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I just wanted to give my opinion as a recreational disc golfer about the discs that I find in my bag. Also, I wouldn't mind any input on gaps that I might have.
First, a little about my disc golfing experience. I started hucking sometime around '98 or '99. I am forty if that means anything. When I started playing recreational disc golf with my wife and friends, we lived in Cupertino in the South Bay Area. Every weekend we would go up and over Hwy 17 to Santa Cruz to play at De Laveaga. What a great place to play. Anyway, we played consistently until we moved up to Portland in the Summer of '01. Then came the big dry spell. Being busy, we unfortunately never took the time to play until earlier this summer when the neighbors kids got us hooked and put us back out on the courses. I've been playing a few times a week since. I am right handed but throw LHBH -- always have for some reason since I was a kid. I think my power suffers a little being it is my off arm. My average drives are improving a lot since I started again. I was only able to get maybe 200 ft at the beginning of summer, now I am closer to 300. Why we stopped playing, I can't say but boy do I love this sport.
Now on to the review.
The fab four - I have four discs that I seem to throw consistently.
Wraith (DX / 165 gm) -
This was one of the first discs I bought when getting back into the sport. When I first started to throw it was with a slower release speed,the disc had a big fade to the right at the end for me. Also, because of the wider rim on this disc, it would sometime hang up on my fingers at release and come out way left. This disc is wearing in nicely and now with practice and with an incorporated improved wrist snap, I can get it to go about 300 ft. I don't know if it is the wear on the disc or still and issue on the release, but I seem to find that my throws are a few degree's left (late) at my intended release point. This causes the disc to go left and now that it is more understable then new, stay left of the target. I do like this disc and hopefully with more practice, I will get better with the release.
Cheetah (DX? / 175 gm) -
This is one of my original discs. I can't remember if Innova had different plastics in '99. It is definitely similar to the DX plastic of my wraith and has a similar stamp of the current DX cheetah. Did Innova change the DX plastic over the years? It seems more brittle and beat up then how the wraith is wearing in, but that could be because down in San Jose and Santa Cruz the courses where more rocky. This is my most dependable disc. Whatever line I throw it on, it will try and hold it. It will only break right at the end when the disc speed has become really slow. Great disc when I don't have a lot of room to work with or for throwing in the trees at Pier.
Buzzz (Z / 173 gm) -
This is now becoming my new best friend. Today I was at Orchard and noticed that my Wraith was now out driving most of the holes, cool. So I am now falling back to my Buzzz and I am enjoying the experience. What I have noticed in my plastic is that the Champion, or in this case Z, is more overstable then other plastic lines. With my Buzzz, it fills a need as I like its nice fade to the right at the end of the toss. It seems very dependable on what it wants to do and I am putting it closer to the pin then anything else I toss when I am within 100-200 ft.
Aviar P&A (DX? / 171 gm) -
This old putter of mine I must say is my least favorite of the four. I do appreciate the disc as an approach disc (<130 ft) but not as a putter. It seems too fast to me. I really like my old birdie, but it is a 150 series and seems just too light now. I am searching for a new putter that has good glide and is very slow.
Other's of note -
Orc (Champion / 166 gm) -
I had not liked this disc through much of the summer and really did not throw it much. It did not seem to have the glide of the wraith and had a big brake to the right at the finish. Now that I am throwing further with more speed, the disc is staying straighter longer with a more dependable break at the end. I find this a good disc to throw when I need to go left of obstacles and then break right to the basket at the end. I still can not throw it as far as the wraith but it seems to be more dependable about what exactly it is going to do.
Boss (Champion / 175 gm) -
I bought this disc at the Rose City Open this year symbolizing my reentry into the sport. I had no idea what I was buying at the time (a big shout out to Scott who pointed out to me that the letter codes on the underside of the discs actually have meaning). To me, this disc is simply a learning tool. Even today, I find it hard to keep this thing in the air. It is fast no doubt, but for me, it wants to fall like a rock. It also has a big break to the right at the finish. I use the disc to track my throwing progress when practicing at the local empty field. I find that it is a big skipper. The disc might be useful to me on rare shots where I need a long throw with a lot of hyzer.
The dusty three -
Eagle (DX? / 172 gm) -
I don't find myself throwing my old Eagle much. I prefer the Cheetah and simply do not reach for it that often. I find it a tad faster and more stable that the Cheetah.
X-Clone (Old Discraft Plastic / 165 gm) -
I haven't thrown it much this summer and I tend to only break it out of the bag when practicing in an empty field. No real comments on this disc.
X2? (2001 Discraft / 174 gm) -
This is a 2001 De Laveaga Master's Cup stamped disc. Picked it up when a group of us got up to the course and discovered the tournament underway. It was a bummer that we could not play, but it was amazing to see those top pro's perform. I have no idea what Discraft disc this is. I did not seem to find a Discraft letter code table like Innova publishes on its website. It looks to have written under the weight a 'X2'. If anyone has any ideas it would be cool to know. I compared it to the X-Clone and the outer edge seems to be smoother.
Discs that I am thinking about getting -
Monarch / Star Beast / Avenger SS -
An understable driver from one of these three perhaps. Within this last week I might be leaning more to the Beast. With my slower release I was thinking that a really understable disc like the Monarch might be cool to have. But, now I am not so sure as my release speed is picking up. I have also thinking about the Avenger SS in FLX perhaps?
Birdie, Polecat, Pig -
I really want to explore a new putter. A heavier Birdie might do better for me or maybe a Polecat. I saw the Pig in the store the other day and I do find myself at times hyzer putting. Perhaps it might be cool to try. Anything from Discraft?
Star Wraith -
Another Wraith that would be more stable might be helpful. I might up the weight a little also.
Suggestions on what might be missing are always helpful.
Peace all,
Mark
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September 14th, 2009, 04:20 PM
A recreational disc player's review.
