2018 season launch bag

[VictorB]

Hi gang, another season is about to start up - local courses will be opening soon and my first tournament is in roughly 3 weeks. I've been hammering out my bag for the upcoming season over the winter. A lot of old dependable discs are back in the bag - challenger, comet, predator, and wasp. They've been joined by some of the newer discraft molds that have been great for me and my game. I have to remember sometimes that I am not a huge power player and my game is most at home in the woods, and I've adjusted what I'm carrying to compensate for the fact that I'm not throwing 450+ :thmbup:

Vitals:
Years playing/experience: been disc golfing for 12+ years (with a 2 year break in there)
Right/left-handed/ambidextrous: right-handed
Throwing Style: 90:10 RHBH:RHFH
Golf Distance (avg/max*) for putter/mid/driver:
Challenger (225/275); Comet (240/300); Mantis (275/350)

Optional:
Age: 36
Sex: M
Injuries/handicaps?: No ACL in Left Knee, need ACL Recon/unilateral replacement due to arthritis. Needless to say this kind of inhibits my athleticism (what athleticism I have left at least)
Other sport proficiencies?: None!
What do you like/dislike about your current bag?: Familiarity of older trusted molds returning
Specific areas of desired feedback: None, specifically
Immediate and long-term goals: Redevelop my consistency that I had prior to relocating my whole life to Wisconsin.

Without further ado,

Distance drivers:
174 Z Nuke: Pop top nuke, quite overstable for me. Headwind max D
174 1R ESP Crank: Dependable distance, long and penetrating hyzers
167 1R ESP Crank: Open field distance.

Fairway drivers:
172 Z Predator - flat top beefcake.
174 Z Predator - flat top, but beat up. has some stability but not a lot of glide
174 Z Predator - domey, and some wear. has a ton of glide for a predator, straight to hyzer
174 Z Glow Mantis - fairly stable mantis
174 Big Z Mantis - hyzer flip to straight finish, or turnover shots
(Will be adding in a Ti Mantis here this week)
173 Icon Mongoose - beat in, BH rollers

Midranges:
175 Color Glow Z Flx Wasp - very flat top, very overstable. even use for FH approaches
175 Z Wasp - main overstable midrange, use for hyzer finish shots between 200-300'
180 MJ Z Comet - Stable comet, workhorse midrange.
176 Z Comet - one of the oldest discs I own. beat in and holds straight or turn
17x X Comet - beat up, low power straight shots and turnovers

Putters:
172 Ti Challenger - throwing putter, straight to hyzer drives or approaches
174 D Challenger SS - finesse approach disc, until I get a challenger beat up enough
174 D Challenger (x3) - main putters.
174 Z Flx Zone - utility disc. might not even carry it this year because the z flx wasp is so good for the same type of shots.

Discs that didn't make the bag:

Undertaker (X, Z, ESP Glow, Z Glow) With beat up predators and stable mantises, I feel like these don't really fit into my lineup at all. Love the disc overall, but my minimalist side and the fact that I rarely if ever throw them when I carry them, have me leaving them out of my lineup.

P2 - Really good putter with great flight. I needed something that wasn't so deep to get consistent releases. I asked a friend 'What should I be using if I want a P2 flight but an aviar feel?' His first response was challenger, and being a disc I leaned on for years prior, the lightbulb went off and I won't look back.

FD3 - the FD3s I like are doombirds, which remind me of predators, and are harder to find. I hate chasing boutique discs or limited releases, so just went back to the old dependable predator.

Outlaw - I'm not a power player. The outlaw is a power player's disc. I get easier distance with cranks, and better accuracy with predators. The nuke is fast enough for me to be a headwind distance driver. I have a stack of 1R/2Rs that I'm going to need to move soon...

Heat - jury is still out on this one. wanted to try a different roller disc, but the one I have is a little too stable compared to the mongoose. likely won't make this change since I'm not bound to a manufacturer.

Hope you enjoyed reading, and hope I don't update this very much this season! <3

 

[Baseballadp]

I love outlaws for my forehand, have you tried them for that?

 

[VictorB]

I love outlaws for my forehand, have you tried them for that?

My forehand is only good for about 250' and using slower discs. Outlaws are way too much disc

 

[VictorB]

That didn't take long to update...

Basically dropped nukes/cranks in favor of my outlaws to cycle. I have 3. I got to field test these side by side with cranks, and they were just as long (if not slightly longer) and much more consistent. They are plenty long for headwind distance compared to the nuke. I think I'm just not able to get anything over speed 12 that is heavier up to speed properly.

Added a glow z undertaker to fill the gap that *does* exist between beat preds and glow z mantis.

Added p2s back in because I still have an issue with beaded putters that I can't figure out. Aviars are the straight/understable approach to pair with these.

Distance drivers:
174 1R Pinnacle Outlaw - higher PLH for headwinds and long hyzers
168 2R Pinnacle Outlaw - still fresh, dependable distance
167 2R Pinnacle Outlaw - worn in from last season, hyzer flip or flex distance

Fairway drivers:
172 Z Predator - flat top beefcake.
174 Z Predator - flat top, but beat up. has some stability but not a lot of glide
174 Z Predator - domey, and some wear. has a ton of glide for a predator, straight to hyzer
174 Z Glow Undertaker - Ledgestone edition, has good HSS with less LSS than a beat pred.
174 Z Glow Mantis - fairly stable mantis, not so domey
174 Ti Mantis - domey but still stable. flips up but not over
174 Big Z Mantis - starting to accumulate wear, hyzer flip to straight finish, or turnover shots
173 Icon Mongoose - beat in, BH rollers

Midranges:
175 Color Glow Z Flx Wasp - very flat top, very overstable. even use for FH approaches
175 Z Wasp - main overstable midrange, use for hyzer finish shots between 200-300'
180 MJ Z Comet - Stable comet, workhorse midrange.
176 Z Comet - one of the oldest discs I own. beat in and holds straight or turn
17x X Comet - beat up, low power straight shots and turnovers

Putters:
175 C-Line P2 Sky God - Hyzer approaches and putter drives
175 D-Line P2 - Straighter putter drives, want to beat this in to get aviars out
175 DX Classic Aviar - shamrock stamp. straight as straight can be.
175 DX Classic Aviar - grid stamp. beat in for finesse approaches and turnovers
175 D-Line P2 (x2) - bar stamp, only for putting
175 Z FLX Zone - overstable utility putter.

 

[VictorB]

Condensing, weeding out what hasn't worked well and adding in to span a couple of gaps...

Distance drivers:
174 ESP Crank, corner bar stamp - slightly more overstable crank, can handle some wind.
171 Z Crank - main distance driver, when an extra 30' means more than accuracy

Fairway drivers:
172 Z Predator, new- flat top, beef cake. it's a predator
174 Z Predator, beat - domey, has some glide and can work some flexy lines with it
176 Ti Mantis, newish- main controlled distance disc. hyzer flips to flat even in moderate wind
176 bigZ Mantis, worn- straight finishes or turnovers from slight hyzer
176 Z Stalker (x2), new - bridges the gap between comet and mantis. needed a slower driver so I don't have to power up a comet (bad idea) or power down on a mantis (not optimal for my game) straight shots or lower mild hyzers.
175 Icon Mongoose, beat - rollers only, baby.

Midranges:
175 ESP Swirl Glow Wasp - very flat top, very overstable. main overstable approach/mid, for both FH and BH
180 MJ ESP Swirl Glow Comet - Stable comet, workhorse midrange. Perfect shape and flight.
176 Z Comet - one of the oldest discs I own. beat in and holds straight or turn, but not flippy.
17x X Comet, beat - low power straight shots and turnover shots that turn very late and hold over.

Putters:
172 Titanium Challenger - Main driving putter. It's as stable as a driving putter should be.
174 D Challenger SS - long spin putts, and more finesse approaches and short anhyzers.
174 D Challenger (x2) - main putter. had a long time love affair with the disc and went away from it for whatever reason (I do that far too frequently) but I've recommitted to using it and it's starting to feel right again.

 

[VictorB]

I've been working for a while on an actual spin putt and finally think I figured it out. I also figured out that the challenger is not a good spin putt disc. It's been a rotating door for my putter slot for the last 1.5 years, ever since I discovered I hated beads on putters after using a judge for several years. I think I've finally found that combination of the right putt and the right disc to help make me more comfortable actually throwing the disc in the basket. A few tweaks to the lineup, all the drivers are still the same:

Distance drivers:
174 ESP Crank, corner bar stamp - slightly more overstable crank, can handle some wind.
171 Z Crank - main distance driver, when an extra 30' means more than accuracy

Fairway drivers:
172 Z Predator, new- flat top, beef cake. it's a predator
174 Z Predator, beat - domey, has some glide and can work some flexy lines with it
176 Ti Mantis, newish- main controlled distance disc. hyzer flips to flat even in moderate wind
176 bigZ Mantis, worn- straight finishes or turnovers from slight hyzer
176 Z Stalker (x2), new - bridges the gap between mids and the mantis. needed a slower driver so I don't have to power up a midrange or power down on a mantis (not optimal for my game)
175 Icon Mongoose, beat - rollers only, baby.

Midranges:
179 DX Roc - slightly overstable midrange to compliment the comets. Will replace with a KC when it straightens out too much.
180 MJ ESP Swirl Glow Comet - Stable comet, workhorse midrange. Perfect shape and flight.
17x X Comet, beat - low power straight shots and turnover shots that turn very late and hold over.

Putters:
175 McPro Aviar (1 beat, 1 fresh) - putters for driving and upshots.
175 ESP Flx Zone - overstable utility putter. forehand approaches etc
175 Classic Aviar (x2) - putting only, these things hold laser straight when I spin them right. Canned a couple of 60'+ putts without utilizing a jump putt last weekend

 

[VictorB]

Z FLX Zone out, X Ringer GT in. Nice throwing utility disc that you can still pump for some distance.

 

[BrotherDave]

I think I'm gonna transition to a spin putt as well. What was it about the bead that you didn't like?

 

[VictorB]

I think I'm gonna transition to a spin putt as well. What was it about the bead that you didn't like?

Hangs up weird in my hand, since I position the disc about as deep as I can get it in my grip. Cleaner spin/release without a bead.

 

[VictorB]

Very minor updates/tweaks. Feeling really comfortable with my setup. Will keep this lineup through the meat of my tournament season which starts this month and goes through September. Took out McPros for classic aviars, the flight of the McPro just felt odd to me in some way. Like it has more turn and fade than an Aviar should. Classics are just straight, and point and shoot for me.

Distance drivers:
174 ESP Crank, corner bar stamp - slightly more overstable crank, can handle some wind.
171 Z Crank - main distance driver, when an extra 30' means more than accuracy

Fairway drivers:
172 Z Predator, new- flat top, beef cake. it's a predator
174 Z Predator, beat - domey, has some glide and can work some flexy lines with it
176 Ti Mantis, newish- main controlled distance disc. hyzer flips to flat even in moderate wind
176 bigZ Mantis, worn- straight finishes or turnovers from slight hyzer
176 Z Stalker, new - bridges the gap between mids and the mantis. needed a slower driver so I don't have to power up a midrange or power down on a mantis (not optimal for my game)
175 Icon Mongoose, beat - rollers only, baby.

Midranges:
177 Doss ESP Swirl Glow Buzzz - slightly overstable. when I want to power up a comet but still finish straight/left.
177 Z Buzzz - stronger finish than the Doss buzzz.
180 MJ ESP Swirl Glow Comet - Stable comet, workhorse midrange. Perfect shape and flight.
17x X Comet, beat - low power straight shots and turnover shots that turn very late and hold over.

Putters:
175 Shamrock Classic Aviar - New, for straight/stable putter drives
175 Classic Aviar - beat, finesse approaches and turnovers
175 Classic Aviar (x2) - putting only, these things hold laser straight when I spin them right.
175 Proto Aviar3x - Sidearm approaches and short overstable dumps/flex shots. Switched to this because it's so much more similar in feel to my other putters, and I like that consistency.

 

[VictorB]

I've been working in and out a few discs in practice rounds and feel comfortable with the changes I've made. The core of the bag is still the same, but swapping out a few molds I didn't use enough and a few molds that I feel weren't consistent enough in varied situations and weather. I like DGA/Discraft a lot, and I'm moving my bag over that direction. I like to keep things simple and using 1 company makes the temptation of tying different discs much, much lower for me.

Distance drivers:
174 SP Hurricane - new, flatter top, overstable hurricane. I can mash on this disc for long straight to hyzer shots.
171 SP Hurricane - newish, slight dome, bomber distance disc. Has some flex to the flight when I get on it (which is nice because I can throw slight hyzer flips with it) but still controllable enough to pull out in some wind.
Moved over to hurricanes after watching Shasta Criss throw them at Harmony Bends at the Mid-America Open. They looked to have the flight I wanted. Glad I made that switch, it's a great DGA driver and should be right up there with destroyers/forces/etc.

Fairway drivers:
172 Z Predator, new- flat top, beef cake. it's a predator
174 Z Predator, beat - domey, has some glide and can work some flexy lines with it
176 Ti Mantis, newish- main controlled distance disc. hyzer flips to flat even in moderate wind
176 bigZ Mantis, worn- straight finishes or turnovers from slight hyzer. holds a good turnover line.
175 Icon Mongoose, beat - rollers only, baby.
Stalker was dropped from the lineup after adding my newest midrange. Felt like I didn't need a slower driver to bridge the gap to the Mantis. Hadn't thrown them in several rounds and didn't miss having that slot.

Midranges:
180 Proline Aftershock - new, flatter top and quite stable. will flip up in wind but not over
178 SP Aftershock - new. best description I've heard fits - it's a Roc with buzzz distance potential. Workable on a lot of angles, and not nearly as speed sensitive as other faster mids I've tried in the past.
180 MJ Z Comet - it's a straight comet.
178 MJ ESP Glow Comet - it's a slightly overstable comet. Might put a Ti in this slot.
17x X Comet - it's a really beat, understable comet.
Aftershocks team up with comets better than anything I've tried in the past (wasp, roc, buzzz, truth, etc) They have different ranges and power requirements, so I can cover pretty much any midrange shot I'd need out to 325' with this team.

Putters:
175 Ti Challenger - stable driving/approach putter.
175 D Challenger (x3) - 2 new for circle putting, beating 1 in for longer putts and approaches.
175 Proto Aviar3x - Sidearm approaches and short overstable dumps/flex shots. Might change this slot to a DGA Breaker if I can ever get my hands on one.
Went back to more of a push putt, spin putting wasn't sustainable over a 2 round tournament day for me. It's been a long, arduous journey since early last year to find my putt/putter again. The small bead on the challenger doesn't bother me since overhauling my putting grip about a month ago. I feel like a lot of bad habits I carried over from my 3 year break from playing are starting to get worked out, finally. Only time will tell though.

 

[VictorB]

Distance drivers:
174 SP Hurricane - new, flatter top, overstable hurricane. I can mash on this disc for long straight to hyzer shots.
171 SP Hurricane - newish, slight dome, bomber distance disc. Has some flex to the flight when I get on it (which is nice because I can throw slight hyzer flips with it) but still controllable enough to pull out in some wind.

Fairway drivers:
172 Z Predator, new- flat top, beef cake. it's a predator
174 Z Predator, beat - domey, has some glide and can work some flexy lines with it
176 ESP Undertaker, new - straight to fad workhorse driver
168 Z Undertaker, new - a little lighter for more finesse shots and forcing longer turns
176 Ti Mantis, newish- main controlled turnover disc. holds a nice turn without too much worry of fading early.
175 Icon Mongoose, beat - rollers only, baby.


Midranges:
178 SP Aftershock, new - slightly overstable mid. slots in between a challenger and undertaker for shots that I want to ensure fade (both FH and BH)
180 MJ Z Comet - it's a straight comet.
178 MJ ESP Glow Comet - wearing in a bit. will turn late when I power up on it.
17x X Comet - it's a really beat, understable comet.

Putters:
175 Ti Challenger - stable driving/approach putter.
175 D Challenger (x3) - 2 new for circle putting, beating 1 in for longer putts and approaches.
175 Z FLX Zone - the beefcake approach disc.

I've been working on depending on my sidearm a lot more. It's a really good tool for me to use on a lot of occasions when I don't need to force a straight shot or rhbh turnover. I've got enough control of it to even sidearm comets for approaches through the woods with no problem. Working on building up some power so I can rely on it off the tee out to 300-325 (instead of the 250-275 I have right now)

 

[Animage]

I love the discraft bag fellow wisco. I'm currently loving my Roach but should give Challengers another try sometime soon. How much of a difference is there between a Z comet and the ESP Glo's from MJ? I have a new Z comet I just put back in the bag and it's perfect how it is, but I use a Buzzz for my main stable mid.

 

[VictorB]

How much of a difference is there between a Z comet and the ESP Glo's from MJ? I have a new Z comet I just put back in the bag and it's perfect how it is, but I use a Buzzz for my main stable mid.

I don't know how different it would be for most players. I've had a comet in my bag on and off for about 10 years, so the subtlety of the flight difference is recognizable to me. I think if you're going to choose one, the ESP Glow is the way to go. The Z starts off with a tick more high speed turn compared to a fresh ESP Glow but takes much, much longer to wear in.

 

[VictorB]

Finally working out of a full discraft/dga bag. I tried this quite a few years ago and it didn't work for me because the quality of their fairway drivers didn't work for me, but no more. The predator/undertaker/mantis might be my favorite combination of fairways I've ever used (including banshee+teebird+leopard, eagle-x/eagle-L, and PD/FD)

Distance drivers:
174 SP Hurricane - new, flatter top, overstable hurricane.
172 PL Hurricane - new, wearing this one in to the cycle.
171 SP Hurricane - newish, slight dome, bomber distance disc.

Fairway drivers:
174 Z Predator, new- domey, has some beef but only throw it backhand because of the dome.
172 Z Predator, new- flat top, beef cake. it's a predator. Go to sidearm disc.
174 Z Predator, beat - domey, has some glide and can work some flexy lines with it
176 ESP Undertaker, new - straight to fade workhorse driver. can sidearm with accuracy with it too.
168 Z Undertaker, new - a little lighter for more finesse shots and forcing longer turns.
176 Ti Mantis, newish- main controlled turnover disc. holds a nice turn without too much worry of fading early.
174 ESP AvengerSS - rollers and weird shots where I need a very understable disc.


Midranges:
178 SP Aftershock, new - slightly overstable mid. slots in between a challenger and undertaker for shots that I want to ensure fade (both FH and BH)
180 MJ Z Comet - it's a straight comet.
178 MJ ESP Glow Comet - wearing in a bit. will turn late when I power up on it.
17x X Comet - it's a really beat, understable comet.

Putters:
175 Ti Challenger - stable driving/approach putter.
175 D Challenger (x3) - 2 new for circle putting, beating 1 in for longer putts and approaches.
175 Z FLX Zone - the beefcake approach disc.

 

[VictorB]

I've downsized a few discs and gone back to the Mongoose for rollers. I'll have to work on beating up an avengerSS over the winter and try again in the spring. Basically went down to 2 Z predators (one flat and newish, one flat and beat up) and 2 SP hurricanes.

 

[VictorB]

Last post of the 2018 bag thread! Things have stayed pretty consistent this season overall (other than the putter slot but that's locked down now) I'll list my lineup going into our winter golf season - a few changes just so 1. I don't lose my go to discs, and 2. I have less z/champ in my bag for a little extra cold weather grip.

Distance drivers:
175 PL Hurricane - new, flatter top, overstable hurricane.
170 PL Hurricane - new, slight dome, bomber hurricane
(Honorable mention: 170 Z Force - the longer predator of my lineup. Don't always carry this one, as it really only shines when the wind is whipping. Also, a beat up 174 Z Avenger SS, which is pretty much only for rollers - won't need that most of the winter either.)

Fairway drivers:
172 Z Predator - swapped out my main 2 for a different one to wear in this winter.
174 FR Z Undertaker - new and pretty beefy, takes the place of the beat predator over the winter.
174 ESP Undertaker - slightly worn, straight to fade workhorse driver. can sidearm with accuracy with it too.
168 Z Undertaker - worn, a little lighter for more finesse shots and forcing longer turns.
176 bigZ Mantis - dependable turnovers and more finesse shots through the woods

Midranges:
178 "Shastashock" - nice overstable mid - like a brand new dx roc but in tough, grippy plastic
178 SP Aftershock - slightly overstable mid. slots in between a challenger and undertaker
178 LE ESP Comet - One of my fresh ones from the stash. Stable comet with more grip
178 MJ ESP Glow Comet - getting some wear on this, should be nice and understable by spring so I can rotate a new one in.

Putters:
175 Cryztal Challenger - would like a nice ESP for this slot over the winter, or a better colored Titanium than my silver one I used this year.
175 D Challenger (x3) - 2 new for circle putting, beating 1 in for longer putts and approaches.
175 Z FLX Zone - the beefcake approach disc. won't leave home without it!