adam Schneider]

Impact
Seconded.

And unless your TL is 150g, it could be a bit too much disc for you, like Scott was saying.

[LegoRules]

Seconded.

And unless your TL is 150g, it could be a bit too much disc for you, like Scott was saying.

I flip 150s too much, so I don't think my 162 TL is too much disc for me. I just was not sure it was the best disc for the situation. I know I need more practice throwing it in the narrows like Scott said, but I was open to trying a different disc that might be better for those situations. Thanks for all the good advice guys :)

Cindy :)

[Adam Schneider]

I flip 150s too much, so I don't think my 162 TL is too much disc for me.
Sorry, I meant too much disc in that situation. Full-power drives in the woods = trouble, and underpowered TL = more fade than you want.

I often throw a 150g Leopard when I need absolute control... and in the woods, you don't have to worry about the wind tossing those light discs around.

[Eric Olson]

beat roc or beat eagle for me depending on the distance

[LegoRules]

Sorry, I meant too much disc in that situation. Full-power drives in the woods = trouble, and underpowered TL = more fade than you want.

I often throw a 150g Leopard when I need absolute control... and in the woods, you don't have to worry about the wind tossing those light discs around.

Oh sorry Adam missread that post. I get what you are saying now. I do have a couple of Leopords, so I think I will toss them in my bag and give them a whirl.

Thanks,
Cindy :)

[Sam]

Teebird.

[Ol' Bob]

Keep some old flippy 150 just for those tight ones. If you practice an 85% pull, chances are, you'll find what you're looking for there. I think it's a good approach to the problem.

If you have a place in the open to practice, try it on a calm day. Pick out a narrow target find the "control" pull that can hit it repeatedly. My first 150 R-Pro Boss is becoming beat-up useless flippy on a full pull. I'm having some trouble using it as a turnover because I'm too near full power and the aim suffers, but in the woods, and backing off, it's working out nicely for threading needles. It's giving me decent distance too, even with my wimpy arm.

[Brian]

Leopard is the ideal disc. When you have to throw straight but you can't throw hard enough to straighten out a teebird or TL then a leopard is great. I use a low weight one to flip it without much velocity.

[Sam]

The Leopard is a great disc but if you are trying to power it, it is just too understable and could keep turning on you. A Teebird - even when overpowered - will fly straighter and come back some from the flip whereas a Leopard will not.

[Nathan]

I will throw a Z XL in tightly wooded narrow fairways. It's very easy to control and throw straight.

[LegoRules]

The Leopard is a great disc but if you are trying to power it, it is just too understable and could keep turning on you. A Teebird - even when overpowered - will fly straighter and come back some from the flip whereas a Leopard will not.

I have a lighter star teebird too, so I am going to try that as well as the Leopord. Thanks Sam for the advice.

Cindy :)

[Sam]

My pleasure. With the Teebird, you can actually throw it with a little annhyzer and a less than 100% throw will result in a slighter S that finishes back in the middle of the fairway.

[Flash]

Sometimes it is not the disc but the throw. Have you tried working a dependable forehand shot into your selection of throws. A forehand can be very good in tight situations as it allows you to maintain your focus on your line of throw. I know it does not meet the suggested requirements of answering the question but it may also be a good solution.

If you want backhand discs, try a mid range or a stable putter if you absolutely have to stay in the fairway and don't need a lot of distance. If a fairway driver is your true intentions a Cheetah or a light weight Gazelle might also be good solutions. Natalie has a 150 gm Gazelle and it is her straight discs and nets her about 200 feet on throws while Jason McGrew threw a 150 Cheetah for upshots or short tight throws at Am Worlds this year and he was a magician with the disc.

[KG_MCDGC]

I've recently added a Cheetah and a Leopard to my bag. Now, with my TeeBird, TL and FireBird, I have a perfect array of "fairway" drivers. Of course, the harder I throw these the less likely they are to do what they're supposed to.

[REDFIVE]

My wife has a 160ish cobra that goes dead straight for her. She also has good success with a dx leopard. I beat the leopard a bit before she stole it from my bag. Anyone else would have pulled back a stump. Good luck!

[Bruce]

Cindy, honestly try a pro leopard, get one that is new so you know how it beats in. I love teebirds, but once you learn a leopard you will fall in love with it. I throw fairly far, and hard, some people know this. But I can still control the heck out of a leopard even on a full power drive.

But then again I just started throwing less stable drives to force myself to control them, and it's done nothing but improve my game. When you start to learn why you are flipping a disc over, out of control, you learn to rethink your throw, how to correct it, and ultimately (hopefully) learn to choose which lines and routes work best for your power level and your throw.

I do have some leopards of my own and if you head out to McIver anytime soon let me know, I would be more than happy to help you out, let you throw them with your own, or whichever disc you choose. I still think open fields are the best place to learn what you can do with a disc and what you can't, and then apply that to those tight fairways you speak of.

[emmarose]

I use a super old school disc that i never see in anyone's bag but mine or my old dad's...it's an eclipse (discraft)...i think it was one of the first disc golf discs that they made and still make. It's got a larger diameter than any of my other drivers and doesn't go as far and i go through them like they're disposable, but...when i want to go straight they go straight as long as they're pretty brand new.

[LegoRules]

Sometimes it is not the disc but the throw. Have you tried working a dependable forehand shot into your selection of throws. A forehand can be very good in tight situations as it allows you to maintain your focus on your line of throw. I know it does not meet the suggested requirements of answering the question but it may also be a good solution.

If you want backhand discs, try a mid range or a stable putter if you absolutely have to stay in the fairway and don't need a lot of distance. If a fairway driver is your true intentions a Cheetah or a light weight Gazelle might also be good solutions. Natalie has a 150 gm Gazelle and it is her straight discs and nets her about 200 feet on throws while Jason McGrew threw a 150 Cheetah for upshots or short tight throws at Am Worlds this year and he was a magician with the disc.

I actually do have a good forehand, but at the moment it is out of commission because I pulled something in the biceps that only affects my forehand drive. Upside to that I was forced last weekend to practice my anhyzers, which I needed to do anyway.

I do also have a lightweight dx Gazelle & Cheetah that I am going to try along with the Leopord and Teebird. Hey and the Cheetah is blue, so maybe I can work some magic with it like McGrew did. :laughing: This will be a fun expirement to see which disc works out the best for me.

Thanks,
Cindy :)

[LegoRules]

Cindy, honestly try a pro leopard, get one that is new so you know how it beats in. I love teebirds, but once you learn a leopard you will fall in love with it. I throw fairly far, and hard, some people know this. But I can still control the heck out of a leopard even on a full power drive.

But then again I just started throwing less stable drives to force myself to control them, and it's done nothing but improve my game. When you start to learn why you are flipping a disc over, out of control, you learn to rethink your throw, how to correct it, and ultimately (hopefully) learn to choose which lines and routes work best for your power level and your throw.

I do have some leopards of my own and if you head out to McIver anytime soon let me know, I would be more than happy to help you out, let you throw them with your own, or whichever disc you choose. I still think open fields are the best place to learn what you can do with a disc and what you can't, and then apply that to those tight fairways you speak of.

Thanks Bruce the Leopard is one I am going to practice with. It's a 150 Champion, but if it works out I might look for one in the Pro plastic.

Next time I do make it out to McIver I will shoot you a message. Might not be for awhile with all the tourney's down south, but I will eventually be hitting McIver for sure.

Cindy :)

[Twitch]

I do not have a lot of arm strength but what works really well for me is my old 172 gram DX Cheetah. The thing flies straight and true and, unless I get the nose up too much, the disc just finally dies at the end falling without much - if any - fade. My wife has a 150 Leopard but it seems a little light to me. I would love to try one at 166 to 170 grams.

-Mark

[RonTheWhip]

XL is a great fairway driver. Very easy to control, much like a leopard or a TL. The Buzzz is also an outstandingly strait flyer, so depending on the distance of the shot you are after, I recomend the Buzzz.

[TreeLove]

Drivers are for throwing far with less control. For narrow fairways, throw a midrange disc. I like the Buzzz. I hear the Roc has a small but dedicated following, as well.

[Greg_R]

Aviar for <175ft, Roc for <265ft, Leopard for <325ft, Teebird for >325ft. This is assuming that I throw it correctly :-)

[kyle95]

for tight fairways i prefer the Z XL. it is the disc that i have the most control of and it has a straight flight.

[Ol' Bob]

I wish I could throw anything 300 feet.

[SPIDER-DAN]

I think the leopard that some of you suggested is a great choice. Just keep in mind that the valkyrie will never go away. I throw a 167 jk pro valkyrie (champion) on steilly pro alt. #1 (very tight tunnel) and get through 90% of the time.

Other options if you got wimpy arm like me is: Sidewinder, roadrunner, monarch, avenger ss.........150-160 weights.

[Joshua Olmsted]

I'll throw in another vote for the Z XL it's my only fairway driver and I use it almost exclusively for dead straight drives. Then for everything shorter the Buzz is also very straight, and I can still throw it 80% of the distance of my max distance driver.

[k2trcs]

get some dx fairway drivers on the understable side, little bit lighter than usual might help too. I try to find that finesse in a beat dx glo leopard, 160-something.

[bitterbuffalo]

Innova TL, in my opion this is the straightest flying driver ever... but I saw that this did not work for you. The second straightest flying disc I own is a Discraft Buzzz. It holds a line incredibly well, unfortunately even when I want it to fade.

[chanman]

Innova Star Plastic Teebird. Any weight. It is amazing.

[Iowa]

Discraft Z Hawk. If you can get your hands on one get it. They are not made in Z plastic anymore. It's a titch on the understable side but always comes back.

[COV45]

Crystal Buzz or a Roc

[Iowa]

I'm going to change my answer to the new Discraft Stalker. I bought one today and WHOA! It will hold any line I put it on. The best thing about it was that i got it for 10 bucks in the used disc section at PIAS and it did not have a scuff or chip.

[olydiscgolf]

300' or less is a glow MRV. Longer than 300' would be a Star Valkyrie. Hole 16 at Sea Tac is 535', I throw MRV off the tee and approach with the valk.

[TYVEK]

300' or less is a glow MRV. Longer than 300' would be a Star Valkyrie. Hole 16 at Sea Tac is 535', I throw MRV off the tee and approach with the valk.

Hey, i always knew you were a little backwards!! :biggrin2: