AS AN AVID DISC GOLFER, I FEEL COMPELLED TO SHARE THE TOOLS WITH WHICH I CRAFT MY FLIGHTS
I HAVE THREE BAGS OF THE FOLLOWING CAPACITIES : 6 DISCS (LITTLE), 12 DISCS (MEDIUM), 17 DISCS (BIG)
DISCS MARKED WITH A SINGLE ASTERISK (*) ARE IN THE BIG BAG
DISCS MARKED WITH A DOUBLE ASTERISK (**) ARE IN THE BIG BAG AND THE MEDIUM BAG
DISCS MARKED WITH A TRIPLE ASTERISK (***) ARE IN ALL THREE BAGS
PUTTER : DISCMANIA SENSEI (ACTIVE PLASTIC ~168g) ***
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 ]
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as most people will tell you, all putters fly the same inside the circle - it’s all about how it feels in the hand
i find this to be true - this thing clicks perfectly into my putting grip and that is why i choose it - a clean grip means a clean release
the different colored active plastics are actually all pretty different - i like the white ones - they are the right blend of softness/tackiness for me and beat in quite nicely
i also use this disc for short jump-putt approaches (75 feet or closer)
OVERSTABLE APPROACH : INNOVA PIG (R-PRO PLASTIC ~175g) **
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 ]
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this is an awesome disc on and off the tee FOR BOTH BACKHAND AND FOREHAND - the rim is super chunky and you can get a really solid grip on it
IT HAS A super reliable fade which IS GREAT FOR touchy FLEX LINES, SHORT STRAIGHT SHOTS THAT NEED TO HOOKUP AT THE END, AND short HYZERS - it’s good for short forehand rollers too
I’LL ALSO PUTT WITH THIS DISC IF THERE IS SOMETHING DIRECTLY IN MY WAY AND I NEED TO FLOAT SOMETHING THAT DUMPS HARD
THIS THING SINKS LIKE A STONE WHEN YOU PUTT IT, BUT IT’LL GET GOING IF YOU PUT A MOVE ON IT
you’ll find that new pigs can be totally flat-topped or domey-pop-topped - i prefer the flatbois
NEUTRAL APPROACH : INNOVA ROC (DX PLASTIC ~178g) *
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 ]
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a beat-in dx roc is the straightest flyer i have yet to encounter - it doesn’t take too long to get one to a point of fine seasoning
this particular roc is only used for dead-straight approach shots that are outside of jump-putt range (75+ feet)
mostly backhand, i give this disc a low flat toss and it slides right under the basket more often than not
UNDERSTABLE APPROACH : DISCRAFT FIERCE (RUBBER BLEND ~172g) **
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 3 | 4 | -2 | 0 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 3 | 3 | -2 | 0 ]
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i mainly use this disc for touchy turnover approaches, both forehand and backhand - just give it a committed anhyzer pop and it will turn as needed with no fade
it’s also great off the tee (mainly backhand) for short turnover lines as well as hyzer-flips on those short downhill holes where you just need to float something straight and land softly
i’ve found these discs to be super consistent across the board - they all feel and fly the same with a slow beat-in rate
aesthetically speaking, the colorful swirls they inject into these things are really sweet
SUPER-OVERSTABLE MID-RANGE : WESTSIDE ANVIL (VIP PLASTIC ~174g) ***
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 ]
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this is a crucial tool for shot-shaping - it is extremely reliable, both forehand and backhand - trust that this thing will never turn over on you
on and off the tee, the serious fade makes it great for shorter flex lines and flat-release throws that quickly fade out, as well as spike-hyzer rips of course
this is another very consistently-made disc - super flat-topped and the vip plastic lasts forever
OVERSTABLE MID-RANGE : INNOVA RANCHO ROC (SWIRLY STAR PLASTIC ~180g) **
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 ]
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this disc is a real workhorse for me, but backhand only - for some reason it cannot handle any sort of forehand action
the roc is just a classic golf disc - rip it flat and it will go straight for a while then finish with a nice fade
the beaded rim clicks perfectly in my hand so it offers me great control on and off the tee
i don’t really use this for flex lines too often - it tends to hold the turn for too long and misses the intended line - flat and hyzer releases only
this has also proven to be a great disc for shorter overhand shots like the tomohawk and thumber
despite some of the limitations i mentioned, i absolutely love this disc and it’s usually my pick for single-disc rounds
NEUTRAL MID-RANGE : INNOVA ROC (DX PLASTIC ~178g) ***
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 4 | 5 | -0.5 | 0 ]
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as mentioned above, nothing goes straighter for me than a beat-in dx roc - this one is particularly beat so it has a slight drift but i don’t mind it
unlike the one i use for approaches, this roc comes out of the bag all over the place, on and off the tee
whenever I feel like not being a hero off the tee, this is a great disc to reliably blast straight up the fairway and put you in a great spot for the next throw
i don’t forehand this thing too often, but it can handle the torque much better than the star plastic version - this is one of the great mysteries of my disc golf saga
UNDERSTABLE MID-RANGE : LATITUDE 64° FUSE (OPTO PLASTIC ~174g) ***
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 5 | 6 | -1 | 0 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 5 | 5 | -1.5 | 0 ]
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another workhorse for me - this disc is such a delight to use for turnover shots and hyzer-flips
give this thing a healthy flat rip and it beautifully turns through the fairway - a smooth forehand will yield the same
on hyzer, it will flip up to flat and glide straight for a while before finishing with a very gentle fade - great for power tunnel shots
this is my only disc in opto plastic, which may be the finest blend in disc golf - i’ve banged so many trees with this thing over time yet it persistently looks to be only a few weeks old
ROLLER DISC : PRODIGY F7 (500 PLASTIC ~170g) *
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 7 | 5 | -3 | 1 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 7 | 5 | -3 | 0 ]
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solid roller disc due to its extreme flippiness - perhaps a faster-speed disc would serve me better off the tee, but i just seem to consistently lay this thing down so i stick with it
i’ll go air-shot with it if i need to throw a hyzer-flip that continues to flip and turn over - major barrel roll action, super fun to watch it fly like this
it’s also great for majorly aggressive turnover lines, but those seem to be few and far between for whatever reason
this is the only fairway driver i have - i throw a lot of 3-4-5 speed discs, and a lot of 9 speed discs - at my power level, those in-between speeds don’t do much for me - sort of a no-man’s land
UTILITY DRIVER : INNOVA FIREBIRD (STAR PLASTIC ~166g) *
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 9 | 3 | 0 | 4 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 9 | 4 | 0 | 3 ]
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i also refer to this as my “trick shot disc” as it comes out for any type of unorthodox throw - tomahawks, thumbers, skip-shots, scoobers, and especially forehand rollers
i find it nice to have a disc reserved for these kinds of things - it gets beat up in all sorts of weird ways and it’s always ready for more
every so often i give this thing a standard backhand rip, but it has to be a shot that requires a very specific hyzer line, as it flies right in-between my two overstable drivers
SUPER-OVERSTABLE DRIVER : INNOVA FIREBIRD (CHAMPION PLASTIC ~166g) **
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 9 | 3 | 0 | 4 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 9 | 4 | 0 | 4 ]
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classic beefyboi - gotta have something that you can rip full power with a quick and reliable fade - the firebird nicely fits that slot for me
it’s pretty tough to turn this disc over, so it’s usually my choice for forehand flex shots as well as serious headwinds too
i also enjoy ripping a low hyzer with this disc for longer skip-shots
i generally prefer these lighter weights for my overstable drivers - heavier ones hyzer out much too quickly and don’t go very far for me
OVERSTABLE DRIVER : INNOVA THUNDERBIRD (STAR PLASTIC ~164g) ***
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | 0 | 2 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | 0 | 2 ]
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no disc clicks in my hand like the thunderbird - i think the rim width is the exact length of my pointer finger’s middle knuckle - it just locks in perfectly to my power grip
i trust this disc in all sorts of situations - backhand and forehand, flex lines, hyzer lines, straight-to-fade lines - it does so much for me on and off the tee and i treasure it dearly
again, I really prefer lightweight discs for these overstable slots - at my mid-level arm-speed they offer much more flight
NEUTRAL DRIVER : INNOVA THUNDERBIRD (STAR PLASTIC ~162g) ***
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | 0 | 2 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | -0.5 | 1 ]
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this is a very specific disc for me - it is a thunderbird that arrived completely flat-topped and has since beaten in to be puddle-topped
due to these physical characteristics, it does not fly like your standard thunderbird - it carries straight for much longer and has a more gentle yet still reliable fade
a beat-in pro plastic thunderbird will also fly like this in my experience
i mainly use this thing for flat-release backhand lines, and also put a touch of anhyzer on it for long subtle turnover forehand lines
FLIP-UP DRIVER : INNOVA THUNDERBIRD (DX PLASTIC ~175g) *
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | 0 | 2 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | -2 | 0 ]
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this is not your typical flip-up mold, but due to the thunderbird’s perfect fit in my hand, i try to use them as much as possible - finding yourself a mold like that is one of the keys to life
this disc started out as a more neutral driver but it shifted out of that slot as it got beat up and lost stability - it remained in the bag as i found another use for it
when ripped on hyzer, this thing flips to flat and flies straight for a good while with practically zero fade - if i want to get aggressive through a long tunnel or get some solid uphill distance , this is my chosen tool
i could use this thing for turnover shots and other understable lines, but in an effort to conserve its integrity i reserve it for flip-ups as it’s been very reliable for those
in my experience the yellow dx thunderbirds are flatter and stiffer than the rest, making them great candidates to eventually reach this slot through love and wear
UNDERSTABLE DRIVER : INNOVA SIDEWINDER (STAR PLASTIC ~172g) **
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | -3 | 1 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | -1 | 1 ]
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this is a classic s-shape disc - rip it flat, watch it turn for a bit, then watch it fade back
even with a little anhyzer this thing will still fade back at the end - i think they make these new sidewinders a bit more stable than they used to
forehands too - when thrown flat it will drift over for a bit and still finish with punctual fade
very useful for certain wood-lines, curving around a distant obstacle, or just out in the open if you want to watch a pretty flight path
SUPER-UNDERSTABLE DRIVER : INNOVA PFN SIDEWINDER (STAR PLASTIC ~175g) *
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | -3 | 1 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 9 | 5 | -3 | 0.5 ]
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gifted to me in 2011 by grey-daddy - this is a cherished relic of mine
despite getting beat to oblivion over the years, the plastic still feels fresh and has plenty of flight left in it
this is my go-to disc for long turnover lines - when released flat, it goes straight for a bit then turns like a key through the woods
i almost always throw this disc backhand - sometimes it fades back a little, sometimes it doesn’t - depends on how much spin i get on it
MAX-DISTANCE DRIVER : WESTSIDE SWORD (TOURNAMENT PLASTIC ~172g) **
[ FACTORY NUMBERS : 12 | 5 | -0.5 | 2 ] [ MY NUMBERS : 12 | 6 | -1 | 1.5 ]
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i cannot say enough good things about the sword - it has a relatively small rim for a 12-speed which is great for my not-so-big hands
when thrown flat, this will turn a touch and fade back nicely, like a subtle s-shape with a longer fade - it’ll even hyzer-flip when i put a serious move on it
i don’t have the arm-speed or hand-size for many 12-speed discs, so this is the only one i bag
backhand and forehand, this is my choice for open bombs and even certain wood-lines that i’m feeling super confident about
headwind will flip this thing into a likely undesirable spot, so use caution there - other than that, the sword is one dreamy crusher
